Vast as the Sea

"Beautifully written with a poetic feel, this study of the human condition as seen through selected poetic texts of the Hebrew Bible is a rich feast for any reader. Samuel Hildebrandt tackles difficult human issues such as loneliness, despair, trauma, imagined hope, the disintegration of known reality, and musings on time, death, and the good life. These are all viewed through the lenses of a rich appreciation of the power of Hebrew poetry and a deep engagement with the findings of modern psychological method--the findings of each individual chapter wrapped up in the metaphor of the sea of life with its characteristic tosses and turns. --Katharine J. Dell, professor of Old Testament literature and theology, University of Cambridge Vast as the Sea provides a navigational chart for the ocean of human emotional well-being, carefully mapped out with the aid of Hebrew poetry and taking frequent bearings from contemporary psychology. Samuel Hildebrandt does not shy away from the challenges that this task presents. He explores anxiety amidst chaos and combat, plotting a course to calmer waters; loneliness as a place that can lead to creativity; hope in the wake of trauma and despair; the plight of theology amidst shattered assumptions; the tyranny of time; and the quest for wisdom amidst seeming meaninglessness. This beautifully written book should be of interest to all who wish to explore what the Bible has to teach about mental health and well-being. --Christopher C. H. Cook, emeritus professor, Institute for Medical Humanities,Durham University, United Kingdom Samuel Hildebrandt begins Vast as the Sea with a mesmerizing word picture of the sea and its moods, painting a backdrop for his thoughts on what it means to be totally human, both in pleasant times and, most especially, in difficult times. He focuses on the connections between Hebrew poetry and human experience, and draws a clear path between aspects of poetry such as the shape of the text, the role of imagination, and the power of poetry for expressing emotions. This path leads through reflection on human psychology and the effects of trauma and then comes full circle as Hildebrandt demonstrates the power of words and of poetry to address the difficult things--the anxiety, loneliness, and despair that often come with the human experience. Hildebrandt chooses his words with artistic care, and his understanding that the biblical poetry offers ""a language for acknowledging and articulating the unspeakable"" is invaluable, as finding words to express the vastness of trauma can be the primary step in recovery. This trip to the seaside is not to be missed. The combination of well-explained biblical text, big life questions, and beautiful words is both compelling and productive. --Elizabeth Hayes, affiliate professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary Here is a book that sets forth the intimate, honest, agonizing, yet somehow life-giving relationship between the human condition and human words, even biblical poetic words. While avoiding mechanical analysis or finalized interpretations, and illustrating adept engagement with psychology and trauma, Samuel Hildebrandt turns Hebrew poetic texts such as Jeremiah, Job, and Ecclesiastes into soul friends in the struggle to face anxiety, instability, loneliness, despair, finitude, and other painful vicissitudes of our own humanity. In Hildebrandt's able hands, the difficult poetry of these biblical texts is a gift to anyone seeking language to wrestle with the hard realities of human life--and so is this book. --Brad E. Kelle, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Point Loma Nazarene University"