Singing in the Reign: The Psalms and the Liturgy of God's Kingdom

Christians know the Psalms, sing the Psalms, and pray the Psalms more than any other book of the Bible.

Yet, even as believers have grown more devoted to individual psalms, they have lost the big picture—the single sense that unites all the psalms as one coherent book.

Michael Barber is at the forefront of an emerging movement in biblical theology. With this book, he is recovering the narrative plot that was the common heritage of Jews and Christians in the ancient world. Barber shows how King David serves as an example for the chosen people as they struggled in exile. As David was rescued by the Lord, so would Israel be restored as a kingdom for all ages.

This is the story of Christ as well, whom Barber reveals as the “new David.” And, in Christ, it is the story of every Christian. The Psalms bring us—in our reading and in our prayer—from suffering and pleading to glory, triumph, and praise.

Barber’s analysis follows upon an extensive introduction by Scott Hahn, Ph.D., detailing the historical, cultural, and theological background of the Psalter.

Michael Barber holds a bachelor's degree in theology and philosophy from Azusa Pacific University in Southern California and a master's degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is currently working on his Ph.D. in Theology at Fuller in Pasadena, California.