Introduction to Wisdom Literature and the Psalms offers a unique approach to studying this material in the classroom. This book is a collection of essays that explore themes and background issues intended for the student of the Old Testament. Divided into two sections on the Psalms and Wisdom Literature, each section offers an in-depth essay on history of interpretation, forms of poetry, the text's relationship to the ancient Near East, the canonical shape of the material, the theology of the texts, and contemporary issues currently under scholarly investigation.