Ancient Echoes (Walter Brueggemann) - A Review
ANCIENT ECHOES: Refusing the Fear-Filled, Greed-DrivenToxicity of the Far Right. By Walter Brueggemann. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2023. Xii + 132 pages.
I confess
that I lean politically and theologically to the left. I also confess to being concerned
about the political and religious toxicity that I find to be present in the far
right of the nation’s political spectrum. I should note that the political and
the religious dimensions are for the most part intertwined on the far right,
though I believe it’s the politics that drives the religious dimensions. When
it comes to speaking to this toxicity there are few persons alive today who
have the gravitas to speak directly to these concerns and do so by responsibly by
drawing upon the Bible than Walter Brueggemann. That gravitas is present in
Brueggemann’s new book Ancient Echoes. Back in the day (17th
century), this book would be called a broadside. It’s brief, to the point, and
calls for action. We see the message clearly presented in the subtitle: “Refusing
the Fear-filled, Greed-driven Toxicity of the Far Right.” Need I say more (I
will, but you get the point).
Walter
Brueggemann is well known to many of us, especially Mainline Protestant clergy,
but even evangelical and Roman Catholic folks will know his name and his work.
Now retired, he served as the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old
Testament (now emeritus) at Columbia Theological Seminary (Georgia). While much
of the Brueggemann materials being released recently are new editions and
repackaging of earlier works, Ancient Echoes is new material. It speaks,
as many have come to expect from Brueggemann, directly to the current climate
we find ourselves in, a climate that is fear-based. Specifically, it speaks to
ideologies and efforts that are rooted in appeals to fear of the other, that
is, the one who is different. When we
encounter such fear-based efforts, we need a tonic that can break its hold.
Again, few are better equipped to do this than Walter Brueggemann.
As
noted, Ancient Echoes is subtitled Refusing the Fear-Filled, Greed-Driven Toxicity of the Far Right. The chapters of this relatively
brief book (132 pages of text plus a brief preface). The book itself is small
in size, making it a relatively quick read. While I say that, the reader will
need to pay close attention to the words because the message is extremely
important.
The
contents of Ancient Echoes are based on a series of blog posts that
Brueggemann wrote for the blog platform churchanew.org.
The first eight chapters serve as a reflection on proposals made by Kurt
Anderson in his book Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America (published in 2020).
Brueggemann writes in his preface that
Anderson provides a roadmap of sorts "for the history, ideology, and
intent of the right-wing as a political force among us" (p. ix). In
responding to Anderson’s theses concerning the implications of the right-wing
efforts, Brueggemann, as those who know his work might expect, draws from
Scripture, especially the Hebrew Bible, to extend the message of Anderson’s book.
He expects that Scripture can provide an alternative vision of social
well-being. Even as he draws from the wisdom found in Scripture, he believes
that the communities who draw from that well are called and authorized to speak
out against this right-wing ideology. He writes that synagogues and churches
"have a deep stake in the flourishing of democracy, and a solid reason for
refusing and resisting the propensity of fascism that wants to reduce political
influence to the privileged and entitled few" (pp. x-xi). Thus, this small
book is offered as a word of encouragement to these communities to speak out
and address important issues of our day such as racism, sexism, immigration,
sexual orientation, and more.
In the
course of the book, Brueggemann speaks to eight principles that can guide our
response to this climate of fear and greed. The first principle serves as a
response to the right-wing suggestion that government is bad. He does this by
suggesting that the solution to bad government is not getting rid of government
or so disempowering it that it no longer has effectiveness, but to pursue good
governance. While not all government is good, neither is it all bad. The
challenge for us is to distinguish between good and bad government and work to
make sure that good government exists. He points out how, especially in the Old
Testament, the prophets speak of the relationship between sheep and the shepherd.
The call here is for a government that is not predatory and that cares for the
sheep.
The
second principle addresses the claim made by the far right, a claim which
Anderson details and Brueggemann refutes, concerns the "belief in our
perfect, mythical yesteryear." Consider the message of the Trumpist slogan
“Make America Great Again.” It is a message that hearkens back to a different supposedly
golden age when things were different. What did that golden age involve? It was
a time when white men were in control! Again, Brueggemann draws on the
prophets, such as Amos and Isaiah, who challenge this longing for yesterday.
Instead of pining for the past when white men were in control, Brueggemann
reminds us of the message that God is always making things new. Thus,
"God's truth is marching on, and all of our illusionary nostalgia will not
stop that march toward justice, peace, and freedom by way of mercy and
compassion" (p. 24).
Moving
on we encounter the third and fourth claims made by the right wing. According
to this claim, the “establishment experts are wrong, science is suspect." According
to the third claim, it’s the doctors that are suspect and wrong. Once again
Brueggemann addresses the claim by drawing on Scripture, especially Wisdom
Literature, including Proverbs as well as non-canonical texts like Ben Sirach. Helpfully,
we hear the call of Ben Sirach to honor physicians and pharmacists, respecting
their skills. The fourth claim builds on the third, in that it suggests that
science is suspect. Whether it is COVID or Climate Change, we're constantly
hearing that the "experts" are wrong. Thus, Brueggemann writes that “the
dismissal of reliable knowledge leads to unrestrained speculation. That, in
turn, is readily open to conspiracy theories that do not need to be, or cannot
be, fact-checked” (p. 41).
As we turn
to the fifth claim of the far right, we encounter economic issues. Here the
focus is on elevating short-term profits. We see this daily in efforts to
manipulate things so that short-term gain can be achieved at the expense of
people and the environment. This is where greed drives the conversation. While
he notes that numerous texts address this situation, he chose to draw from
Jeremiah, who speaks of the scoundrels who have become great and rich and “know
no limits in deeds of wickedness” (Jer. 5:26-29).
We move
to the sixth claim that "liberty equals selfishness." We often hear
about American individualism in defense of so-called rights such as unlimited
gun ownership (in the name of the Second Amendment). Or perhaps it’s my right
to not receive a COVID vaccine that would not only protect me but others as
well. It's my body, the saying goes (unless you're a woman seeking an
abortion). Brueggemann, this time drawing from the Gospels, reminds us that
church people should know that "liberty is not and cannot be selfishness,
that accumulation does not work, that anxiety does no good, that greed never
succeeds, and violence has no future" (p. 82). In other words, we can't be
self-sufficient. We need each other!
The
seventh claim involves inequality, which the right says isn't so bad (let us
take note here of the efforts to get rid of DEI—Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion). Inequality may be part of our reality, at least to this point in
history, but it’s not something we should celebrate (and yet many on the right
do exactly this). That truth revealed throughout scripture, addresses
inequality. Brueggemann points to the Exodus story of God’s provision of manna.
According to that story, the people couldn't store it up (hoard). There was
enough for all, whatever the need. Or, consider the story of the feeding of the
5000. Again, people received what they needed, and all were filled. Of course,
not everyone was happy because they didn’t understand the message of the bread.
What did they misunderstand? Because their hearts were hard their hearts were “not
open to the generous assurances of God” (p. 102).
The
final claim made by the right is that "Universal Health Care is
tyranny." Here it is a matter of taxes, which need to be collected to
support universal health care. Those on the right claim that not everyone is
deserving of good health care—only those who have the funds to get it are worthy
of good health care. So, we often hear about the undeserving receiving health
care (Medicaid?). Yet, throughout Scripture, we hear about people being healed
without cost. Elisha didn't charge Naaman. Jesus didn't charge anyone for
healing. Neither did Peter or John or even Paul. As we ponder these stories of
healing, we need to ask whether good health care is a right that is due to
everyone.
Having
examined and addressed these eight claims examined, all of which Brueggemann
finds to be faulty in accordance with his reading of Scripture (and you know
that Brueggemann has expertise here), Brueggemann uses chapter nine of Ancient Echoes to restate the eight proposals/responses to the claims made by the
right, as detailed by Anderson, in his book Evil Geniuses. While
Brueggemann doesn't believe much is to be gained by making arguments against
these right-wing claims, he does believe that the church can and should begin
developing an alternative witness and practice when it comes to these claims.
These claims made by those on the far right (many of whom claim to be good
Christians) are, in Brueggemann’s mind, and rightfully so, contrary to the ways
of Jesus. Therefore, he believes that we, as followers of Jesus, should take a
different course of action. Those who have heard Brueggemann speak or read his
books know that he has a prophetic edge. He is direct in his words, and that is
true here in Ancient Echoes, a book that speaks clearly to the issues of
our time, reminding us that Scripture is not the possession only of those on
the right!
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