Theology 7372, Fall 2009

Some books continue to hold up even after a span of years. Walter Brueggemann wrote the book Israel’s Praise: Doxology against Idolatry and Ideology in 1988. However, more than twenty years hence the argument remains compelling. Brueggemann built on the work of Sigmund Mowinckel, Psalmenstudien 1921-1924. In these as of yet un-translated volumes Mowinckel explores the creative and formative function of the ancient Israelite cult as evidenced in the biblical Psalms.
What Brueggemann does so effectively is put this in a post-modern context bringing to bear the work of literary critics/biblical scholars, sociologists, psychologists, and theologians in order to analyze the constructive work of praise. Brueggemann claims that praise constructs a life world.
At the same time praise as constitutive of a life world also functions as a boundary. This boundary provides a hard edge to the soft idolatries and ideologies of post-modernity.
So even after over twenty years Brueggemann’s observation of the constitutive and discerning role of praise continues to challenge the reader of the Bible.