Walter Brueggemann - 19 Theses

I first came across Walter Brueggemann's "19 Theses" when I read them back in September 2004 on Geoff Holsclaw's blog. They stuck with me and when Emergent kindly made the Mp3's available recently I spent a really enjoyable couple of days listening to Walter and reflecting, in particular, on his 19 theses.

1.        Everybody lives by a script. The script may be implicit or explicit. It may be recognised or unrecognized, but everybody has a script.

2.        We get scripted. All of us get scripted through the process of nurture and formation and socialization, and it happens to us without our knowing it.

Read the rest below. I have transcribed them. So much is evoked when I think of "scripts."

Download walter_brueggemann_19_theses_transcript.doc

Comments

[Arlen Hanson]

Wow, these are rich. First time I've seen them, thanks. I shall be looking at them in greater depth and doing some pondering of these things. Peace.

[Fyfe]

Paul - Happy New Year!

During my DMIn I had Brueggemann and it was so refreshing and thought provoking. Thanks for typing this out. Also, Though I haven't yet seen Lost In Translation, I must now do so. Your earlier blog on it and yesterdays highlight the issues it raises for us in mission and what it means to be church today. I honestly feel that we have lost an eschatological perspective and have given ourselves over to linear notions of time that have no sense therefore of moment, seasons of discontinuity and that in some way the confusion and even frustration we feel is a result of not knowing how we are to live in the paradox, to cope with discontinuity and so on.
Shalom

[Mike]

Paul - thanks for doing the work. I started to listen to the mp3's too, but this will be a big help.
Peace.

[DangerMouse]

I like those. I guess I have a lot in common with all who attempt to live by an alternative script. I gain understanding by realising that the Church's story is generally one of ambivilence, I can forgive those who are unaware and also stand my ground with increased clarity.

Thx for transcribing them.

DM

[Manu Caddie]

The link to the mp3's doesn't seem to work for me - are they still on there?

[Paul Fromont]

Sorry Manu. Links no longer active on the emergent site.

[Paul Fromont]

Hi Manu. You're in luck. A friend just sent me a couple of links. One to the Mp3's and another to video:

http://soupiset.typepad.com/soupablog/Brueggemann_19_Theses.html

http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/walter-brueggemanns-19-theses

Enjoy. Thanks Vicki.