“Engaging and Citing Brueggemann: Prophetic Ministry in Contemporary America, and the Problem of Mislabeling Things” (Day 5)

The excerpted text below is quite long, but I invite you to read every word with care, understanding, and with a critical eye. Given the clarify of Brueggemann’s writing and message, it is unnecessary tor me to write a reflection on the text below.

“It is of enormous importance that the prophets of the Old Testament characteristically spoke in poetic language. By that I do not mean they created rhymes. Rather they spoke in elusive, metaphorical ways as a rhetorical strategy for escaping and challenging the powerful ideologies that had reduced social reality to
control and social possibility to the capability of the dominant regime…

I do not believe there are easy, obvious, or direct
connections from the ancient world of the Bible to our own contemporary world. But I will dare nonetheless, in what follows, to suggest an analogue whereby we may think again about “prophetic ministry” among us. Not unlike the Jerusalem ideology of chosenness or the
imperial ideology of hegemony, pastors in U.S. churches live and work amid the American ideology of the National Security State. That ideology, massive in its influence but seldom lined out in a specific way, assumes U.S. exceptionalism, that is, that the United States is a special case in human history that is not subject to the ordinary conventions of life in the world. That exceptionalism assumes that we are, by right, an especially privileged, entitled people, blessed by God in peculiar ways. We are thereby given preeminence in the world and are entitled to more than our share of world’s goods in order to sustain an unparalleled and unsustainable standard of living. That exceptional privilege permits, requires, and legitimates unparalleled military strength, both in order to control markets and resources around the world, and to propagate the truth of
“democratic capitalism” all over the world, including parts of the world that are not amenable to that ideology.

The pastoral reality is that this ideology of privilege sustained by power is so pervasive that it is the air we breathe and the water in which we swim. It is beyond question or criticism; it renders us incapable of thinking or imagining outside of its definitions of reality…

When things are mislabeled, then one need not see them as they are. A prayer by “Reverend Billy” indicates how the denial of euphemism works among us:

Dear Lord,
We can’t believe that bombing is called security.
We can’t believe that monopoly is called democracy.
We can’t believe that gasoline prices are called
foreign policy…
We can’t believe that racism is called crime fighting!
We can’t believe that sweatshops are called efficiency!
We can’t believe that a mall is called the
neighborhood! ….
We can’t believe that advertising is called free speech!
We can’t believe that love is called for sale!
We can’t believe that you think there are two
political parties!
We can’t believe that you repeat the word
“democracy” like it’s a liturgical chant
from a lost religion.

There is no doubt that a society that traffics in violence and exploitation must disguise such policies and practices in order to protect the ideology that gives immunity….

It is surely the case that the U.S. church, largely
settled into the ideology of U.S. exceptionalism, colludes in denial. Thus we have complete confidence in the “American way of life” that is much confused with the promises of the Gospel. Across the entire political spectrum, we imagine that our way in the world is the right way and are largely incapable of noticing the trouble and suffering evoked in the world by U.S. practices and policies. More than that, we try not to take with seriousness the unraveling of the human fabric in our society because of greed that very often eventuates in violence, even if covert violence. The undercurrents of our society, like those of ancient Jerusalem, might suggest
we are very close to an emergency situation, given the failure of our institutions. But even the recent economic distress has not evoked any deep review of our policies and our practices that put our society at risk. Clearly, we
are like ancient Jerusalem in our immense capacity for denial.

I suspect that in our time and place the capacity to penetrate the denial, and so to exhibit the failure and the pain generated by a self-sufficient system, is voiced not in anger or indignation. It is rather in sadness and loss. The
sadness and loss need not be voiced in confrontational ways. The expression can be quiet and sober and unflinching in its resolve. The point is not to establish blame. The point, rather, is to make available the reality of hurt and loss, and to trace back the ways in which such hurt and loss are not an accident but are products of an ideological system. In this tradition, moreover, such an articulation that flies in the face of dominant ideology is not simply another opinion. It is rather a sounding of a deep holiness that cuts below our usual management of truth and speaks from a holiness that stands outside of our management. Our predecessors in prophetic office could do no better than to take their deep utterance as the word of God. And we do no better than that, as long as we remember the God who offers such a word is a God who notices and cares, and who knows that more
denial will only bring more trouble.”

—-Walter Brueggemann, “Prophetic Leadership: Engagement in Counter-Imagination,” pp. 4-5, 9-10, 13

African American Religion: Key Texts

This video introduces foundational texts that have shaped the study of African American religion—works that explore the rich intersection of faith, identity, resistance, and culture. From slave narratives to theological reflections, these books reveal how Black religious thought has been a force of survival, liberation, and spiritual power. Perfect for students, scholars, or anyone curious about the roots and rhythms of Black faith traditions.

“African American Religion and Political and Social Activism: Key Texts”

This talk explores the powerful role of religion in African American political and social activism, highlighting key texts and studies that illuminate the enduring relationship between faith, resistance, and liberation. From the prophetic tradition in Black churches to the theological underpinnings of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, the discussion will trace how religious belief and institutions have served as both spiritual refuge and strategic centers for mobilization. The talk invites reflection on how religion continues to shape African American struggles for justice, dignity, and equity today.

“Engaging and Citing Brueggemann: Shalom
as Joy & Harmony” (Day 4)

“That persistent vision of joy, well-being, harmony, and prosperity is not captured in any single word or idea in the Bible; a cluster of words is required to express its many dimensions and subtle nuances: love, loyalty, truth, grace, salvation, justice, blessing, righteousness. But the term that in recent discussions has been used to summarize that controlling vision is shalom. Both in such discussion and in the Bible itself, it bears tremendous freight–the freight of a dream of God that resists all our tendencies to division, hostility, fear, drivenness, and misery.

Shalom is the substance of the biblical vision of one community embracing all creation. It refers to all those resources and factors that make communal harmony joyous and effective.”
—Brueggemann, “Peace,” p. 14

“Religion and Violence: Key Texts (Part 1)”

Religion and Violence: Key Texts (Part 1 &2)
This section explores foundational texts that examine the complex relationship between religion and violence. It includes both religious scriptures and scholarly interpretations that address how religious ideologies have been used to justify, provoke, or resist violence. Key texts may include passages from the Hebrew Bible, the Qur’an, and the New Testament, alongside influential works by thinkers such as René Girard, Karen Armstrong, and Mark Juergensmeyer. These readings offer diverse perspectives on whether violence is inherent to religious traditions or arises from historical, political, and social contexts in which religions operate.

In this conversation, I explore the subject of African Traditional Religion: Key Texts (Part 2), discussing foundational themes, significant oral and written sources, and the cultural and spiritual contexts that shape traditional African religious beliefs and practices. Key elements included an overview of cosmology, concepts of God, prayer, ancestor veneration, ritual practices, and the role of myths, proverbs, and sacred narratives in transmitting religious knowledge.

African Traditional Religion: Key Texts (Part 1)

In this conversation, I explore the subject of African Traditional Religion: Key Texts (Part 1), discussing foundational themes, significant oral and written sources, and the cultural and spiritual contexts that shape traditional African religious beliefs and practices. Key elements included an overview of cosmology, concepts of God, prayer, ancestor veneration, ritual practices, and the role of myths, proverbs, and sacred narratives in transmitting religious knowledge.

“Engaging and Citing Brueggemann: The Task of Prophetic Ministry ” (Day 3)

In the introductory chapter of “The Prophetic Imagination,” Walter Brueggemann does not hesitate to provide his understanding of the task of prophetic ministry. In other words, he highlights the fundamental function of the prophet in relation to Yahweh and the cultural tradition and social milieu of the prophet, as well as the message of Yahweh and the recipient of the divine communication. Brueggemann explains the following:

“It is the task of prophetic ministry to bring the claims of the tradition and the situation of enculturation into an effective interface. That is, the prophet is called to be a child of the tradition, one who has taken it seriously in the shaping of his or her own field of perception and system of language, who is so at home in that memory that the points of contact and incongruity with the situation of the church in culture can be discerned and articulated with proper urgency.…

The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us. Thus I suggest that prophetic ministry has to do not primarily with addressing specific public crises but with addressing, in season and out of season, the dominant crisis that is enduring and resilient, of having our alternative vocation co‑opted and domesticated.”
—Bruegermman, The Prophetic Imagination, pp. 12-13

Brief Commentary

In this passage, Brueggemann underscores the vital relationship between tradition and memory in shaping the vocation and responsibility of the biblical prophet. Drawing on the anthropological concept of enculturation meaning “the process by which individuals internalize the values, norms, and practices of their society,” he highlights how deeply embedded cultural understanding influences a prophet’s worldview, ministry, and his message.

The prophet, therefore, is not merely a spiritual mouthpiece or agent of Yahweh who delivers divine messages to the people of God—the people of the covenant-God’s human creation—the people outside of the covenant. He or she is also a product of the very culture and traditions in which they live. This cultural embeddedness informs the prophet’s perception of present realities and future possibilities while grounding their task in faithfulness to the divine word and the promises of Yahweh.

For a prophet to carry out an effective and meaningful ministry, Brueggemann argues that they must possess “cultural knowledge” and a deep awareness of the social and cultural dynamics shaping their audience. This social consciousness enables the prophet to interpret and critique the prevailing culture with insight and care. The prophet is not just a bearer of Yahweh’s word anjudgment, he is an agent of (Yahweh’s) compassion and healing.

Ultimately, the prophet’s role includes helping both the covenant community and the broader public imagine alternative futures rooted in the promises and vision of Yahweh. Through cultural exegesis, the prophet leads people to confront their existential crises, navigate through them, and move toward liberation and hope—always oriented by Yahweh’s vision for a just and transformed society.

History of Christianity in Africa: Selected Texts (Part 1)

This instructional video offers an introduction to key texts that illuminate the rich and complex history of Christianity in Africa. From early North African Church Fathers to modern African theologians, we explore foundational writings that trace the development, adaptation, and resilience of the Christian faith across the continent. Ideal for students, educators, and anyone interested in African religious history, theology, and postcolonial studies.

“Haiti and the West: Key Texts in the History of Diplomatic Relations (Part 1)”

This video provides an overview of the key texts that have shaped our understanding of Haiti’s diplomatic relations with the United States and the broader Western world. Focusing on historical milestones, political dynamics, and foundational writings, we explore how Haiti has navigated global power structures from independence to modern times. This is Part 1 of a series designed for students, researchers, and anyone interested in Caribbean history, postcolonial diplomacy, and international relations.