Studies in the Psalms: Essays in Honor of D. Phillip Roberts

by Dan Petty (ed.)

This festschrift in honor of Dr. Roberts is a collection of essays in the psalms, largely by Florida College faculty, past and present—e.g., Tom Hamilton, David McClister, Tommy Peeler, Melvin Curry, Curtis Pope, Ferrell Jenkins, and many others—though there are some essays by other men as well.

It is divided into two portions. First are special studies in the psalms, which include essays on such things as studies on the various types of psalms and studies on recurring themes in the psalms (e.g., temple imagery, God, and imprecatory language). That is followed by ten studies on specific psalms: 11; 19; 22; 32; 42 and 43; 49; 73; 78; 90; and 126. The book is begun by an article detailing Dr. Roberts life by his brother, Hill. It is concluded with a series of personal tributes by the authors of the various essays.

As you would expect in such a book, the quality of the writing varies with the essay and its author. And its use to you in particular may vary with how interested you are in the various special studies or how prepared you are to read things that, at times, border on scholarly. I found most of it enjoyable, though there were some essays that, honestly, the subject matter didn’t particularly strike my fancy. And as far as the essays on select Psalms go, you will largely find what you might expect: varying styles of essay that match the varying styles of author.

Overall, I’d say that it’s worth reading. And you can feel good about buying it, since a portion of the sale is going to Dr. Roberts’ widow and two children.