Walter Brueggemann’s preaching has touched many Christians’ lives over the years — now, some are collected in a single volume to revisit again and again in A Gospel of Hope.

One of the great advances in modern publishing is our ability to make sermons available in a variety of formats. In A Gospel of Hope, John Knox Press has made some of Walter Brueggemann’s best sermons available in print form. Having sermons available in print form has a few advantages: they are easy to revisit, having them written lets you track arguments more closely, and lets you interact with the sermon content on a far more personal, and intimate, basis.

Gospel of Hope speaks into the modern world’s foremost problem, I think: that of anxiety. In a world where global, finance based capitalism controls our worldviews, we believe in what he calls the “myth of scarcity”. We believe that there is not enough for us, which causes us to turn inward and focus on ourselves.


“The enduring act of love is generosity. The world teaches us to be selfish and stingy and to look for ourselves. But gospel love is grounded in the conviction that all we have is a gift from God who has been generous with us and we are invited to practice generosity alongside the God of the gospel.”

Throughout these written sermons, Brueggeman calls us to turn instead to the living and generous God who provides more abundantly than we can imagine. When we turn to him, in our worship, sacraments, and imaginations, we are subverting the world’s claims, instead offering our own into the mix.

Readers familiar with Brueggemann know that his worldview, heart, and devotion have been shaped by his intimate, and intense, knowledge of the Old Testament. This knowledge and relationship with the Hebrew Scriptures shines beautifully in these sermons, bringing to bear all that they have to say to life as a Christian today.

Brueggemann focuses especially in this volume on anxiety and God’s generous cure for anxiety. This rings with themes found in Sabbath as Resistance or the Prophetic Imagination, but these ideas are presented a bit differently. That simply comes from the fact that these were once sermons rather than written works. That being said, Brueggemann’s speaking style is as beautiful as his writing, and this book is resplendent with quotes that you’ll want to highlight, save, and revisit again and again.

The book moves deftly from discussions about anxiety to how Christians should live in light of “empire”. Who owns the world? God, or Empire? And how do people live differently under the two options? How can we subvert one and rise to the ideals of the other?


“This subversion of faith has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative. It has to do rather with this question: whether the dominant force of technological, electronic, military consumerism is to have the final say in the world, whether the practices of greed, alienation, despair, amnesia, and brutality are to be the shape of the world in which only the privileged have a chance to live well, and that, by utilization of the deprivileged as a means towards end. Or whether the covenantal dreams of Moses, the deep hopes of Jeremiah, and the suffering, transformative love of Jesus will draw us to an alternative faith that treasures our common, God-given humanness.”

This book is a stunning collection of beautiful sermons that would serve any Christian, in any position in the Church, well. It is cheap: Amazon’s price generally hovers around $10. (Though, I wonder what Brueggemann would think, honestly, of having his books on Amazon!) I highly recommend this book for devotional reading, or learning how to preach well to current issues in your church’s context.

There is a sense of familiarity in many Christian books. They are essentially about the Christian faith and perspectives taken from Christ. Yet, there is also a sense of freshness that even when it is about the same old gospel there is a strange fresh new truth to be reminded or to be reaffirmed. Books of hope tend to come into such a category. For hope is always about something fresh, something new, something to look forward to. Such is the gospel of hope. In this compilation of wisdom and sayings from his past sermons and published materials, Richard Floyd does the heavy lifting by putting together Brueggemann's memorable words according to the theme of hope. Brueggemann acknowledges Floyd as one who has "entered" his mind enough to know what he wanted to say most, and his rhetoric enough to know when he is most likely to say it. The gospel of hope has many sub-themes such as abundance, generosity, alternative worlds, freedom, fidelity, faith, justice, Jesus, identity, love, public witness, responsibility, and so on. In our world of short quips and concise statements limited by a tweet, a text, or a FaceBook post, we sometimes use words devoid of contexts. A master with words, Brueggemann's ability to nuance meaning upon meaning with literal devices and rhetoric makes this book a delightful read. With many quotes and quips, readers have many new things to learn. Rather than a series of random thoughts, there is a central theme in all of these: Hope. It is interesting to see how Brueggemann's thoughts can form a picture for the gospel of hope. Beginning with "Abundance and Generosity," we are reminded that hope is about enduring generosity, that the same God who had given us much yesterday and today, is the same God who would provide for us for the future. It is about being overwhelmed with the abundant generosity of God instead of being bogged down by the worries of today. Hope helps us become mindful of "alternative worlds." He contrasts the way we try to secure our future through economic, military, and other forms of human endeavors. Being content with what God has given us and what He will give us should spur us toward an alternative faith that is different from the world. One of the reasons why hope is so often needed is because of the restlessness of the human soul which is masqueraded as anxiety and a desire to be free from what enslaves us. Whether it is anxiety due to fear or fatigue, we must be constantly mindful that the gospel of hope is in Jesus. How? By remembering that what Jesus stands for is completely different from what the world stood for. Hope is sustained by a recognition that God is faithful and God will promise to give us what we need, even when we do not deserve it. God is not limited by anything. His heart is big for anything that we may thrown at Him. Jesus embodies hope. He is hope.


Hope is such a big theme that it reaches deep into all recesses of society. In justice, God gives hope to the vulnerable, the weak, the marginalized. In this hope, disciples of Christ are urged to be agents of justice. Here, Brueggemann shows us a wide variety of how believers can do just that. Through the spiritual act of forgiveness, we can apply it to debt forgiveness. I like how Brueggemann says: "Forgiveness is the recalculating of society for the participation of all of its members." It reminds us that hope is not just about us and God. It is about loving our neighbour as ourselves. He calls the Church to be the forebearers of God's hope. She is to go beyond maintenance but to embrace and welcome all people. On Church, we are reminded that "church is not about certitude" but "openness to the Spirit." He suggests several things the Church could do with regard to living by faith. Other matters related to hope include thoughts about neighbourly love, public witness and responsibility, relinquishment, and faithful practices. Every chapter is filled with gems of wisdom and insightful pointers for living the gospel of hope, with hope, and hope in Jesus. Each chapter stretches our theology and orientates our minds toward application. We see hope as not something reserved for believers but for all people. This is what the gospel is about. Jesus came to earth for all of us. He chooses to live among us and to give us reasons to live for, to hope for, because that is what He died for. It takes a deep knowledge of Scripture and experience in order to do what Brueggemann has done. Many of the quotes are taken out of his books, talks, and sermons which render them vulnerable to interpretation out of its original contexts. Thankfully, with the author's knowledge and affirmation of Richard Floyd's compilation, readers are rest assured that the thoughts and the themes represent what Brueggemann stood for. We all need hope and this book shines a refreshing beam of insight to help us see and feel that.

Walter Brueggemann is renowned theologian and respected William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and is a prolific writer and speaker.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

A book that restores my soul. Walter Brueggemann's way of working words into world-affirming pictures of the gospel in practice makes my heart sing as I read. I feel the beauty of poetry and revel in visionary illuminations of what could be if only we would practice what we sometimes preach. Highly recommended.

"As you know, we live in a fearful society that is devoured by anxiety. And we imagine in our anxiety that there are extreme 'security' measures that will make us safe. But if it is God's world and if the rule of love is at work, then our mandate is not to draw into a cocoon of safety; rather, it is to be out and alive in the world in concrete acts and policies whereby the fearful anxiety among us is dispatched and adversaries can be turned to allies and friends."

I received a digital copy from the publisher; all opinions are my own.

Incoherent collection of quotes--mostly focusing on prosperity gospel, which I find off-putting and has a blame-the-victim quality to it. Not my worldview.

A Gospel of Hope by Walter Brueggemann is a beautifully written exposition on the wonder to be found in the Gospel and the hope it gives. It is a wonderful book to read again and again. There are so many tidbits to ponder and unpack over time. "The primal business of our life is to yield in trust to the God who loves us more than we love ourselves." Brueggemann further explains the generosity of the Gospel and the hope to be found in it. I highly recommend this book. It is a wonderful resource that you will want to read again and again. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

A Gospel of Hope by Walter Bruggemann is, according to the introduction a collection of writings from various other sources that are melded together to make one point. This point ties in his reflections and thoughts on topics such as Faith, Baptism, Good Friday, the Easter and Eucharist experience and what it means for the Christian of today.

The reflections are somehow pulled together so well that they offer a very cohesive thought process..
The author is spot on in simultaneous simple thought and deep reflection that got this reader thinking. Using the topics Bruggemann delves into how those traits can be applied to our understanding and action in the world today facing issues such as greed, homelessness and more.

What I love about the author is that though some may find his thoughts lean toward the progressive side he does not write from a geo-political side. His feet are clearly and firmly planted in the biblical tradition and from that place he produces thought. Perhaps my favorite quote illustrates this when he writes about issue. He writes "There is kindness, but there is also justice and righteousness, and we must take care that we do not separate these; that we do not think we can have one without the other..." (loc 714 in my advance ebook copy).

I found myself highlighting so many areas, that I will definitely re-read this work soon, and can imagine quoting from it for a time to come.

From publisher’s notes, “Beloved and respected by scholars, preachers, and laity alike, Walter Brueggemann offers penetrating insights on Scripture and prophetic diagnoses of our culture. Instead of maintaining what is safe and routine, A Gospel of Hope encourages readers to embrace the audacity required to live out one’s faith. This must-have volume gathers Brueggemann’s wisdom on topics ranging from anxiety and abundance to partisanship and the role of faith in public life.”

Brueggemann is a well-respected theologian. I have read some of his writing, not extensively, but enough to know that I will find many gems. My digital copy is highlighted. A lot! This is very unusual for me. I will be referring to his words in the future.

As you might infer from the title, this book is filled with the Gospel and filled with hope. I am not a theologian, so I am not trying to review this book from that mindset. I am a member of the laity who sees our world portrayed daily in a negative way with no mention of hope. A Gospel of Hope addresses these daily negative portrayals and offers hope based on the Gospel.

I read this book after having just finished another book which tried to redefine the Gospel to fit the author’s worldview. Brueggemann does not do this. He deals with hard issues and asks tough questions. He does not presume to redefine the Gospel but allows those truths to speak for themselves.
I recommend this timely book.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.

ISBN: 1611648491 (ISBN13:9781611648492)
PUBLISHER: Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date: 03.30.18