Verified Document

Reflections On The Psalms By C S Lewis Book Review

In his book Reflections on the Psalms, C. S. Lewis examines the book of Psalms – one of the most popular books in the Bible. He focuses on how the book portrays the Bible, God, and faith. Lewis explores Psalms’ poetic verses and their relevance to the reader’s everyday life. The book has 12 chapters, purposely written to provide amateurs with a better understanding of the book of Psalms. Lewis’s overarching argument is that the book of Psalms was originally written as a poetic book (Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, 2). Accordingly, the book should be read in a lyrical as opposed to a doctrinal or sermonised fashion. The Psalms should be sung as hymns to worship God. They should be read as poems so as to grasp the original message their authors’ intended to convey. For Lewis, the intention of his book is not to justify the truthfulness of Christianity – it is rather to make the reader of Psalms understand the true meaning of the Psalms (Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, 7). This paper provides a critique of the book. The book is divided into two major sections. In the first section (chapters 1-9), Lewis examines the books of Psalms from the perspectives of readers and Jewish writers. The section specifically focuses on topics relating to judgment, hatred, death, cursings, nature, the beauty and sweetness of God, sins of the tongue, and why human beings praise God. In the second section (chapters 10-12), Lewis examines Psalms from the perspective of the Christian reader. He devotes this section to explain how Christians should read the book of Psalms. Lewis posits that the book has two interpretations, and that the second interpretation is totally unknown to the Psalmist. In the second section, Lewis also suggests that Pagan texts might convey the second meanings as well. As Lewis concludes the book, he argues that the...

Parts of this document are hidden

View Full Document
svg-one

Reflections on Psalms is just one of the several works he has authored. The book is thought-provoking, memorable, and interesting to read. It provides a new understanding of one of the most elusive books in the Bible – Psalms. More specifically, Lewis influences the reader to view the book of Psalms in light of its poetic beauty. An even more important strength is that Lewis strongly admires the book of Psalms. He acknowledges the influential character of the book, describing how the Psalms give him the same delight David had when dancing for God.
Nonetheless, a number of weaknesses are worth noting. First, Lewis starts his book with matters he views as the more distasteful or unpleasant – judgment, cursings, death, and so forth. Such a start denies his readers a chance to begin to enjoy his perspectives. Immediately after the introduction, Lewis embarks on the subject of judgment. Is it not quite strange that the subject of judgment preceded that of cursings? Lewis’s justifies his prioritisation of unattractive matters by asserting that Jews waited upon judgement day anxiously (Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, 8-10). For Lewis, Jews viewed judgment in a different way than contemporary Christians may.

Even so, Lewis’s idea makes the reader comprehend the book of Psalms from a different perspective. With this perspective, some texts become clearer, permitting the reader to understand why Jews anticipated the Day of Judgment with such enthusiasm. According to Lewis, the Christian perspective of judgment is better than the Jewish perspective, but this does not necessarily mean that…

Sources used in this document:

Bibliography

Lewis, C.S. Reflections on the Psalms. Great Britain: Fount Paperbacks, 1958.


Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

English Law Negligence in Hospital Care The
Words: 1888 Length: 6 Document Type: Case Study

English Law Negligence in Hospital Care? The Case of Jenny Wants a Penny Duty of care is defined in different ways depending on the specific circumstances involved in any one case, according to precedents set in various tort cases. In one of the most famous of these cases, Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] UKHL 100, Lord Atkin set out the principle that all members of society owe a duty of care to their "neighbors"

English I Agree With the Statement That
Words: 1224 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

English I agree with the statement that English is the world's most important language. The importance lies in the breadth of English spoken, rather than the depth. In addition, English is already understood to be the world's de facto second language. Removing English from dominance would require the emergence of another language whose prominence could match it. Lastly, English is the most important language and will continue to be because of

English Civil War As a Background to Milton's Paradise Lost
Words: 2305 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

English Civil War as a Background for Milton's Paradise Lost Political Foundations in Milton's Paradise Lost: Ties to the English Civil War Paradise Lost is an epic tale of defeat and the consequences which come from breaking with the proper form of divine rule. In his work, John Milton pits Satan and his army against God in Heaven, illustrating the notorious Christian battle within particularly political contexts. The English Civil War did

English for Oral Communication -Problems Faced Oral
Words: 2756 Length: 9 Document Type: Essay

ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION -Problems faced oral presentation ways overcome problems Sales Marketing staffs. Problems faced in oral presentation and how to overcome them Many a time sales and marketing staff members are required to give oral presentations to existing and potential clients. These presentations may range from short to long while others include visual aids and are in slide format, they can also be done individually or by a group of

English Poems the Problem Regarding Racial Equality
Words: 1004 Length: 3 Document Type: Thesis

English Poems The problem regarding racial equality can be traced as far back as the African-American slave trade of the 1400s. But even after the Civil War and the Reconstruction of the United States, there is no denying the fact that a racial tension still exists between "whites" and "blacks." Many authors, artists, and poets have portrayed this tension, sometimes even going as far back as inspiring their audience through language

English As the Global Language
Words: 2993 Length: 9 Document Type: Essay

Dovring makes a good point when she says that it is difficult for a person to free their self of their own communication realm (Dovring, 115). However, Dovring goes on to say that individuals who are required to learn a language other than their own for purposes of communicating with others, can cause them to become victims the language they acquire (Dovring, 115-116). It can, Dovring says, alter not just

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now