How Does Walter Brueggemann Use Of Biblical Authority

In Walter Brueggemann’s essay “Biblical Authority,” he points out that the biblical text is “the live word of the living God.” Depending on the eyes reading, the Bible can be taken in many different ways. The stories of people’s lives lead to seeing the text in ways that others cannot. Brueggemann’s life story has led him to discover six features of interpretation of the Bible that may be helpful to all.

The first facet is inherency. Inherent, meaning to be essential or permanent, shows that “the Bible is forceful and consistent in its main theological claim. Brueggemann says that the knowledge of God creating a perfect world and then coming to save it from disaster is what the church agrees on, which binds them together. While there may be

Having evangelical faith, the good news is linked more to the public rather than biblicism. These claims and distinctions can often lead to arguments. Brueggeman goes on to say that the Bible is not a boring, useless read that is fixed and still, but rather a “script,” or something that can constantly be read differently. The word of God, as inherent is it is, is often altered through the author’s point of view.

The second facet is a way of interpretation. Brueggemann explains that “interpretation needs to be recognized precisely for what it is: nothing more than interpretation.” When biblical text is interpreted, there is chance of subjectivity and difficult understanding of the original text given. An example is given as to explain how interpretation is even found in the Bible itself through Deuteronomy 23:1-8, Isaiah 56:3-8, Deuteronomy 24:1, and Jeremiah 3. Interpretation is more so the movement of the biblical text naturally, that has yet to be

In the twenty-first century, it is hard to look around and see the work that has been accomplished and its magnitude on the culture through the American churchpeople. Brueggemann points out that “Ideology is the self-deceiving practice of taking a part for the whole, of taking “my truth” for the truth.” In other words, the interpretation of past textual writing for the Bible and ideology go hand in hand, but regardless, they have no absolute claim.

The word “inspiration” is often used to describe the Bible, as it is the fifth facet in Brueggemann’s essay. The force of God’s purpose, will, and capacity for new life is found all throughout the Bible. This is rather just an acknowledgement rather than an instinctual feeling, and while the reading of biblical text is not guaranteed to be inspiring to everyone, it does happen on occasion. The feeling of inspiration is all based off of how the text is being recognized. It is seen that through prayer and preachers, classes and songs, the Bible’s text gives a sense of something “strange and