Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 66:3 (Sep 2023)
Article: Introduction To Three Psalms Articles
Author: Daniel J. Estes

Introduction To Three Psalms Articles

Daniel J. Estes*

^* Daniel J. Estes is Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Cedarville University, 251 N. Main Street, Cedarville, OH 45314. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Over the past forty years, one of my highlights each year has been participating in the annual ETS conference. In particular, I look forward to the sessions planned by numerous program units—sections, consultations, and study groups—that nurture scholarship in various areas of biblical and theological studies. I find that the papers stimulate my thinking, and that the friendships that are renewed each November enrich my life.

The Psalms and Hebrew Poetry section has been active for about fifteen years. Many of the papers presented in its invited and open sessions have been accepted subsequently by scholarly journals, and two collections of essays on the Psalms have been published.

The 2022 invited session focused on recent trends in Psalms studies. Three presenters (David Howard, Kyle Dunham, and Ethan Jones) surveyed the current state of the field by reviewing and critiquing publications that view the Psalms through the lenses of canon, theology, and poetry respectively. For the final paper, the guest presenter was Clinton McCann, who for many years chaired the SBL section on the Book of Psalms. He evaluated where Psalms studies are today, and then projected where he sensed they could well be proceeding in the future.

David Howard’s paper was already committed to a collection that was released earlier this year. The other three papers are presented as a set in this issue of JETS. As you read these insightful articles, you will be inspired to rediscover the Psalms in fresh ways. In addition, they will doubtless whet your appetite for the 2023 ETS conference. See you in San Antonio!