Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Texan Peter Nevland has visited the UK on numerous occasions where his distinctive brand of slam poetry has found a receptive audience. This book seeks to unpack the artistic thinking behind the Psalms whilst highlighting their continued relevance as passages of Scripture for today's believer to live by. Wisely choosing to focus on only 31 Psalms and not the full 150, Nevland delves in to the poetic structure of these ancient texts in a way that is technical enough to satisfy those interested in that kind of stuff whilst maintaining an accessibility for those who have never fully considered such matters and are more interested in what the Psalms mean to them as opposed to how they are structured. As anyone who has heard Nevland's live poetry performances will recognise, energy and exuberance are in the man's work in abundance and here he attempts to translate the sentiments found in the original texts into modern day emotions through a variety of means including mini-scripts, new pieces of poetry and song lyrics. Whilst Nevland's colloquial writing style (lots of "ya" instead of "you" and so on) does tend to grate after awhile, it has to be said that he succeeds in offering up a new slant on the Psalms through an infectious enthusiasm for the subject as well as his impressive knowledge of this particular part of the Bible. Nevland poses three thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter which help consolidate the reader's learning making this an ideal resource for bible classes, church house groups and individuals looking to deepen their understanding of the Psalms.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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