Psalms Between Us (A Rabbi and His Christian Mother on Faith, Love, and Loss)

An Orthodox rabbi and his dying Christian mother discuss ultimate faith.

This is a personal, interfaith journey through all 150 Psalms, framed by an Orthodox rabbi’s conversations with his Christian mother as they study scripture together during her final illness. It is a warm book about the love between mother and son as well as conversations between two historically competing faiths. Rabbi Shumly blends textual commentary with memoir, grief, healing, and the shared spiritual language that brought him closer to his mother as she approached the end of her life. The book weaves traditional Jewish exegesis with a deep respect for Christian theology, offering interfaith reflections rooted in lived experience rather than academic comparison. Each psalm becomes a portal into moments from her illness, insights about love and loss, and the grounding power of ancient poetry in modern grief. It is a work for Jews, Christians, interfaith families, clergy, chaplains, caregivers, and seekers looking for honest spiritual grounding.