The Cultural World of the Prophets: The First Reading and Responsorial Psalm, Sunday by Sunday, Year B (Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday) - Softcover

Whether you are a preacher preparing a sermon, a catechist working out a lesson plan, a liturgist choosing the music, a member of an RCIA team preparing for a weekly session, a small Christian community coordinator, a Renew participant, or just a person in the pew who would like to learn more about the Sunday readings, you will find this series of books very helpful.Pastoral Music John Pilch's Cultural World of the Prophets complements his three-volume set on the Gospel readings of the Lectionary, The Cultural World of Jesus, Cycles A, B, and C. With this volume he turns his attention to the first set of recommended readings, from the Prophets and Psalms. Placing the passages in their historical, cultural, and Biblical context, Pilch demonstrates his thorough knowledge and understanding of the milieu in which these Scriptures were composed, and of their continuous interplay. The comments are compact, yet rich. The insights are fresh and helpful, and the reader is provided with a fine aid to meditation and Bible study. The author is to be congratulated.T. R. Hobbs, Hamilton, Ontario . . . deals with the First Readings and Responsorial Psalms for Year B and suggests possible links to the Gospel texts. Use of various types of text criticism is extended to include social-scientific interpretation on the basis of circum-Mediterranean cultures and that gives this work a distinctive character. New insights are gained by attention to the collectivistic mentality of that area which, however, also characterizes about eighty percent of world population. Preachers, teachers, liturgists, and educated adults will find this commentary helpful for their work and for personal study and reflection.Betty Jane Lillie, SC, Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary's Seminary

Preachers and liturgy planners will find The Cultural World of the Prophets a companion to John Pilch's The Cultural World of Jesus Sunday by Sunday series and The Cultural World of the Apostles series. Each essay offers historical, literary, and Eastern Mediterranean cultural information about the first readings and responsorial psalms assigned for the liturgy of each Sunday. The Cultural World of the Prophets relates the first reading and responsorial psalm to the Gospel as intended by the architects of the Lectionary. It will encourage readers to pursue further in-depth study when the opportunity presents itself and help them appreciate the specific meanings of the first reading and responsorial psalm in their own right.