Old Testament Theology according to Walter Brueggemann Part 3

Conclusion of Book

Part four deals with mediating the presence of YHWH. While YHWH did deal with Israel with a mediator at times, the vast majority of the time was through some kind of mediator. These mediators include the Torah, the king, the prophet, the cult, and the sage. Brueggemann discusses each of these institutions and people, looking at various critical problems about them, showing their function in the text, and how they mediated the presence of God to the people.

The last part (part five) deals with theological interpretation. Chapter 26 discusses interpretation in a pluralistic context. As he often affirms, Brueggemann states once again that plurality is found in the text itself. He argues against those OT scholars who avoid theology in their work, since Enlightenment ideals are just as context-driven as any theological interpretation (717). His essential point in this chapter is that even though pluralism is present, even in the text itself, tentative metanarratives can still be held and OT theology should be a project continuing into the future. Chapter 27 states Brueggemann’s final thoughts about the relationship between the OT and our relation to it today. He rejects both the historical attempt to show something is not true so that it is not authoritative (Jesus Seminar) as well as the attempt to “reach outside the text to get at the ‘really real’—at the God who is outside and beyond the text, so that the text references beyond itself” (Brevard Childs) (721). Instead, the utterance of the text itself, not the attempt to reach beyond the text, should be our focus. “This utterance of Israel is not a dictator. It will not impose its will. It can only issue its summons and its invitation, and await a decision that is always to be made yet again. When an affirmative decision is made, a real world of ontological substance follows” (725).

Chapters 28 discusses the issues with which the book began: historical criticism, Church theology, Jewish tradition, and justice. He observes that “fideism and skepticism are twin temptations” (729) and criticism is to find a middle ground between the two. Christian theology should pay more attention to aspects of OT theology which “are most problematic for Hellenized, Enlightenment Christainty” (730). Christians should recognize that the OT does not belong to them alone, but also to the Jews (735). OT theology should lead to greater justice in the world (742). Chapter 29 is a brief summary of the final part of the book and presents a final challenge: following the testimony of Israel requires reordering of life.

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