“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” Psalm 119:105
– Walter Brueggemann’s Confirmation Verse –
Eden Theological Seminary has learned of the death of our illustrious Alumnus, formative Dean, and beloved inaugural Professor of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation, Walter Brueggemann. A memorial service will be held (and publicly live-streamed) on Saturday, July 19 at 2:00 PM (1:00 PM visitation) at Central Methodist Church in Traverse City, Michigan. Obituary here.
The stories and tributes shared on social media posts from across the country and around the world testify to the impact of this powerful scholar and teacher of Biblical texts and faithful servant of the church. As we weigh the impact of Professor Brueggemann’s vocation at Eden and in the UCC, we are mindful of the deep personal loss to his family, close friends, and community. We hold them all in prayer in these days, and we hold fast to the hope of the Resurrection to which Walter testified and about which he taught us all so well.
Professor Brueggemann, or Walt, as he was known to many of his colleagues, students, and friends, was a child of the Evangelical German tradition. His father, August, was a pastor within the Evangelical and then Evangelical and Reformed Church, who was educated at Eden. Walter was formed within the piety of the E tradition, and went to Elmhurst College, Eden Seminary, and pursued further doctoral study at Union Seminary in New York. In 1961 he was called to join the faculty of Eden Seminary where he led the Seminary as Dean and was installed as the inaugural Evangelical Professor of Biblical Interpretation in 1983. After 25 years at Eden, he departed in 1986 to serve on the faculty of Columbia Seminary in Decatur, GA, becoming Emeritus Professor in 2003. In this capacity he continued his scholarship, writing, and teaching with great energy and purpose until just recently.
Known around the world as a brilliant Biblical scholar and prophet of the church, Walter’s prodigious publications and vigorous speaking schedule allowed for his dynamic and inspiring teaching to reach thousands beyond the seminary classroom. The impact of his scholarly vocation and his faithful dedication to Christ’s church has formed generations of theologians and pastors and will continue to do so for years to come. His passion for study of biblical texts and his capacity to animate their meaning are enduring hallmarks of his teaching.
Eden’s Emeritus Martha McCall Egan Professor of Biblical Studies, Rev. Dr. John Bracke, shared this reflection on Walter’s vocation as scholar and teacher:
“Walter was among the most important Hebrew Bible scholars of his generation – a prolific author, an engaging speaker, an inspiring teacher. Yet, even more significantly, Walter was a child of the church, formed in the parsonage of a German Evangelical pastor’s family and then as a student at Eden Seminary. So, his scholarship was never esoteric but always in service of the church, always as a witness to the gospel. Walter’s was a prophetic voice that imagined a world where the marginalized – the widows and orphans – were cared for with dignity and where a vision of shalom continues to call the church to faithful witness.”
Rev. Dr. Clint McCann, Eden’s current Evangelical Professor of Biblical Interpretation shared these thoughts:
“Walter Brueggemann was a brilliant and amazingly productive scholar; an inspired and inspiring teacher; and a faithful and energetic prophetic voice in the service of Eden Seminary, the UCC, the Church Universal, and the world. His career-long effort to teach us that the God of the Bible subverts the self-serving, oppressive, and deadly forces of US and Western imperialism is more important now than it ever has been. We won’t have his physical voice for this terrifying time; but we do have his truly remarkable legacy — over 100 books, along with hundreds of articles, essays, sermons, and prayers!”
Eden Seminary gives thanks to God for the ministry of Walter Brueggemann. His vocation has been a powerful testimony to his confirmation verse, Psalm 119:105. As we grieve with his family and give thanks for his life, we are encouraged and inspired by the bright light that endures and continues to inspire faith in his teaching and scholarship.
