The Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta hosted an international academic conference titled 'The Book of Psalms and Its Plurality: Textual Transmission, Exegetical Methodology and Theological Hermeneutics' from 23 to 25 March 2025.
The event was organised by the University’s Department of Sacred Scripture, Hebrew and Greek, under the coordination of Rev. Prof. Stefan M. Attard (University of Malta), Rev. Prof. Marco Pavan (Pontifical University St Thomas Aquinas, Rome), and Prof. Daniela Scialabba (Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome).
The conference brought together leading scholars to explore the rich textual traditions, interpretive methodologies, and theological dimensions of the Psalter. It also served to reaffirm the Faculty of Theology’s ongoing commitment to academic dialogue and international collaboration. Participants had the opportunity to exchange research and insights on the plurality and depth of the Psalms tradition in an environment that fostered both scholarly engagement and ecumenical exchange.
The first session focused on the current state of Psalms manuscript research, including the Masoretic, Greek, Syriac, and Coptic traditions.
- Drew Longacre (Duke University) – Towards a Digital Critical Edition of the Hebrew Psalter
- Brent A. Strawn (Duke Divinity School) – Further Thoughts on 'Alternative' Sequences in the Psalms Manuscripts from Qumran
- Alison G. Salvesen (Oxford University) – The Presentation of the ‘Three’ in Greek Manuscript Tradition and in Modern Editions
- Chrysi Kotsifou (Akademie der Wissenschaften, Göttingen) – The Psalms in the Coptic Tradition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages
- Felix Albrecht (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen) – Between Tradition and Innovation: New Perspectives on the Textual Transmission of the Septuagint Psalter in Light of the Antiochene Text
- Harry F. van Rooy (North-West University, South Africa) – The Manuscript Tradition of the Syriac Psalms: East and West, or Old and New
- Beat Weber (Theologische Seminar Bienenberg) – The Superscripts and Subscripts of the Psalms: Are They Indicators of the Psalter as a Compilation or as a Composition?
- Johannes Schnocks (Universität Münster) – A Canonical Book of Psalms? Some Considerations on Method and Aims of the Exegesis of the Hebrew Psalter
- David Davage (Lund University) – Paratextual Criticism and the Future of Psalter Exegesis
- Eberhard Bons (Université de Strasbourg) – 'For he gives sleep to his beloved' (Psalm 127:2): A Psalm Quotation and the History of its Interpretation
- Margherita Matera (Akademie der Wissenschaften, Göttingen) – Memory and Recycling: The Historical and Socio-Cultural Role of the Greek Psalter Palimpsests
- Marco Pavan (Pontifical University St Thomas Aquinas) – Internal Delimitation of Psalms and its Relationship with the Editorial Arrangement of the Psalter
- Kathrin Liess (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) – Human Guilt and God’s Grace: On the Theology and Anthropology of Psalms 25–34
- Stefan M. Attard (University of Malta) – Contrasting Perceptions of the Metaphors of God’s Royalty at the Ends of the Psalter
- Egbert H. Ballhorn (Technische Universität Dortmund) – Out of Sequence: Dancing out of Line? Ps 151 in its Contexts
- Daniela Scialabba (Pontifical Biblical Institute) – Trusting in God: The Use of πέποιθα and ἐλπίζω in the Greek Psalter
- Susan Gillingham (Oxford University) – Of Unicorns and Giants: How Translation Facilitates a Radical Transformation of Tropes in the Reception History of Psalms
- Gianni Barbiero (Pontifical Biblical Institute) – Prayer as the Weapon of the People of God in Psalms 20; 8; 149
- Willem Th. van Peursen (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) – The Peshitta Psalms as Poetry
