jeremiah: the fate of a proph- et, · jeremiah: the fate of a proph-et, by binyamin lau. translated...

JEREMIAH: THE FATE OF A PROPH-ET, by Binyamin Lau. Translated by SaraDaniel. Jerusalem: Maggid Books, 2013. Pp.230. $24.95 (hardcover)

The book of Jeremiah is one of the mostchallenging in Scripture due to its enigmaticarrangement, wide historical context, andchallenging material. Rabbi Dr. Binyamin Laudoes us an incredible service in taking the bookof Jeremiah and rearranging the chapters intosections that parallel the prophet’s life andplacing the prophet’s words in the surround-ing historical context. Set within this broadercontext we see the struggle of the prophet as hemoves from soaring hope for the reunificationof Israel and Judah through disillusionmentwith the nationalistic struggles of Judah andeventually into the despair of the Babylonianexile. Rather than producing a commentary oneach chapter of Jeremiah, Rabbi Lau offers anarrative using the text of Jeremiah, the re-corded memory of the events in 2 Kings and 2Chronicles in conversation with other histori-cal sources and other prophets active at vari-ous points in Jeremiah’s long career, as well asthe rabbinic tradition of interpretation. Theend result is a coherent and tragic account of adisparaged and disgraced prophet who trieddesperately to eliminate the social injusticesand corruption of his people and to save thetemple from its impending doom.

The introduction of the work argues that inour context the prophet might be understoodas a public intellectual who must summon allof their intellectual powers and persuasiveskills to convince their audience of the truth oftheir words. Lau argues that prophecy does notdepend upon being accepted, and among the

prophets only Jonah was able to fulfill hismission by convincing the people of Ninevehto see the error of their ways (xiv–xv). Yet theprophet must love the people enough to paythe personal price of prophetic vision, and evenbe willing to be declared an enemy of the peo-ple. Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry, as the nar-rative will tell, will come at a high personal cost.

The book is divided between the three pri-mary kings of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry:Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. Part I sets thestage with the story leading up to Josiah bydealing with his predecessors. Briefly touchingon the conflict between Samaria and Judah, inthe context of the Assyrian domination of theTrans-Euphrates region, we see a picture of adivided people where savage wars between thenations of Judah and Israel overshadow theblood ties that once united them (3). Duringthe miraculous salvation of Jerusalem, in thetime of Isaiah and King Hezekiah, we see theentry of Babylonia into the Judean world withMerodoch-Baladan’s delegation to Hezekiah.When Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, ascended tothe throne in 697 B.C.E., he attempted to put thenation of Judah back on its feet but could notresist the lure of Assyrian culture and began toforfeit the cultural and religious heritage of Ju-dah. It is within this context, after the briefreign by Amon, that Josiah becomes king in640 B.C.E. and the story of Jeremiah’s propheticcareer begins.

Jeremiah’s prophetic calling occurs in thethirteenth year of Josiah’s reign, or 626 B.C.E., atime of tremendous regional change. KingJosiah has begun to cleanse and purify Jerusa-lem from Assyrian culture and worship and isalso sending envoys to Samaria in an attemptto reunite Judah and Israel. This grand dream

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can only be understood within the horizon ofthe crumbling of the Assyrian empire, which iswaging a war of attrition on its northern bor-der (10). Jeremiah’s ministry begins by proph-esying the unification of Israel and Judah,appealing to their shared ancestor Jacob. Jere-miah is captured by this vision and is con-vinced that God’s promise to rebuild will soonbe realized. Yet, as Jeremiah begins to yearn forthis change, he recognizes a discrepancy be-tween the king’s attempted reforms and theother local leadership, who still continue torepresent the sinful generation of Manasseh,yet Jeremiah believes that God is about to getrid of these shepherds and gather the scatteredflock from Samaria. Jeremiah’s most optimis-tic words go out to the cities of Samaria, but inJudah and particularly in his own homeland ofBenjamin Jeremiah witnesses a people “en-grossed in their own land and wealth, wrappedup in everyday life, and awash in paganism”(33). Throughout the remainder of Josiah’sreign, Jeremiah will become increasingly dis-traught over the superficiality of these reformsamong the leaders, priests, and the people.“Jeremiah sees behind this façade and recog-nizes the falsity and the hypocrisy, the thin ve-neer of piety serving as a fig leaf for corruptionand warped social values” (49). When Josiahdies in 609 B.C.E., Jeremiah’s observation of theshallowness of the reforms of Josiah bear theirunfortunate fruit as the new king sets the na-tion on a very different course.

Part II deals with the reign of Jehoiakim(609–598 B.C.E.) and his pro-Egyptian regime.This is a time where Egypt experiences a re-newal of power and influence. Egypt lays aheavy tariff on Judah, which Jehoiakim passeson to the people of the land. “Jehoiakim strikesa winning combination: economic reliance onEgypt, spiritual and national reliance on theTemple, and a general atmosphere of compli-ance with the leader. What can go wrong?”(78). Jeremiah’s prophecy rails against all ofthese items, stating that reliance on Egypt willlead to their demise, that the temple is like the

tabernacle at Shiloh that was destroyed by Godafter it was corrupted by the high priest’s sons,and the king and his loyalists will fall into thehands of Babylon. Jeremiah finds himselfstruggling against the leaders of his nation, thepriests, and other prophets, and is viewed as atraitor to the very people he is attempting tosave. Jeremiah finds himself caught betweenthe message of impending doom he feels com-pelled to pronounce and the persecution thispronouncement brings. The nation’s ability torely on Egypt falters in 605, when Nebuchad-nezzar begins his conquest, and Judah be-comes subservient for three years, but in 601when Egypt enjoys a brief resurgence Judahagain sides with Egypt and rebels against Bab-ylon. Jeremiah is able to see Babylon as the in-strument of the Lord’s judgment and yet hestill holds a single thread of hope that the peo-ple will repent and the terrible coming destruc-tion of the Babylonians will be averted. Yet, in597 when Nebuchadnezzar in a brief campaignrecaptures the rebellious cities of Judah, thereign of Jehoiakim and the three-month reignof his successor Jeconiah come to an end, andthe time between the two exiles begins underZedekiah, who was Josiah’s youngest son, afterhe swore loyalty to Babylon.

Lau continues to tell the story of Jeremiahand the people of Judah in the time leading upto the destruction of Jerusalem and the finaldeportation of the Judean people as a punish-ment for the breaching of their treaty with Bab-ylon. King Zedekiah finds himself surroundedby those who have seized power in the leader-ship vacuum left by the Babylonians’ takingmost of the previous leaders into exile in 597B.C.E. When Babylon returns to the north in594, Judah finds itself becoming a part of anEgypt-led alliance. To the consternation ofmany of the leaders in the land as well as manyother prophets, in particular Hananiah, Jere-miah continues to proclaim that the nation isto serve the King of Babylon and live, and hepassionately pleads for the city to turn from itscourse and avoid the destruction that is com-

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Word & World 34/1 • Winter 2014

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Reviews

The Journey of Modern Theology

From Reconstruction to Deconstruction

Roger E. Olson

In this major revision and expansion

of the classic 20th-Century Theology

(1992), coauthored with Stanley J.

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ing. Yet again the prophet’s words will fall ondeaf ears. Even though King Zedekiah hassome sympathy for Jeremiah and his proph-ecy, the king finds himself powerless in theface of those who are leading the nation on apath of confrontation once again with Baby-lon. Even after Jeremiah’s words come truewith the destruction of Jerusalem and the tem-ple in 586 B.C.E., the people still refuse to pay at-tention to the prophet who for decades hastried to save the city and temple from this fate.

Jeremiah’s story is one of bitter disappoint-ment. Throughout the prophetic story of Jere-miah, Lau illuminates parallels with modern-day Jerusalem. “The streets of Jerusalem stillthrong with false prophets who earnestlyclaim, ‘the tradition of our forefathers is in ourhands; the Third Temple shall not be de-stroyed!’ Once again they seek to lull us into asense of false security, to make us forget thegrave responsibility we shoulder: to be worthyof this national home, the Jewish state” (225).It is also easy to make connections between thepolitical and religious movements in modern-day Israel and similar political and religiousrhetoric in the United States. This is an insight-ful journey into the world of the prophet that il-luminates not only Jeremiah but the world ofthe Hebrew Scriptures.

Neil WhiteRejoice Lutheran ChurchFrisco, Texas

T H E H E B R EW P ROP H E T S AN DTHEIR SOCIAL WORLD, 2nd edition,by Victor H.Matthews.Grand Rapids: BakerAcademic, 2012. Pp. 256. $26.99 (paper).

Victor Matthews recently produced a sec-ond edition of his popular 2001 work on the so-cial world of the Hebrew prophets. This bookmeets a twofold need. The stated purpose ofthe book is to introduce readers to the back-ground of the ancient world of the prophets. In

the process, Matthews introduces the reader toeach Old Testament prophetic book.

In the brief introduction, Matthews de-scribes the first of these needs: “one of thegreatest challenges for modern readers is tobecome acquainted with social and historicalforces that played such an important role inthe lives of the prophets and their audiences”(x). This need is met explicitly in each chapter,while the second need is met through organiz-ing the book around the OT prophetic books.Matthews explains how the geographic, eco-nomic, and social contexts and the literary im-agery of each prophetic book contribute to theancient message, which in turn reveals themodern message for communities of faith to-day.

The practical purpose and organizationcombine to make this book of great value forpastor and biblical student alike. Prophetic lit-erature is one of the more misunderstood andwrongly utilized of all biblical genres. Theprophets are too often pillaged for proof textsthat connect with newspaper headlines or todefend a particular end-times schema, whenin fact they were not written for these pur-poses. In order to understand the powerfulmessage of the prophets, “we must first recog-nize that these persons, both male and female,spoke within their own time, to an audiencewith a frame of reference very different fromours” (ix). The ancient issues the prophets ad-dressed remain issues in our modern culture.Once the ancient social world that producedthese prophetic messages is understood, mod-ern parallels are unmistakable, making theprophetic message powerful today.

Chapter 1 takes the reader on a geographictour of ancient Israel. This rudimentary mate-rial may provide a foundation, but it is the leasthelpful of the chapters and may deter somereaders from persevering to perhaps the mosthelpful second chapter. Chapter 2 defines anddescribes the OT prophet. In the process,many misperceptions are corrected and aclearer understanding of the purpose of the

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prophets emerges. For instance, Matthewsnotes that prophets “were part of a socio-political process that prevented the monarchsfrom becoming absolute rulers” (20). Addingto this important point, Matthews clearly out-lines what prophets were and were not, the di-verse circumstances both nationally andpersonally that shaped their message, and thesource and purpose of their messages.

With this important foundation laid, thebook moves into the pre-monarchic prophets(Moses, Balaam) as well as early monarchicprophets (Samuel, Nathan, etc.) and devotes achapter to Elijah and Elisha. These chaptersare helpful in developing an understanding ofprophets and prophetic messages before dis-cussing the prophetic books. The brief work onMoses as a paradigm for the prophets was es-pecially helpful (37–40) and deserves moreconsideration.

In keeping with the focus of the book, thewriting prophets are handled in chronologicalorder, which allows the attention to remain onthe social world that both prompted the pro-phetic messages and provides interpretiveclues to understanding each unique message.Each chapter is helpful, and the summary ef-fect of the book is beneficial as it calibratesmodern readers to the original context andmessage as the foundation for the modernmessage that can be proclaimed today.

At this point, a few highlights and critiquesof the book are worth noting. An upgrade fromthe first edition is an expanded glossary, whichallows Matthews’s scholarly writing to remainaccessible to multiple reading levels. Thewords are well chosen and the definitions areconcise but complete. The addition of mapsand tables in the second addition is also a valu-able upgrade. The multiple inset boxes are re-ordered and the format is enhanced, makingthem more helpful. A suggestion for a futureedition (that current readers may want tocomplete manually) would be an index of theseinsets. Several of the insets conveniently stringtogether themes represented in several proph-

ets, but each box of course only appears once.These valuable insets came to mind duringsubsequent chapters, but were then difficult tolocate for reference.

Several recurring themes are worthy of fur-ther development. One example would be thetension between politics and religion (53, 57,126, etc.). Readers may want to flag significantthemes for further consideration as they be-come the foundation for modern applicationof these powerful prophetic messages. Lastly,Matthews’s refined thesis prevents the bookfrom exploring modern application of the pro-phetic message. The reader must take the shortbut necessary step from the ancient messagethat is clearly distilled from the social world ofthe prophets, and find its parallel in the mod-ern world to make the prophetic message rele-vant.

These suggestions should not deter thereader, but should rather encourage the readerto participate in the process. Matthews pro-vides the background needed to understandthe ancient prophetic message, allowing thereader to explore the powerful modern appli-cation for each individual and faith commu-nity. This book is therefore a worthy companionfor the study of the OT prophets and theirmessage.

Dean M. EricksonCrown CollegeSt. Bonifacius, Minnesota

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE NEWTESTAMENT: HISTORY, LITERA-TURE, THEOLOGY, by M. Eugene Bor-ing. Louisville: Westminster John Knox.2012. Pp. 722. $36.00 (paper).

Here is a stimulating, and sometimes pro-vocative, work on the New Testament, whichwill surely be of interest to serious readers of“the church’s book.” Boring seeks to give a bal-anced view of the issues one will face in analyz-ing this ancient, yet contemporary, collection

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of writings. He affirms, on the one hand, thatas a book of history it must be approached byusing a critical method, asking the questions ofauthorship, time of writing, place, destination,and purpose. This approach is intended forwhat he calls “the beginning student,” onewith serious purpose but without prior experi-ence in various details of studying the Bible.Also, he notes in the preface that the NT is con-cerned with faith and theology, thus calling fortheological reflection, namely to ask what theNT has to say concerning the faith.

This is a lengthy tome, consisting oftwenty-eight chapters, with double columnson each page. The first seven chapters dealwith what we can call “background materials”;they are followed by two on Jesus and Paul;seven on the Pauline (and pseudepigraphal )letters; two on the catholic epistles; three onthe Johannine community and its writings;and, finally, a closing chapter titled “The NewTestament as Word of God.” His coverage is

generally broad and incisive, except for the fiveJohannine materials (including the Gospel ofJohn, the three Johannine Epistles, and theApocalypse), which suffer in comparison tohis treatment of the three Gospels (76 pages to155 pages, respectively). Two other generalitems could be noted. One, there are many ex-cellent photographs and text boxes, which givethe reader a feel for ancient sites and texts.These can give a sense of participation in thematerial being narrated. Second, there is ageneral paucity in the extent of bibliographicalreferences. For the student who is looking forgreater breadth and insight into the themes be-ing treated there may well be some disappoint-ment.

The background materials are varied andbasic to one’s study of the NT documentsthemselves. The reader is instructed as to thenature of the NT, and the necessity of the disci-pline of textual criticism of the manuscriptswhile studying it. There are important impli-

97

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Join us as we consider

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cations here for the literary study and also fordiscerning its theological implications. Boringreminds us that “all interpretation is perspec-tival, from within an interpreting community”(54). These observations are followed by twohelpful chapters on both the NT and Palestin-ian Judaism within the Hellenistic world. Theyare useful in establishing a perspective for theNT documents themselves, emphasizing thatthese materials reflect the social and culturalaspects of the period from Alexander the Great(4th century B.C.E. through the first centuryC.E.).

The treatment of the NT materials follows achronological sequence, hence he begins withPaul and ends with John (at least the Johannineschool). (Historically, of course, Jesus pre-ceded Paul, so two chapters are first devoted to“Jesus within Judaism” and “Jesus and Paul.”)After a sketch of Paul’s life and mission to 50C.E., and a look at letters in the ancient worldand in the NT, Boring engulfs the reader with adetailed examination of the Pauline literature(chapters 11–16 ). In his approach, he dividesthe letters between epistles written by Paulhimself (1 Thessalonians, Philippians, Phile-mon, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, andRomans), and by persons within the Paulineschool (Colossians, Ephesians, 2 Thessalon-ians, 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy). Thepattern here is first to discuss historical-criti-cal questions, then engage the reader in an“Exegetical-Theological Précis” of each letter.He appears to vacillate between a more “lib-eral” and more “conservative” option, but hasa lengthy history of scholarship upon which hedraws, trying to be fair to the evidence withinthe letters themselves.

The final units of text for the NT epistles areconcerned with an advance into consolidationof the Pauline letter-writing style with a studyof 1 Peter and Hebrews, followed by materialscovering James, Jude, and 2 Peter. The remain-der of the book is concerned with the Gospels(along with other Johannine writings).

When we encounter these materials we are

faced with factors like divine inspiration, indi-vidual memory, and community tradition. Inaddition, one encounters the Synoptic Prob-lem, i.e., by whom were they written? In whatorder were they composed? and, What is theirliterary relationship? (There are a good num-ber of text boxes in this discussion that will aidthe reader by illustrating various aspects of theissues at hand in each of the Gospels.) The pri-ority of the Gospel of Mark is attested, and Bor-ing goes on from there to give an interpretationof Mark, Matthew, and Luke. The Lukan sec-tion is the lengthiest, composed of a unit on thewriter as theologian, composer, and historian,followed by the interpretation of Luke-Acts.This synoptic discussion is one of the oldest inchurch history, extending at least as far back asthe church father Papias in the second century.Boring shows good balance here between his-torical reading and devotional reading.

The final, brief section considers the workof the Johannine community. It opens with ananalysis of the book of Revelation, followed byhis investigation of 2, 3, and 1 John (in that or-der) and, finally, the Gospel of John. One mightwish for more substance on the Apocalypse,given its length and the long study of it. And,our writer makes a good point in saying thatthe Christology of the Gospel is its distinctivefeature.

The epilogue is concerned with the NT as“Word of God.” God is portrayed as speaking,in the Bible. But Boring is loath to hang toomuch on such a Scripture text as 2 Tim 3:16,“All scripture is inspired by God.” He goes onto discuss ideas of inspiration—pro andcon—and concludes with the statement (withreference to 2 Cor 4:7), “Both treasure and clayare absolutely real—truly treasure/trulyclay—and both are from God” (711–712).

Take up and read. Read with faith and dis-cernment.

Walter M. DunnettSt. Mark’s Episcopal ChurchGlen Ellyn, Illinois

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THEOLOGY FOR LIBERAL BEING PROMISED

EARTH-HONORING FAITH: RELI-GIOUS ETHICS IN A NEW KEY, byLarry Rasmussen. New York: Oxford Uni-versity Press, 2012. Pp. 480. $45.00 (cloth).

In today’s burgeoning field of eco-theologyLarry Rasmussen’s works are viewed by manyas foundational, if not already classical. Forover twenty-five years he has written on whatThomas Berry called “The Great Work,” or theformation of a viable ecological ethic. Thesecontributions are perhaps most widely recog-nized in Rasmussen’s award-winning 1989publication of Earth Community, Earth Ethics.It was here that Rasmussen began outliningthe principles that undergird his most recentwork, Earth-Honoring Faith.

In the first section of his book Rasmussenexamines the reality of our contemporary situ-ation—who we are, the state of the world weinhabit, and the dynamic nature of faith.Through accessible interdisciplinary means,Rasmussen situates his work in daily life andbrings urgency and gravity to what he calls“the ethic we need.” Early on, four chapters arededicated to unpacking this ethic of oikos. Inthe first of these, Rasmussen addresses thegrave need for dialectical/adaptive change,noting that the “greening” of models based onunlimited consumption will not suffice. Be-lieving that we now live in a new era, an ecozoicAnthropocene wherein our planet proves to bea tough new place, he argues that entirely “newwineskins and cloth are needed.” Demonstrat-ing how behavioral changes frequently pre-cede attitudinal ones, Rasmussen suggeststhat the drag of normalcy be resisted and thatconventional wisdom be doubted. He urgesthe reader to prioritize the perspectives andvoices from within marginal communitieswhile also appreciating the complexity of to-day’s systems. And finally, he pragmaticallyencourages those engaged in grassroots effortsto effectively partner with influential allieswith an aim for greater impact.

Noting how attention to such matters prove

the whole of life to be “startlingly moral,”Rasmussen then moves on in chapter five tosuggest how an authentically ecological ethicmust emerge from beyond classical categoriesof moral theory to an inclusive moral vision,one that draws upon myriad traditions whileinnovatively responding to contemporary de-mands. To some, Rasmussen’s section onmoral theory will seem idealistic or even inco-herent, as he takes no time to explain howcompeting approaches to morality might co-operate. Here the dialectical tensions inherentto any community seem to be assumed and ac-cepted. Yet, to be sure, Rasmussen’s explicitaim is to underscore the ecological concernand charge commonly shared between all per-sons. To this end, his thorough research oninterreligious perspectives on ecology is par-ticularly helpful and undoubtedly a trademarkof Rasmussen’s working legacy.

As attested to by multiple religious tradi-tions, the matrix of community is essential tothe “Great Work,” which Rasmussen argues isyet ahead. Dedicating chapter six to thistheme, Rasmussen begins uncovering some ofthe economic influences on civil society. Withbroad strokes he retraces what he refers to as“the marriage of Big Politics and Big Econom-ics,” showing how both market and state eco-nomic models fail as moral proxies. HereRasmussen’s rich background in political eth-ics is clear; his finely nuanced arguments helpany reader navigate the complex waters ofwhat Rasmussen argues is the critical triptychof contemporary affairs—economics, ecol-ogy, and religion—while also helping thereader steer clear of overly simplistic and im-practical conclusions. Looking to an economyof communion and small, localized commu-nities better able to anticipate need, Ras-mussen suggests that a globalized earth-honoring ethic emerges in the accumulationof numerous small-scale efforts and changes.Collectively such efforts can amount to a tip-ping point, he argues, which is organic, con-textual, and thereby more productive. The

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reader’s takeaway is a clear, motivating chal-lenge—till and keep the very space in whichyou live, both literally and figuratively.

Transitioning to the metaphorical by wayof the metaphysical Rasmussen concludes thefirst section of his book discussing the humannotion of self. Those familiar with his workfind already trodden territory here. We must,he asserts, move from ego to ecosphere, fromsoul to sole to soil. This is possible when reli-gion, and more specifically, monotheistictraditions such as Christianity, repent of way-ward dualisms and abandon anthropocentricmodels of dominion and stewardship. Relatedto his point, albeit seemingly forced into theflow of his overall argument, is the environ-mental justice movement. Rasmussen’s con-cern for justice is unquestionable, yet hisdecision to address ecological matters pertain-ing to race, gender, and economic station intandem with his overall schema rather than ascentral to it appears to counteract his afore-mentioned emphasis on community. More-over, the anecdotal nature in which Rasmussendiscusses environmental justice, while nodoubt intended to personalize the issue, mighttoo easily be misconstrued as a peripheral is-sue rather than a central one.

The latter section of Earth-Honoring Faithbuilds upon the ethical criteria mentionedabove and attempts a “constructive responsethat takes the form of renewed deep religioustraditions speaking to Earth-destructiveforces.” Rasmussen with great care and inthoughtful detail considers asceticism, sac-ramentalism, mysticism, and prophetic-liberative approaches, respectively. His exege-sis of these varied religious approaches is animmensely helpful resource for religious lead-ers who seek paradigmatic approaches to faithand ecology, as well as for students in need ofgreater understanding of religious under-standings of ecology. The breadth with whichRasmussen canopies these perspectives cou-pled with his unique ability to note symbiosisand synthesis among them is remarkable, and

evidence of his mastery of the field. Ultimately,Rasmussen argues for a wisdom approach toan eco-centric faith wherein elements of allof these traditions can be honored and feasiblepractices and embodied principles canemerge.

Kiara JorgensonLuther SeminarySaint Paul, Minnesota

AFTER ENLIGHTENMENT: THEPOST-SECULAR VISION OF J. G.HAMANN, by John R. Betz. Oxford:Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Pp. 355. $41.95(paper).

Recently there has been an increasing in-terest in the thought of the eighteenth-centuryphilosopher, linguist, and theologian JohannGeorg Hamann. Isaiah Berlin opened this newconversation on Hamann in English with hiswork The Magus of the North (1–2). Berlin ar-gues that Hamann began the irrationalist re-bellion against the enlightenment, which ranfrom Herder and the Sturm und Drang move-ment through romanticism, and culminated inHitler (16). This assessment of Hamann hasnot been without its challengers. In After En-lightenment, John Betz adds his voice of dis-sent to those of James C. O’Flaherty, JohnMilbank, and Oswald Bayer, who reject theidea that Hamann’s thought amounts toirrationalism—much less that he is responsi-ble for the philosophical basis of the ThirdReich (1–2).

According to Betz, Hamann is a forerunnerof post-secularism and the postmodern turn tolanguage and rejection of pure reason. ForBetz, Hamann represents an alternative to thedominant strain of Kantian rationalism fol-lowed in modern philosophy and theology. In-stead of following an intellectual idealism,Hamann approaches nature, life, and theologyas real experiences brought into being by theWord of God that creates reality out of nothing.

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As Kant’s friend and first critic, Hamannpushed back against Kant’s assumption of theexistence and prescience of reason above alland before all. Hamann argued that speechprecedes reason and that, indeed, God’sspeech created reason. In this “Metacritique”of Kant, says Betz, Hamann did not reject rea-son itself, as Berlin maintained, but ratherrejects the idea of a pure, abstract reason inwhich lies the power of being and the explana-tion to existence (234–235).

Betz sees Hamann’s views as very timely forpostmoderns. Hamann, like Nietzsche, Hei-degger, and Derrida, calls into question the ba-sic assumptions of modernity, especially theuniformity of reality through abstract reason.At the same time, Hamann recognizes the im-portance of language and narrative. Yet, unlikethe “postmodern triumvirate,” Hamann doesnot devolve into nihilism and irrationalism(313–319). For Betz, Hamann stands betweenthe extremes of absolutist, objectivist rational-

ism and subjective existentialism, qualifyingreason by its relationship and subjugation tofaith, but not rejecting it entirely (193).

Students, professors, pastors, and layChristians can all learn something valuablefrom this work about the sometimes forgottenfigure of Hamann. For theological academics,Hamann’s criticism of Kantianism and otherstreams of modern thought can be a breath offresh air, enlivening current conversationsabout reality, reason, and language. For pas-tors, the way Betz relates Hamann’s views onScripture is illuminating. Betz portrays Ha-mann as true reader of Scripture who is willingto use his mind and critical analysis to read thebiblical text but who is also attentive to thevoice of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,the God revealed in Jesus Christ, who speaksthrough the Bible (43–44). Indeed, all Chris-tians have something to learn from this readerwho is attentive to the God who speaks “gloryin the ‘rags’ of Scripture” (43). As Betz relates,

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JAN. 29-31

GOD’S MISSION and WORSHIP

MID-WINTER CONVOCATION 2014

www.luthersem.edu/convo

Four theologians, each working in tandem with a missional pastor, will present on one movement of the liturgy: Gathering, Word, Meal and Sending.

LL1035-13E

the voices of modernity have often ignored ortried to drown out the voice of God in the Scrip-tures, and Hamann can help us as postmodernChristians to retune our ears to that voice.

Hamann appears in Betz’s work as some-thing of a pilgrim for whom the narrative ofScripture forms the personal narrative of one’slife. In the story of Scripture, with all its goreand sexual content, one finds the word of Godspoken through the grit and earthiness of reallife. In the same way, says Hamann, the HolySpirit uses the Scriptures to bring the word ofGod into our real lives with all their varieties ofexperience (40–44). Such a view of the Bible’snarrative formation of the reader brings afresh perspective to the notion that—as Betzquotes Bayer on Hamann—“Scripture inter-prets me, and not I Scripture” (41). For Ha-mann, the Author of Scripture is also indeliblythe Author of a person’s life history (40). Thestory of Hamann’s life, including his conver-sion, travels, intellectual relationships, politi-cal intrigues, and sexual experiences, comesalive with theological meaning in a way thatpostmodern Christians who value the power ofstory will appreciate.

Yet, there are two drawbacks to this volume(19). The first is that the author’s own Catho-lic theology noticeably affects how he readsHamann. Betz describes Hamann’s regard forthe word of God as that which calls reality intobeing as a “Catholic universalism (with all itsobjectivity and sacramental view of reality).”That Betz is speaking of a Roman Catholic sac-ramental worldview is evident by the fact thathe capitalizes “Catholic” and juxtaposes it toa “Protestant Christocentrism.” This conflictswith what Hamann actually said against Ro-man absolutist metaphysics, the papacy, andthe viability of a universal worldview, and is at

odds with Protestant scholarship of Hamann,especially Bayer’s. Betz desires Hamann to be afigure who brings together the best of Protes-tantism (i.e., Christocentrism) and the best ofCatholicism (i.e., a “sacramental” metaphysic)in a philosophical theology that then serves asan alternative to Kantian rationalism, the sub-jective romanticism of Schleiermacher, andthe existentialism of Kierkegaard and Barth.Whether or not the real Hamann actually isthis figure is questionable. The second draw-back is that through Betz’s longings that mod-ern thought had followed Hamann instead ofKant, this volume is permeated by nostalgiafor what might have been (18–19, 337–340).Readers may legitimately question whethersuch nostalgia for an alternative history is pro-ductive, especially considering Hamann’s ex-pressed desire to live on “crumbs” of truthrather than a comprehensive worldview(82–83).

Despite these drawbacks, Betz’s workprovides a helpful and thorough sketch ofHamann and his thought. Betz presentsHamann as someone who was skeptical of theabsolutist claims of reason without being askeptic, who realized the precedence of lan-guage and God’s word, and who read the Bibleand saw God through it as the Author of hislife’s story. Most of all, Betz’s work is valuablebecause it encourages its reader to get to knowHamann as someone who can be a genuinelyvaluable resource for doing christocentric the-ology and preaching the word of God in aworld “after enlightenment.”

Joshua C. MillerAugsburg CollegeMinneapolis, Minnesota

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