The Cultural World of the Prophets: The First Reading and Responsorial Psalm, Sunday by Sunday, Year B (Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)

Preachers and liturgy planners will find The Cultural World of the Prophets a companion to John Pilch's The Cultural World of Jesus Sunday by Sunday series and The Cultural World of the Apostles series. Each essay offers historical, literary, and Eastern Mediterranean cultural information about the first readings and responsorial psalms assigned for the liturgy of each Sunday.

The Cultural World of the Prophets relates the first reading and responsorial psalm to the Gospel as intended by the architects of the Lectionary. It will encourage readers to pursue further in-depth study when the opportunity presents itself and help them appreciate the specific meanings of the first reading and responsorial psalm in their own right.

John J. Pilch, PhD, teaches Scripture at Georgetown University. His book, The Cultural Dictionary of the Bible won The Catholic Press Association Award for 2000. His other The Liturgical Press publications include The Cultural World of Jesus series, The Cultural World of the Apostles series, The Triduum and Easter Sunday: Breaking Open the Scriptures, Choosing a Bible Translation, Galatians and Romans in The Collegeville Bible Commentary, and articles in The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia, The Collegeville Pastoral Dictionary of Biblical Theology, and The Bible Today.