About the Book
Domine Exaudi is the fifth of six volumes of the Commentary on the Davidic Psalms by Denis the Carthusian (1402-1471), informally and popularly called the "ecstatic Doctor," the Doctor ecstaticus. It continues the translation project of bringing to an English audience Denis's great program of exploring all 150 Psalms in their literal, allegorical, tropological, and analogical senses. By this technique, Denis hoped to impart to his readers, who were Christians of all stations and states, a greater breadth of knowledge of the Psalter, the book of the Scripture which is the centerpiece of the prayer life of the Church, the Divine Office, and of any serious devotional life. By teasing out from the literal text of the Psalms its allegorical meaning, the reader encounters, by the deft interpretive hand of Denis, the often-hidden Christocentric essence of the Psalms. Moreover, the Psalms both well-prayed and well-understood become a vehicle of informing our faith with the spirit of charity by guiding us, through their tropological meaning, about what to believe and what to do so that we might be pleasing to the God whom we love. The Psalms, when understood in their anagogical sense, likewise become the sure foundation for our hope, for they inform us of our heavenly bourne, our fatherland to which the blessed Trinity beckons us and woos us. Using "scripture to interpret scripture," yet guided by the sure and trustworthy speculative theology of St. Thomas Aquinas and the mystical theology of Dionysius the Areopagite, this Commentary provides a unique and sustained insight into the mind and the spirit of this most prolific, erudite, and saintly member of the Carthusian order.
Review :
Volume Five of Andrew Greenwell's English translation of Denis the Carthusian's Commentary on the Psalms is a remarkable achievement, offering wide access to a text of great importance. Denis' erudition, insight and originality, as well as his refined ability to keep various interlocutors in view are robustly displayed. Readers will find his attention to the relationship between the letter of history and the spiritual senses particularly engaging. The wealth of helpful notes in this edition will help us all gain a deeper appreciation for the workings of one of the late medieval world's most respected voices. A translator has to share something of the spirit of the original author, and this translation is the work of one who certainly does. -✠ Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores, Bishop of Brownsville, TX
In this impeccably well-done translation from Latin of the beautiful commentary on Psalms 101-125 of Denis the Carthusian, Andrew Greenwell has demonstrated that he is precisely the kind of layman Pope St. John Paul II called for in his 1988 post-synodal apostolic exhortation to the lay faithful. He is in love with the Lord Jesus Christ and totally given over to the service of His Mystical Body, the Church. I highly recommend this beautiful work. I am deeply grateful to Andrew for offering it to all of us as a resource. -Deacon Keith Fournier, J.D., M.T.S., M.Phil., Dean of Catholic Identity Director of Deacon Formation General Counsel Catholic, Diocese of Tyler, Texas
Greenwell's welcome translation of Denis the Carthusian's first major work is a gift to those who seek primarily to understand the Psalms in the context of revelation and faith above the narrower priorities of modern academia. Denis' richly Christological exposition of each psalm, applying the four senses of scripture, is witness to Carthusian life faithfully and fruitfully lived. -Fr. Hugh Somerville Knapman, OSB, Monk of Douai; author of Ecumenism of Blood: Heavenly Hope for Earthly Communion
We can find no better prayers than the ones God Himself has given us. The Psalms are the heart of Holy Scripture, the summary of all its treasures, the daily bread of Christ's faithful. The mysteries contained in the Psalms are simple, and yet so sublime, that we need a guide to open up the Scriptures to us. Denis the Carthusian, a fine connoisseur of the Psalms, is an exemplary guide. This English translation is a remarkable accomplishment, for which we are all indebted to Andrew Greenwell. -Dom Pius Mary Noonan, OSB, Notre Dame Priory, Tasmania
Now here is a treasure that those who take their lectio divina seriously appreciate beyond telling: Denis the Carthusian's commentary on the Psalms-no less! -Abbot Philip Anderson, OSB, Clear Creek Abbey
If lectio divina is nothing other than listening to the voice of God through the words of His friends, amongst whom Denis the Carthusian must surely be counted, this fruit of the lifetime of faith, seeking and understanding of the Doctor ecstaticus is a most beautiful gift for those who would hear His voice speaking through the psalms today. -Dom Alcuin Reid, Prior, Monastère Saint-Benoît, Brignoles, France
