Out of Babylon

"One of the persistent questions for people of faith throughout history is how are we to live faithfully in the empires of the world? In Out of babylon, Walter Brueggemann, one of the best interpreters of the Hebrew Bible, takes a fresh look at the prophetic paradigm of exile and restoration in Babylon and the realism of balancing `resistance' and `accommodation' in Persia, examining characters like Daniel and Esther. He asks what those biblical precedents might mean for living within `American Empire,' prompting reflections and lessons for Christians who reside in the midst of the world's last remaining super-power." Jim Wallis, President of Sojourners and author of God's Politics and Rediscovering Values

"If Left Behind eschatology and the politics of Christian Zionism represent the worst and least responsible in applying biblical texts to contemporary realities, to whom would we turn to find the best and most responsible? Surely we would turn to Walter Brueggemann, and this new book would provide a primer---not only in its material conclusions but also in its manner of reaching them. Brueggemann offers his signature biblical insight and writes with exceptional vigor." Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity (brianmclaren.net)

"Walter Brueggemann is stunningly brilliant here. Besides surveying most of the First Testament prophets to show the relationship of the contemporary Church to the metaphor of `Babylon,' this volume takes some surprising turns and gives us fresh directions. Out of Babylon is a must for All Christians!" Marva Dawn, author of Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, Being Well When We're lll, and In the Beginning GOD

"This book drips with prophetic flavor and imagination. For decades, Brueggemann has been a gentle, steadfast voice in the wilderness---inviting cultural refugees, political misfits, and religious burnouts to set up camp and build a new world. In an age that is growing tired of militarism and materialism, here is a book that dares you not only to say NO to the empire but to say YES to another world. Let this book inspire you to look from a distance at Babylon as the falls and Wall Street as she falters and sing songs of deliverance and freedom, songs about the God who lifts up the lowly and casts the mighty from their thrones; these are the songs of Zion." Shane Claiborne, author, activist, and freelance troublemaker