The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann

In typical Brueggemann fashion, he has taken a short and concise read and power-packed it with meaning and things to consider. I have seen this book on so many bibliographies and heard it referenced so much, and now I know why. The list is short and doesn't necessarily contain my personal favorite books, but the books that are so helpful, so resourceful, that I cant imagine being a serious student and not engaging it. This book will be headed straight for the 'every student must read' list. Challenging the dominant culture, he pokes into places taboo and pries into our social conscious an unconscious to become a true holy irritant. Brueggeman opens wide the doors of heart, mind, body and soul so that believers can accept new breath from God into their lives.

My take could sound a bit harsh, but perhaps the urgency of needing new hope, a new language of hope, a new prophetic voice of compassion in a world that allows apathy to endure legalism is the better point I'm trying to make. Services become a matter of 'stand, sit, pray, sit, stand,, sit, stand, listen to preacher and study the word like a textbook'.

Taught that mysticism is evil or somehow against the Bible (untrue), evangelicals exhibit the same kind of legalism we point out in others. If fact, I believe it would be fair to say that many Christians have found their faith to be drained of mysticism and imagination. It is almost cliche to say that our world has been numbed into apathy about a great many things, spirituality included.

The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann