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A Gospel of Hope
Beloved and respected by scholars, preachers, and laity alike, Walter Brueggemann offers penetrating insights on Scripture and prophetic diagnoses of our culture. Instead of maintaining what is safe and routine, A Gospel of Hope encourages readers to embrace the audacity required to live out ones faith. This must-have volume gathers Brueggemanns wisdom on topics ranging from anxiety and abundance to partisanship and the role of faith in public life.
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2018
83 people are currently reading
130 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 12, 2025
This book had some insightful and inspiring insights about living a fruitful Christian life. It was an "intellectual" read with a lot of thoughts and opinions that I frankly didn't understand. It was one of those books that I skimmed to mine for the gems.
November 23, 2020
This is the perfect read leading into the new year. Hope isn't found in the result of political elections. Rather, hope is found in the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
November 23, 2023
Very encouraging read. A book in which liberal and conservative Christians should be able to get behind together.
June 22, 2025
Encouraging and challenging.
November 16, 2019
Walter Brueggemann’s “GOSPEL OF HOPE” is a smorgasbord of imaginative insightful statements about how the Gospel might be lived in community. He is an astute communicator.
“It is a command spoken by Jesus who himself is un-anxious and unflappable. ... He is unafraid before the Roman governor at his trial, unflappable before the the high priests on his dread-filled Thursday inquisition, unworried when the storm rages, completely at peace even in the ferocious storm on the Sea of galilee. He is unafraid, un-anxious, not worried. And he invites his disciples to stay close to him, and to share his un-anxious presence. (p33)
We in our churches are sore tempted to monologue. Such a temptation imagines absolute certainty and sovereignty, and uncritically imagines that any one of us can speak with the voice and authority of the monolithic God. Such certainty is an act of idolatry. (p40)
Against our eager orthodoxy here is love which remembers that we are dust. It is deep friendliness known only in displacement. And this embrace from the God who cares for exiles is the only source of support and sustenance that will be adequate for ministry, or for faith. (p47)
Jesus got himself killed because he exposed the false ordering of power that paid no attention to the little ones, among whom he counted himself. (p52)
Jesus was a disruption wherever he went. Jesus was a misfit; he did not fit anybody’s categories. Jesus was weird and they did not know what to do with him. When he entered the room, everything changed. Wherever he sat immediately, promptly became the head of the table. (p53)
I propose that the church is now God’s agent for gathering exiles .. First, there are those exiles who have been made exiles by the force of our society, those who are rejected, ostracized, and labelled as outsiders. (p63)
But the story of the Bible is so written that God’s care for the disenfranchised is a main theme, mostly screened out by those who like to talk a lot about biblical authority. (p62)
The chaos we now face in our world is huge and deep and costly and fearful. But the Jesus people have work to do .. work in the neighbourhood, work at public policy, work that begins at the Holy Table. The work is to look the chaos in the face and then to make a commitment to God’s new creation. (p114)
The chaos we now face in our world is huge and deep and costly and fearful. But the people of HOPE have work to do:
work in our neighbourhoods
work at public policy
work that begins with Broken Bread
This work is to look the chaos in the face and then to make a commitment to justice and re-dignifying God’s new creation.
..
It is clear that the church needs no more custodians to keep it running the way it has been. It now needs no more pastors or leaders who will conduct business as usual. Because we are in an emergency situation in our society where the gospel matters decisively. What the church now requires “by faith,” I suggest,
Is to run risks for justice in a brutalising society
Is to run risks for forgiveness in a vengeful society
Is to run risks for hospitality in an exclusionary society
Is to run risks for generosity in a parsimonious society
Is to run risks for the scandal of Easter resurrection in a society that reduces everything to our reasonable possibilities
Is to run risks for poetic imagination in a society of prosaic anxiety.
(p70-71)
Sabbath rest – work stoppage – requires no expensive equipment. Just stop. Just breathe. Just wait. Just rest. Just receive. Just receive life as a gift. (p146)
Worship is an act of poetic imagination that aims to reconstrue the world. It is an act of imagination, by which I mean it presents lived reality in images, figures, and metaphors that defy our conventional structures of plausibility and that host alternative scenarios of reality that cut beyond our conventional perceptual field.
The practice of such poetic imagination that invites us playfully to alternative reality is deeply rooted in old texts, old memories, and old practices; it nonetheless requires contemporary, disciplined, informed imagination to sustain alternative vision. (p147)
The holiness of the church does not consist in true doctrine that everyone accepts. It does not consist in true morality that everyone embraces. We know of course that the church has often specialised in doctrine and morality. But the truth is that the holiness of the baptised community consists in the habits of generosity, grace in speaking, and tender-hearted forgiveness.
That’s us! In the image of God. By our life, God is honoured, and the world is healed. That’s us! (p148)
“It is a command spoken by Jesus who himself is un-anxious and unflappable. ... He is unafraid before the Roman governor at his trial, unflappable before the the high priests on his dread-filled Thursday inquisition, unworried when the storm rages, completely at peace even in the ferocious storm on the Sea of galilee. He is unafraid, un-anxious, not worried. And he invites his disciples to stay close to him, and to share his un-anxious presence. (p33)
We in our churches are sore tempted to monologue. Such a temptation imagines absolute certainty and sovereignty, and uncritically imagines that any one of us can speak with the voice and authority of the monolithic God. Such certainty is an act of idolatry. (p40)
Against our eager orthodoxy here is love which remembers that we are dust. It is deep friendliness known only in displacement. And this embrace from the God who cares for exiles is the only source of support and sustenance that will be adequate for ministry, or for faith. (p47)
Jesus got himself killed because he exposed the false ordering of power that paid no attention to the little ones, among whom he counted himself. (p52)
Jesus was a disruption wherever he went. Jesus was a misfit; he did not fit anybody’s categories. Jesus was weird and they did not know what to do with him. When he entered the room, everything changed. Wherever he sat immediately, promptly became the head of the table. (p53)
I propose that the church is now God’s agent for gathering exiles .. First, there are those exiles who have been made exiles by the force of our society, those who are rejected, ostracized, and labelled as outsiders. (p63)
But the story of the Bible is so written that God’s care for the disenfranchised is a main theme, mostly screened out by those who like to talk a lot about biblical authority. (p62)
The chaos we now face in our world is huge and deep and costly and fearful. But the Jesus people have work to do .. work in the neighbourhood, work at public policy, work that begins at the Holy Table. The work is to look the chaos in the face and then to make a commitment to God’s new creation. (p114)
The chaos we now face in our world is huge and deep and costly and fearful. But the people of HOPE have work to do:
work in our neighbourhoods
work at public policy
work that begins with Broken Bread
This work is to look the chaos in the face and then to make a commitment to justice and re-dignifying God’s new creation.
..
It is clear that the church needs no more custodians to keep it running the way it has been. It now needs no more pastors or leaders who will conduct business as usual. Because we are in an emergency situation in our society where the gospel matters decisively. What the church now requires “by faith,” I suggest,
Is to run risks for justice in a brutalising society
Is to run risks for forgiveness in a vengeful society
Is to run risks for hospitality in an exclusionary society
Is to run risks for generosity in a parsimonious society
Is to run risks for the scandal of Easter resurrection in a society that reduces everything to our reasonable possibilities
Is to run risks for poetic imagination in a society of prosaic anxiety.
(p70-71)
Sabbath rest – work stoppage – requires no expensive equipment. Just stop. Just breathe. Just wait. Just rest. Just receive. Just receive life as a gift. (p146)
Worship is an act of poetic imagination that aims to reconstrue the world. It is an act of imagination, by which I mean it presents lived reality in images, figures, and metaphors that defy our conventional structures of plausibility and that host alternative scenarios of reality that cut beyond our conventional perceptual field.
The practice of such poetic imagination that invites us playfully to alternative reality is deeply rooted in old texts, old memories, and old practices; it nonetheless requires contemporary, disciplined, informed imagination to sustain alternative vision. (p147)
The holiness of the church does not consist in true doctrine that everyone accepts. It does not consist in true morality that everyone embraces. We know of course that the church has often specialised in doctrine and morality. But the truth is that the holiness of the baptised community consists in the habits of generosity, grace in speaking, and tender-hearted forgiveness.
That’s us! In the image of God. By our life, God is honoured, and the world is healed. That’s us! (p148)
April 25, 2018
Walter Brueggemann has the look of a prophet. I never had the opportunity to see him in person as a younger man, but the man I have encountered on several occasions in recent years has the look and sound of the prophets he often expounds in his books. Brueggemann is a noted biblical scholar who has an extraordinary ability to speak difficult truths in a way that moves hearts and minds. While his theology is of left of center, and he is rooted in a Mainline Protestant church, he is read and appreciated across the theological spectrum. I have heard him speak at a Disciples of Christ General Assembly and at a Church of Christ college.
In recent years a spate of books have been published that make use of previously published works. This is one of them. "A Gospel of Hope" is a collection of brief excerpts ranging from a sentence up to two paragraphs. We're not told where the editor drew the excerpts from, but as you read, you hear Brueggemann's voice speaking truth, but also hope.
The themes around which the excerpts are gathered will be familiar to readers of Brueggemann. They include "abundance and generosity," "alternative worlds," "anxiety and freedom," "God's fidelity and ours," "Jesus," "Justice," "Evangelical identity" (at a time when the world evangelicals seems to have taken on a politically conservative tint, it is good to be invited to hear the word in a different way), "neighbor love," "newness and hope," "public witness and responsibility," "relinquishment" (think repentance here along with self-denial), and finally "faithful practices." Brueggemann writes in the preface to the book that he hopes that "these reuttered words of mine might serve as a contribution to the audacity of talk and our walk. This dangerous time calls folk of faith to grow in our awareness and courage to subvert 'by thought, word, and deed" (Book of Common Prayer) current ideologies that want to curb and administer our asking and our imagining" (p. x).
My sense is that readers will find much to ponder in these "reuttered words" of one of our days most thoughtful and provocative teachers and preachers. They should prove inspiring and at times challenging. Take and read and ponder!
In recent years a spate of books have been published that make use of previously published works. This is one of them. "A Gospel of Hope" is a collection of brief excerpts ranging from a sentence up to two paragraphs. We're not told where the editor drew the excerpts from, but as you read, you hear Brueggemann's voice speaking truth, but also hope.
The themes around which the excerpts are gathered will be familiar to readers of Brueggemann. They include "abundance and generosity," "alternative worlds," "anxiety and freedom," "God's fidelity and ours," "Jesus," "Justice," "Evangelical identity" (at a time when the world evangelicals seems to have taken on a politically conservative tint, it is good to be invited to hear the word in a different way), "neighbor love," "newness and hope," "public witness and responsibility," "relinquishment" (think repentance here along with self-denial), and finally "faithful practices." Brueggemann writes in the preface to the book that he hopes that "these reuttered words of mine might serve as a contribution to the audacity of talk and our walk. This dangerous time calls folk of faith to grow in our awareness and courage to subvert 'by thought, word, and deed" (Book of Common Prayer) current ideologies that want to curb and administer our asking and our imagining" (p. x).
My sense is that readers will find much to ponder in these "reuttered words" of one of our days most thoughtful and provocative teachers and preachers. They should prove inspiring and at times challenging. Take and read and ponder!
February 18, 2019
This book is a stunning collection of beautiful sermons that would serve any Christian, in any position in the Church, well. It is cheap: Amazon's price generally hovers around $10. (Though, I wonder what Brueggemann would think, honestly, of having his books on Amazon!) I highly recommend this book for devotional reading, or learning how to preach well to current issues in your church's context.
July 7, 2019
5/10
This short collection of sermons adapted to book most likely would have been better in their original format. Brueggerman has a way with words, and tends to communicate his ideas clearly. It's a decent collection, but failed to have the depth I previously would have associated with Brueggerman, and as such was mostly forgettable.
One thing I did appreciate was Brueggermans short tangent on societies lack of comunal activity, and lack of corporate singing, which I found to be by far the most interesting part of the book.
This short collection of sermons adapted to book most likely would have been better in their original format. Brueggerman has a way with words, and tends to communicate his ideas clearly. It's a decent collection, but failed to have the depth I previously would have associated with Brueggerman, and as such was mostly forgettable.
One thing I did appreciate was Brueggermans short tangent on societies lack of comunal activity, and lack of corporate singing, which I found to be by far the most interesting part of the book.
July 22, 2023
vou ficar com muita saudade de ler um pouquinho do Brueggemann todo dia. livro maravilhoso, empolgante, revolucionário, tipo de coisa que seria bom se todo cristão lesse. é um teólogo criativo, poético e comprometido com a justiça. precisamos de muitos assim!
único problema é que esse livro é uma coletânea de pensamentos, então de vez em quando as citações estão isoladas da construção argumentativa. me deixou com vontade de ler tudo dele, vou ter que comprar livro gringo.
único problema é que esse livro é uma coletânea de pensamentos, então de vez em quando as citações estão isoladas da construção argumentativa. me deixou com vontade de ler tudo dele, vou ter que comprar livro gringo.
January 7, 2022
Straightforward, hard-hitting gospel truth written concisely and in the form of mini-treatise for life and ministry. Whilst there is less explicit opening of scripture than in other Brueggemann writings, it is packed with theological and practical richness that is posited as a wake-up call to today's church.
March 3, 2025
Although Brueggemann’s quotes substantially from the Hebrew Bible, this book is written for Christians. For a follower of Jesus, it is a must read—over and over. Especially powerful in this time of chaos.
January 16, 2019
If you have an interest in missional church you will want to read this.
Read
August 4, 2020I really appreciate when pastors quote Rev Brueggemann in their sermons. I am a big fan of his! But I'm not studious enough to read his words on my own. But I'm glad to own the book.
July 6, 2022
It is a good book but a little too light for me to really enjoy.
January 30, 2019
Dr. Walter Bruggeman is a well respected, prolific Christian author and lecturer, but unfortunately, Gospel of Hope fell flat for me. I even admit to becoming angry at times. In the preface, Bruggeman explains that he has written so much that he wanted to create a book that was a compilation of all his best thoughts. To that end, G of H is a large number of sound bites divided by subject categories such as generosity, anxiety, justice, neighbor love, and public witness and responsibility.
The idea is compelling, but didn't work well. First of all, this would be much better suited to a daily meditation book, rather than a book studied in whole chapters by a church group. The reason is that each one of the sound bites is extremely meaty, making it difficult to absorb so many excerpts in one sitting. The second, and more important, is that like sound bites in every venue, they are taken out of context. The result is real possibilities of misconstruing the intent. Too often these excerpts sound extraordinarily harsh. And finally, there seems to be a definite and sometimes angry political bent. I really, really dislike being told that I am unchristian because of the way I vote. Perhaps in context I would not have been so offended.
Still, there are some wonderfully spiritual things to ponder, such as, "Now this means that the main mark of this God is not, first of all, omnipotence or omniscience or omnipresence, but it is fidelity, faithfulness, the readiness to stay with and stay for the hurting ones". This is the Gospel of hope for me.
The idea is compelling, but didn't work well. First of all, this would be much better suited to a daily meditation book, rather than a book studied in whole chapters by a church group. The reason is that each one of the sound bites is extremely meaty, making it difficult to absorb so many excerpts in one sitting. The second, and more important, is that like sound bites in every venue, they are taken out of context. The result is real possibilities of misconstruing the intent. Too often these excerpts sound extraordinarily harsh. And finally, there seems to be a definite and sometimes angry political bent. I really, really dislike being told that I am unchristian because of the way I vote. Perhaps in context I would not have been so offended.
Still, there are some wonderfully spiritual things to ponder, such as, "Now this means that the main mark of this God is not, first of all, omnipotence or omniscience or omnipresence, but it is fidelity, faithfulness, the readiness to stay with and stay for the hurting ones". This is the Gospel of hope for me.
January 20, 2020
A book that restores my soul. Walter Brueggemann's way of working words into world-affirming pictures of the gospel in practice makes my heart sing as I read. I feel the beauty of poetry and revel in visionary illuminations of what could be if only we would practice what we sometimes preach. Highly recommended.
"As you know, we live in a fearful society that is devoured by anxiety. And we imagine in our anxiety that there are extreme 'security' measures that will make us safe. But if it is God's world and if the rule of love is at work, then our mandate is not to draw into a cocoon of safety; rather, it is to be out and alive in the world in concrete acts and policies whereby the fearful anxiety among us is dispatched and adversaries can be turned to allies and friends."
I received a digital copy from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
"As you know, we live in a fearful society that is devoured by anxiety. And we imagine in our anxiety that there are extreme 'security' measures that will make us safe. But if it is God's world and if the rule of love is at work, then our mandate is not to draw into a cocoon of safety; rather, it is to be out and alive in the world in concrete acts and policies whereby the fearful anxiety among us is dispatched and adversaries can be turned to allies and friends."
I received a digital copy from the publisher; all opinions are my own.
August 12, 2019
It is a book of beautifully written snippets. Taken from other writings or in themselves complete pithy independent paragraphs. These snippets are broken down into categories which form the chapters of the book. It is a great book to use as a devotional. For me, it is not something to just sit and read cover to cover. There is too much to digest.
December 7, 2018
'A best of...' book, which doesn't always work, but in this case is a great success.
It's a thematic collection of some of his best work (which must have been an incredible challenge to edit) and is fascinating and very readable as such. It also works well as good devotional reading.
It's a thematic collection of some of his best work (which must have been an incredible challenge to edit) and is fascinating and very readable as such. It also works well as good devotional reading.
April 13, 2020
Bueggemann is a voice that you should listen to whenever he has something to say. This book was largely reflective, ponderings on the state of Christianity and wise things he has to say in this current culture.
September 27, 2018
I find Brueggemann's writing, his commentaries on scripture, his sermons a great help in understanding the bible and being able to make it real for me and those I serve.
May 18, 2024
A walk through Brueggemann’s theology of God, neighbor and our work on earth.
March 5, 2018
From publisher’s notes, “Beloved and respected by scholars, preachers, and laity alike, Walter Brueggemann offers penetrating insights on Scripture and prophetic diagnoses of our culture. Instead of maintaining what is safe and routine, A Gospel of Hope encourages readers to embrace the audacity required to live out one’s faith. This must-have volume gathers Brueggemann’s wisdom on topics ranging from anxiety and abundance to partisanship and the role of faith in public life.”
Brueggemann is a well-respected theologian. I have read some of his writing, not extensively, but enough to know that I will find many gems. My digital copy is highlighted. A lot! This is very unusual for me. I will be referring to his words in the future.
As you might infer from the title, this book is filled with the Gospel and filled with hope. I am not a theologian, so I am not trying to review this book from that mindset. I am a member of the laity who sees our world portrayed daily in a negative way with no mention of hope. A Gospel of Hope addresses these daily negative portrayals and offers hope based on the Gospel.
I read this book after having just finished another book which tried to redefine the Gospel to fit the author’s worldview. Brueggemann does not do this. He deals with hard issues and asks tough questions. He does not presume to redefine the Gospel but allows those truths to speak for themselves.
I recommend this timely book.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.
ISBN: 1611648491 (ISBN13:9781611648492)
PUBLISHER: Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date: 03.30.18
Brueggemann is a well-respected theologian. I have read some of his writing, not extensively, but enough to know that I will find many gems. My digital copy is highlighted. A lot! This is very unusual for me. I will be referring to his words in the future.
As you might infer from the title, this book is filled with the Gospel and filled with hope. I am not a theologian, so I am not trying to review this book from that mindset. I am a member of the laity who sees our world portrayed daily in a negative way with no mention of hope. A Gospel of Hope addresses these daily negative portrayals and offers hope based on the Gospel.
I read this book after having just finished another book which tried to redefine the Gospel to fit the author’s worldview. Brueggemann does not do this. He deals with hard issues and asks tough questions. He does not presume to redefine the Gospel but allows those truths to speak for themselves.
I recommend this timely book.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.
ISBN: 1611648491 (ISBN13:9781611648492)
PUBLISHER: Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date: 03.30.18
March 2, 2018
A Gospel of Hope by Walter Bruggemann is, according to the introduction a collection of writings from various other sources that are melded together to make one point. This point ties in his reflections and thoughts on topics such as Faith, Baptism, Good Friday, the Easter and Eucharist experience and what it means for the Christian of today.
The reflections are somehow pulled together so well that they offer a very cohesive thought process..
The author is spot on in simultaneous simple thought and deep reflection that got this reader thinking. Using the topics Bruggemann delves into how those traits can be applied to our understanding and action in the world today facing issues such as greed, homelessness and more.
What I love about the author is that though some may find his thoughts lean toward the progressive side he does not write from a geo-political side. His feet are clearly and firmly planted in the biblical tradition and from that place he produces thought. Perhaps my favorite quote illustrates this when he writes about issue. He writes "There is kindness, but there is also justice and righteousness, and we must take care that we do not separate these; that we do not think we can have one without the other..." (loc 714 in my advance ebook copy).
I found myself highlighting so many areas, that I will definitely re-read this work soon, and can imagine quoting from it for a time to come.
The reflections are somehow pulled together so well that they offer a very cohesive thought process..
The author is spot on in simultaneous simple thought and deep reflection that got this reader thinking. Using the topics Bruggemann delves into how those traits can be applied to our understanding and action in the world today facing issues such as greed, homelessness and more.
What I love about the author is that though some may find his thoughts lean toward the progressive side he does not write from a geo-political side. His feet are clearly and firmly planted in the biblical tradition and from that place he produces thought. Perhaps my favorite quote illustrates this when he writes about issue. He writes "There is kindness, but there is also justice and righteousness, and we must take care that we do not separate these; that we do not think we can have one without the other..." (loc 714 in my advance ebook copy).
I found myself highlighting so many areas, that I will definitely re-read this work soon, and can imagine quoting from it for a time to come.
April 10, 2018
A Gospel of Hope by Walter Brueggemann is a beautifully written exposition on the wonder to be found in the Gospel and the hope it gives. It is a wonderful book to read again and again. There are so many tidbits to ponder and unpack over time. "The primal business of our life is to yield in trust to the God who loves us more than we love ourselves." Brueggemann further explains the generosity of the Gospel and the hope to be found in it. I highly recommend this book. It is a wonderful resource that you will want to read again and again. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.
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