Exploring the Book of Psalms
Discover the Poetry, Tradition, and Spiritual Depth of Scripture's Great Prayer Book
The book of Psalms is one of Scripture's most beloved treasures. For millennia, Jews and Christians have prayed, memorized, and meditated on the Psalms — turning to them in seasons of joy, lament, and longing. They are woven throughout Orthodox worship, from Vespers and Matins to the quiet of personal prayer, and the Church Fathers held the Psalter among the most formative texts of Christian life.
Yet what makes the Psalms so enduring? In this four-week online course, Dr. Michael Legaspi explores how these ancient compositions were shaped by tradition and received by the Church — becoming a book of prayer, a treasury of wisdom, and a guide to the life of Christ. Open to all Christians, this course invites you into a fresh encounter with one of Scripture's greatest gifts.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
Discover how the Psalms developed over centuries and why the form they took matters for how we read and pray them today
See David in a new light, and understand why his connection to the Psalms has been so central to how the Church has received them
Develop tools for reading individual Psalms closely — noticing their structure, variety, and spiritual depth
Explore how the Psalms animate Orthodox worship, from the Hours to Vespers and Matins, and deepen your own life of prayer
Course Format & Schedule
Live Zoom Sessions:
Tuesdays, 8:00–8:45 p.m. ET
Dates:
July 7 – July 28, 2026
Access Period:
June 30 – August 30, 2026
-
What did the Church Fathers see in the Psalms that made them so central to Christian life? We open by exploring patristic voices alongside the linguistic and historical world that shaped the Psalter, asking what makes this collection distinctive and how it came to take the form we know.
-
No figure is more inseparable from the Psalms than David. This session examines that deep connection, tracing how David's role in transmitting the Psalms shaped their interpretation and how the Church came to read their fulfillment in Christ.
-
Not all Psalms speak in the same voice. Through close readings of selected Psalms — some familiar, some less so — we explore the Psalter's internal diversity, examining structure, type, and the particular wisdom each poem carries.
-
The Psalms don't just belong to private devotion; they are the backbone of Orthodox liturgical life. We close by tracing their presence through Vespers, Matins, and the Hours, and reflecting on why the Psalms remain essential to worship and piety today.
Meet Your Instructor
Dr. Michael Legaspi
Associate Professor of Old Testament, St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
Dr. Michael Legaspi is Associate Professor of Old Testament at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Harvard University. He has taught previously at Creighton University, Penn State University, and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He is the author of The Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies (Oxford University Press, 2010) and Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition (Oxford University Press, 2018), with a commentary on the book of Job forthcoming.
Dr. Legaspi and his wife Abby have four grown children. They have been part of parishes in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and the Orthodox Church in America, as well as churches in the Greek and Antiochian Archdioceses, bringing a breadth of Orthodox experience to his teaching and scholarship.
Tuition & Registration
Course Fee: $200
Refund Policy: No refunds after July 6, 2026
To participate, you’ll need to create a username and password during registration. All course materials and recordings will remain available through the end of the access period.
Requirements: By no means is it required, but this series is geared toward participants who will preach liturgically; all should have a practical interest in preaching in, or as informed by, Eastern Christian tradition.
What’s Included
4 live discussion sessions (~45 min. each)
4 pre-recorded lectures
4 slide presentations to accompany each lecture
Optional reading materials
Access to session recordings and all course materials throughout the access period
You may submit questions ahead of time for each live Zoom discussion with your professor.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
No. This is a non-credit, non-transferable enrichment course designed for personal spiritual and theological growth.
-
No. While the course is grounded in the Orthodox tradition, it welcomes students of all Christian backgrounds and those exploring Orthodoxy.
-
No problem. All live Zoom discussions will be recorded and available to watch anytime during the access period.
-
After registering, you'll use the login credentials you created to access the course platform. All content will be available from June 30 – August 30, 2026.
-
No, readings are optional and provided for those who want to explore topics more deeply.
-
Not at this time. This course is for personal enrichment and does not offer a certificate of completion.