Tag: Walter Brueggemann

Christian Nationalism as Stockholm syndrome (Brueggemann 5)

October 3, 2021

Christian nationalism–the reasons it is wrong but also the possible reasons why it exists. Looking at the Old Testament as a source of iconic, archetypal and enduring truths is discussed as an alternative to the narrative of the US as the new Israel. If people remain captive to Empire, why? Is it partly because they truly have been displaced and are tempted by cooptation? Is it due to their fear of the wilderness and the freedom it represents? … More Christian Nationalism as Stockholm syndrome (Brueggemann 5)

Divine Imagination & Futuring (Brueggemann: Out of Babylon 4)

September 26, 2021

Chapter 4 of Walter Brueggemann’s Out of Babylon discusses the power of poetic imagination to create the conditions for change. Multiple views of God’s position relative to humans, and the human response to God are entertained in poetic language. Brueggemann emphasizes the latter as a strength that shows a way beyond the sectarian infighting that characterizes most religious sects and keeps those within them from being able to act positively to create a better future. The idea of a mutable God is discussed–a God who is able to change his mood and mind in response to changes in relationship to his human fold. In dealing with this kind of God, having a fertile imagination about the future is particularly important, as it fosters hope and cancels despair that tends to occur as people bow down to imperial economics and politics. … More Divine Imagination & Futuring (Brueggemann: Out of Babylon 4)

Empire and God: Do They Mix? (Out of Babylon, Brueggemann 1)

September 5, 2021

discussing Brueggemann’s view that US Christians who hew to the “City on the Hill” ideology are committing idolatry and are aligning with Empire and not with God, the two being ultimately opposed. This is not to establish a mere negative argument (as in, this is what a Christian is not), but rather to begin to point to a positive pronouncement (this is what a Christian or other person faithful to God is) . … More Empire and God: Do They Mix? (Out of Babylon, Brueggemann 1)

Bridging Neoliberal Loneliness and Hippie Communes–A Role for Church? (Audio, Brueggemann 5)

January 19, 2020

The cat makes an appearance in this last video on Walter Brueggeman’s The Prophetic Imagination. I speculate on what a church would look like, and what it could do,if it re-imagined what it was for. I argue that churches and other religious institutions could be half-way houses between liberalism/capitalism and the dreaded and outdated hippie commune. … More Bridging Neoliberal Loneliness and Hippie Communes–A Role for Church? (Audio, Brueggemann 5)

Bridging Neoliberal Loneliness and Hippie Communes–A Role for Church? (Brueggemann 5)

January 19, 2020

The cat makes an appearance in this last video on Walter Brueggeman’s The Prophetic Imagination. I speculate on what a church would look like, and what it could do,if it re-imagined what it was for. I argue that churches and other religious institutions could be half-way houses between liberalism/capitalism and the dreaded and outdated hippie commune.

I’ll be moving on to McKenzie Wark’s book https://www.versobooks.com/books/3056-capital-is-dead
in the next video.
… More Bridging Neoliberal Loneliness and Hippie Communes–A Role for Church? (Brueggemann 5)

In the Casino: Choosing Dreams or Death (Brueggemann 4–Audio)

January 11, 2020

In this penultimate video on Walter Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination, I talk about Brueggemann’s view of death as the reality the “royal consciousness” does not want us to notice so that we can live comfortably in the imagination of the powerful. Consumerism and spectacle numb us to the reality of the precariousness and limited nature of our lives. The prophet has a hard time cutting through our dreams to remind us of this. Brueggemann’s view of Jesus is of one who was born an opponent of power and continued to oppose it at every turn throughout his life. In his life and death he shows solidarity with the poor, the low in status, the unpopular and the powerless.
… More In the Casino: Choosing Dreams or Death (Brueggemann 4–Audio)

In the Casino: Choosing Dreams or Death (Brueggemann 4)

January 11, 2020

In this penultimate video on Walter Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination, I talk about Brueggemann’s view of death as the reality the “royal consciousness” does not want us to notice so that we can live comfortably in the imagination of the powerful. Consumerism and spectacle numb us to the reality of the precariousness and limited nature of our lives. The prophet has a hard time cutting through our dreams to remind us of this. Brueggemann’s view of Jesus is of one who was born an opponent of power and continued to oppose it at every turn throughout his life. In his life and death he shows solidarity with the poor, the low in status, the unpopular and the powerless. … More In the Casino: Choosing Dreams or Death (Brueggemann 4)

Should Cyrus Be Worshiped? (Audio)

January 5, 2020

In chapters 3 and 4 of Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination, we are cautioned to not place faith in the false eternity of the royal imagination. Those in power will say all is well and will seek the backing of religious leaders to do so. In this episode, I examine the tendency of Americans to worship political parties and presidents from Brueggemann’s point of view, but I also offer a word of caution about Brueggemann’s approach. Is it possible to make God a public actor without what Brueggemann most fears–making God the right hand of earthly power rather than the other way around. I’ll have more to say about what’s in both chapters next week. … More Should Cyrus Be Worshiped? (Audio)

Should Cyrus Be Worshiped?

January 5, 2020

In chapters 3 and 4 of Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination, we are cautioned to not place faith in the false eternity of the royal imagination. Those in power will say all is well and will seek the backing of religious leaders to do so. In this episode, I examine the tendency of Americans to worship political parties and presidents from Brueggemann’s point of view, but I also offer a word of caution about Brueggemann’s approach. Is it possible to make God a public actor without what Brueggemann most fears–making God the right hand of earthly power rather than the other way around. I’ll have more to say about what’s in both chapters next week. … More Should Cyrus Be Worshiped?

Numbed and Satiated: Brueggemann on Egypt and America (Audio)

January 1, 2020

In this second part of a discussion of Walter Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination, I discuss how left and right-wing churches alike are likely to be sucked into “royal consciousness,” and that is equivalent to the sin of idolatry. Brueggemann’s alternative, inspired by the story of Moses and the escape from the Egyptians, is to claim a foothold in the freedom on God, literally an other-worldly vantage point from which to gain perspective on the world and strength to oppose the Pharoahs of the world. Brueggemann thus begins his provocative critique of the contemporary Christian church within the framework of a studied reading of Old Testament scripture. He argues that then, and now, the satiation and subsequent numbness of the haves in society makes way for treating the lower ranks as things to be used, bought and sold. Community is broken by this disregard for others within it … More Numbed and Satiated: Brueggemann on Egypt and America (Audio)