Out of Babylon

by Walter Brueggemann

It was the center of learning, commerce, wealth, and religion. Devoted to materialism, extravagance, luxury, and the pursuit of sensual pleasure, it was a privileged society. But, there was also injustice, poverty, and oppression. It was the great and ancient Babylon―the center of the universe.

And now we find Babylon redux today in Western society. Consumer capitalism, a never-ending cycle of working and buying, a sea of choices produced with little regard to life or resources, societal violence, marginalized and excluded people, a world headed toward climactic calamity. Where are the prophets―the Jeremiahs―to lead the way out of the gated communities of overindulgence, the high rises of environmental disaster, and the darkness at the core of an apostate consumer society?

Walter Brueggemann―a scholar, a preacher, a prophetic voice in our own time―challenges us again to examine our culture, turn from the idols of abundance and abuse, and turn to lives of meaning and substance.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Faith, History, Nonfiction, Cultural, Biblical Studies

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

Walter 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.

Reviews

[Benjamin Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marty Solomon has yet to let me down. Another great recommendation.

This is a really interesting book. It’s not very long at 157 pages but extremely rich. I probably spent more time working through the 157 pages than I should have but there was just so much good detail to review.

One of my favorite things was also one of things I didn’t like about the book, which was Walter’s treatment of the prophets. He genuinely brought the prophets to life for me in a new and exciting way that only BEMA has come close to doing. However, sometimes the way he handled them was confusing and I didn’t track it. Since this is probably the first book I’ve read from an author that approaches the Scriptures as a critical scholar, I’ll chalk it up to my own lack of awareness of scholarly work on the Scriptures. Seeking to grow in this area.

I loved the premise of this book and found it very challenging. His argument that we are “in Babylon” and also “awaiting Babylon” was very compelling.

A lot of great and challenging conversations come out of this book for those who are Christians in America. I would definitely recommend it.

[Claire Syers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting analysis of the rise and fall of Babylon and the similarities that modern day U.S. possesses (which would likely be transferrable to much of the Western world!). I learnt a lot about Babylon, however he made some loose claims and it was very repetitive at times.
Note: Read alongside your bible for better following 🙏

[John Defrog: global citizen, local gadfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little over a year ago I first heard the idea that the US is the modern equivalent of Babylon – i.e. an empire whose power derives from economic as well as military might, and which espouses a society that values materialism, extravagance, luxury, and the pursuit of sensual pleasure, all of which comes with the trade-off of injustice, poverty, exploitation and oppression (and in the 21st Century version, climate change). And because these values are clearly contrary to what Jesus taught, Christians should be rejecting that empire rather than participating in it. Consequently, this book isn't quite what I was expecting when I picked it up.

Walter Brueggemann’s goal isn't to provide practical advice for opting out of Babylon, but to provide a Scriptural basis for both the US/Babylon analogy and resistance to empire in general. Being an Old Testament scholar, Brueggemann points to the writings of the OT prophets who warned that the Babylonian empire would take over Israel, foretold how God would ultimately restore Israel, and what the Jews in Jerusalem (as well as Jews who were exiled) should be doing in the meantime to avoid being co-opted into Babylon culture at the expense of their own faith and traditions.

That said, Brueggemann argues that for Christians in the US empire, a better model is how Jews responded when the Babylonian empire was replaced with the relatively benign Persian empire – an “accommodation and resistance” model that could perhaps be summed up simply as “playing the empire’s game – without compromising your beliefs – in order to influence it from the inside”. (Which, by no coincidence, is more or less what Jesus instructed his followers to do.)

It’s a challenging read, particularly for any US Christians who might struggle to accept the description of their country as an empire, at least in a bad sense (particularly those who see US military might as a force for good, climate change as theologically impossible, and capitalism as a form of prosperity gospel). Even if you’re onboard with Brueggemann’s basic premise, his academic, intellectual writing style takes isn't exactly breezy. But I found it worth the effort – it’s thought-provoking and almost guaranteed to start an argument, which in this case is a good thing. Also, points for the fact that the book started as (and includes) a meditation on Emmylou Harris’ 2003 song “Time in Babylon”.

[Marty Solomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable piece of academic work by Brueggemann. While this read is a little "heady" and will require an academic understanding of the biblical conversation of Hebraic history, the way it packages the conversation of "Empire" is fantastic.

Brueggemann spends time talking about what, who and when the Empire is in the Old Testament. He talks about the different responses that the people of God had to this empire, using three main prophetic voices (Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah) to dialogue about consumerism and obedience.

As the book nears the end, he transitions into the obvious case being made that this current American culture is the modern-day parallel to ancient Babylon. How will we respond? He then closes the book with a brilliant argument for what he calls "accommodation and resistance". With the whole book being structured around the lyrics to a song ("Time in Babylon" by EmmyLou Harris), the effect is fantastic by the time the book comes to a close. A great piece of writing.

[Jennifer Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always recommend Brueggemann because of his insistence on biblical interpretation that includes a critical social consciousness. His focus in this text on considering the Israelites’ approaches to various empires is worth the time to read and ponder and pray about for those who are Christ-followers.

[Jake Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza. Would want everyone to read this book. So important now more than ever. Genuinely stunned by the way the prophets are portrayed and brought to life. I will be using this as a resource for years to come.

[Jeremy Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read Out of Babylon soon after its initial release. It was my introduction to Walter Brueggemann and I remember liking it for the most part. After reading it for a second time now, I would again say that I enjoyed the book. In some ways it is more apt now than it was eight years ago when it was released. Even so, there are some points that I would consider a weakness to the book. While I personally liked it, this is certainly not a book for everyone.

Brueggemann's main point of the book is that as Christians living in the United States we are a people living in an empire, in some ways this parallels the Jewish people's experience of exile in the empire of Babylon. That there will always be tension between the empire and the faith tradition. Now a lot of your views on the book will be shaped at how you react to this statement. If you can see the tensions and how the goals of a empire/nation might conflict with that of a religion then you'll be more likely to enjoy the book. If the idea of the United States being in conflict with faith causes a less positive reaction, you will probably not enjoy this book quite as much.

I don't know that I ever really thought of the United States as empire before reading this book the first time. However, this made a lot of sense to me then, and honestly it makes even more sense today. When national interests trump faithfulness to the interests of faith and ethics it is easy to see the tension between these two things if you're looking. That this book brought that idea up to me is something I consider a positive about the book.

Another positive is that he looks at the reactions of various prophets towards the empire of Babylon and presents that the way the prophets responded to Babylon was not unanimous. Some spoke positively and negatively, others spoke positively and didn't really present a negative, while another spoke only negative. I'm not sure that I always agreed with his thoughts about why things were presented in this way, but I do enjoy the attempt to show various responses instead of taking one as the way to do things.

A more mixed thing is that while the book's title is Out of Babylon and talks a lot about Israel in Babylonian exile, I think his best chapters come at the end where he talks about Persia and how the Jewish people under Persian rule is probably closer to the situation we find ourselves in today. It just kind of felt like it made the rest of the book not nearly as important in some ways. Both sections are good and because there isn't nearly as much talk about Persia as there was Babylon, there is the need to set the stage as empire against faith tradition, but it still presents a bit of whiplash.

There were also a couple things that weren't quite as strong about the book in my opinion. The first is that while I agree that there is enough in the Bible to present enough of a case to say that the Bible speaks negatively against self-serving empires, I often felt that Brueggemann overstates the theme a bit. Now maybe since this book is about that theme it just comes out a little stronger than it would otherwise, but I'm not sure this is the case. If anything I take empire as the ultimate form of our own personal tendency to serve ourselves. When our selfishness and apathy at the love of God and love of others becomes a corporate affair we're left with self-serving empires (be they political or economic) who justify themselves with all kind of excuses while not caring about others.

The last thing isn't too big, but I did find it somewhat strange. I guess this book was inspired by a song called Doin' Time in Babylon, but you don't really find this out until over halfway through the book. It just seemed a bit strange to have this presented so late and interacted with so little. Again nothing big, but I'm not sure that his interaction with the inspiration for the book added that much in the way it was handled.

Overall though I enjoyed Out of Babylon I think that it is a book that has the potential to make you think about our country in a bit of a different light from the faith perspective. To realize that the goals of a nation/empire/superpower may not be the goals of God and Christianity and that it makes more sense that they don't line up and that our attempts to package them together may do more harm than good. I think that Bruggemann may overstate this as a driving theme of the Bible, but I don't disagree that its there. I also think that his interaction with what inspired this book didn't add too much value to the book.

[Angus Mcfarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The oppression of Empire seems like something that belongs in ancient history, the fate of slaves or exiles to Rome or Egypt. Brueggemann takes the Biblical story of Jews and Babylon to illustrate the challenge of Empire for modern western Christians, the news to many being that the threat today is not China or Russia but USA. Then again, there are some who have left the US believing just that – in my case people I met in Santiago fleeing to South America for sanctuary.
Empire and Kingdom/Shalom has been a theme I’ve been learning about in podcasts (Bema), whereby the covenant people of Israel find themselves in competition with the secular powers of the region, not so much in terms of military might but of theological ideas and their cultural expression. This struggle started for Israel with Egypt, with herself in the Monarchy period, and then with Assyria, Babylon and Persia in this volume, foreshadowing the eventual challenge of Greece and Rome.
Finishing this book at a time of reflection about Australia’s colonial history, I am reminded that the disruption to indigenous communities by colonisation is not dissimilar to the threat to the modern church communities. Even though I have always been taught that the British were relatively benign, and more-or-less Christian, the reality is that assimilation and acquiescence were and still are the only acceptable responses to the British-cum-Australian national project. And as much as I am in favour of the Australian version of national project, the mission of the church is at odds with much of what is expected. Brueggemann shows that resistance is not futile, but in fact obligatory, now as it was then, here as it is there, for people of faith.
But it is heavy going. His analysis of the text is dense – and unfortunately shows up my unfamiliarity with the prophetic sections of scripture. The commentary on modern times is easier to digest, but not really much beyond another opinion without the textual backing, but at least provides a point of entry into the tougher sections.

[Isaac Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book challenging the Hellenism that has taken over most of the modern church. Brueggemann considers the various Babylonian prophets of the Hebrew Bible and their response to Israel's exile. He in no way attempts to synthesise their accounts but lets the voices of Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others speak to the different ways the people of God ought to respond to Empire. Brueggemann then looks to the western church and how we so often find our selves in a similar position; being both in Empire and part of it. The challenge of this book is to think about how we spend our time in Babylon, how we engage with the mission of God, and we articulate the tension we find ourselves in. While I would not agree with every nuance of Brueggemann's politics, I thoroughly enjoyed this challenging read and his rightful call for the church to reconsider our relationship to the Empire of today.

[Adrian]

Wow, great book. Confirmed a lot of what I was thinking politically, but whish I had said it. I nevertheless will repeat it, it should be understood. It leaves a huge amount of thinking for Right-wing Evangelicals. I wonder what they make of the book. It a pity to me that this Prophet does not seem to belive that prophesies in terms of the future is a possibility. Shame really. I am not sure I would accept his timeline either, there are lots who would argue against that. It is amazing really that for both of the above, timeline and the prophetic he still manages to come out with such a prophetic understanding as to where we are. He should be read, and listened too and acted on accordingly. Particularly in reference to what I would call the alternative community/kingdom, and where to compromise with Babylon. We live there so I guess we have too.

[Jambean8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a little surprised by how politicized the theme was, in my opinion, but I did enjoy the breakdown of how an oppressed subculture can exist within and subversively resist the dominant culture around them using biblical history and theology. I appreciate the recommend from the BEMA podcast lessons.

[Edward Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not always an easy read but very thought provoking. Take it slowly. Great thoughts about the voices of the prophets and ideas on what we should be as God's church in the middle of the "empire" of the USA.

[Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book challenged me intellectually and in many other ways. The idea that we are in exile is very prominent in Christian culture but very few are commenting on our inability to not succumb to that culture in comparison to the exilic Israelites.

[Doug Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth, this is.

[Greg Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent view of how people of faith can live to their fullest potential as they live in the overwhelming pressure of empire in our modern day versions of Babylon and Persia

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Egypt to Assyria, to literal geographical Babylon, on to Persia and then Rome, the bible witnesses to a series of empires that dominated the daily lives of the people of God; scripture also provides accounts of creative, resourceful, and effective ways people learned to live with and even thrive in spite of foreign hegemony. Although Babylon in the book title serves as a cipher for imperial regimes everywhere, WB also writes extensively about the southern kingdom Judah's actual Babylonian Captivity during the sixth century, at the same time reminding us "Babylon" bears the weight of geographically relocatable interpretations (page 111).

Out of Babylon references Emmylou Harris' song "Doin' time in Babylon." When you get sentenced to do time, you can't choose get out of jail free. As Christians can we live faithfully surrounded by empire and its deathly apparatus? Is it living faithfully with empire, living faithfully in spite of empire, or another possibility? Our contemporary situation in the USA closely parallels the exiles' in Babylon (faithful in Rome, Spain, Great Britain...) as accretions, outrages, attractions, and demands of empire surround and often seem to overwhelm us. Truly we cannot escape to some ideal oblivion, an unknown nowhere – remember erewhon? – and in the power of the Spirit we need to create local, covenantal life where we are―in spite of empire.

Late during the last century people rejoiced as the Union Jack of British imperialism stopped flying over one colony after another, yet every one of us in the USA deals daily with inescapable excesses of global USA political and economic empire. Most helpful for those of us trying to live faithfully in the Spirit of Life and within the spirit of the witness of scripture are WB's reminders of the creative ways some people operated (for example) within the imperial Persian government, apparently violated no laws, yet managed to finagle and finesse their work for the benefit of all people. What can we do as individual persons, as individual congregations to regain faithfulness? WB cites Babylon as "matrix for Jewish well-being ... a venue for Shalom." (pages 8 & 9) Can we celebrate and live Jubilee freedom amidst empire? Or rather, how can we live in the trusting freedom of jubilee in the midst of empire? You need to read Out of Babylon and get inspired!

Christians are a People of the Book, the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. In at least one other of his books I've read, Walter Brueggemann talks about our being (or becoming) fully texted people, gospeled communities. Out of Babylon provides some history and some ideas for ways those of us in the USA churches might learn the texts and live the texts of scripture more completely. In spite of empire is far from one size fits all! The contemporary church in the USA needs to learn diversity of style, responses, actual cooperation and accommodation with the forces of empire in order to become more fully gospeled, more completely texted. Scripture also provides accounts of creative, resourceful, and effective ways people learned to live with and even flourish in spite of imperial domination. Not only is there room for many diverse approaches; a diversity of approaches to the presence of empire is essential.

Post script: Reviewers of this and WB's other books need to realize Brueggemann assumes more than basic scriptural knowledge and theological literacy, which likely makes most of his books tough, rough going for anyone without a (very) solid background in theology and scripture. I've got that background, and I find a lot of WB's writing dense, frequently slow going.

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brueggemann's meditation on Emmylou Harris' song "Time in Babylon," has all the marks of Brueggemann...careful engagement with Scripture, a keen but critical eye for contemporary cultural connections, and above all, a matchless sense of the well-turned phrase.

For someone who has been an avid follower of Brueggemann over the years, this book is not so much an "exciting presentation of new material" as it is an "new presentation of exciting material." Brueggemann, more than anything, helps demonstrate the timeless ability of Scripture (especially here, the imagery of "Babylon") to keep speaking truth to power.

For the majority of the book, Brueggemann deals with texts that address "empire" in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah 40-55. Then, in the very final chapter, he turns his attention to Ezra-Nehemiah, Daniel, Esther, and the Joseph story. He uses these separate sets of texts to posit a shift in the Israelite attitude toward empire (mirroring the shift from Babylonian to Persian hegemony) from "exile and restoration" to "accommodation and resistance."

Unfortunately, it was clearly apparent the set of texts with which Brueggemann was either a) more familiar or b) more agreeable. Though, I don't necessarily disagree with the thesis that Ezra-Nehemiah/Daniel/Esther/Joseph story present a different model of engagement with "empire," it certainly does get short shrift. I was shocked to see the Joseph story given less than 3 full pages and effectively dismissed with the comment, "The outcome of the narrative is that Joseph represents a model of accommodation and defiance that for the most part is very thin on defiance" (p. 147). I was disappointed that Brueggemann chose not to wrestle more with this text.

For all that, Brueggemann's analysis of prophetic texts is always, always, always clear-eyed and challenging. (Brueggemann is at his best in scriptural exposition.) And he makes a compelling case for American Christians to reconsider our own engagement with and loyalty to this ravenous beast of American empire.

Brueggemann doesn't just write about prophetic texts; he WRITES prophetic texts. Texts that engage socio-political with divine realities. Texts that advocate righteousness rather than expediency. Texts that value truth-telling over easy answers.

One final note: Brueggemann dedicates this book to two of his former students, John Bracke (my professor and master's thesis advisor) and David Knauert. As he explains, John was his first OT student and David, who unfortunately died in car accident, was his last; both serve as "bookends" (Brueggemann's term) to his teaching career. So perhaps the BEST way to read this text is not just as a meditation on a popular song but as Brueggemann's meditation on what it means to be a teacher of Bible, both within the Church and the Academy. This book certainly will inspire many readers to re-engage the Old Testament, believers, and our over-privileged culture with a renewed vigor and passion for righteousness, which I think would please Professor Brueggemann ever so much!

[David Campton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brueggemann's writing has been hugely influential for me, particularly "Prophetic Imagination" which is why I suggested that my church book group might like to read this book with me, and why I had a deep sinking feeling as I waded my way through the first few chapters of it. It is inspired by an Emmylou Harris song "In Babylon" which uses the metaphor of Babylon to reflect on contemporary America, but whilst the lyrics of the song are printed at the beginning of the book he doesn't refer to them again until chapter 7, two thirds of the way through the book. In the preceding chapters he effectively reprises/précis his earlier work/theses on the dynamic of Israel and Empire and the exile/return metaphor in the Old Testament prophets. But he does so in an unnecessarily repetitive and overly detailed fashion with large numbers of piecemeal quotes from different passages. This alienated some of my book-group who were not particularly theologically literate, and actually, if truth be told, caused me to lose interest too. It was not devoid of interest or new information, but this section could easily have been reduced to a chapter or two by a courageous editor, with interested readers directed to Brueggemann's earlier works if they wanted more detail. However, when he returned to the song and the interface of the Old Testament prophets with contemporary America the book regained its passion and power, particularly when he moved from the metaphor of "Doin' time in Babylon", to the less romantic metaphor of "Doin' time in Persia", and the subtleties of accommodation/resistance to that enduring and pervasive empire. Had the book only consisted of those last couple of chapters I would have rated it much more highly. A second reading heightened this feeling, and brought home the fact that we all accommodate, if not capitulate to different aspects of the prevailing culture. It is easy for me to point the finger at those who allow their faith to play second fiddle to capitalism or sectarianism, but what about my own tendency to view scripture through the lenses of my political and social liberalism. The engagement of faith and politics, church and state, culture and scripture should always be a dialogue but where does ultimate authority lie?

[Tim Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

how does empire fit with faith in God? this book dives deep into the old testament (and i mean deep), particularly with the apparent constant struggle with those who empowered their will and rule over them. For many years God's people spent time in exile - in captivity - courtesy of the Babylonians. The Babylonian empire displaced the Israelites.

Walter Brueggemann explores this struggle and draws comparisons to 21st century christians living in the midst of the American empire.

i won't lie, this book is heady. Brueggemann is heady. i probably missed some of the main points of the book. they probably went way over my head.

i still liked the book - but i wished i would have enjoyed it more.

i was drawn to the book because i am drawn to the Old Testament stories of when the Israelite were in captivity - in exile - particularly the story found in Jeremiah 29. God gives them interesting instructions (vs. 1-14), often missed by Christians who focus on the popular Jer. 29:11 passage.

i am also drawn to the commentary on how christians aught to live in the midst of the current empire of which we reside: America.

i get frustrated that too many christians appear to follow political parties and/or the constitution OVER the Word of God. i was hoping that this book might shed light on that.

Brueggemann subtly discusses and brings to light comparisons from OT empires to current, modern day western empires. I wish it would have spent more time on the present. maybe it did and i missed it.

over all, there are a few chapters that make this book worth reading (the first and last chapters were phenomenal). perhaps you'll get more from the middle parts than i did.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is terrain that Walter Bruggemann has traversed before. Using the metaphor of exile he explores the Biblical prophets and their context and probes them for insight of how we can live lives faithful to the gospel in relationship to empire. While the entire book is good and worthwhile the final chapter, "Doin' time in Persia" is particularly apt for our context. Brueggemann talks about the shift in the prophets from looking forward to restoration and homecoming from exile, to reflections on how to live faithful lives in the midst of empire, and trying to bring change. The themes are no longer, "restoration and homecoming" but "accommodation and resistance." Some really insightful stuff here.

Also enjoyable was that Bruggemann pairs his biblical reflections with a Emmy Lou Harris song, "Doin' Time in Babylon." Nice to see him bring his literary analysis to a contemporary song in exploring these lyrics and relating it to the experience of Israel and the prophets.

[Bryan Gower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was just reading Brueggemann's Out of Babylon again. Talk about a relevant read about speaking Truth to Power, both to our religious organizations and to our civic institutions. "Much of the church understands itself as a "voluntary association," a notion that brings with it little spine for resistance…The church in the United States has largely signed on for democratic capitalism, and has watched while capitalism has been transposed into corporate socialism, while the democratic processes have been subordinated to the force of big money. The church has mostly positioned itself so that the promises of the gospel are readily lined out as "the American dream," with endless choices and bottomless entitlements that in turn have required the muscle of the military to sustain... It is easy enough to see that on many fronts the assimilation of the US. church to empire requires a wholesale repentance"

[Len Knighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong final chapter brought my rating up. His connection of Babylon to the United States kept my attention. Yes, the book is "heady" at times, but for those who think academics prefer reason to Scripture, Brueggemann has plenty of both.
I saw Walter Brueggemann only once, in Hartford, Connecticut. I attended a lecture he was giving at the United Church of Christ General Synod. Later that day I heard a speech by, as yet undeclared candidate, Barak Obama. How I would love to see these men get together.

[Naum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the text went way over my head, but the final chapter was well worth the read investment -- after looking at "Doin' time in Babylon", Brueggemann compares and contrasts with "Doin' time in Persia", an evaluation more in tune with the zeitgeist of living in throes of consumerist modern civilized empire.

[Noushin · Rating 5 out of 5]

two models of living in/with empire: the babylonian model and the Persian model - looking at American Empire through this book - This changes everything - 'nuf said!

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful Old Testament interpretation. Lens: empire, exile, accommodation, resistance. I read it for insight on living in, not of the world. A challenge for all people of faith.

[Sue Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read--how the OT tells us our story

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Brueggemann that I could barely put down. Challenging and I think well worth grappling with.

[Jonathan Frazier]

261.0973