Analysis Of Walter Brueggemann's 'Biblical Authority'

The Bible is read and interpreted by many people all over the world. Regardless, no one knows the absolute truth behind scripture. Walter Brueggemann, professor of Old Testament, wrote “Biblical Authority” to help people understand what he describes as six different parts that make up the foundation to ones understanding of scripture. He defines these six features as being: inherency, interpretation, imagination, ideology, inspiration, and importance. As Brueggemann explains each individual part, it is easy to see that they are all interconnected because no one can practice one facet without involuntarily practicing at least one other part.

The first aspect Brueggemann describes is the inherency of The Bible. Readers must trust what it says and truly believe in the word of God. Brueggeman claims The Bible portrays that God created the world in love and will end suffering by making

Imagination allows for one to explore deeper into their faith than what would be possible in the physical world. Brueggemann describes imagination in faith as inevitable because it is bound to happen when trying to understand that of which is beyond physical means; also when one relates the stories of an ancient world to present day circumstances.

By using imagination to relate scripture to personal experiences, people discover their truths derived from The Bible through Ideology. According to Brueggemann, Ideology is biased by the interpreter. They have had very unique experiences that dictate their thought process while attempting to understand the words of scripture. Ideology is when one discovers their unique truth within scripture but gives recognition that it is not the one and only existing truth. Therefore, each person must decipher scripture for themselves to discover their true, personal meaning to guide them in their religious