Bruce Waltke's A Canonical Analysis

The Psalter has historically been a book full of rich, diverse theological truth. Whether it a Psalm of lament, or Psalm praising God, or any other of the vast number of topics the Psalms address, the Psalter is indeed the inspired, revealed word of God that leads believers to deeper fellowship and rejoicing with God himself. Because of this, Bruce Waltke, in his article A Canonical Process Approach to the Psalms, explores the importance of reading and interpreting the Psalms rightly. Ultimately, Waltke’s thesis lies in the notions that the Psalms are best understood by reading them through the lens of a canonical approach.

Summary

Bruce Walkte begins his exploration of rightly reading and understanding the Psalter by evaluating historical views. He first details the Alexandrian method of interpretation, which relies heavily upon an allegorical approach to Scripture. Then, Waltke discusses the Antiochian method of interpretation in which “every passage has only one literal, historical meaning.” The Antiochian approach is then divided into two ideas: noncritical exposition, which limit the

The first principle assumes the “the people of God throughout history are united by a common knowledge and faith.” Second, the canonical approach “accepts the biblical witness that God is the ultimate author of the progressively developing canon.” Third, this approach “rest on the conviction that as the canon developed, lesser and earlier representations were combined to form greater units.” Finally, the canonical process “presupposes that the canon closed with the addition of the last book of the New Testament.” As a result of a thorough discussion on each of these points, Waltke concludes that the Psalter has a royal and messianic significance, carried predictive meaning, find their fulfillment in Christ, and are ultimately the prayers of