Customer Reviews

Like Fire in the Bones: Listening for the Prophetic Word in Jeremiah

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To start, know that this is not a straight-forward commentary on Jeremiah, but rather a collection of essays about the book. If you want a chapter-by-chapter commentary by Brueggemann, one of the most astute Jeremiah scholars, see his book "Exile and Homecoming."

That said, it is evident that Brueggemann writes about Jeremiah and connects this book to our day with beautiful prose, passion, and insight. He spends quite a bit of time analyzing the trends in interpretation and criticism in Jeremiah, which I personally did not find useful, but also at times delves deeply and creatively into the soul of the book. Nevertheless, he does take opportunity to use Jeremiah to heavily criticize the culture and politics of the United States, and particularly the Bush administration. His analysis of American faults is insightful and clear, but his criticisms of the Bush administration are distant and murky--he chooses to take quick jabs with no details rather than explaining why the current administrations policies are contrary to the Word. He for example, quickly mentions that "the Dick Cheneys of this world" are constantly trying to stop conversations of power to hold on to the current status quo, with no real explanation or evidence that this is true. Brueggeman is a theologian, not a policy maker, and should follow his own advice in sticking to his own field rather than using his tiny insight into politics taint this otherwise good book.

If you're pressed for time, I recommend reading only chapters 1, 10, 12, and 13.