Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks

by Walter Brueggemann

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2014

Overview

Walter Brueggemann is one of the most highly regarded Old Testament scholars of our time; talk-show host Krista Tippett has even called him “a kind of theological rock star.” In this new book Brueggemann probes the tasks performed by the ancient prophets of Israel and points out striking correlations between the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE and the catastrophic crisis of 9/11 in AD 2001.

Brueggemann identifies a characteristic ideology of “exceptionalism”—chosenness, entitlement, privilege—which must be countered by prophetic realism and truth-telling. Denial must give way to honest grief. And, finally, widespread despair must be overcome by a buoyant hope. This sequence of ideology-realism, denial-grief, and despair-hope corresponds to Brueggemann’s unpacking of the books of Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Isaiah.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Unpacks the books of Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Isaiah
• Presents the sacred legends and spiritual reflections of authors whose works were lost, neglected, or suppressed for many centuries
• Provides english translations as well as authoritative and accessible introductions

Contents

• Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks: An Introduction
• Reality amid Ideology
• Grief amid Denial
• Hope amid Despair
• Living amid Empire as Neighborhood
• Concluding Summation

Top Highlights

“Isaiah 40–55 is often thought to be as ‘answer’ to the laments of the book of Lamentations.” (Page 92)

“two matters, the abuse of neighbors, especially vulnerable neighbors, and the dishonoring of God” (Page 20)

“The prophets are voices of unrelenting realism in the face of deceiving ideology” (Page 19)

“is not derived from or informed by the dominant ideology” (Page 16)

“Karl Marx took ‘ideology’ to refer to ‘false consciousness,’ a misconstrual of reality to serve particular interests” (Page 7)

Product Details

• Title: Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks
• Author: Walter Brueggemann
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2014
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 179
• Era: era:Contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Prophecy › Religious aspects--Christianity; Hope › Religious aspects--Christianity; Bible. O.T. Isaiah › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Bible. O.T. Jeremiah › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Bible. O.T. Lamentations › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Laments in the Bible
• ISBNs: 9780802870728, 0802870724
• Resource ID: LLS:RLTYGRFHP
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:44:42Z

About Walter Brueggemann

Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He is past president of the Society of Biblical Literature and the author of numerous books, including David’s Truth: In Israel’s Imagination and Memory, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching Genesis, and The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary.