A soundtrack for life

The wonderfully creative Jill Firth has crafted a beautiful and in-depth look at the Psalms. This is the first of the Ridley Certificate’s detailed biblical subjects. Jill will introduce you to tools for interpreting the Psalms, and you will also be invited to use the Psalms in worship, prayer and daily life.

Learn more about this course

Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament

Dr Jill Firth

Jill was born in Melbourne and completed some of her school years in Sydney. She graduated with a BA at the University of Western Australia and ministered with her husband Len in Perth and the WA wheat-belt. Jill and Len spent a year on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory with CMS, learning from and supporting Aboriginal leaders, then had ten years in Hong Kong leading an international church and participating in marriage ministry and city wide evangelism in preparation for the 1997 return to Chinese sovereignty.

Jill studied theology at Ridley and concurrently trained as a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition. She was ordained in 2008 and is a Canon at St Paul’s Cathedral. In 2016, Jill completed her PhD on lament psalms, ‘The Re-presentation of David in Psalms 140-143.’ Jill has lectured at Ridley since 2005. She was appointed to faculty in 2016 and lectures in Hebrew and Old Testament.

Subjects: Journey Through the Psalms, Journey Through the Psalms for Small Groups

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction

    • Introduction

    • Subject Outline

  • 2

    1 The Book of Psalms

    • 1

    • Video Lecture 1A

    • Video Lecture 1B

    • Lesson 1 Handout

    • Lesson 1 Quiz

  • 3

    2 Book I: Prayers of Lament and Trust

    • 2

    • Video Lecture 2A

    • Video Lecture 2B

    • Lesson 2 Handout

    • Dale - The Lost Art of Lament

    • Broyles - Psalm Types

    • Lesson 2 Quiz

  • 4

    3 Book II: Worship in the Psalms

    • 3

    • Video Lecture 3A

    • Video Lecture 3B

    • Lesson 3 Handout

    • Lesson 3 Quiz

  • 5

    4 Book III: Prayer in a Time of Crisis, and Book IV: The Lord Reigns

    • 4

    • Video Lecture 4A

    • Video Lecture 4B

    • Lesson 4 Handout

    • Lesson 4 Quiz

  • 6

    5 Book V: Psalms of Pain and Promise

    • 5

    • Video Lecture 5A

    • Video Lecture 5B

    • Lesson 5 Handout

    • McCann - Prayer and Activity

    • Lesson 5 Quiz

  • 7

    6 Praying and Living the Psalms

    • 6

    • Video Lecture 6A

    • Video Lecture 6B

    • Lesson 6 Handout

    • Lesson 6 Quiz

  • 8

    Final

    • Final Quiz

    • Feedback Survey