Interview with Iman Zandroto

In anticipation of the KEDS Spring Research Seminar, we spoke with Iman about his forthcoming presentation.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and describe your main area of work or research?

My name is Iman Jaya Zandroto. I am originally from Nias, Indonesia, but am currently living in Vancouver, Canada, pursuing my Master of Divinity at the Vancouver School of Theology, where I also earned a Master of Theology in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in 2023. My academic work has appeared or will appear in peer-reviewed journals, including the International Bulletin of Mission Research, Journal of Biblical Literature, and The Journal of Theological Studies. I have been accepted into the Ph.D. in Divinity, specializing in Old Testament, at one of the leading universities in Scotland, UK, which I plan to start in September 2026.

What will your session focus on?

My session “Revisiting the Current State of Psalm 58 in the Church” will focus on the meaning and use of Psalm 58, a text often seen as negatively affecting Christian praxis due to its violent imagery. Many churches have excluded this psalm from their hymnbooks so that it is rarely read, sung, prayed, heard, or preached. Using a literary analysis and trauma studies perspective, I argue that Psalm 58 has a place in the church because the experience of the psalmist’s community, who were victims of injustice at the hands of those in power, is resonant with that of Christians today. The church should use the psalm as a valuable resource for theological reflection, reminding the church of an essential thing to do when injustice affects the powerless: to pray as the psalmist’s community prayed.

What first sparked your interest in this topic or area of study?

The tendency of many churches to exclude Psalm 58 from their hymnbooks sparked my interest in this topic. Although this psalm has been excluded from many hymnbooks, Christian traditions still accept it as part of the Bible. This disparity indicates the church’s dichotomous attitude towards the psalm. On the one hand, the church’s acceptance of its canonical status confirms its significant role as an authoritative and normative resource for the church. On the other hand, its exclusion from many hymnbooks suggests that it has no place in some churches.

Why do you think this topic matters to the church, the academy, or the wider world today?

Psalm 58 is one of the violent texts in the Bible that many people often find it difficult to deal with. This topic helps understand the meaning of the psalm. It will offer a perspective on how the church can engage with the psalm by exploring the academic and practical reasons why the church should use it as a theological reflection, especially in voicing injustice experienced by the powerless.

What question, idea, or problem has most shaped your work in this area so far?

I have questioned the inclusion of Psalm 58 in the Canon of Jewish and Christian Scripture and its exclusion from the liturgical texts of some churches. Is such an exclusion a fair attitude towards the psalm as a canonical text? If the church accepts the entire language of other canonical texts—for example, of Psalm 23—in its hymnbooks, why, considering the psalm also has the equal status as other canonical texts, does it not show the same treatment to Psalm 58’s language?

How has your research or practice changed the way you think, teach, or minister?

First, this research has helped me understand that it is not Psalm 58’s violent imagery that makes it unfit for liturgical use; rather, it is the church’s reluctance to engage its meaning. Second, this research has advanced my understanding of prayers. Prayer does not always conform to polite language; it encompasses a wide range of human emotional expressions to God. Even the harsh language of Psalm 58’s prayers enriches both the theology and the practice of Christian prayer.

What is the one insight from your work that you hope others will find helpful or challenging?

Engaging with violent prayers in Psalm 58 in the church from now on will help Christians embrace them as resources for theological reflection on their vulnerability. Even if the church prevents the psalm from being heard in the church, it is still there in the Bible, and everyone can still read it on their own. It is better to read it in church as a community and to understand its meaning together, rather than having to be read by individuals without assistance from the pastor or community on what such violent prayers essentially mean.

Thank you for your time, Iman! You can sign up for Iman’s presentation on Monday, 16th March 2026, via Eventbrite.

You can read more about Iman’s work by clicking here.