Recent Study of Hebrew Poetry: Implications for Theology and Worship

Abstract

Karl Rahner concludes his essay, 'Poetry and the Christian' , with an observation that is also part question: How far the grace of God has gained mastery over us we cannot tell directly, because it is in itself invisible and intangible. Apart from having confident faith, there is practically only one thing we can do here: it is to ask ourselves how far we have become men . One way, though not the only way, of knowing this is to see whether our ears are opened, to hear with love the word of poetry. And hence the question of how we stand with regard to poetry is a very serious and strictly Christian question, and one which merges in the question of man's salvation. Further, Rahner can make this latter affIrmation because he considers the capacity and practice of perceiving the poetic word as 'a presupposition for hearing the word of God': ... the poetic word and the poetic ear are so much a part of man that if this essential power were really lost to the heart, man could no longer hear the word of God in the word of man. Since one-third of the Hebrew Bible is poetry, this statement ofRahner takes on particular relevance for readers of the Old Testament.