Walter Brueggemann's Latest

Over the years, the biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann has written extensively on various Old Testament topics. Among his favorite subjects is the prophet Jeremiah. Fifteen of his articles on the subject have been collected in Like Fire in the Bones: Listening to the Prophetic Word in Jeremiah (Patrick D. Miller, ed.) This volume is arranged under three headings: The Word Spoken Through the Prophet; Listening for the Prophetic Word in History; and Carrying forward the Prophetic task. These headings exemplify well the three emphases of Brueggemann’s own Christian concerns, namely, careful analysis and interpretation of the biblical tradition, remarkable insight into the reality and needs of the contemporary world, and the responsibility of Christians who cherish that tradition. Though the author’s critical biblical expertise is obvious on every page, this is a book of biblical theology meant for the educated though not scholarly reader. The scope of Brueggemann’s knowledge of the field and technical aspects of his work are reserved for the footnotes. The book is written in the kind of clear and understandable manner that one would expect from a seasoned teacher. Patrick Miller, the editor, has done us a great service in collecting these articles in this fashion. Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.