Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks

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Thought written in the shadow of 9/11, I found this book resonating with a higher level of urgency given the past two years of American history. There are too many prescient themes to reveal, and I would not wish to steal any thunder from Walter Brueggemann and the wisdom he's offered through decades of serious and thoughtful biblical scholarship. But I will never look at the prophets in the same way again, nor feel abandoned by hope when reality and grief come to visit.

White written a few years ago, his prophetic insights are more relevant that five years ago. He links OT history and witness to our very moment with amazing clarity. The task of the church is daunting but hopeful. Highly recommended.

Brueggemann's Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks is an extraordinally profound and surprisingly opportune reflexion on ancient Israel's sense of choseness and USA's claim of exceptionalism ,which troubles the capacity to clearly see the true dimensions of reality and ,accordingly to realize the grief and hope indipensable to regain the capacity to correct one's conduct to overcome misleading types of behavour and action.I recommend strongly its reading to whoever is interested in the challenges of the future and the mistakes of the past in order not to repeat them.CordiallyMarcílio

A book to ponder and to wonder - but one not to be laid aside until one completes the book, because it opens a huge understanding of the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures both in terms of their own setting in the history of the Jews and the gripping insights to parallels in the world of today and our own nation today. Sylvester ?Ryan

A summary distillation of consistent themes Dr. Brueggeman has written in many volumes over the past. If you read one book of his, read this one!

Walter Brueggemann is a prophet for today! His writing is thought-provoking, well-researched, and compelling. In this particular book he makes a cogent case for US citizens to reflect on the reality of our nation and world and for US Christians to seriously contemplate the relationships between citizenship and faith.

this is an Important and energizing work that on reading presses for a choice. — as a believer, as a church

If you're familiar with Brueggemann's work you will not be surprised or disappointed. Here, with his particular insight he sketches out the subversive counter-narritive in the triad of reality, grief, and hope versus the denial and hopelessness of the Empire. Drawing upon the fall of Jerusalem and 9/11 as world shattering events, he comments that the church should practice reality, grief and hope as the way to navigate things. He works from Jeremiah, who talks of the reality when his contemporaries prophesied 'peace'. He uses Lamentations as the way of dealing properly with world ending events, through true grief. And then Isaiah 40-60 as inspiring a true hope contrary to the hopelessness when the false narrative crumbles.

While I admit that ‘Reality, Grief, Hope’ is a bit of a technical read, it also speaks to some radical roles much needed today. Originally written in response to the events of 9/11, Brueggermann‘s words continue to connect with & speak to the events we are facing today — nationalistic polarizations, pandemic stresses, & rising war movements in Eastern Europe.The roles of speaking to our honest & truthful realities, grieving over the profound losses of humanity & global needs, & raising our voices & bodies to the pursuit of hope through justice, righteousness, & social responsibility, are all characteristics we must find not only in our greater leadership but also in ourselves. They are not just rolls for the prophetic, but also for the apostolic!!

An amazing prophetic insight into our times. Just because we are a "chosen" people iwe should not fall prey to 'exceptionalism' and pride. It's a lesson for the Church to remain humble and always dependent on God

Succinct and authoritative