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Journey to the Common Good
Respected author and theologian Walter Brueggemann turns his discerning eye to the most critical yet basic needs of a world adapting to a new era, an era defined in large part by America's efforts to rebuild from an age of terror even as it navigates its way through an economic collapse. Yet in spite of these great challenges, Brueggemann calls us to journey together to the common good through neighborliness, covenanting, and reconstruction. Such a concept may seem overwhelming, but writing with his usual theological acumen and social awareness Brueggemann distills this challenge to its most basic issues: where is the church going? What is its role in contemporary society? What lessons does it have to offer a world enmeshed in such turbulent times? The answer is the same answer God gave to the Israelites thousands of years ago: love your neighbor and work for the common good. Brueggemann considers biblical texts as examples of the journey now required of the faithful if they wish to move from isolation and distrust to a practice of neighborliness, as an invitation to a radical choice for life or for death, and as a reliable script for overcoming contemporary problems of loss and restoration in a failed urban economy.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
58 people are currently reading
461 people want to read
About the author
Walter Brueggemann
316 books571 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 38 reviews
August 13, 2012
We had a pulpit guest this past year who leaned rather heavily on the work of Walter Brueggemann in his sermon. By total coincidence I was involved in the service, including leading the meditation/prayer element, and I had adapted one of Brueggemann's pieces from his Prayers for a Privileged People for the prayer. During the polylogue after the service, the pulpit guest recommended this book to the congregation. I believe several people bought it, I don't know how many actually read it. It's far more Biblically-centered than many UUs (at least in my congregation) are accustomed to handling. However, I enjoyed Brueggemann's use of Hebrew texts to illustrate the reality of Empire vis-a-vis Israel and the analogue to our current sociopolitical reality in the USA. Exodus, Jeremiah, and Isaiah are his primary texts, revisioned as resources for the faithful to make a radical choice to understand our losses and envision restoration. Very good.
September 27, 2025
So good. So important for our time. Drawing from the books of Exodus, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, Brueggemann makes the case for the need for "prophetic imagination" and poets (which i take as creatives of all kinds) to speak the truth of God's way in the face of empire. "
From his afterward, written shortly after the Great Recession hit in 2009: "The genuinely toxic atheism is the assumption that neighborliness is an elective in a world of acquisitiveness."
From his afterward, written shortly after the Great Recession hit in 2009: "The genuinely toxic atheism is the assumption that neighborliness is an elective in a world of acquisitiveness."
July 15, 2011
While many (though not nearly enough) people know that the reality of justice for those who are poor and oppressed is at the heart of the biblical narratives, very few are able to present it so lucidly and so passionately, with specific correlations to today's social situation than Walter Brueggemann. A Scripture scholar who can also preach and teach dynamically, Brueggemann's insights into the Exodus story and the Gospel narratives about God offering graced abundance in the midst of gripping oppression for the purpose of giving people strength and energy to turn toward the common good is a masterful commentary for a society addicted to rapacious use of the earth's resources and a seeming state of perpetual warfare. The key point: God continually offers an alternative way of living and being in the world that is focused on the true common good and though the road to get there is a difficult one, God has provided both the perspective and the examples for us to find our way by understanding the Scriptural narratives, not as pious platitudes but as the construction of a way of thinking for life to the world.
February 27, 2021
The first edition of Walter Brueggemann’s book Journey to the Common God came out as the nation was trying to emerge from the economic crisis of the late 2000s. At the time Barack Obama was early in his first term as President. The updated edition comes as the nation reels from a combination of crises that includes a deadly pandemic, racial unrest, the economic downturn related to the virus, and the disruptive nature of the end of Donald Trump’s presidency. Brueggemann always has something wise to say, even though it is often challenging.
The core chapters of this updated edition are essentially the same as what one can find in the first edition. What this updated version offers is what is titled “A Reintroduction.” Brueggemann notes that he wrote this reintroduction on the day of George Floyd’s funeral in Houston. He writes that the crisis at hand “is deep, thick, and complex.” It has three faces: 1) the virus that “outflanked our scientific capacity; 2) the economic downturn; 3) “a skewed criminal justice system for which police misconduct is the visible front” (p. ix). These three crises have their implications for us. First, regarding the virus, it has left us vulnerable to unforeseen dangers. Secondly, the economic downturn has left “many people in deep dislocation. Finally, “the crisis n criminal justice evokes anger and fear” (p. x). These social realities—vulnerability, dislocation, anger, and fear—are all present in the wilderness tradition that he had explored in the first edition of the book.
Since the chapters of the book remain essentially unchanged, Brueggemann uses the “reintroduction” to situate the message of the wilderness tradition encountered in the remainder of the book to the current situation. Thus, he invites us to explore the message found in Exodus, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. His hope is that these explorations will assist in our navigation of our current situation, even as they gave guidance in earlier crises.
The good news that Brueggemann seeks to bring forth is that the biblical narratives and oracles offer words of hope and guidance for our times of crisis because they emerged in times of crisis. Indeed, he writes that “we face a crisis about the common good because there are powerful forces at work among us to resist the common good, to violate community solidarity, and to deny a common destiny” (p. 1). At our mature best, we might be able to transcend these challenges, but the question is – can a church that is deeply ingrained in the culture of the day break free from the constraints to offer a different word?
He begins with a discussion of the Exodus story, which pictures Pharaoh as the “paradigmatic enemy of the common good.” We learn here that Pharaoh’s grip on society is rooted in a principle of scarcity. Pharaoh stood at the head of the world’s breadbasket, and thus its superpower. By creating a situation of scarcity, Pharaoh could produce anxiety, which in turn fed his power. In our day the “kingdom of paucity” is kept alive by our consumerism, which pushes us further into the grip of scarcity and anxiety, and thus puts us at the mercy of those in power. God breaks this monopoly of power by calling the Hebrews into the wilderness, where they can learn a different principle – that of the neighborhood and the common good. To break free of Pharaoh’s reach, one must trust in God’s abundance, as seen in the manna and the Eucharist. Unfortunately, at both tables, scarcity makes itself felt through exclusion.
In order to experience this common good, we must embrace a subversive alternative social ethic, one that is focused on care for the alien, orphan, and widow. This triad is comprised of those lacking access to the commodities of life because access is defined by Pharaoh’s categories. He writes that “the tradition of Deuteronomy intends to resituate the economy of Israel into the fabric of the neighborhood” (p. 41). That is, the new paradigm subverts the status quo by embracing a love of neighbor that carries specific economic implications. While God would have our economies serve the common good, there are points of resistance, counter-narratives that reinforce the principle of scarcity. The Pharaonic ideal reappears with Solomon, who focused on a triad of wealth, power, and wisdom.
It is to such a world that Jeremiah speaks, offering an alternative vision that is rooted in Deuteronomy. As a descendant of the exiled priest Abiathar, Jeremiah speaks of a trajectory of death that is rooted in a commitment to Solomon’s triad of wealth, power, and wisdom, offering in its stead an alternative vision rooted in YHWH’s triad of steadfast love, justice, and righteousness. It is in these that God takes delight, not the Temple worship that defined the Solomonic vision.
From subversion the story moves to reconstruction, a vision witnessed to in the texts of Isaiah. In this set of oracles written over several centuries, the word from God moves from harshness to tenderness – there is both judgment and hope for Jerusalem. Words of loss and grief, give way to words of restoration, with Cyrus serving as the agent of God’s work. In extending the oracle to our own day, Brueggemann suggests to a world facing economic collapse that we cannot simply return to normalcy. In the words of Third Isaiah (chapters 56-66), we find our way forward into a new age, one that is broad, inclusive, and welcoming. In this new reality, true worship of God is defined by justice and freedom, especially for the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized, and in this vision, knowledge of God is found in the love of neighbor.
While this edition offers a reintroduction, Brueggemann removed the afterword, that speaks to the world he encountered at the beginning of the Obama administration. While in that afterword he spoke of his hope that America was entering a new day. That he has had to write a new introduction to the book serves as a reminder that we have yet to move beyond the Pharaonic dimensions of American exceptionalism. Thus, there is still work to be done.
While the book is brief in scope, its message is powerful. It reminds us that the Bible might be an ancient book, but it still speaks to the concerns of our day. It challenges the status quo and invites the church to embrace its calling to be guardians of the common good. For Christians, this book is especially helpful because it invites us to embrace the narratives and oracles found in the Old Testament—not without critical judgment, for there is more than one voice present in the text. But, having said that, there is, in this book, a powerful call to embrace God’s steadfast love, justice, and righteousness, which pushes us to embrace the common good. That call will, however, require much of us.
The core chapters of this updated edition are essentially the same as what one can find in the first edition. What this updated version offers is what is titled “A Reintroduction.” Brueggemann notes that he wrote this reintroduction on the day of George Floyd’s funeral in Houston. He writes that the crisis at hand “is deep, thick, and complex.” It has three faces: 1) the virus that “outflanked our scientific capacity; 2) the economic downturn; 3) “a skewed criminal justice system for which police misconduct is the visible front” (p. ix). These three crises have their implications for us. First, regarding the virus, it has left us vulnerable to unforeseen dangers. Secondly, the economic downturn has left “many people in deep dislocation. Finally, “the crisis n criminal justice evokes anger and fear” (p. x). These social realities—vulnerability, dislocation, anger, and fear—are all present in the wilderness tradition that he had explored in the first edition of the book.
Since the chapters of the book remain essentially unchanged, Brueggemann uses the “reintroduction” to situate the message of the wilderness tradition encountered in the remainder of the book to the current situation. Thus, he invites us to explore the message found in Exodus, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. His hope is that these explorations will assist in our navigation of our current situation, even as they gave guidance in earlier crises.
The good news that Brueggemann seeks to bring forth is that the biblical narratives and oracles offer words of hope and guidance for our times of crisis because they emerged in times of crisis. Indeed, he writes that “we face a crisis about the common good because there are powerful forces at work among us to resist the common good, to violate community solidarity, and to deny a common destiny” (p. 1). At our mature best, we might be able to transcend these challenges, but the question is – can a church that is deeply ingrained in the culture of the day break free from the constraints to offer a different word?
He begins with a discussion of the Exodus story, which pictures Pharaoh as the “paradigmatic enemy of the common good.” We learn here that Pharaoh’s grip on society is rooted in a principle of scarcity. Pharaoh stood at the head of the world’s breadbasket, and thus its superpower. By creating a situation of scarcity, Pharaoh could produce anxiety, which in turn fed his power. In our day the “kingdom of paucity” is kept alive by our consumerism, which pushes us further into the grip of scarcity and anxiety, and thus puts us at the mercy of those in power. God breaks this monopoly of power by calling the Hebrews into the wilderness, where they can learn a different principle – that of the neighborhood and the common good. To break free of Pharaoh’s reach, one must trust in God’s abundance, as seen in the manna and the Eucharist. Unfortunately, at both tables, scarcity makes itself felt through exclusion.
In order to experience this common good, we must embrace a subversive alternative social ethic, one that is focused on care for the alien, orphan, and widow. This triad is comprised of those lacking access to the commodities of life because access is defined by Pharaoh’s categories. He writes that “the tradition of Deuteronomy intends to resituate the economy of Israel into the fabric of the neighborhood” (p. 41). That is, the new paradigm subverts the status quo by embracing a love of neighbor that carries specific economic implications. While God would have our economies serve the common good, there are points of resistance, counter-narratives that reinforce the principle of scarcity. The Pharaonic ideal reappears with Solomon, who focused on a triad of wealth, power, and wisdom.
It is to such a world that Jeremiah speaks, offering an alternative vision that is rooted in Deuteronomy. As a descendant of the exiled priest Abiathar, Jeremiah speaks of a trajectory of death that is rooted in a commitment to Solomon’s triad of wealth, power, and wisdom, offering in its stead an alternative vision rooted in YHWH’s triad of steadfast love, justice, and righteousness. It is in these that God takes delight, not the Temple worship that defined the Solomonic vision.
From subversion the story moves to reconstruction, a vision witnessed to in the texts of Isaiah. In this set of oracles written over several centuries, the word from God moves from harshness to tenderness – there is both judgment and hope for Jerusalem. Words of loss and grief, give way to words of restoration, with Cyrus serving as the agent of God’s work. In extending the oracle to our own day, Brueggemann suggests to a world facing economic collapse that we cannot simply return to normalcy. In the words of Third Isaiah (chapters 56-66), we find our way forward into a new age, one that is broad, inclusive, and welcoming. In this new reality, true worship of God is defined by justice and freedom, especially for the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized, and in this vision, knowledge of God is found in the love of neighbor.
While this edition offers a reintroduction, Brueggemann removed the afterword, that speaks to the world he encountered at the beginning of the Obama administration. While in that afterword he spoke of his hope that America was entering a new day. That he has had to write a new introduction to the book serves as a reminder that we have yet to move beyond the Pharaonic dimensions of American exceptionalism. Thus, there is still work to be done.
While the book is brief in scope, its message is powerful. It reminds us that the Bible might be an ancient book, but it still speaks to the concerns of our day. It challenges the status quo and invites the church to embrace its calling to be guardians of the common good. For Christians, this book is especially helpful because it invites us to embrace the narratives and oracles found in the Old Testament—not without critical judgment, for there is more than one voice present in the text. But, having said that, there is, in this book, a powerful call to embrace God’s steadfast love, justice, and righteousness, which pushes us to embrace the common good. That call will, however, require much of us.
July 4, 2025
It’s classic Brueggemann, but this book seems like it was hastily thrown together
February 20, 2021
The appearance of Brueggemann’s book is serendipitous, for we face a debilitating economic and social crisis. The good news is that the biblical narratives and oracles offer words of hope and guidance, for they too emerged in times of crisis. Indeed, he writes that “we face a crisis about the common good because there are powerful forces at work among us to resist the common good, to violate community solidarity, and to deny a common destiny” (p. 1). At our mature best, we might be able to transcend these challenges, but the question is – can a church that is deeply ingrained in the culture of the day break free from the constraints to offer a different word?
Beginning with a lecture on Exodus, which pictures Pharaoh as the “paradigmatic enemy of the common good,” we learn that Pharaoh’s grip on society is rooted in a principle of scarcity. Pharaoh stood at the head of the world’s breadbasket, and thus its superpower. By creating a situation of scarcity, Pharaoh could produce anxiety, which in turn fed his power. In our day the “kingdom of paucity” is kept alive by our consumerism, which pushes us further into the grip of scarcity and anxiety, and thus puts at the mercy of those in power. God breaks this monopoly of power by calling the Hebrews into the wilderness, where they can learn a different principle – that of the neighborhood and the common good. To break free of Pharaoh’s reach, one must trust in God’s abundance, as seen in the manna and the Eucharist. Unfortunately, at both tables, scarcity makes itself felt through exclusion.
In order to experience this common good, we must embrace a subversive alternative social ethic, one that is focused on care for the alien, orphan and widow. This triad is comprised of those lacking access to the commodities of life, because access is defined by Pharaoh’s categories. He writes that “the tradition of Deuteronomy intends to resituate the economy of Israel into the fabric of the neighborhood” (p. 41). That is, the new paradigm subverts the status quo by embracing a love of neighbor that carries specific economic implications. While God would have our economies serve the common good, there are points of resistance, counter narratives that reinforce the principle of scarcity. The Pharaonic ideal reappears with Solomon, who focused on a triad of wealth, power, and wisdom.
It is to such a world that Jeremiah speaks, offering an alternative vision that is rooted in Deuteronomy. As a descendant the exiled priest Abiathar, Jeremiah speaks of a trajectory of death that is rooted in a commitment to Solomon’s triad of wealth, power, and wisdom, offering in its stead an alternative vision rooted in YHWH’s triad of steadfast love, justice, and righteousness. It is in these that God takes delight, not the Temple worship that defined the Solomonic vision.
From subversion the story moves to reconstruction, a vision witnessed to in the texts of Isaiah. In this set of oracles written over several centuries, the word from God moves from harshness to tenderness – there is both judgment and hope for Jerusalem. Words of loss and grief, give way to words of restoration, with Cyrus serving as the agent of God’s work. In extending the oracle to our own day, Brueggemann suggests to a world facing economic collapse that we cannot simply return to normalcy. In the words of Third Isaiah (chapters 56-66), we find our way forward into a new age, one that is broad, inclusive, and welcoming. In this new reality true worship of God is defined by justice and freedom, especially for the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized, and in this vision, knowledge of God is found in love of neighbor.
In an afterword, Brueggemann offers reflections on the world as he found it at the beginning of the Obama administration. He wrote with great hope that this would be a new day for America, one that might move us beyond the Pharaonic dimensions of American exceptionalism, but as we have discovered, the road forward remains rocky. It is hard to let go of the old ways. Still, the vision remains before us.
This is a brief book, but it is powerful. It challenges the status quo and invites the church to embrace its calling to be guardians of the common good. For Christians, this book is especially helpful because it invites us to embrace the narratives and oracles found in the Old Testament – not without critical judgment, for there is more than one voice present in the text. But, having said that, there is, in this book, a powerful call to embrace God’ steadfast love, justice, and righteousness, which pushes us to embrace the common good. That call will, however, require much of us.
Beginning with a lecture on Exodus, which pictures Pharaoh as the “paradigmatic enemy of the common good,” we learn that Pharaoh’s grip on society is rooted in a principle of scarcity. Pharaoh stood at the head of the world’s breadbasket, and thus its superpower. By creating a situation of scarcity, Pharaoh could produce anxiety, which in turn fed his power. In our day the “kingdom of paucity” is kept alive by our consumerism, which pushes us further into the grip of scarcity and anxiety, and thus puts at the mercy of those in power. God breaks this monopoly of power by calling the Hebrews into the wilderness, where they can learn a different principle – that of the neighborhood and the common good. To break free of Pharaoh’s reach, one must trust in God’s abundance, as seen in the manna and the Eucharist. Unfortunately, at both tables, scarcity makes itself felt through exclusion.
In order to experience this common good, we must embrace a subversive alternative social ethic, one that is focused on care for the alien, orphan and widow. This triad is comprised of those lacking access to the commodities of life, because access is defined by Pharaoh’s categories. He writes that “the tradition of Deuteronomy intends to resituate the economy of Israel into the fabric of the neighborhood” (p. 41). That is, the new paradigm subverts the status quo by embracing a love of neighbor that carries specific economic implications. While God would have our economies serve the common good, there are points of resistance, counter narratives that reinforce the principle of scarcity. The Pharaonic ideal reappears with Solomon, who focused on a triad of wealth, power, and wisdom.
It is to such a world that Jeremiah speaks, offering an alternative vision that is rooted in Deuteronomy. As a descendant the exiled priest Abiathar, Jeremiah speaks of a trajectory of death that is rooted in a commitment to Solomon’s triad of wealth, power, and wisdom, offering in its stead an alternative vision rooted in YHWH’s triad of steadfast love, justice, and righteousness. It is in these that God takes delight, not the Temple worship that defined the Solomonic vision.
From subversion the story moves to reconstruction, a vision witnessed to in the texts of Isaiah. In this set of oracles written over several centuries, the word from God moves from harshness to tenderness – there is both judgment and hope for Jerusalem. Words of loss and grief, give way to words of restoration, with Cyrus serving as the agent of God’s work. In extending the oracle to our own day, Brueggemann suggests to a world facing economic collapse that we cannot simply return to normalcy. In the words of Third Isaiah (chapters 56-66), we find our way forward into a new age, one that is broad, inclusive, and welcoming. In this new reality true worship of God is defined by justice and freedom, especially for the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized, and in this vision, knowledge of God is found in love of neighbor.
In an afterword, Brueggemann offers reflections on the world as he found it at the beginning of the Obama administration. He wrote with great hope that this would be a new day for America, one that might move us beyond the Pharaonic dimensions of American exceptionalism, but as we have discovered, the road forward remains rocky. It is hard to let go of the old ways. Still, the vision remains before us.
This is a brief book, but it is powerful. It challenges the status quo and invites the church to embrace its calling to be guardians of the common good. For Christians, this book is especially helpful because it invites us to embrace the narratives and oracles found in the Old Testament – not without critical judgment, for there is more than one voice present in the text. But, having said that, there is, in this book, a powerful call to embrace God’ steadfast love, justice, and righteousness, which pushes us to embrace the common good. That call will, however, require much of us.
July 26, 2011
Brueggemann describes the "kingdom of Babylon" as a place of misplaced anxiety, fear of scarcity, exploitation, oppression of the weak. God invites us into a very different kingdom, of welcome, abundance, extravagant generosity. Brueggemann insists that God’s people are called to live as “a minority voice of subversion and alternative,” standing firm for the values of his kingdom, and demonstrating these qualities:
hesed (“steadfast covenantal solidarity”)
mispat (“justice that gives access and viability to the weak”) and
sedaqah (“righteousness as intervention for social well-being”)
It's a timely, convincing, and convicting message.
hesed (“steadfast covenantal solidarity”)
mispat (“justice that gives access and viability to the weak”) and
sedaqah (“righteousness as intervention for social well-being”)
It's a timely, convincing, and convicting message.
May 22, 2012
Brueggemann, my Theologian du Jour, uses Old Testament scriptures as a scathing indictment on our current bourgeois systems of individualism and acquisitiveness. The United States is as Pharoah's Egypt and Solomon's Jerusalem - an ideologically driven system of scarcity, security, and wealth acquisition. The Prophets offer an alternative to this lie - one of God's abundance, and our call to neighborliness and community. Thus Brueggemann reads Old Testament scripture as fresh, contemporary, and necessary in a society of credit collapse, terror, outrageous financial bonuses, and health care debate.
November 5, 2011
Every person of faith in the United States should read this book. Heck, everyone in the world should read it. What a wonderful world we would live in if we truly sought the common good. This is a particularly powerful book at this time of crisis in the US with important elections looming.
May 4, 2017
Too much social justice based on a "Social" gospel. Not enough Real Truth. I have been disappointed with Brueggemann.
December 29, 2019
Walter Brueggeman's Journey to the Common Good addresses in this brief book how we might address the common good by utilizing Old Testament scripture to impinge upon the faith and life and practice of the church as we journey together toward the common good that God wills for the world. A thought-provoking read with great nuggets of wisdom and insight into scripture and the human spirit.
From The Publisher:
Respected author and theologian Walter Brueggemann turns his discerning eye to the most critical yet basic needs of a world adapting to a new era, an era defined in large part by America's efforts to rebuild from an age of terror even as it navigates its way through an economic collapse. Yet in spite of these great challenges, Brueggemann calls us to journey together to the common good through neighborliness, covenanting, and reconstruction. Such a concept may seem overwhelming, but writing with his usual theological acumen and social awareness Brueggemann distills this challenge to its most basic issues: where is the church going? What is its role in contemporary society? What lessons does it have to offer a world enmeshed in such turbulent times? The answer is the same answer God gave to the Israelites thousands of years ago: love your neighbor and work for the common good. Brueggemann considers biblical texts as examples of the journey now required of the faithful if they wish to move from isolation and distrust to a practice of neighborliness, as an invitation to a radical choice for life or for death, and as a reliable script for overcoming contemporary problems of loss and restoration in a failed urban economy.
From The Publisher:
Respected author and theologian Walter Brueggemann turns his discerning eye to the most critical yet basic needs of a world adapting to a new era, an era defined in large part by America's efforts to rebuild from an age of terror even as it navigates its way through an economic collapse. Yet in spite of these great challenges, Brueggemann calls us to journey together to the common good through neighborliness, covenanting, and reconstruction. Such a concept may seem overwhelming, but writing with his usual theological acumen and social awareness Brueggemann distills this challenge to its most basic issues: where is the church going? What is its role in contemporary society? What lessons does it have to offer a world enmeshed in such turbulent times? The answer is the same answer God gave to the Israelites thousands of years ago: love your neighbor and work for the common good. Brueggemann considers biblical texts as examples of the journey now required of the faithful if they wish to move from isolation and distrust to a practice of neighborliness, as an invitation to a radical choice for life or for death, and as a reliable script for overcoming contemporary problems of loss and restoration in a failed urban economy.
July 30, 2018
This is a must read book for our times (2017-current, 2018).
Dr. Brueggemann provides us with a clear understanding of the wonderfully complex book of Isaiah and it's potential for us today as faith-led people of the world (and especially the USA) strive to deal with the complex political, social, and economic issues of our time - not the least include who are we as a people?
How are we to act towards the poor, the alienated, the disenfranchise and those that are different (the "other")? These questions and others are briefly covered. This calls us to think through the implications of being faith-led seeking a life that is consistent with building a community based on the common good and truly understanding how we practice neighborliness! (These passages are especially pertinent to Jews and Christians, but also to other religions that have similar demands of those who ascribe to their beliefs!)
I found his insights on the calling from Isaiah on Justice, membership, worship and economics and how they form the basis for the "great vision" compelling all those who seek to live by faith.
Dr. Brueggemann provides us with a clear understanding of the wonderfully complex book of Isaiah and it's potential for us today as faith-led people of the world (and especially the USA) strive to deal with the complex political, social, and economic issues of our time - not the least include who are we as a people?
How are we to act towards the poor, the alienated, the disenfranchise and those that are different (the "other")? These questions and others are briefly covered. This calls us to think through the implications of being faith-led seeking a life that is consistent with building a community based on the common good and truly understanding how we practice neighborliness! (These passages are especially pertinent to Jews and Christians, but also to other religions that have similar demands of those who ascribe to their beliefs!)
I found his insights on the calling from Isaiah on Justice, membership, worship and economics and how they form the basis for the "great vision" compelling all those who seek to live by faith.
April 17, 2022
Brueggemann is a highly regarded Bible scholar and brings light to the story of Israel and parallels to today. He poses the question "What is the church's role in today's chaotic world?
His answer is the same that is posed by God in the Old Testament-
Love your neighbor and work for the common good. In Brueggemann's eyes, the church's role should be about connections, not exclusions, caring for those in need and remembering how we all are God's children to be respected and treated like family.
His answer is the same that is posed by God in the Old Testament-
Love your neighbor and work for the common good. In Brueggemann's eyes, the church's role should be about connections, not exclusions, caring for those in need and remembering how we all are God's children to be respected and treated like family.
October 28, 2021
A short book by an incredible biblical scholar on the Scriptural call to seek the good of our communities in contrast to empires. Drawing on the Exodus narrative, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, Bruggeman draws compelling comparisons between the powers at be and the creative and renewing call for God’s people in the world.
Favorite line: “…Babylon had a deep grip—a death grip—on the imagination of the Jews. They could not imagine outside the purview of the empire. And so the poet takes on the empire.”
Favorite line: “…Babylon had a deep grip—a death grip—on the imagination of the Jews. They could not imagine outside the purview of the empire. And so the poet takes on the empire.”
October 20, 2017
Wow. I loved this read by Brueggemann - the scriptural basis for the common good in the OT was helpful and the lens through which he reads the Exodus story was beautiful. I am extremely thankful for this book, and I feel like I might be coming back to it again and again. Highly recommended.
January 28, 2023
Fantastic insights, and I’m so glad I read it. However, I didn’t love the writing/style. A bit redundant and dry, so it took me a while to get through.
January 8, 2021
It's probably not surprising that the common good is at the heart of Walter Brueggemann's "Journey to the Common Good," a 2010 publication being updated and released on the occasion of its 10th anniversary and with a framework that addresses the contemporary dual issues of the Coronavirus and racial injustice.
I'm somewhat hesitant to confess that I can be hit-and-miss with Brueggemann, not because of any theological concerns but simply because Brueggemann is, in fact, one of the world's most renowned Old Testament scholars and he writes as one of the world's most renowned Old Testament scholars.
Even for this seminary graduate, Brueggemann demands full-on attention and a willingness to be immersed in biblical exegesis.
Brueggemann has never particularly strived for accessibility in his writing, though the peculiar thing about him is that to hear him speak you'd never realize it. He brings things beautifully to life.
To be fair, I've had friends and peers who disagree with me and who consider his writing to be as accessible as can possibly be.
This text, a relatively short text calling the church to journey together for the good of our community through neighborliness, covenanting, and reconstruction, is updated to more fully link the wilderness tradition of Exodus to our current crises. Brueggemann sees this as an opportunity for the church to pursue a genuine social alternative to the Pharaoh. He expands his original ideas with clarity and simplicity in calling the church, once again, to journey toward the common good and that we all love our neighbor.
"Journey to the Common Good" is beautifully written and researched, scriptural exegesis abounds and Brueggemann is quick to acknowledge where he's taking a creative, contemporary leap. There's an undeniable progressive theological leap here, after all Brueggemann is ordained in the United Church of Christ, but Brueggemann is quick to acknowledge and discuss other theological positions.
"Journey to the Common Good" isn't necessarily a book for the casual reader of Christian living or faith-based materials. Rather, it's for those more adept at terminology and with at least a fundamental familiarity with and knowledge of Old Testament. I'd dare say it helps to be familiar with Brueggemann and given that he leans progressive theologically it's likely important to either be in that same arena or at least willing to explore the vast world of theology.
"Journey to the Common Good" is one of my favorite Brueggeman texts. While I may wish it was a bit more accessible for the wider audience that truly needs it, the material presented is incredibly valuable and a reminder of the remarkable work and life of Walter Brueggemann in bringing the Old Testament to life.
I'm somewhat hesitant to confess that I can be hit-and-miss with Brueggemann, not because of any theological concerns but simply because Brueggemann is, in fact, one of the world's most renowned Old Testament scholars and he writes as one of the world's most renowned Old Testament scholars.
Even for this seminary graduate, Brueggemann demands full-on attention and a willingness to be immersed in biblical exegesis.
Brueggemann has never particularly strived for accessibility in his writing, though the peculiar thing about him is that to hear him speak you'd never realize it. He brings things beautifully to life.
To be fair, I've had friends and peers who disagree with me and who consider his writing to be as accessible as can possibly be.
This text, a relatively short text calling the church to journey together for the good of our community through neighborliness, covenanting, and reconstruction, is updated to more fully link the wilderness tradition of Exodus to our current crises. Brueggemann sees this as an opportunity for the church to pursue a genuine social alternative to the Pharaoh. He expands his original ideas with clarity and simplicity in calling the church, once again, to journey toward the common good and that we all love our neighbor.
"Journey to the Common Good" is beautifully written and researched, scriptural exegesis abounds and Brueggemann is quick to acknowledge where he's taking a creative, contemporary leap. There's an undeniable progressive theological leap here, after all Brueggemann is ordained in the United Church of Christ, but Brueggemann is quick to acknowledge and discuss other theological positions.
"Journey to the Common Good" isn't necessarily a book for the casual reader of Christian living or faith-based materials. Rather, it's for those more adept at terminology and with at least a fundamental familiarity with and knowledge of Old Testament. I'd dare say it helps to be familiar with Brueggemann and given that he leans progressive theologically it's likely important to either be in that same arena or at least willing to explore the vast world of theology.
"Journey to the Common Good" is one of my favorite Brueggeman texts. While I may wish it was a bit more accessible for the wider audience that truly needs it, the material presented is incredibly valuable and a reminder of the remarkable work and life of Walter Brueggemann in bringing the Old Testament to life.
March 14, 2015
An interesting idea posited by a great Old Testament mind. Originally presented as a three-part lecture, this book feels like an idea unvetted by editors, at points, the author identifies it as "imaginative extrapolation." [return][return]Brueggemann sees two competing narrative in Jewish scripture, that of empire (Pharaoh and Babylon) and that of the common good (Deuteronomy and the prophets). Brueggemann sees Pharaoh's paradigms of wealth, might, and wisdom (think national intelligence) as passed on even to some heroes within the biblical narrative, most notably Solomon whose power rested not on a neighborly common good but on wealth, might, wisdom and an enshrined priesthood who helped those in power retain their position. He sees within the biblical tradition an opposing thread promoting neighborliness characterized by grace, justice, and righteousness, calling true evangelical witness into the work Sabbath adherence and other godly practices that are antithetical to enshrined empires. His interpretative ideas/frameworks for Jeremiah and Isaiah are particularly interesting--even if you don't buy into the logic of the book. His ability to see the Gospel in the Old Testament while meeting its authors on their own very Jewish terms, is particularly helpful.[return][return]As a whole, Brueggemann's idea isn't totally without merit, but it's clear that it isn't a fully formulated idea in this format. Each major section of the book has much content worthy of careful consideration, even if the logic connecting one section to the next doesn't feel fully formed. Even so, the book is an interesting read and a good exercise of discernment of biblical truths.
December 24, 2015
One of my absolute favorites by Walter Brueggemann, and one of the best books I've read all year. I started it yesterday and basically couldn't put it down. Beginning with the exodus, Brueggemann moves through the liberation from slavery and what he calls the "empire of anxiety," meditating on the broad sweep of the oracles of Jeremiah and Isaiah to round them out. Brueggemann uses his characteristically deft exegetical insights to tease out the meaning of the "empire of anxiety," the grind of labor, the worry for production, the state monopoly on the people's means of production (or what economists call "primitive accumulation," the acquisition and commodification of the natural world and the public commons by state or private interests, and contrasts this with the alternative community which God led the Israelite slaves into, a world of enough, of peace, contentment, and cooperation. The book follows this compelling thread through the kingship period of Solomon and the prophetic periods of Jeremiah and Isaiah in beautiful and illuminating fashion, and then points us toward the Kingdom of God as the final alternative community in which we are called to liberation from the empire of anxiety. Highly, HIGHLY, recommended.
July 19, 2013
Seeking the common good is something that most Christians, at least in theory, consider integral to the faith. But what does it actually look like? Where do we find inspiration or instruction for the journey? And where will the journey take us?These are the questions Walter Brueggemann explores in Journey to the Common Good (Westminster John Knox). As a world-renowned Old Testament scholar, he sets out to locate the answers in three places: Exodus, which sheds light on the journey from anxiety to neighborliness; Jeremiah, an invitation to choose life over death; and Isaiah, which helps us move from loss to restoration.
I won’t attempt to do justice to his arguments here, but each of the three is an important way of understanding the journey to the common good...
- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/0...
I won’t attempt to do justice to his arguments here, but each of the three is an important way of understanding the journey to the common good...
- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/0...
September 18, 2021
Walter Brueggemann writes a thorough comparison between the Jewish exodus from Egypt (scarcity to plenty as provided by God) and the US with it's own beliefs in scarcity - we "need" bigger houses and more things to feel secure. Interesting and well-argued. The lessons we can learn from Exodus, Jeremiah, and Isaiah are the need to move from the feelings of scarcity if we are to act for the common good. When we are focused on survival and buy into the belief that we need more things, it empowers the government and not the people.
Brueggemann is not for readers looking for a breezy read and an easy answer to life's concerns. This book is a deep dive into some complex issues, but it's well worth reading (and rereading).
Brueggemann is not for readers looking for a breezy read and an easy answer to life's concerns. This book is a deep dive into some complex issues, but it's well worth reading (and rereading).
June 16, 2015
Super quick, super concise, super accessible read. Snippets of OT biblical studies promoting a Christian ethic of common good. Brueggemann focuses on how the prophets, especially Isaiah, provide illustrations and comment on social situations not so different from what we face today. Brueggemann emphasizes the need to acknowledge grief and loss while eventually moving towards a hope to be very tangibly realized. Highly recommend to anyone straddling lines between deep grief over the world's pain and the hope we realize in Divine Love. Not super in-depth, it is quite short, but worth a read for those invested in navigating these particularly choppy waters of lament and inspiration.
May 26, 2017
If you ever wanted an old-testament basis for collective social action - this is it. Bruggemann is a genius, as usual, all at once condensing a massive amount of Biblical exegesis and historical content into a cogent and clear directive for Christians today. He counter-culturally challenges the lazy but well-intneioned assumption of many Christians that old testament texts are simply meant to be read through a "Christian lens" to gain their true relevance, and argues beautifully that this is indeed lazy, wrong, bordering on anti-semitic, and misses the point of what the stories have to offer Christians. This book is a real gift to your intellect, and your Faith!
March 7, 2011
This publication of lecture material is stunningly good. Brueggemann's explication, interpretation, and application of the Exodus, Jeremiah's message, and the structure of Isaiah is erudite, incisive, and courageous. I found myself thumbing through my dictionary to uncover the precision of his vocabulary. His insights into the historical context and the modern parallels are impressive. His concept of the poetic imagination we need to break our society loose from the bonds of "the empire of scarcity" is refreshing. I will be going back to this book again.
October 24, 2011
Brueggmann delivers again, this time a clear rendering of the narrative from anxiety through abundance to neighborhood, following Exodus, Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. Living faithfully, he argues for us to learn - and keep learning - to lay down our fearfulness and live into neighborliness as YHWH's way. Relevant and timely as we face continued exploitation and fear-mongering. Copies should be in pockets of the Occupy movement clergy and also in those working on the issues of migration and detention, and anywhere else where power over and fear need to be challenged and changed.
July 13, 2019
I am part of a tradition that hears the scripture primarily in a personal, individualistic way, with the first question being asked - what does the text say to me about my relationship to God? Brueggemann sees the Old Testament texts addressing the social order, even with competing views, but inviting us to envision society, nation, city, neighborhood in a different way. He expanded my appreciation for the scope of scripture and has me hearing some Old Testament texts in new ways.
April 25, 2013
I read this "little" book with a group in church. I say "little" because when we first saw that it's only three chapters long we thought we'd be done with it in three meetings.
Wrong! It's short but deep and well worth reading. Since I was studying the book of Revelation at the same time it amazed me how many of the same messages and calls to action that are found in Revelation are also brought out by Brueggemann in the Hebrew prophets.
Wrong! It's short but deep and well worth reading. Since I was studying the book of Revelation at the same time it amazed me how many of the same messages and calls to action that are found in Revelation are also brought out by Brueggemann in the Hebrew prophets.
May 21, 2013
I have enjoyed most everything I have read by Brueggemann, and much of my thinking and values are informed by his work. That's why this book disappointed me. It still holds a strong message of hope and imagination employed for justice, but some of the rhetorical choices and logical slips presented a seemingly rushed, popularized version of scholarly exegesis. Still, the book is informative and challenging, worth reading even if not one of his best.
November 20, 2010
I don't agree with everything, but found his perspective on God's law v. Pharaonic law and life in the wilderness after life in Egypt to be quite enlightening. Also, enjoyed thinking about Isaiah as Loss/Grief/Hope/Moving forward.
July 4, 2013
Very good. Not always smooth reading, but many good points and prophetic insights make it well worth your time. I had the good fortune to hear Brueggeman speak on this theme last week; the book and his talks added weight and insight to each other.
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