Walter Brueggemann’s Prophetic Imagination: a theological biography

Walter Brueggemann was born on 11 March, 1933. His life’s work has been in theological studies focused on the Old Testament. The focus for Kanagy’s book is Brueggemann’s 1978 book, The Prophetic Imagination, described as “the defining theological contribution of Brueggemann’s life”.

The author has the full cooperation of Brueggemann in writing his book. Kanagy reveals details of the subject’s early life that will be new to readers of the academic studies. This includes Brueggemann’s ancestry in post-nineteenth century Germany, rural life in Missouri and family influences, including the model of a father as a dedicated pastor within a community unsympathetic to religion.

Studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York from 1956 to 1961 saw Brueggemann’s writings and preaching responding to change and challenge in the nation, from Civil Rights to the election of Trump as President.

Kanagy outlines the diverse sources that led Brueggemann to the writing of The Prophetic Imagination. These include the rhetoric of Black church liturgies, Jewish writers, sociologists, Marx and Freud, and above all, his own knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures, with focus on the Psalms and Jeremiah.

One chapter covers the psalms of lament as prayers both personal and collective. Kanagy writes, “While always in the presence of God, he was not always at peace with God. Like the God whose inner being was sometimes in turmoil, so was his … the church has been less willing to believe that lament is relevant or appropriate… But Brueggemann took lament seriously and reintroduced lament to the liturgy of the church. Arguably, he did more than anyone to return the church to lament and away from denial and false exuberance.”

Another chapter covers a keynote talk given to the 2018 annual Summit of Sojourners. Brueggemann speaks of the dangers of totalism, “Totalism is the enemy of imagination. It seeks total control, threatens any possible allies of the prophet, and creates economies where the gains go in one direction only.”

The presentation concludes, “Finally I want to make a comment about the institutional church. The institutional church is a very weak instrument for the prophetic imagination. But it is the best institution we’ve got. It is the best instrument we’ve got because when people come to church they expect us to talk funny. They expect us to talk about God. And I believe we are now at a point when the church has got to recover its nerve and its energy and its courage and its freedom. To be about our proper business, the church cannot engage in prophetic imagination so long as it lives in the cocoon of totalism. And that of course is where many clergy and laity want the church to stay. Because you get rewards for that, and you get money, and you get payoffs and you get success. But our mandate and vocation are otherwise.”

Prayers, poetry and sermon collections, published this century, take readers to the heart of Brueggemann’s faith journey. As Kanagy says: “Walter’s prayers and preaching (words added by reviewer) are full of the hope that comes as we look beyond the temporary nature of empires, the temporary nature of our existence, and to the permanence of God.”

I enjoyed Kanagy’s journey with Brueggemann’s life and writings. He encourages me to go back to 1978 and read again The Prophetic Imagination. A good prompt to move forward in 2024.