Praying Curses

"The author creatively weaves biblical, theological, and psychological material while remaining well grounded in human experience. He succeeds in demonstrating that, indeed, imprecatory psalms have enduring therapeutic and preaching value. This book is a gift to victims of violence who long for justice and need to regain courage, meaning, and hope. It is therefore a timely resource for pastoral ministers, counselors, and spiritual caregivers, and I strongly recommend it."

--Daniel S. Schipani

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary



"What do we do with the imprecatory psalms? Did they get into the Bible by mistake? Do they simply belong to the situation before Jesus came? Are they just a way of getting things off our chest? Is there any sense in which Christians can pray them or preach them? This is a wonderful survey of the interpretive possibilities, written with theological insight and practical wisdom."

--John Goldingay

Fuller Theological Seminary



"Dr. Nehrbass has carried out a brave and necessary task in this project, whose progress from dissertation to publication I applaud. Contemporary culture cannot say a good word for the imprecatory psalms, while Christians whose sole mantra is 'God is love' are equally dismissive. The author explores a contrarian track by studying these texts on their own terms with the aid of biblical scholarship and by demonstrating their positive value with the aid of ethical and psychological studies."

--Leslie C. Allen

Fuller Theological Seminary