Podcast Points: Psalms Expert Reveals Scripture’s Power with Hope for New Year

With the New Year quickly approaching, Baylor University shares a message of hope through Scripture. The Psalms offer wisdom to readers in the form of poetry, offering insight from both literary and faith perspective. In this Baylor Connections podcast, Psalms scholar Dennis Tucker, Ph.D., professor of Christian Scriptures at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, joins the conversation to provide insight on the different aspects of the book and how we can find hope by spending time in the readings. 

Podcast Points with Dennis Tucker

The Psalms as Poetry

• As a scholar in the Psalms, Tucker shares with listeners how the images and metaphors found in the words are what have captivated him the most over the years.
• Poetry is evocative, Tucker said. “It’s meant to evoke something out of us, such as memories, images, ideas or feelings,” he said. “One of the things that interest me most in the Psalms… is what were the Psalms trying to evoke in the first person who wrote these?”

The Psalms as Prayer

• The Psalms hold a special place among persons of faith and beyond. Specifically, Tucker believes the Psalms are especially important among persons of faith because of the dual aspect of the Psalms.
• “We read them to hear and to listen to the God that we worship, but then we find that they sometimes become the words that we need to offer in prayer,” he said.

The Psalms as Lament

• The Psalms are more than praise; they also are about hardship. Many people want to see the Psalms as a place of just praise and worship, but Tucker said the readings are more about crying out in anxiety and fear.
• “Humanity is not just about praising and being happy. Humanity is also acknowledging that this journey that we take includes difficult seasons, and the difficult seasons don’t have to be shelved. They’re simply part of our life,” Tucker said.

LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION 

Listen to the full conversation with Psalms scholar Dennis Tucker on the Baylor Connections podcast. 

ABOUT BAYLOR CONNECTIONS

Baylor Connections with host Derek Smith goes in depth each week with Baylor leaders, professors and more, discussing important topics in higher education, research and student life. Baylor Connections airs on Fridays at 11 a.m. CT on KWBU 103.3FM in Waco. The podcast also is available online or by subscribing to Baylor Connections on iTunes.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.