001: Walter Brueggemann, Preaching Jeremiah, Preaching from the Old Testament
Channel: Working Preacher
Date: 2021-05-06

In this debut episode of the Working Preacher Books podcast, we talk with Walter Brueggemann, author of "Preaching Jeremiah" and "Preaching from the Old Testament" in the Working Preacher Books series.

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Listen to this podcast episode at https://www.workingpreacher.org/podcasts/wp-books-001-walter-brueggemann-preaching-jeremiah

In "Preaching Jeremiah," Walter Brueggemann conducts in an experiment in homiletics. He wants us to wrestle with the question: What if we allow the canonical shape of the book of Jeremiah to instruct us concerning the shape and trajectory of the sermon? The preaching task requires honesty about what God requires and a clear proclamation of what God has done and will yet do.

In "Preaching from the Old Testament," Walter Brueggemann seeks to show Christian preachers how to consider the faith witnessed in several Old Testament traditions and to help them discover rich and suggestive connections to our contemporary faith challenges. The author also assumes that a wholesale sustained engagement with the Old Testament is worth the effort for the preacher. He recognizes what he calls the “sorry state” of Old Testament texts in the Revised Common Lectionary, which he claims often constitute a major disservice for the church and its preachers. The lectionary gerrymanders the Old Testament to make it serve other claims, most of the time not allowing it to have its own evangelical say. Brueggemann hopes that his exposition in this volume will evoke and energize fresh homiletical attention to the Old Testament, precisely because he believes the urgent work of the gospel in our society requires attentive listening to these ancient voices of bold insistent faith.

Working Preacher Books podcast is a series focused on igniting your curiosity as a preacher and connecting you with the living Word. Join us as we gain insights and hear stories straight from Working Preacher authors about proclaiming an authentic Word in challenging times.

Learn more at https://www.workingpreacher.org/books