I had the privilege of hearing Walter Brueggeman lecture at Augsburg College on September 27. The lecture I attended was the first of two in the 2011 Christensen Symposium. Brueggeman is a well-known Old Testament scholar and Biblical Theologian. Although I never read Brueggeman during my time at Moody Bible Institute, I have since gained a great deal of respect for his approach and theological formulations. His social critique of the Old Testament Hebrews is a hallmark of his scholarship, and the lecture I attended sprang from this critique.
The lecture series was entitled The Food Fight: Dispute in Biblical Testimony. In his introduction, Brueggeman suggested that Food is a theme that touches on every economic area: production, distribution, and consumption. There is an overlap between physical and spiritual hunger, an overlap which unites the two lectures. These ideas are relevant, Brueggeman contends, because there is continuity between the Biblical "food fight" and today's "food fight."
The first lecture, "Accumulation: The Lust for Domination and Monopoly" was primarily a critique of systemic monopoly and accumulation based on a belief in economic scarcity as portrayed by Biblical motifs. Brueggeman's thesis is that "One's stance in the food fight depends on a belief in scarcity vs. abundance. When scarcity is assumed, there is anxiety in getting enough. The enactment of this anxiety results in consumerism: obesity, agribusiness, security, and systemically, in monopoly." The system is personalized by the likes of Pharaoh, Solomon, and Nebuchadnezzar, all of whom were resource monopolizers. Compellingly, Brueggean argues that systems of scarcity result in opulence for those who control the monopoly, and that the monopoly is sustained through slavery or cheap labor.
The second lecture, which I was unable to attend, was titled "Community: Food Practiced as Astonished Gratitude." This lecture set the assumption of scarcity aside and traced the assumption of abundance through the Biblical text. the culmination of abundance is found within the Eucharist. Where the first lecture provided a critique of an unjust economic system, the second lecture provided a positive personal response and reframing of the Christian's approach to resources.
I really enjoyed the lecture I attended. Brueggeman's critique fed my appreciation for Old Testament Biblical Theology and confirmed my personal bridge between the Biblical text, social justice, and public policy. I was disappointed, however, to have missed the second lecture. Food, hospitality, and inviting all into the abundance of the Eucharist have become central to my theological praxis within the Abbey Way Community. Most importantly, this lecture series provides a tapestry that reflects my personal metanarrative. I have written before about my dreams to participate in a vocation of sustainability, and as I pursue that dream in coming years, I will repeatedly revisit this wisdom to inform my way forward.
Brueggeman photo property of Augusburg College
The lecture series was entitled The Food Fight: Dispute in Biblical Testimony. In his introduction, Brueggeman suggested that Food is a theme that touches on every economic area: production, distribution, and consumption. There is an overlap between physical and spiritual hunger, an overlap which unites the two lectures. These ideas are relevant, Brueggeman contends, because there is continuity between the Biblical "food fight" and today's "food fight."
The first lecture, "Accumulation: The Lust for Domination and Monopoly" was primarily a critique of systemic monopoly and accumulation based on a belief in economic scarcity as portrayed by Biblical motifs. Brueggeman's thesis is that "One's stance in the food fight depends on a belief in scarcity vs. abundance. When scarcity is assumed, there is anxiety in getting enough. The enactment of this anxiety results in consumerism: obesity, agribusiness, security, and systemically, in monopoly." The system is personalized by the likes of Pharaoh, Solomon, and Nebuchadnezzar, all of whom were resource monopolizers. Compellingly, Brueggean argues that systems of scarcity result in opulence for those who control the monopoly, and that the monopoly is sustained through slavery or cheap labor.
The second lecture, which I was unable to attend, was titled "Community: Food Practiced as Astonished Gratitude." This lecture set the assumption of scarcity aside and traced the assumption of abundance through the Biblical text. the culmination of abundance is found within the Eucharist. Where the first lecture provided a critique of an unjust economic system, the second lecture provided a positive personal response and reframing of the Christian's approach to resources.
I really enjoyed the lecture I attended. Brueggeman's critique fed my appreciation for Old Testament Biblical Theology and confirmed my personal bridge between the Biblical text, social justice, and public policy. I was disappointed, however, to have missed the second lecture. Food, hospitality, and inviting all into the abundance of the Eucharist have become central to my theological praxis within the Abbey Way Community. Most importantly, this lecture series provides a tapestry that reflects my personal metanarrative. I have written before about my dreams to participate in a vocation of sustainability, and as I pursue that dream in coming years, I will repeatedly revisit this wisdom to inform my way forward.
Brueggeman photo property of Augusburg College
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