Psalm Basics for Catholics: Seeing Salvation History in a New Way

by John Bergsma

In his third back-to-basics look at the Bible, popular theology professor and bestselling Catholic author and speaker John Bergsma highlights the presence of Jesus in the psalms and helps us understand their meaning in light of the story of salvation. Bergsma employs the same conversational style and simple illustrations found in Bible Basics for Catholics and New Testament Basics for Catholics to help bridge the gap between the world of contemporary Catholics and the ancient world of the Bible.

In Psalm Basics for Catholics, John Bergsma introduces us to King David, the story of Israel, and the salvation of the Jewish people through the coming of Jesus.

For more than two thousand years, Christians have sung, chanted, and prayed the psalms, a practice of worship inherited from our Jewish ancestors in faith. Whether prayed during Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, or in personal reflection, these ancient hymns continue to be a guiding light for Catholics. Yet rarely do we step back and look at how the psalms fit into the story of salvation revealed in the Bible the way Bergsma does here.

Bergsma also addresses common questions about the psalms, including Bergsma's insightful, practical examination of the psalms helps Catholics see how their promise is fulfilled in Christ.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Christian, Scripture

160 pages, Paperback

Published March 16, 2018

About the author

Dr. John Bergsma is Associate Professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Steubenville, Ohio. He holds the M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and served as a Protestant pastor for four years before entering the Catholic Church in 2001 while pursuing a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He specialized in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, graduating with high honors in 2004. His major study of the interpretation of the Year of Jubilee in ancient times is published as The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran (Brill Academic, 2007). Dr. Bergsma’s articles, some co-authored with Dr. Scott Hahn, have appeared in several academic journals as well as Lay Witness, the magazine of Catholics United for the Faith. He has appeared as a guest on EWTN’s The Journey Home, Franciscan University Presents, and Relevant Radio’s Drew Mariani Show. Twice voted Faculty of the Year by graduating classes of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Bergsma is a popular teacher who inspires his students with a love of Scripture. He and his wife Dawn reside with their eight children in Steubenville, Ohio.


Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Theology - University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, Indiana)
Master of Theology (Th.M.) - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Master of Divinity (M.Div.) - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Classical Languages - Calvin Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Reviews

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with John Bergsma's book Bible Basics for Catholics this is an excellent basic coverage, in this case the Psalms, how they are organized into five books, and how they speak about Jesus (just without ever using his specific name). I especially like how he took a closer look at five "must read" psalms from each book. This is where there are deeper points made than one would normally find in a "basics" book, although they are made so simply that they are easy to grasp.

As with the Bible Basics book, Bergsma uses the trick of simple stick pictures to help make the main points memorable and I was happy to see them. They really are wonderful memory aids.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fantastic introduction to the Psalms!! I have been a Christian my whole life and a Catholic for 14 years and I've never had the Psalms described in such a relatable and tangible way before. I had always tried to read them on my own but would abandon them because I didn't understand the history behind them AND how I can also apply that to my life in the here and now. The author did a really great job writing about both aspects of the Psalms and made them really accessible. Plus, there were some great stick figure illustrations (not joking!!) that really helped give a visual understanding to each of the five books of the Psalms and the overarching theme of the Psalter. It was not overly academic in its presentation, but also meaty enough I felt like I was really learning something new. I would recommend this book to any Catholic, no matter how many times you've read the Psalms. There's so much here to learn I'm sure it would be worthwhile. And yes, I think other Christians can and should read this book, but they may have a harder time without first understanding Catholic teaching on the Eucharist especially. Overall, I'm really excited to go back and read through the Psalter in it's entirety now. Highly recommend!!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Catholic mother and teacher, I found this book so helpful for understanding the Psalms in a way I never had before--the historical context gave me new insights into the inspiring words. It is simple to understand yet packed with information. I strongly recommend this book.

[Jane Lebak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward and simple overview of the psalms. It outlines the history of the psalms, their place in scripture, their place in both Jewish and Christian history. Most of the book deals with the overall structure of the book of psalms and their context. (It's illustrated with stick figures, so if you're trying to impress people as you're studying in a university library hoping to achieve tenure next year, this isn't the book for you. For everyone else, I think they're kind of cute.)

I actually didn't see anything *specifically* Catholic about this primer on how to read the psalms, so really any Christian denomination could access this, and the most likely they'd get to being offended is by reading that religious orders use the psalms daily in the liturgy of the hours. :-) So if you've been wondering what the deal is with the psalms and why they have such a place of importance in the Mass and the overall liturgy, this is a good jumping-off point.

I handed this book off to a woman in my Bible Study class & told her after she's done to leave it in our church's Little Free Library.

[Argum · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Bergsma is such a treat. The stick figures are so charming and helpful. The Psalms are that thing that we sing between the First and Second Reading, King David wrote them, and umm.. they are a really big chunk of the Bible? Well, yes but so much more. We start with a review of covenant history and basics that you can brush up on in Bergsma's previous two Basics for Catholics books. Some favorite drawings are revisited. Did I mention I really love the stick figures? After that a basic sketch of how the Psalms fall in five books each with its own flavor and outline of different types of psalms. Then each of those five chunks gets its own stick figure tempo and chapter. Each chapter discusses the major theme and historical place of those Psalms along with an explanation of the drawing. Each concludes with top five Psalms to remember. So accessible for laity and yet deep and important as well. Stick figures really bring a visual thematic concept out of what previously seemed like nice interludes during Mass. Cant wait to see what John Bergsma tackles next!

Thank you again to Ave Maria Press for an advance copy of this wonderful book.

[Bernadette Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well written and an easy to follow guide to the Psalms and how they fit into the story of salvation. More than half of the 150 psalms are attributed to David. God granted to David a covenant that made David son of God and king of the world. God promised a New Covenant after the Babylonian Exile and the Son of David, Jesus Christ, arrived to fulfill those promises. David wrote many "thanksgiving" psalms and these ancient songs are part of the present day Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass.

The Psalms are broken down into five books and the groups are according to the type of psalm.
Book I: psalms 1 - 41 (Weeping and Moaning)
Book II: psalms 42 - 72 (Triumph and Rejoicing)
Book III: psalms 73 - 89 (Descending into Grief)
Book IV: psalms 90 - 105 (Waiting around in Exile)
Book V: psalms 107 - 150 (Praising God for restoring his people from Exile)

I particularly like that the author has stated five "must know" psalms in each of the Books. I have enjoyed this study of the Psalms greatly and I know that it will increase my understanding for the future.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

[Joseph Wetterling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Bergsma has a wonderfully friendly style that conveys both his knowledge of scripture and his love of it. Psalm Basics is easy to read - even without the stick figure memory aids - and understand. From there. Dr. Bergsma suggests, through the text, where to begin reading the psalms and, at the end, how to continue a lifelong engagement with them. His drawings are simple enough to be easily copied and, in that, may be one of their biggest benefits -- that by taking notes (including drawings), the reader is rehearsing the information and making it more their own. All in all, a fine, quick overview of the psalms that combines a historical and liturgical understanding with practical application to the daily life of faith.

[Maximilian Nightingale · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the Psalms! It’s most useful feature is making sense out of their canonical order and how this reflects the history of the Davidic kingdom. He also sees the Psalms against the background of all the covenants made in Scripture and he looks closely at about 15 Psalms. This is an easy recommendation to anyone who prays the Psalms or who needs to be convinced to pray with them.

[Valerie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful introduction to the Psalms! At first, I was skeptical about the simplistic drawings, thinking this book would be “dumbed down”, but I was so wrong. You will look at the Psalms in a new light, and long to pray with them daily!

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I love each of John Bergsma’s books that I’ve read. I was delighted when Ave Maria Press notified me that his latest was available via NetGalley for review.

If you are like me, you were probably wondering, “How is he going to get a whole book out of those weird little bits we sing between the readings and the stuff you have to wade through while arranging your wedding?” I almost didn’t read it. Turns out there’s far more in there than I ever imagined.

To make a long story short, the Psalms contain the whole history and future of Israel, instructions for how, when and why to pray and so much more. He breaks the Psalms down into five sections that mirror the history of Israel and explains how all the psalms point to and are fulfilled by Jesus.

You will learn a lot from this book. The opening is kind of dry, but you will get so much more out of the book if you can make it through the “background lecture”. The reason I say that is because the English language is so limiting. Some of the original Hebrew and Aramaic words are hard to translate into English because they have so much more meaning than their English counterparts. Professor Bergsma does a really good job of helping pull that extra meaning out in Psalm Basics.

Lastly, he provides some excellent instructions for going through the Psalms for study and prayer. Be sure to read this if you want to delve deeper into your faith and get more out of the Mass. It’s a fairly quick read and can be easily broken up into several sessions, which is good for parents with small children. Trust me 😊

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. John Bergsma is a theology professor at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has written many books on Scripture, but the ones I know his best for are his "Basics for Catholics" books. The first one was Bible Basics for Catholics with two follow-ups (so far) entitled New Testament Basics for Catholics and Psalm Basics for Catholics. Today, I am going to tell you about the latter work, as it his most recent one in the series. The book is divided into eleven chapters, which are as follows:

1. What's a "Psalm"? Who Wrote Them? and All That Stuff
2. How the Psalms Fit into the Story of Salvation
3. More About David
4. The Story the Psalms Tell
5. Introducing the Psalter! (Introducing the Psalter!)
6. Book I of Psalms: Weeping and Moaning
7. Book II of Psalms: Triumph and Rejoicing
8. Book III of Psalms: Descending into Grief
9. Book IV of Psalms: Waiting Around in Exile
10. Book V of Psalms: Woohoo! The Exile is Over! At Least Mostly
11. Different Ways to Read the Psalms

The book begins by telling us about who David is, what a Psalm is, why they were written, and the different types of psalms. Chapter Two then walks us through all of salvation history and the seven covenants. They are Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, New and Eucharistic Covenant. Dr. Bergsma tells us that the psalms "flow from the Davidic Covenant, and we use them in the New Covenant because it is the restored and transformed covenant of David. We then learn more about David and get a comparison between his covenant and the Mosaic Covenant. The rest of the book is the meat of this book and gives you summaries and important psalms in each of the five sections of Psalms. The last chapter provides a nice chart, which gives you different psalms to read depending on how you are feeling at the time.

Like his other books in this series, Dr. Bergsma presents this information in an approachable method. He provides you with enough information on the subject matter, as to not overwhelm you, but also invites you to dive deeper after reading his book. The most charming parts of this series are his clever stick-figure drawings. These pictures are not only amusing, but they are also educational. I especially liked the one he made of King David looking like a rock star! These simple drawings help illustrate the main points Dr. Bergsma is trying to convey and so in a way that is helpful and not distracting. If he did a whole book of nothing but stick drawings from every famous Bible story, I would gladly buy it and love every minute of it! I hope there are more books in this series, because I highly recommend them all.

[Ann-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and inspiring

I love the drawings and I love the way this book deepend my knowledge of the Psalms and made me want to use them.

[Jesus Fidel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! It provides a thorough synopsis of the book of Psalms. John Bergsma does an amazing job in explaining the Psalms in such a short book. It is very easy to read. The author uses very simple language and even simple drawings to clarify some points. 100% recommended if you are looking to understand and bring closer to you this part of the Catholic Faith.

Spanish: ¡Gran libro! Proporciona una sinopsis completa del libro de los Salmos. John Bergsma hace un trabajo fantástico al explicar los Salmos en un libro tan breve. Es muy fácil de leer. El autor utiliza un lenguaje muy sencillo e incluso dibujos sencillos para aclarar algunos puntos. 100% recomendado si buscas entender y acercar esta parte de la Fe Católica.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bergsma’s lighter approach to Bible study makes this book perfect for summer. This book is informative and engaging without being too formal or serious. Charts and diagrams illustrate the discussion of salvation history and the distinctions among the psalms themselves. There’s much more than basic information here! The book has eleven chapters, so reading one chapter per week will take you right through the summer. I found it hard to stop reading at the end of each chapter — I was quickly wrapped up in Bergsma’s explanations about the history behind the psalms.

[Andy Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful addition to any Library

This introduction to the Psalms is so very enlightening. I enjoyed is compacted way of going through salvation history. They gave a great background so that money cover the Psalms it put it in the context that could be understood better. I found Illuminating the five different books of the Psalms. I also loved his illustrations and drawings which, wild kind of corny I found actually helpful. I highly recommend this book. I think it would be perfect as part of a diaconate program.

[Darren Cary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, fully accomplishing its purpose. It could've been titled "The Psalms for Frickin' Retards" (exactly the kind of books I need sometimes).

Now I have a greater appreciation for the Psalms and will read them again in a new light. I especially like seeing Jesus foreshadowed and anticipated in them.

If you have any interest in the Psalms - - which you should - - you will want this clear, concise, and informative book.

Thank you, Dr. Bergsma.

[Sandra Cianci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally I find help!

I get lost trying to understand Psalms, know there is a back story, know I am missing alot. A commentary I read was so far above my head was more lost. NOW I have a road map and cute stick figures to entertain and guide me on my way! Am so excited to start my adventure. Thank you, this book is a blessing. And on my Kindle can mark it up and read and understand psalms any where!

[Tom Kopff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the book of Psalms, explaining its structure. He shows that there are five 'books' in the Psalms, and gives five Psalms You Absolutely Must Know within each book. In the final chapter he gives several suggestions on ways to read the Psalms.

It is very easy to read, an illustrated charmingly with stick figures. This book is appropriate for anyone from high school on up to us old-timers.

[Mary L. Jeske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explanation followed by understanding

I never much cared for the Psalms. I hear portions of Psalms at Mass, but never really paid attention to them until I read this book. Now, I want to read the Psalms in their entirety from the Bible. Great explanation of the Psalms. It uncovered a new love of the Psalms and a renewed love and appreciation for the Bible.

[Jane Tennyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study guide

This was a great introduction to the Psalms and placed them in their proper place in scripture. As a cradle Catholic I never gave much thought to the importance of these writing vs.

[Dim Bulb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very basic introduction.

A simply written, very readable book like the others in Bergsma's "Bible Basics" series. I suspect that most people who read/pray the psalms are unaware that there is a strategy to it's overall structure.

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a very light style, but still packs a lot of content in its 144 pages. There is valuable information and analysis to consider and apply personally. It has also made for a good resource to supplement a Psalms study I'm doing now with a church group.

[Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for LOTH folks!

I've been doing the Liturgy of the Hours (Morning & Night) for a year now and transitioning this Lent to adding Evening and this book has helped organize and bring deeper meaning to the Pslams in LOTH.
Memorable part of my formation.

[Diego Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Gran libro! Demasiado sencillo y una gran introducción para entender los salmos. Todo lo que escriba y hable Dr. Bergsma es ORO... Lo recomiendo MUCHÍSIMO. Easy and quick read. Ya chole de ignorar los salmos y comenzar a orar con ellos...

[Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short introduction to the Psalms. Don't let the simple had drawings deceive you into to thinking the treatment is childish. It's not.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to spark interest in the Psalms. I found a new respect for Saint Joseph as a man of the line of King David.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. A great introduction to the Psalms and explanation of salvation history. I look forward to reading the Psalms with a new appreciation and understanding. Highly recommend.

[Carol Glennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Critique of book

Very clear and informative? I liked the charts and stick drawings through for clarifying details. I took many notes for reflection.

[Dcn. Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Psalms are “the most popular poetry collection ever published in world history.”

This book is so worth reading. Surprisingly helpful to understanding a new depth to the Psalms.

[Christopher Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book for anyone who wants to understand the Psalms. He makes it so easy to follow and comprehend.