"Psalms that Curse" by Sean McGowan. A Review
I’m a Presbyterian minister, which means I get to quote John Calvin with impunity. Therefore, I appreciate Calvin’s words in his introduction to the Psalms when he wrote: “this book [the Psalms] makes known to us this privilege, which is desirable above all others – that not only is there opened up to us familiar access to God, but also that we have permission and freedom granted us to lay open before him our infirmities, which we would be ashamed to confess before men” (p. xxxviii). That sentiment comes forth in a new, little 90-page softback “Psalms that Curse: A Brief Primer” penned by Sean McGowan, Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Tallahassee, Florida. It’s an easy-to-read manual, straightforward, devotional, and practical. “Psalms that Curse” comes in fast, focused, and fastidious as it addresses several significant questions. It answers the question if the psalms that present “harsh language” and make us uncomfortable at times still have any rel...