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.

In Singing in the Reign: The Psalms and the Liturgy of God’s Kingdom, Michael Barber recovers 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 Singing in the Reign includes an introduction by Scott Hahn that details the historical, cultural, and theological background of the Psalter.

About the Author

Michael Barber is Professor of Theology, Scripture, and Catholic Thought at John Paul the Great University. He completed his PhD in Theology at Fuller. He has an MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and received his BA in Theology and Philosophy from Azusa Pacific University. He lives in San Diego, CA with his wife Kimberly and their children.