Fortress Press

“With an inquisitive eye, an invincible passion for truth and honesty, and a crackling imagination, Brueggemann invites us to think more deeply–in accord with the 'transformational potential' of the biblical witness–about contemporary social, political, and economic issues that would deny our agency and steal our hope for a better world. Who better to lead us into a tenacious solidarity with the God who lives in and beyond scripture than Walter Brueggemann. He has himself long been an exemplar of provocative testimony; we readers have long been and shall remain his grateful students.”

“Tenacious Solidarity is a godsend. It’s a call to an ethic of steadfast love that communities and individuals must exhibit. It shows that we are in solidarity with God through our loving obedience, and in solidarity with others through mercy, compassion, and justice. Therefore, communities must resist structures of power that compromise our fidelity to our neighbor, and live in harmony with those around us seeking a restoration of wholeness, born out of love and devotion. Doing so, Brueggemann demonstrates, is how we live faithfully in accordance with God; restoration of human brokenness and oppression is the biblical response to the times we live in. As per all of Brueggemann’s writing, these essays are very grounded in scripture and argue from the biblical texts to this end. Walter Brueggemann always writes in profound response to the Bible, clearly and eloquently developing an ethic of selflessness, goodness, justice, restoration, and mercy, giving incredible insight into questions of how to live alongside one another. His exposition is as instructional as it is enlightening—as always. For those of us who humbly try to be, and are occasionally in the tradition of the biblical prophetic tradition, Brueggemann is our teacher—a teacher for those whose vocation is ‘prophetic imagination’.”

“Tenacious solidarity indeed! Both words well describe Walter Brueggemann’s entire career not just this latest collection of essays—once again admirably edited and introduced by his major interpreter, Davis Hankins. These remarkable provocations range widely across our most urgent, pressing, and relevant issues: racism, the economy, the environment, totalism. Brueggemann’s profound, magisterial, and native fluency in Scripture is as much on display here as in any one of his countless other books. While he notes in the front matter that this collection may be his last outing, his faithful followers will pray that isn’t the case. Either way, and despite his avoidance of the prophetic moniker, I, for one, am immediately reminded of the words of Deut 34:10: “Never has a prophet arisen like Moses...”

“With his characteristic skill and wisdom, Walter Brueggemann demonstrates again in this collection of recent essays the generative and transformative potentials of biblical texts to name and confront urgent challenges of our time. His interpretations model a compelling dialogue between biblical texts, interdisciplinary scholarship, and incisive contemporary social, political, and economic analyses. The result utterly captures the imagination, and urges and inspires the building of a far more welcoming, forgiving, generous, and sustainable future together.”

“I was taught to preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. It was faithful advice. Of course, there are times (like now) when a steady tide of distressing newspaper headlines can overwhelm even the most biblically savvy of preachers. Do not fear, says Walter Brueggemann, pointing calmly to the book in our other hand. Tenacious Solidarity is unmatched in rifling through Scripture’s pages and in finding there wisdom and courage for the living of these days.”