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Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks
Brilliantly applies crucial biblical prophetic messages to our contemporary society"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 B.C.E. and the catastrophic crisis of 9/11 in A.D. 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.Thoughtful readers will find provocative fare aplenty in Brueggemann's "Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks.
179 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2014
109 people are currently reading
547 people want to read
About the author
Walter Brueggemann
316 books572 followersWalter Brueggemann was an American Christian scholar and theologian who is widely considered an influential Old Testament scholar. His work often focused on the Hebrew prophetic tradition and the sociopolitical imagination of the Church. He argued that the Church must provide a counter-narrative to the dominant forces of consumerism, militarism, and nationalism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 15, 2023
I gave this book five stars because it will probably influence my perspective and shape my understanding of future readings, especially concerning the church's role in our contemporary world. Throughout the book, Brueggemann draws parallels between ancient Israel's experiences (like the downfall of Jerusalem) and contemporary societal crises, suggesting that the prophetic tasks of reality, grief, and hope are timeless and universally relevant. Neat stuff I learned was the dual role of the prophet: they critique the present, unmasking societal failures and injustices, and subsequently, they energize by proposing an alternative hope and a blueprint for a revitalized future. The hope section was also cool: a hope born out of confrontation of reality and grief, making it resilient and genuine.
"The dominant ideology believes in its power and wisdom that you can compartmentalize and privatize, that you can declare unwelcome social reality and operative, that you can separate economics from neighbourliness, enjoy chosen-ness and ignore the demands and needs of others."
But, I think Brueggemann's call to action for readers is for individuals, communities, and especially the church, to embody these prophetic tasks, challenging and dismantling the dominant, often misleading ideologies, and working towards a more just, compassionate, and hopeful society.
"The dominant ideology believes in its power and wisdom that you can compartmentalize and privatize, that you can declare unwelcome social reality and operative, that you can separate economics from neighbourliness, enjoy chosen-ness and ignore the demands and needs of others."
But, I think Brueggemann's call to action for readers is for individuals, communities, and especially the church, to embody these prophetic tasks, challenging and dismantling the dominant, often misleading ideologies, and working towards a more just, compassionate, and hopeful society.
December 9, 2020
Holy moly.
This book has grounded me in the midst of 2020 and enabled me to gain understanding on many levels regarding the different responses we have seen this year to a world-shaking event. Brueggemann draws parallels between the Jewish experience of exile and loss in the Hebrew Bible (namely the destruction of the temple) with the events of 9/11. I think much can be held in common between the former and the events of 2020. He supposes that in times like these, we see racism, class, sustainability, political and nationalistic ideologies and issues surface. He calls the church, in the face of false and unsustainable political and economic ideologies to call attention to the reality of the world. What is the real fairy tale, he asks? That the world as we know it is able to continue on in denial of the change that needs to happen, or the voices of the Old (and New Testament) that has called people out of individualist despair and into a community of hope? This has been a book that informed almost every other book I have picked up and given me a framework of the task of the church in a world that so often feels overwhelming and fractured. It has opened my eyes to the Bible and the work of God in the most profound and powerful way.
This book has grounded me in the midst of 2020 and enabled me to gain understanding on many levels regarding the different responses we have seen this year to a world-shaking event. Brueggemann draws parallels between the Jewish experience of exile and loss in the Hebrew Bible (namely the destruction of the temple) with the events of 9/11. I think much can be held in common between the former and the events of 2020. He supposes that in times like these, we see racism, class, sustainability, political and nationalistic ideologies and issues surface. He calls the church, in the face of false and unsustainable political and economic ideologies to call attention to the reality of the world. What is the real fairy tale, he asks? That the world as we know it is able to continue on in denial of the change that needs to happen, or the voices of the Old (and New Testament) that has called people out of individualist despair and into a community of hope? This has been a book that informed almost every other book I have picked up and given me a framework of the task of the church in a world that so often feels overwhelming and fractured. It has opened my eyes to the Bible and the work of God in the most profound and powerful way.
September 29, 2018
Every person of faith should read this book.
April 15, 2022
Roles Still Speaking To Today
While I admit that ‘Reality, Grief, Hope’ is a bit of a technical read, it also speaks to some radical roles much needed today. Originally written in response to the events of 9/11, Brueggermann‘s words continue to connect with & speak to the events we are facing today — nationalistic polarizations, pandemic stresses, & rising war movements in Eastern Europe.
The roles of speaking to our honest & truthful realities, grieving over the profound losses of humanity & global needs, & raising our voices & bodies to the pursuit of hope through justice, righteousness, & social responsibility, are all characteristics we must find not only in our greater leadership but also in ourselves. They are not just rolls for the prophetic, but also for the apostolic!!
While I admit that ‘Reality, Grief, Hope’ is a bit of a technical read, it also speaks to some radical roles much needed today. Originally written in response to the events of 9/11, Brueggermann‘s words continue to connect with & speak to the events we are facing today — nationalistic polarizations, pandemic stresses, & rising war movements in Eastern Europe.
The roles of speaking to our honest & truthful realities, grieving over the profound losses of humanity & global needs, & raising our voices & bodies to the pursuit of hope through justice, righteousness, & social responsibility, are all characteristics we must find not only in our greater leadership but also in ourselves. They are not just rolls for the prophetic, but also for the apostolic!!
June 26, 2020
Super relevant to the calling of every pastor who is yearning to chart a new course for the church.
March 3, 2025
Trochu nostalgie - Brueggemanna jsem četl naposledy při psaní diplomky.
Americký biblista W. Brueggemann píše - jako obvykle - o mixu starozákonních proroků a americké politiky, tentokrát s ohledem na to, co se podle něj s USA stalo po 11/9/2001 - tuto zlomovou událost přirovnává k pádu jeruzalémského chrámu v roce 587 př. n. l. Brueggemann postuluje tři "hodnoty" impéria (empire) a ke každé z nich jednu prorockou "protilátku" - ideologie vyvolenosti a arogance je potřeba postavit na světlo pomocí pravdivosti (realism); na popírání (denial) pomůže zdravá dávka zármutku (grief); a na ochromující zoufalství předepíšeme pořádnou dávku prorocké naděje.
Brueggemann mi přijde nejsilnější v jeho (stále!) originální a odvážné exegezi, v tomto případě zejména Jeremiáš, Pláč a Deuteroizajáš. Paralely do historie a současnosti Spojených států se mi aktuálně četly hodně těžce a s nejasnou hlavou.
Rád se k tomuhle zase někdy vrátím, až (jestli?!) bude někdy klidnější chvíle. Snad ale můžu říct, že u Brueggemanna zároveň platí - přečteš jednoho a jako bys přečetl dobrou půlku všeho, co napsal.
Americký biblista W. Brueggemann píše - jako obvykle - o mixu starozákonních proroků a americké politiky, tentokrát s ohledem na to, co se podle něj s USA stalo po 11/9/2001 - tuto zlomovou událost přirovnává k pádu jeruzalémského chrámu v roce 587 př. n. l. Brueggemann postuluje tři "hodnoty" impéria (empire) a ke každé z nich jednu prorockou "protilátku" - ideologie vyvolenosti a arogance je potřeba postavit na světlo pomocí pravdivosti (realism); na popírání (denial) pomůže zdravá dávka zármutku (grief); a na ochromující zoufalství předepíšeme pořádnou dávku prorocké naděje.
Brueggemann mi přijde nejsilnější v jeho (stále!) originální a odvážné exegezi, v tomto případě zejména Jeremiáš, Pláč a Deuteroizajáš. Paralely do historie a současnosti Spojených států se mi aktuálně četly hodně těžce a s nejasnou hlavou.
Rád se k tomuhle zase někdy vrátím, až (jestli?!) bude někdy klidnější chvíle. Snad ale můžu říct, že u Brueggemanna zároveň platí - přečteš jednoho a jako bys přečetl dobrou půlku všeho, co napsal.
November 30, 2019
This book is heady and important. If the prose was a little more approachable, it would reach a broader audience. I agree with the urgency, and with Brueggemann's position that exceptionalism and nationalism are paths to destruction. And although I don't know how it can be done in a religious community, I also agree that the religious community fails its God when it fails to call its members to a consciousness of our complicity in the practices of empire, and to action for true justice and peace for all, and to speak truth to specific types of power and call ourselves to repentance. We need to stop living in denial of the facts both in the microcosm and macrocosm that tell us that our current trajectory is unsustainable. We also need to articulate with honesty a hope around which people can apply their good faith and honest efforts.
As a friend said to me in recommending this author, "Walter Freakin' Brueggemann" indeed.
As a friend said to me in recommending this author, "Walter Freakin' Brueggemann" indeed.
March 7, 2024
Reality, Grief and Hope
Jeremiah was the prophet who saw the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. Old testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann, proposes that the crisis in Jeremiah’s day can be traced to:
1. Ideology – a confidence in an ideology of chosenness held by the religious establishment
2. Denial – denial amid the crisis that their ideology had failed and was not sustainable, and
3. Despair – when denial was broken and reality finally faced the despair was painful
Jeremiah’s prophetic response to the crisis was:
1. Reality – the assertion of critical reality in the face of an ideology of chosenness
2. Grief – voiced grief in the face of denial, and
3. Hope – buoyant hope as a counter to despair
Ancient Jerusalem reduced Yahweh to be patron of the dynasty and a guarantor of city and temple. So busy were they with their liturgies and creeds (‘Shalom, shalom!’ ‘Peace, peace!’ ‘The Temple of the Lord!’), and their Songs of Zion, that they would not face the reality of their time. Without ever being explicit, the wild rawness of divine agency simply disappeared into smoother liturgical formulation. Now the God who had been an agent who took initiatives became an object to be adored. The God of Sinai was reformulated as the patron of Zion.” (Jer. 5:13, p53)
The scene shifted from an emotional sense of well-being to one of loss, from the political sense of guarantee to one of acute vulnerability, from a theological sense of chosenness to one of abandonment. (p90)
Jeremiah proclaimed reality, grief, and hope. This, too, is the task at hand for the global church: to face reality, to grieve deeply at no longer having our preferences for how we do religion, and in the midst of near-despair to articulate the prospect of fresh historical possibility assured by God’s good governance of the future. (p119)
The reality is that the old orientation has failed, that the grief of disorientation must be acknowledged, so that a new orientation becomes possible as hope overrides despair. Such faith is the substance of things hoped for, the assurance of things yet to be seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Such rethinking requires a reimagination that confidently believes: CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
Brueggemann’s observation and analysis is stunning! A must-read book. *****
Jeremiah was the prophet who saw the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. Old testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann, proposes that the crisis in Jeremiah’s day can be traced to:
1. Ideology – a confidence in an ideology of chosenness held by the religious establishment
2. Denial – denial amid the crisis that their ideology had failed and was not sustainable, and
3. Despair – when denial was broken and reality finally faced the despair was painful
Jeremiah’s prophetic response to the crisis was:
1. Reality – the assertion of critical reality in the face of an ideology of chosenness
2. Grief – voiced grief in the face of denial, and
3. Hope – buoyant hope as a counter to despair
Ancient Jerusalem reduced Yahweh to be patron of the dynasty and a guarantor of city and temple. So busy were they with their liturgies and creeds (‘Shalom, shalom!’ ‘Peace, peace!’ ‘The Temple of the Lord!’), and their Songs of Zion, that they would not face the reality of their time. Without ever being explicit, the wild rawness of divine agency simply disappeared into smoother liturgical formulation. Now the God who had been an agent who took initiatives became an object to be adored. The God of Sinai was reformulated as the patron of Zion.” (Jer. 5:13, p53)
The scene shifted from an emotional sense of well-being to one of loss, from the political sense of guarantee to one of acute vulnerability, from a theological sense of chosenness to one of abandonment. (p90)
Jeremiah proclaimed reality, grief, and hope. This, too, is the task at hand for the global church: to face reality, to grieve deeply at no longer having our preferences for how we do religion, and in the midst of near-despair to articulate the prospect of fresh historical possibility assured by God’s good governance of the future. (p119)
The reality is that the old orientation has failed, that the grief of disorientation must be acknowledged, so that a new orientation becomes possible as hope overrides despair. Such faith is the substance of things hoped for, the assurance of things yet to be seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Such rethinking requires a reimagination that confidently believes: CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
Brueggemann’s observation and analysis is stunning! A must-read book. *****
August 6, 2024
Walter Brueggemann's framework of reality, grief, hope as a counter to the toxic process of ideology, denial, and despair is brilliant and incredibly useful both on a micro and macro level. My favorite chapter is the Brueggemann's chapter on hope which provides a much more robust concept of hope then the one I carred around. In this chapter, Brueggemann describes hope as faith in a sense that goodness is going to come rather than a rigid prescriptive outcome. I really needed this robust concept of hope in my life during this time.
My only criticism of the book is that I found Brueggeman's references to 9/11 a bit dated in 2024. I also think Brueggemann's broad conceptial framework of reality, grief, and, hope as so essential and functional, that I would have liked to see more writing on other ways this framework can function in individual and small community life.
All in all, this brief read with fanstastic interpretative work of the Hebrew prophets is worth the price of admission.
My only criticism of the book is that I found Brueggeman's references to 9/11 a bit dated in 2024. I also think Brueggemann's broad conceptial framework of reality, grief, and, hope as so essential and functional, that I would have liked to see more writing on other ways this framework can function in individual and small community life.
All in all, this brief read with fanstastic interpretative work of the Hebrew prophets is worth the price of admission.
April 22, 2023
My husband likes to watch documentaries on the surfers who surf the biggest waves in the world, especially Kai Lenny. Walter Brueggeman is my Kai Lenny. He takes theological topics that can feel heady and distant and illuminates them in a way that is visceral, present, and tangible. This book is a light during political upheaval, taking from the example of the prophets on how to model grief as a prophetic task of healing in a world of denial and fear. For any person of faith who is searching for a place in justice work, activism, healing, or just plain grounding in an increasingly large wave of opinions and power shifting, this book is an intellectual and spiritual birds eye view.
May 4, 2018
So dense that I took a star away, but so awesome I gave it back.
Brueggemann does an amazing job of discussing both the big picture and minutiae of the prophets and the narratives they convey. He draws insightful parallels between biblical society and America, and he accomplishes this with some very clever writing.
I've heard similar teachings before, but what Brueggemann did a great job of was encompassing the true scope of the prophetic narrative and how it relates to America. In terms of both societal issues and issues of our hearts.
I'm working on going through it a second time.
Brueggemann does an amazing job of discussing both the big picture and minutiae of the prophets and the narratives they convey. He draws insightful parallels between biblical society and America, and he accomplishes this with some very clever writing.
I've heard similar teachings before, but what Brueggemann did a great job of was encompassing the true scope of the prophetic narrative and how it relates to America. In terms of both societal issues and issues of our hearts.
I'm working on going through it a second time.
November 27, 2020
The author, who embraces an obviously left leaning socialist ideology has attempted to weave scripture passages in such a way that they support that ideology.
While Israel was specifically TOLD by God they were exceptional the author attempts to say that Americans have assumed that same status for themselves.
Not true.
However, The USA is exceptional or other reasons. First and foremost, the form of government and governing documents where the citizenry is the highest authority
I was very disappointed
While Israel was specifically TOLD by God they were exceptional the author attempts to say that Americans have assumed that same status for themselves.
Not true.
However, The USA is exceptional or other reasons. First and foremost, the form of government and governing documents where the citizenry is the highest authority
I was very disappointed
June 1, 2025
Structured around three movements, in Reality, Grief, and Hope Brueggemann challenges the church to face the truth about the world as it is, to lament the losses we’ve tried to numb, and to stake our lives on a hope that is not optimism, but defiance. The prophetic voice, he insists, must unmask illusion, hold space for sorrow, and offer alternative imagination. These three tasks don’t happen in sequence—they overlap, break open each other, and must be held together for the prophetic to be real.
If you’ve never read him, this is not so much an introduction, but a welcoming place to start.
If you’ve never read him, this is not so much an introduction, but a welcoming place to start.
July 10, 2019
You feeling prophetic today?
WB parallels and connects cycles within the Biblical narrative with the current here and now (at least until 2014). Most notably and frequently WB compares American exceptionalism with Jewish Choseness; explaining how the two cycle in and out of these prophetic tasks, due to theopolitical and theosocio-economic injustices in a skewed perpetuated framework that inventible contrast the Kingdom of God.
WB parallels and connects cycles within the Biblical narrative with the current here and now (at least until 2014). Most notably and frequently WB compares American exceptionalism with Jewish Choseness; explaining how the two cycle in and out of these prophetic tasks, due to theopolitical and theosocio-economic injustices in a skewed perpetuated framework that inventible contrast the Kingdom of God.
May 26, 2023
Walter Brueggemann theorizes that our Christian Society believes they are chosen and protected by God. Brueggemann compares the USA with Jerusalem before Babylon invaded and conquered. His theory of a different reality started with 9/11. The illusion of American superiority was shattered that day as the US realized its vulnerability.
I felt this book was like a good long sermon. Brueggemann scores with bible quotes to back his idea
I felt this book was like a good long sermon. Brueggemann scores with bible quotes to back his idea
July 14, 2017
I have notes written in the margins all throughout this book. Like Brueggemann's other books, it makes me think. This one also makes me think about my actions and how I model the faith practices of realism, grief and hope instead of the world's values of ideology, denial, and despair.
I recommend this book!
I recommend this book!
August 2, 2018
Theologian Brueggemann outlines the function of the prophets in providing a way forward when ideology crashes. Using Old Testament stories and contemporary US issues as framing stories, he brings urgency and new analytic power to the OT prophets and new insight into a way forward out of American exceptionalism.
Truly amazing book!
Truly amazing book!
March 8, 2022
An interesting book and some really helpful connections drawn between the ideologies of the OT and today, particularly around how a false sense of security can be challenged and what the prophetic task is in those times. He is quite left-of-centre, and some of the political commentary felt quite unbalanced and increasingly dated. However, some really good discussion.
June 23, 2020
This reads like a text book, or a legal contract.
If I adhered to his thoughts, I would lock myself away with a sign on the door apologizing for being white. I exalt in who God made me, as each of my fellow humans should.
This book had a much too political slant for me.
If I adhered to his thoughts, I would lock myself away with a sign on the door apologizing for being white. I exalt in who God made me, as each of my fellow humans should.
This book had a much too political slant for me.
July 14, 2022
Interesting conclusions between post 9/11 America and post temple destruction Jerusalem. Skipped parts just because they seemed less essential for someone outside of an American context.
On the whole this was a great argument for how prophetic roles in the OT can apply to modern contexts today.
On the whole this was a great argument for how prophetic roles in the OT can apply to modern contexts today.
January 10, 2024
Not at all what I thought this book was going to be about, but I found myself completely hooked. Read the whole thing in a day. Especially as we enter into 2024’s election cycle, this is a must read.
January 20, 2018
A solid grounding of the biblical narrative as it speaks to the trappings of empire and culture, and living out the ways of YHWH/Jesus. (Not a quick read.)
March 5, 2018
Eminently relevant interpretation of the Prophets turned into a sharp analysis of contemporary American society, along with a couple eyebrow-raising interpretive principles. Vintage Brueggeman.
March 23, 2018
A fascinating take on the prophetic challenge of old to Israel and its call to Americans today.
February 8, 2019
So profound. So challenging.
April 30, 2019
A beautiful reflection on the Old Testament prophets that makes its own prophetic contribution.
August 1, 2020
There are good moments, but it's not Bruggemann's best (in my opinion).
February 15, 2022
Very interesting the comparison of the Babylonian takeover and 9/11.
March 3, 2024
Only for Christians.
Forced to read for a class. Completely irrelevant for non-Christians. The author is dismissive of the "spiritual but not religious.
Forced to read for a class. Completely irrelevant for non-Christians. The author is dismissive of the "spiritual but not religious.
March 16, 2025
Written after 9/11 as a response to the needs of our country then but equally compelling when considering our climate crisis now. These prophetic tasks are needed now more than ever.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews