Brueggemann does in this book what he consistently does in all books he publishes: he provides consistently deep and insightful application commentary and thoughtful application. This is one of many Brueggemann devotionals I have enjoyed, and I now look forward to the release of new ones.

This devotional is written by a thoughtful, well-versed Bible scholar. Even though I’ve been a Christian for decades and feel like I know the Christmas story pretty well, I am learning so many interesting things from Names for the Messiah.

For example, Walter Brueggemann teaches about what the cultural expectation was for a coming king when Jesus was born. A king was expected to have war victories, economic success, agricultural productivity, and social justice. Much like the reign of David or Solomon. That’s what the Jews were expecting in a Messiah.

Then he shows us how Jesus surpassed all expectations as king. He uses two passages from the book of Mark to explain how Jesus “exercises counter-power that refuses the coercive, exploitative power of Rome and instead enacts abundant power that makes life possible.” With this book, I’m digging deeper into Scripture than I ever have before with other Christmas devotionals. If you want to dig a little deeper than usual, you’ll enjoy learning from this book.

I received a free review copy of this book from Netgalley.

Thought provoking yet accessible. Prompted thoughtful discussion from our Adult Sunday school class.

Names for the Messiah: An Advent Study
Walter Brueggemann. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016. 96 pp. (Softcover).

Reviewed by Martine Bates Fairbanks

My church is celebrating advent this year with the traditional advent wreath and candles, and I am thrilled about it. I love Christmas, and I especially love the anticipation of the weeks leading up to the Christmas season. This book by Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann would be a meaningful addition to the advent season.

Names for the Messiah is a short book based on the Isaiah 9:6, the passage that announces Jesus as the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Each of the four chapters focuses on one of these names, filling in the historical and cultural background from Jesus’ day and pointing out how Jesus fulfilled the prophetic words in Isaiah.

In speaking of Jesus’ position as Wonderful Counselor (I checked, and most translations leave out the comma—a bit of a surprise to me), Brueggemann writes of His wisdom, “It takes an uncommon wisdom to interrupt the foolish practice of business as usual” and “The teaching of Jesus attests to the possibility of God that the world has long since taken to be impossible.”

While probably not appropriate for family devotions—it is pretty esoteric—Names of the Messiah would be a good choice for adults looking for a group study or personal advent devotional.

Bruggemann is one of my favorite teachers and authors. I would have loved to have loved this book but the formatting was so awful I could hardly follow it on the kindle or even the pdf version provided.

Isaiah 9:2-7 is regularly used in carol services but often can appear to sit divorced from the specific ministry of Jesus, so it can feel as though these 'extravagant royal titles' (to use Brueggemann's phrase) are disconnected from the life of Jesus, and certainly our experience of life now. This book offers the reader help to see how the life and ministry of Jesus do demonstrate the reality of these messianic titles and offer implications for disciples of that messiah.
So as 'wonderful counsellor', Jesus demonstrates a new wisdom combined with an authority that opens up new possibilities that challenge the existing power arrangements; it 'interrupts the foolish practice of business as usual'.
As 'Mighty God', God works in Jesus to engage and subdue the demonic. He is the giver of life.
As 'Everlasting Father', Jesus acts out the expected role as father - feeding the sheep, strengthening the weak, healing the sick, bringing back those who stray, seeking the lost, refusing to leave a world 'orphaned', resettling the lost in families.
As 'Prince of Peace', we see Jesus acting out the paradox of a prince who resists princely ways. The peace Jesus offers is unexpected - from the announcement of the angels all the way through to the cross.
Originally a downloadable study, this thin book comes with study questions for groups. At times, the connections with our lived experience could have been stronger, but as with all of Brueggemann's work, the joy is in seeing how he uses the texts together to create new vistas of possibility.
As a preacher, this was a really helpful book to have at my side as I prepared for the cycle of Christmas sermons.

This book, designed to be used during the four weeks of Advent, offers studies on the four titles given the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6. I found this text pretty studious, not light reading. Nevertheless, it holds treasure to me mined as we explore these prophetic titles for Christ. Questions for Reflection are also included. I appreciated the information, but it’s not a book I’d read over and over. I will keep it for future reference, and recommend it as a serious study any time of year. I received an electronic copy from Netgalley and offer my unbiased opinion.