Walter Brueggemann (1933–2025)

Summary: Bruggeman takes the framework of Jeremiah as a model for preaching, both in its structure of introduction, ending(s), and body, in its bringing a message of beyond, that both confronts the denial of God, and the grounds for hope that outlasts despair.

The arrival of this book was timely as our church has been preaching through Jeremiah, and as one called occasionally to fill in, I was thinking about the message of Jeremiah and the preaching of it. Walter Brueggeman not only explores show more these matters but also the nature of preaching in this book.

In particular, Brueggeman considers a situation where his audience is smugly spiritual and complacent when they are both in denial of God and of the approaching danger resulting from their apostasy. This is not unlike the preaching task in America today, one that requires the preacher to be courageous, imaginative, and countercultural.

He begins with Introductions, decrying many of the clever introductions in contemporary preaching. He looks at the call of Jeremiah, describing his task and the rejection he will face. There is both a call from beyond and a very specific grounding in a person and place. The introduction of Jeremiah suggests that the sermon begins long before the first word is uttered.

He then turns to conclusions. He notes that this is plural and points to the multiple endings of Jeremiah. Instead of “preaching to a decision” he proposes sermons that are “open-ended and multivoiced” recognizing that the preacher does not know the endings God has in mind, and thus leaves room for different responses.

He then turns in his last two chapters to the body of the sermon. Throughout the book Brueggeman parallels the trajectory of Jeremiah to that of Christ from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. There is the death, “the long Saturday,” and finally resurrection to new life and hope. First must come the plucking up and tearing down, and particularly meeting the resistance of the Jerusalem establishment. He must name their self-deception as to their status within the covenant and that through the nation from the north, God will make war against them, not with them. The preacher must engage in truth-telling that subverts denial.

In the final chapter he turns to the other aspect of Jeremiah. When the people are brought to a null point by the devastating invasion, Jeremiah turns to hope-telling, how they do so during exile, and look ahead to the wonder of God’s restoration, begun in repenting and returning that leads to healing, reversed fortunes, building, cleansing, forgiving and prospering.

As he concludes, he considers the challenge of this practice of truth-telling and hope-telling in the American context, a context where he thinks such preaching is “hardly utterable”:

*our preaching is largely privatized without an opening for public issues;
*there is a broad pattern of collusion with denial in the interest of a kind of therapeutic kindness;
*we preachers ourselves are enough citizens of the nation of denial not to have energy to risk so much; and
*the God we utter is usually not tough enough for infidelity, invasion, and illness, not powerful enough for fidelity, peace, and healing.

As this should make clear, Brueggeman thinks Jeremiah confronts “faint of heart” preaching with a call to resistance, prophetic integrity, and pastoral hopefulness rooted not in worldly optimism but in the wonders and redemptive work of God. This work both brings Jeremiah’s call and message to life, it informs the shape of pastoral integrity in a culture where God is paid lip service while its heart is in another place. It seems this would be a good work for one to read before embarking on preparation for pastoral ministry. Just as the call of Jeremiah made sure he was shed of all illusions, so is the case of this work for the aspiring preacher.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss. The opinions I have expressed are my own. show less

My only complaint about this book is that I read it much too quickly because it was sitting unread in my stack and I had to return it to the library. Brueggemann is always profound, challenging, hope-filled, a truth-teller and prophetic. This is really an excellent collection of Brueggemann's public addresses (culled together, edited with introductions by the capable hands of Carolyn Sharp). The book unfolds Brueggemann's thoughts on God, hermeneutics and the implications for the church. show more Sharp organizes these essays into four parts: Torah, Prophets, Writings, and Canon and Imagination. This gives a nice a nice overview of Brueggemann's engagement with Hebrew Scripture and the breadth of his reflection.

What I love about these essays is that they showcase Brueggemann's cultural critique of our culture )(the consumer society/ national security state), systemic injustice, and conservative and liberal approaches to Scripture. It also unfolds his positive program and thoughtfulness about the meaning of what it means to live in covenant and in right relationship to God, others, our cities and the land. I especially loved his "Summons to a Dialogical Life" where he argues that life in covenant rejects both the absolutism of the institutional and autonomy of individual faith (I can be spiritual and not religious!) and calls us to live attentive lives between either extreme.

Also I love Brueggemann's definition of prophetic ministry as both 'truth-telling in the face of denial' and 'hope-telling in the face of despair' helpfully names the poles by which which pastors challenge and comfort, preach Christ's cross and resurrection.

So much good stuff, might have to get this book for myself sometime! show less

What Brueggemann does here is what Brueggemann does. He takes you over familiar terrain and allows you to see the lay of the land from a whole new vantage point than you ever have before. As in general, I don't always agree with his particulars but he does describe a trajectory which I think is fundamentally correct. Much of what he says here has implications for Creation care, economics, our understanding of covenant.
The theme of land is not a minor theme in the Old Testament. Brueggemann show more is able to trace Israel's movement to 'the land' through to their exile and hope for restoration (as well as offering a suggestive read of how these texts inform or reading of the New Testament). He offers a dialectic of land and landlessness (grasping leads to homelessness; gift leads to home).

When he draws the implications of land and biblical economics forward, he is able to address contemporary issues prophetically. He addresses wealth distribution, Israel/Palestine, the environment, and consumerism.

Good read and helpful theological lens for understanding the Bible! show less

Did you ever suffer through a puzzle until you found that one piece you needed to get it done? This is like that. Excellent, excellent treatment of what might be termed the "city" or "royal consciousness" or the "political" and the believers role as a dissenter. This book more than any other has given me resources necessary to articulate criticism of the state and state churches, materialism, consumerism, and all the other isms castigating the world. It does this not by providing its own if show more different isms, but by exploring what the bible has to say of oppression and the role of the prophet in relieving oppression. Too much material in the bible is devoted to the role of the prophet as dissenter not to take Brueggemann's argument seriously. This is a well written sobering book. I highly recommend The Prophetic Imagination. show less