Psalms and Wisdom

  Sponsors: Dominick Hernandez and Scott Jones

The Psalms and Wisdom Research group will dedicate the 2026 session to The Poetics of Retribution in Psalms and Wisdom. It addresses the question: How do the Psalms and the Wisdom books express their various theologies of retribution through poetry, and what effect do the language and metaphors used to express this theology color the doctrine in different ways? 

This will be a mixed session, meaning a combination of invited and open papers. The open papers in this session, however, must be dedicated to The Poetics of Retribution in the Psalms. Inquiries about this session and paper proposals with abstracts should be emailed both to Scott Jones ([email protected]) and Dominick Hernández ([email protected]) by March 4, 2026.

Friday, November 20

9:00–11:00 AM

Presiding: Scott C. Jones and Brittany N. Melton

Cami Brubaker (Bethel University): "Beyond Retribution: The Metaphorical Landscapes of Act and Consequence in the Psalms" (25 minutes)

Discussion (5 minutes)

Collin Cornell (Fuller Seminary): "The Poetics of Retribution in MT Ps 107/LXX Psalm 106" (25 minutes)

Discussion (5 minutes)

Ahrum Yoo (Dallas Theological Seminary): “'May My Enemy Fall into the Pit He Himself Dug': The Poetic Justice of the Trap Metaphor in the Psalms" (25 minutes)

Discussion (5 minutes)

Dominick S. Hernández (Talbot School of Theology/Biola University): "The Poetics of Retribution in the Book of Job" (25 minutes)

Discussion (5 minutes)