The Social Audience of Prayer

Lament psalms are often imagined as private cries to God. Yet most laments are also directed outward—toward friends, foes, and entire communities. The Social Audience of Prayer reveals how the psalmist’s words reach beyond the divine to demand recognition, solidarity, and change from a human audienc...

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প্রধান লেখক: Suderman, W. Derek
বিন্যাস: Online
ভাষা:ইংরেজি
প্রকাশিত: Penn State University Press 2026
বিষয়গুলি:
অনলাইন ব্যবহার করুন:ONIX_20260605T151934_9781646023592_5
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author Suderman, W. Derek
author_browse Suderman, W. Derek
author_facet Suderman, W. Derek
author_sort Suderman, W. Derek
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description Lament psalms are often imagined as private cries to God. Yet most laments are also directed outward—toward friends, foes, and entire communities. The Social Audience of Prayer reveals how the psalmist’s words reach beyond the divine to demand recognition, solidarity, and change from a human audience as well. W. Derek Suderman offers the first sustained study of the social audience in lament psalms, showing how laments consistently engage both God and society. Through close rhetorical analysis, he uncovers shifts in address that highlight the psalmist’s strategies for confronting enemies, rallying supporters, and provoking divine action. Individual lament psalms emerge here as multifaceted performances that intertwine theological appeal and social persuasion. Suderman situates this insight within a broader canonical framework, examining how psalm superscriptions, the book of Job, and the passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark extend and reshape the social dynamics of lament. By foregrounding its human audience, The Social Audience of Prayer reframes how scholars understand lament as genre and practice. Suderman demonstrates that laments are not merely vertical cries between an individual and God but complex rhetorical acts that engage God and community together. This study makes a methodological and theological contribution to Psalms research, offering new tools for rhetorical criticism and canonical interpretation. It will interest biblical scholars, theologians, students of Hebrew poetry, and readers seeking to understand how ancient prayers functioned as public, relational acts of faith.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1771722026-06-06T05:04:42Z The Social Audience of Prayer Suderman, W. Derek Lament psalms and social audience Individual lament in the Psalms Rhetorical criticism of biblical prayer Public dimensions of lament Psalms as social persuasion Theology and community in lament Hebrew poetry and lament psalms Canonical study of the Psalms Psalm superscriptions and interpretation Job and the language of lament Gospel of Mark and lament tradition Biblical prayer and human audience Enemies supporters and divine appeal Social dynamics of ancient prayer Rhetorical thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVC Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity Lament psalms are often imagined as private cries to God. Yet most laments are also directed outward—toward friends, foes, and entire communities. The Social Audience of Prayer reveals how the psalmist’s words reach beyond the divine to demand recognition, solidarity, and change from a human audience as well. W. Derek Suderman offers the first sustained study of the social audience in lament psalms, showing how laments consistently engage both God and society. Through close rhetorical analysis, he uncovers shifts in address that highlight the psalmist’s strategies for confronting enemies, rallying supporters, and provoking divine action. Individual lament psalms emerge here as multifaceted performances that intertwine theological appeal and social persuasion. Suderman situates this insight within a broader canonical framework, examining how psalm superscriptions, the book of Job, and the passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark extend and reshape the social dynamics of lament. By foregrounding its human audience, The Social Audience of Prayer reframes how scholars understand lament as genre and practice. Suderman demonstrates that laments are not merely vertical cries between an individual and God but complex rhetorical acts that engage God and community together. This study makes a methodological and theological contribution to Psalms research, offering new tools for rhetorical criticism and canonical interpretation. It will interest biblical scholars, theologians, students of Hebrew poetry, and readers seeking to understand how ancient prayers functioned as public, relational acts of faith. 2026-06-06T05:04:40Z 2026-06-06T05:04:40Z 2026-06-05T14:13:54Z 2026 book book ONIX_20260605T151934_9781646023592_5 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/113963 9781646023592 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/177172 eng Siphrut open access image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/113963/1/9781646023592.pdf Penn State University Press Eisenbrauns e4e05b94-0f85-49a1-ba66-543b1dd40087 9781646023592 Eisenbrauns 230 University Park, PA open access
spellingShingle Lament psalms and social audience
Individual lament in the Psalms
Rhetorical criticism of biblical prayer
Public dimensions of lament
Psalms as social persuasion
Theology and community in lament
Hebrew poetry and lament psalms
Canonical study of the Psalms
Psalm superscriptions and interpretation
Job and the language of lament
Gospel of Mark and lament tradition
Biblical prayer and human audience
Enemies supporters and divine appeal
Social dynamics of ancient prayer
Rhetorical
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVC Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity
Suderman, W. Derek
The Social Audience of Prayer
title The Social Audience of Prayer
title_full The Social Audience of Prayer
title_fullStr The Social Audience of Prayer
title_full_unstemmed The Social Audience of Prayer
title_short The Social Audience of Prayer
title_sort social audience of prayer
topic Lament psalms and social audience
Individual lament in the Psalms
Rhetorical criticism of biblical prayer
Public dimensions of lament
Psalms as social persuasion
Theology and community in lament
Hebrew poetry and lament psalms
Canonical study of the Psalms
Psalm superscriptions and interpretation
Job and the language of lament
Gospel of Mark and lament tradition
Biblical prayer and human audience
Enemies supporters and divine appeal
Social dynamics of ancient prayer
Rhetorical
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVC Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity
topic_facet Lament psalms and social audience
Individual lament in the Psalms
Rhetorical criticism of biblical prayer
Public dimensions of lament
Psalms as social persuasion
Theology and community in lament
Hebrew poetry and lament psalms
Canonical study of the Psalms
Psalm superscriptions and interpretation
Job and the language of lament
Gospel of Mark and lament tradition
Biblical prayer and human audience
Enemies supporters and divine appeal
Social dynamics of ancient prayer
Rhetorical
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRV Aspects of religion::QRVC Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts
thema EDItEUR::Q Philosophy and Religion::QR Religion and beliefs::QRM Christianity
url ONIX_20260605T151934_9781646023592_5
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