Psalms in an Age of Distraction: Experiencing the Restorative Power of Biblical Poetry

by Ethan C. Jones, Elizabeth Robar (foreword)

The psalms endure. Throughout the centuries, Christians have read, prayed, and sung this rich collection of poems. But in our current age of distraction, the daily rhythms of modern life revolve more around screens than biblical texts.

This book argues that the psalms are poetry for the soul, poetry that shapes us. Beyond highlighting the poetry of the Psalter, the book attends to the theological freight of these poems. As such, we learn to read Scripture more attentively and love God and the world well. The first part of the book explores how we can read the psalms amid the pull of modern distractions. The second part highlights the various features of several psalms, showing what these poems can teach us about living in a more focused, attentive way.

This engaging book demonstrates how our thoughts, emotions, and worship of the triune God are sharpened and deepened through the psalms. In an era of dimly lit faces and multitasking, the poetry of Psalms remains ready to train our ears, steady our hearts, and teach us to pray so that we might flourish in Christ. The book includes a foreword by Elizabeth Robar.

Genres: Old Testament, Theology

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2024

Reviews

[David Batten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and timely. But I think I can say nothing better than that Jones clearly loves the Psalms, and I finished wanting to read them more myself.

[Franki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jones achieves two equally difficult things with this book. First, he compellingly demonstrates how the poetry and form of the Psalms call modern readers to slow down and reorient themselves to God. Remarkably, he does this without being overly academic, despite the books clear scholarly rigor. At the same time, he also avoids sounding condescending, a note which I find many authors strike when speaking about the "digital age" or "age of distraction". Jones work is clearly shaped by and for community and particular people (evidenced by the many acknowledgements, footnotes, and personal anecdotes) which both guards against condescension but also mirrors the communal nature of the Psalms themselves. Second, and most fascinating to me, the second half of the book gently insists the reader to practice what the first half teaches. I initially approached the second half at the pace I read the first, quickly aiming to get to the point. However, Jones' careful attention to detail and thoughtful craftsmanship beg the reader to slow down and to sit with the Psalms. What a gift!

[Ched Spellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is excellent!

[DeAron Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has truly blessed my soul. Ethan Jones has written a book that is worthy of our attention in an age where we so easily chase the wind. He accurately diagnoses our worship of information over wisdom and how we tether our souls to objects that lack eternal significance. He offers the Psalms as a remedy to our distracted souls. He skillfully urges the reader to take more time to meditate on the Psalms and chew on the richness of biblical poetry. I love that he doesn't overload the reader with facts about the text, but his writing is very expository. This book is written with church members in mind, not scholars.

Read this book and allow it to help you cherish the living and active Word of God in an age where our minds can so easily run after vanities.

[Harrison Kossover · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In the moment of quick fixes, life hacks, and microwave everything, we as human beings need constant reminders to have an ambling pace” (100). Ethan Jones calls the reader to slow down and appreciate the beauty and depth of Psalms poetry to nourish our relationship with the Lord. This will be a text I go back to when considering the Psalms.

[Johnny Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a helpful reminder to take Scripture with the utmost seriousness both in its content and form. In a culture defined by divided attentions, Jones provides much needed counter programming through his appeal to the "focal practice" of reading the Psalms in all their poetic splendor. I expect this book to be a constant companion as I approach the Psalms in the coming years.

[Lauren]

I truly have no idea how to rate this book.

Skip the forward.

Part One is amazing. I learned so much, underlines and marginal notes abound. Jones has an excellent way of poignantly pointing out how poetry is a wonderful remedy to our distracted age and how the poetry of the Psalms in particular can shape our squirrel brains toward spiritual discipline.

And then.

Came Part Two.

And I nearly died.

Of angry boredom.

Instead of “Experiencing the Restorative Power of Poetry” as I was meant to be doing.

Here are a couple of reasons Part Two fell flat. The main one is that there was no real anchor connecting the chapters within themselves. The only one that comes close, and was the best of all Part Two, was the last on Psalm 150. All others were basically loosely-collected interesting facts about the psalm.

Another reason Part Two fell flat is that Jones’ “academic-speak” was overplayed. This book (as the reader was reminded several times) is for the non-specialist. A non-specialist doesn’t need all these citations of inaccessible scholarly journals. Especially in the first few chapters, we get quotation after quotation after reference after quotation. These interrupt the flow of the narrative and give the book the flair of “made for scholars and graduate students.” But then we get to Chapter 9 on Metaphor in Poetry and are made to feel like total newbies. I.e., “The psalmist’s soul parallels the deer: both pant. The key distinction lies in the object” (p.102). Yes, we understand how metaphor works. Please don’t beat a dead horse about it. (Also, scholars: can we please stop doing the whole part of “the structure of the book” please? Some of us have small children and reading your Table of Contents in paragraph form is not how I would like to spend the 5-15 minute snatches of reading we can get. Why is this a thing we must do?)

What would have been truly helpful for Part Two would have been either a sermon style for each Psalm (his selection was wonderful, which makes it more of a bummer) or a simple “Practice” part. Something along the lines of getting us to practice slowing down and noticing and such discussed in Part One with specific psalms. Here is Psalm 1, where do you see repetition? How does this emphasize the psalmist’s point? How does this direct our thoughts on who God is and who we are and what we mean to each other? Etc. Etc.

All in all, please read Part One! Then just head off to the Psalms themselves and practice!

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big believer in the psalms as God’s songbook/hymnbook and the importance of allowing time in meditating upon and speaking out the psalms as critical aspects of spiritual formation. In the psalms God gives voice for His people to speak to Him and understand themselves and their difficulties.

But if you’re not entirely convinced, Ethan Jones has written Psalms in an Age of Distraction: Experiencing the Restorative Power of Biblical Poetry (galley received as part of early review program) to work to convince you. He begins by setting the tone of modern life and its endless distractions which drain away life and its experience. He then encourages the reader to consider the psalms as more than a kind of story (although it certainly includes story). He addresses in some detail the poetry of the psalms and how it can affect and inspire the hearer/reader. He considers the psalms as kind of scaffolding for the soul, providing an “infrastructure” for faith and prayer.

Much of the book involves explication of the themes the author finds in various psalms. He covers Psalms 1, 3, 8, 13, 42, 62, 73, 96, 104, and 150, in each looking at various prominent themes within those individual psalms and which can often be found in other psalms.

This book is a great introductory encouragement to deeper investigation of the psalms. The author is often incisive in his exploration. From what I can tell, the author is primarily approaching and discussing the psalms in English translation. There’s nothing wrong with that approach, but any reader who was expecting deep insights related to the original Hebrew will be disappointed.

For the distracted, or for the overly rational or secular, the psalms welcome and invite the people of God into greater communion with God, and thus to experience a richer, more enchanted, and ultimately healing relationship with Him. Anything which well points believers to the experience of the psalms thus can prove beneficial.

[Mathew Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Psalms. I love to study, recite, and sing them regularly. Pride’s temptation is for me to think that I have somehow been climbing the summit of my understanding and interpretation of the Psalms. Reading Dr. Jones excellent book and commentary over the Psalter reminded me that my understanding of the Psalms does not even come to close to that of a false summit, but rather the foot-hills of comprehension. Oh the depth and beauty of God’s Word!

I’m going to have to read again. Also, Dr. Jones provides ample other readings in the footnotes for further study. An excellent resource for researchers and those like myself who are just beginning the deep dive into the poetry of the Psalter.

[Matt Lillicrap · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book by a good friend. The Psalms have received a revival of attention in the evangelical world over recent years, but their form as *poetry* has sometimes been overlooked. In a world of distraction (and even distraction from distraction) the poetic form of the Psalms is designed to hook our attention at heart and mind level, and refocus us towards the Lord, heart and soul. Ethan Jones does a wonderful job of exploring the contours of the psalms poetry, what it is meant to do *to* us, and what we are meant to do *with* it.