Singing the Psalms

Cultivate your relationship with the Divine in this beautiful, interactive course on the Book of Psalms.

A cornerstone of Jesus’ Jewish upbringing, the psalms appear—both in text and sentiment—throughout his later teachings, down to his very last words uttered from the cross. Three centuries after his death, the Desert Fathers and Mothers sought to attain spiritual perfection by chanting all 150 psalms, from memory, everyday—a practice that left little time for eating or sleeping. Intention lies at the heart of psalmody. Combined with contemplative prayer and meditation, the psalms have the potential to become powerful psychological tools deeply integrated with your spiritual identity.

The psalms make up the 19th book of the Old Testament. Long thought to have been written by King David, these lyrical songs of praise and supplication were later confirmed to have been among the Hebrew Bible’s Ketuvim, or Writings. Modern scholarship makes the case that their inclusion among the Ketuvim indicates that the psalms were held to have been divinely inspired.

Aside from its value as a practical handbook, Singing the Psalms also provides you with a historical background on the development of Christian chanting, chiefly through the Rule of St. Benedict and the spread of the monastic model.

Achieve a healthy balance of prayer, study, and manual labor as you chant your way closer to the Divine—beneath the text and beyond the rational mind.

Mystical depths and internal rhythms await your discovery.

Learn about downloadable programs.