Walter Brueggemann (born 1933 in
Tilden,
Nebraska) is an American
Protestant Old Testament scholar and theologian.
Life
The son of a German Evangelical minister, he was ordained in the United Church of Christ. Brueggemann received an A.B. from
Elmhurst College (1955), a B.D. from
Eden Theological Seminary (1958), a Th.D. from
Union Theological Seminary, New York (1961), and Ph.D. from
Saint Louis University (in 1974). He was professor of Old Testament (1961–1986) and Dean (1968–1982) at Eden Theological Seminary. Beginning in 1986, he served as William Marcellus McPheeters professor of Old Testament at
Columbia Theological Seminary, from where he retired in the early 2000s.
Brueggemann is an advocate and practitioner of rhetorical criticism. He has authored more than 58 books, hundreds of articles, and several commentaries on books of the Bible. He is also a contributor to a number of the Living the Questions DVD programs and is featured in the program "Countering Pharaoh's Production-Consumption Society Today." Brueggemann participated in Bill Moyers' 1990s PBS television series on Genesis (documented in Genesis: A Living Conversation. Main Street Books, 1997. ISBN 0-385-49043-7).
Originally a strong supporter of Israel and its Biblical claims, Brueggemann later repudiated Israel for its exploitation of "ancient promises" to create a "toxic ideology", and now claims that it's not anti-Semitic to stand up for justice for Palestinians.
He served as the professor of OT at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Brueggemann is known throughout the world for his brilliant method of combining literary and sociological modes when reading Bible. V. S. Parrish categorized Brueggemann as being an exegete and theologian. As an exegete he has composed several commentaries (Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, 1 and 2 Samuel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah). His most notable work was on the Psalter. As a theologian he has performed work as an editor for the Fortress Press series Overtures to Biblical Theology . In addition, Brueggemann development of OT theological methods consists of literary mode social function, and dialectical approach. Dr. Brueggemann’s work of commentary, especially on the Prophets and Writings, is buttressed by an overwhelming number of monographs and articles on specific portions of the Hebrew Bible. Titles like David’s Truth in Israel’s Imagination and Memory (1985), Power, Providence and Personality (1990), 1 Kings and 2 Kings (1982c), The Prophetic Imagination (1978), and Hopeful Imagination (1986) reflect his interest in the prophetic corpus.
An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Dr. Brueggemann currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio (2008).
Honors
Among his honors are:
LL.D., DePauw University, 1984
D.D., Virginia Theological Seminary, 1988
D.H.Litt., Doane College, 1990
D.D., Jesuit School of Theology, 1993
D.Litt., Colgate University, 1997
D.H.Litt., Elmhurst College, 1997
There is also a festschrift in his honor: God in the Fray: A Tribute to Walter Bruggemann (eds. Tod Linafelt and Timothy K. Beal, Minneapolis: Fortress Press).
Publications
In Man We Trust: The Neglected Side of Biblical Faith. John Knox Press, 1972. ISBN 0-8042-0199-4.
The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith. Fortress Press, 1977, 2002. ISBN 978-0800634629.
The Prophetic Imagination. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1978. ISBN.
Genesis: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982. ISBN-X.
The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984. ISBN.
Hopeful Imagination: Prophetic Voices in Exile. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986. ISBN.
Hope Within History. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1987. ISBN.
To Pluck Up, to Tear Down: A Commentary on the Book of Jeremiah 1–25: International Theological Commentary on the Old Testament. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988. ISBN.
Finally Comes the Poet: Daring Speech for Proclamation. Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1989. ISBN.
First and Second Samuel: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1990. ISBN.
To Build, to Plant: A Commentary on Jeremiah 26–52: International Theological Commentary on the Old Testament. Continuum International Publishing Group, 1991. ISBN.
Interpretation and Obedience: From Faithful Reading to Faithful Living. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991. ISBN.
Abiding Astonishment: Psalms, Modernity, and the Making of History. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1991. ISBN.
Texts under Negotiation: The Bible and Postmodern Imagination. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993. ISBN.
"The Book of Exodus". In The New Interpreter's Bible. Vol. 1. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994. ISBN.
A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998. ISBN-X.
Isaiah 1–39. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998. ISBN.
Isaiah 40–66. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998. ISBN.
1 & 2 Kings: Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2000. ISBN.
Deuteronomy: Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries. Abingdon Press, 2001. ISBN.
Prophetic Imagination. 2d ed. Fortress Press, 2001. ISBN.
David's Truth: In Israel's Imagination and Memory. 2d ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. ISBN.
The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith. 2d ed. Overtures to Biblical Theology. Fortress Press, 2002. ISBN.
Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes. Westminster John Knox Press, 2002. ISBN.
An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination. Westminster John Knox Press, 2003. ISBN.
Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann. Fortress Press, 2003. ISBN
The Book That Breathes New Life: Scriptural Authority and Biblical Theology. 2005. ISBN.
Theology of the Old Testament. Fortress Press, 2005. ISBN.
The Theology of the Book of Jeremiah. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2006. ISBN.
Praying the Psalms. 2d ed. Cascade Books, 2007. ISBN 978-1-55635-283-6.
Prayers for a Privileged People. Abingdon Press, 2008. ISBN 0687650194.
An Unsettling God. Fortress Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8006-6363-6.
Fatal Embrace: Christians, Jews, and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land. Synergy Books, 2010. ISBN 978-0984076079. Foreword to the book by Mark Braverman.
External links
A look at Walter Brueggemann on biblical authority
The Totally Unofficial Walter Brueggemann Page
About Walter Brueggemann
Walter Brueggemann and the role of imagination in Biblical theology
References
Category:1933 births
Category:Living people
Category:Biblical scholars
Category:Theologians
Category:United Church of Christ members
Category:Elmhurst College alumni
Category:Eden Theological Seminary alumni
Category:Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York alumni
Category:Columbia Theological Seminary faculty
