Reflecting on the Wisdom of Walter Brueggemann

Hebrew Scripture scholar and radical Presbyterian theologian Walter Brueggemann died on June 5. He was an incredibly prolific writer who also, in the words of activist theologian Ched Myers, “dared to breach the gulf between seminary, sanctuary, and streets.”

I grew up Presbyterian, and I honestly can’t remember the first time I heard Brueggemann’s name. It seems like he’s always been part of my progressive Christian landscape. (I’ve also mentioned him in prior blog posts, here and here.) I feel called to write some kind of tribute, but the very scope and depth of his impact makes it difficult to do this in a single post.

In one of his most popular books, The Prophetic Imagination, Brueggemann calls us to be radical prophets who dare to confront dominant structures and ideologies. Moses did it. Jesus did it. We are called to do it too. How can we not recognize the relevance of this call today? As I draft this post, the No Kings protest gatherings are imminent. By the time you read this post, we may have a sense of how our current “dominant structure” will respond to hundreds of thousands of people taking on the prophetic mantle and daring to speak up against unjust authority.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I began teaching a workshop on writing psalms of lament during a time of plague and uncertainty. (I still teach a version of that workshop today.) To set the stage, I noted that scripture scholar Hermann Gunkel published a book in which he grouped the psalms into basic categories. As he saw it, there are three types of psalms: Hymns, Laments, and Songs of Thanksgiving. The Laments and Thanksgivings are either Individual or Communal in nature. The largest group of psalms are laments.

Walter Brueggemann then came up with a description of the function of each type of psalm. It goes like this: Hymns are songs of orientation, laments are songs of disorientation, and songs of thanksgiving are about new orientation (some call this reorientation). These functions are descriptions of how the particular psalms are best used in the life of faith.

We Americans tend to avoid lamentation, focusing instead on putting a positive spin on things (especially on social media) and extolling stories of success and accomplishment. But Brueggemann pointed out that we also need to grapple with disorientation, pain, and loss—in our lives and in our worship. (You can listen to a short video clip of him making this point here.)

I listened recently to a video conversation between Tripp Fuller (the process theologian behind Homebrewed Christianity) and two colleagues. In this homage to Walter Brueggemann, Tripp tells about when he asked Walter Brueggemann what bible story he would make sure to tell his children and grandchildren. Brueggemann responded that it was the feeding of the five thousand, because the story is in all four gospels and tells us clearly, “You are not children of scarcity, you’re children of abundance. Don’t forget it.”

I could say more, but I’ll end with these invitations. If you have a favorite quote by or story about Walter Brueggemann, please share it here. If not, please prayerfully ponder which element of my reflection spoke to you the most and why.