Book Notice: Selderhuis on the Reformation Commentary on the Psalms

Herman J. Selderhuis (ed)

Psalms 1-72.
Old Testament Volume 7, Reformation Commentary on Scripture.
Downers Grove, IVP Academic, 2015.
Available at Amazon.com

By Jill Firth

Herman Selderhuis is a leading Reformation historian who is President of the International Calvin Congress. He is professor of Church History at the Theological University Apeldoorn (The Netherlands) and director of Refo500, the international platform on projects relating to the 16^th Century. Selderhuis is the author and editor of several books, including John Calvin: A Pilgrim’s Life and Calvin’s Theology of the Psalms.

Selderhuis showcases familiar Reformation voices such as Luther and Calvin, and lesser-known figures including Anglicans, Catholics and Radicals, some of whom appear in this volume for the first time in English. He accesses a range of documents including sermons, commentaries, treatises and confessions.

The volume begins with a guide to using the commentary by Timothy George, the General Editor of the series. The Reformation Commentaries have made a special effort to include the voices of women, though this goal is limited by the availability of sources. Women who made a significant contribution to the Reformation included Marguerite d’Angoulême (sister of Francis I), Argula von Grumbach (Bavarian supporter of Luther), Katharina Schütz Zell (wife of Matthias Zell) and Anne Askew (d.1546). Lay commentary is also utilised, recognising the significance of Flugschriften (pamphlets and broadsheets) in popularising Reformation doctrine in the sixteenth century. A challenge for the editors was the fierce polemical rhetoric of the sixteenth century. Anti-Semitic and sexist comments have been excised from the text and placed in footnotes. George also provides an overview of the historical setting of the Reformation, and of schools of thought including Zurich, Strasbourg-Basel, Anabaptists and the English Reformation along with Wittenberg and Geneva.

Selderhuis provides an introduction to reading the psalms, beginning with Athanasius’ letter to Marcellinus and noting the spectrum of Christological interpretation between Luther and Calvin. Luther often moves quickly to a Christological reading, as ‘all the histories in Holy Scripture… point to Christ.’ Calvin distinguishes King David from Jesus, moving more deliberately from grammatical and historical considerations to Christological and ecclesial interpretations. However, both interpreters emphasised the need to read Scripture theologically, using the rule of faith.

Scripture passages are printed from the ESV, followed by a brief overview of key exegetical, theological and pastoral concerns of the Reformation writers. Excerpts from the Reformers are then printed with topical headings. The volume includes a map of Europe, a timeline of the Reformation locating key people and events, and biographical sketches of relevant figures and works. Sources for the excerpts are given, and an index of authors and writings enables the reader to locate relevant segments. A subject index and Scripture index complete the helps for the student or researcher.

The series is a valuable addition for scholars, preachers, and anyone who seeks a deeper appreciation of the Psalms. References from Donne, Bucer, Erasmus and many lesser known figures expand our appreciation of Reformation scholarship on the Psalms. Theological libraries will find this series to be a basic reference.

Jill Firth lectures in Hebrew and Old Testament at Ridley College in Melbourne. She has recently completed a PhD on lament psalms (Psalms 140-143).