2021/02/11

The Cloud of Unknowing - Wikipedia

The Cloud of Unknowing - Wikipedia

The Cloud of Unknowing

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This article is about the medieval book. For other uses, see The Cloud of Unknowing (disambiguation).
The Cloud of Unknowing
AuthorAnonymous
Original titleThe Cloude of Unknowyng
CountryEngland
LanguageMiddle English
SubjectSpiritual guide to contemplative prayer
GenreChristian mysticism
Publication date
Late 14th century
Followed byThe Book of Privy Counseling 
Part of a series on
Christian mysticism
Transfiguration of Jesus
Theology · Philosophy
Practices
People (by era or century)
Literature · Media

The Cloud of Unknowing (Middle English: The Cloude of Unknowing) is an anonymous work of Christian mysticism written in Middle English in the latter half of the 14th century. The text is a spiritual guide on contemplative prayer in the late Middle Ages. The underlying message of this work suggests that the way to know God is to abandon consideration of God's particular activities and attributes, and be courageous enough to surrender one's mind and ego to the realm of "unknowing", at which point one may begin to glimpse the nature of God.

History[edit]

The Cloud of Unknowing draws on the mystical tradition of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite and Christian Neoplatonism,[1] which focuses on the via negativa road to discovering God as a pure entity, beyond any capacity of mental conception and so without any definitive image or form. This tradition has reputedly inspired generations of mystics, from John Scotus Eriugena, Nicholas of Cusa, and John of the Cross, to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (the latter two of whom may have been influenced by The Cloud itself). Prior to this, the theme of The Cloud had appeared in the Confessions of St. Augustine (IX, 10) written in AD 398.[2] Concerning the placement of The Cloud of Unknowing in the trends of the Catholic Church at the approximate time of its writing, the work joins a broader medieval movement within Christianity toward a religious experience of a more individual and passionate view of relationship with God.[3]

The author is unknown. The English Augustinian mystic Walter Hilton has at times been suggested, but this is generally doubted.[4] It is possible he was a Carthusian priest, though this is not certain.[5]

A second major work by the same author, The Book of Privy Counseling (originally titled Prive Counselling), continues the themes discussed in the Cloud. It is less than half the size of the Cloud, appears to be the author's final work, and clarifies and deepens some of its teachings.[6] In this work, the author characterizes the practice of contemplative unknowing as worshiping God with one's "substance," coming to rest in a "naked blind feeling of being," and ultimately finding thereby that God is one's being. Experience, in keeping with the mystical tradition, is considered the ultimate means by which a Christian can and should relate to God, and the practice of contemplation in The Cloud is thus focused on the experience of God by the contemplative. This relationship between God and the contemplative takes place within continual conflict between the spirit and the physical. God is spirit in the purest sense; therefore, no matter intensity of desire or fervor of love, the movement toward God by body-bound contemplatives will ever be halted by the cloud of unknowing that hides God from understanding and prevent fullest and truest experience of God's being. The object of the contemplative experience is to know God, as much as possible, from within this cloud of unknowing.

Contents[edit]

The Cloud of Unknowing is written specifically to a student, and the author strongly commands the student in the Prologue, "do not willingly and deliberately read it, copy it, speak of it, or allow it to be read, copied, or spoken of, by anyone or to anyone, except by or to a person who, in your opinion, has undertaken truly and without reservation to be a perfect follower of Christ."[7]

The book counsels the young student to seek God, not through knowledge and intellection (faculty of the human mind), but through intense contemplation, motivated by love, and stripped of all thought.[note 1] Experience of a "cloud of unknowing" is introduced Chapter 3:

"For the first time you [lift your heart to God with stirrings of love], you will find only a darkness, and as it were a cloud of unknowing [...] Whatever you do, this darkness and the cloud are between you and your God, and hold you back from seeing him clearly by the light of understanding in your reason and from experiencing him in the sweetness of love in your feelings. [...] And so prepare to remain in this darkness as long as you can, always begging for him you love; for if you are ever to feel or see him...it must always be in this cloud and this darkness."

— The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. Translated by A. C. Spearing. London: Penguin. 2001. pp. 22. ISBN 0-14-044762-8.

This is brought about by putting all thoughts and desires under a "cloud of forgetting," and thereby piercing God's cloud of unknowing with a "dart of longing love" from the heart. This form of contemplation is not directed by the intellect, but involves spiritual union with God through the heart:

For He can well be loved, but he cannot be thought. By love he can be grasped and held, but by thought, neither grasped nor held. And therefore, though it may be good at times to think specifically of the kindness and excellence of God, and though this may be a light and a part of contemplation, all the same, in the work of contemplation itself, it must be cast down and covered with a cloud of forgetting. And you must step above it stoutly but deftly, with a devout and delightful stirring of love, and struggle to pierce that darkness above you; and beat on that thick cloud of unknowing with a sharp dart of longing love, and do not give up, whatever happens."[8]

As one pursues the beating of the cloud of unknowing as compelled by spiritual stirrings of love in the heart, the intellect and sinful stirrings will often pull the contemplatives focus away from God and back to the things of physical world and of the self. The author thus enjoins the contemplative to "vigorously trample on [any new thoughts or sinful stirrings] with a fervent stirring of love, and tread them down beneath your feet. And try to cover them with a thick cloud of forgetting, as if they had never been done by you or anyone else on earth. [...] Push them down as often as they rise."[9]

The author draws a strong distinction in Chapters 16-22 between the active and contemplative Christian life. He illustrates the distinction by drawing heavily from the account of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke, writing that "[By] Mary all contemplatives are understood, so that they should model their way of life on hers; and similarly by Martha, all actives, with the same consequent resemblance."[7] While the author holds Mary as the superior example in the passage as a "model for all of us [who seek to be contemplatives]," he clarifies that Martha's activity in service to God was nonetheless "good and beneficial for her salvation" but not the best thing.[10]

Chapter 23 of The Book of Privy Counseling glorifies experience over knowledge:

"And so I urge you, go after experience rather than knowledge. On account of pride, knowledge may often deceive you, but this gentle, loving affection will not deceive you. Knowledge tends to breed conceit, but love builds. Knowledge is full of labor, but love, full of rest."[11]

Chapters 39 and 40 recommend the focus on a single word as the means to invoke the fullness of God:

When we intend to pray for goodness, let all our thought and desire be contained in the one small word "God." Nothing else and no other words are needed, for God is the epitome of all goodness. Immerse yourself in the spiritual reality it speaks of yet without precise ideas of God's works whether small or great, spiritual or material. Do not consider any particular virtue which God may teach you through grace, whether it is humility, charity, patience, abstinence, hope, faith, moderation, chastity, or evangelical poverty. For to a contemplative they are, in a sense, all the same. Let this little word represent to you God in all his fullness and nothing less than the fullness of God.[12][note 2]

While the author presents many methods of his own for effective contemplation of God, he often leaves the teaching of method to God himself. In Chapter 40, for example, he advises a contemplative who is struggling with sin to "[...] feel sin as a lump, you do not know what, but nothing other than yourself. And then shout continuously in spirit, 'Sin, sin, sin! out, out, out!' This spiritual shout is better learned from God by experience than from any human being by word."[15]

While the practice of contemplation in The Cloud is focused upon the experience of spiritual reality by the soul, the author also makes some provision for the needs of the body, going so far as to say that care for the body is an important element of spiritual contemplation if only to prevent hindrance of its practice. He writes in Chapter 41:

And so, for the love of God, guard against sickness as much as you reasonably can, so that, as far as you may, you are not the cause of your own weakness. For I tell you that this work demands the greatest tranquility, and a state of health and purity in body as much as in soul. And so, for the love of God, regulate your conduct with moderation in body and in soul, and keep yourself as healthy as possible.

— The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. Translated by A. C. Spearing. London: Penguin Publishers. 2001. pp. 64–65. ISBN 0-14-044762-8.

Other works by the same author[edit]

In addition to The Cloud of Unknowing and The Book of Privy Counseling, the Cloud author is believed to be responsible for a few other spiritual treatises and translations, including:

  • Deonise Hid Divinity, a free translation of the Mystical Theology by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. A vernacular translation of the Mystical Theology was unprecedented; however, it was clearly not widely read, since only two manuscripts survive.[16]
  • A Letter of Prayer (A Pistle of Prayer), which survives in seven manuscripts. (Online);
  • A Letter of Discretion of Stirrings (A Pistle of Discrecioun of Stirings). (Online, part VI of "The Cell of Self Knowledge")
  • It is possible, but doubtful,[16] that he wrote A Treatise of Discernment of Spirits (originally titled A Tretis of Discrecyon of Spirites), a free translation of Sermones di Diversis nos 23–24, by Bernard of Clairvaux, (Online).
  • It is possible, but doubtful,[16] that he wrote A Treatise of the Study of Wisdom that Men Call Benjamin (also called Pursuit of Wisdom, and, in its original, A Tretyse of the Stodye of Wysdome that Men Clepen Beniamyn), an abbreviated and free translation of the Benjamin Minor by Richard of Saint Victor (Online).

Manuscripts[edit]

The Cloud of Unknowing has 17 known manuscripts.[6] The two best known are British Library Harley MS 2373 and Cambridge University Library Kk.vi.26. These contain all seven of the works attributed to the Cloud author, the former extensively glossed in Latin.[2] Another important manuscript is British Library Harleian 2373, which contains all but Deonise Hid Divinity.[17]

Later influence[edit]

Given its survival in only seventeen manuscripts, The Cloud of Unknowing was not as popular in late medieval England as the works of Richard Rolle or Walter Hilton, perhaps because the Cloud is addressed to solitaries and concentrates on the advanced levels of the mystical path. Two Latin translations of the Cloud were made in the late fifteenth century. One was made by Richard Methley, a Carthusian of the Charterhouse of Mount Grace in Yorkshire, and finished in 1491.[18] The other is anonymous. Neither, however, enjoyed wide dissemination.[6]

This work became known to English Catholics in the mid 17th century, when the Benedictine monk, Augustine Baker (1575–1641), wrote an exposition on its doctrine based on a manuscript copy in the library of the monastery of Cambrai in Flanders. The original work itself, however, was not published until 1877. English mystic Evelyn Underhill edited an important version of the work in 1922.[1]

The work has become increasingly popular over the course of the twentieth century, with nine English translations or modernisations produced in this period. In particular, The Cloud has influenced recent contemplative prayer practices. The practical prayer advice contained in The Cloud of Unknowing forms a primary basis for the contemporary practice of Centering Prayer, a form of Christian meditation developed by Trappist monks William Meninger, Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating in the 1970s.[19] It also informed the meditation techniques of the English Benedictine John Main.[6]

The contemplation method urged in The Cloud is similar to Buddhist meditation and modern transcendental meditation.[20] For example, the last paragraph of chapter 7 says:

If you want to gather all your desire into one simple word that the mind can easily retain, choose a short word rather than a long one. A one-syllable word such as "God" or "love" is best. But choose one that is meaningful to you. Then fix it in your mind so that it will remain there come what may. This word will be your defence in conflict and in peace. Use it to beat upon the cloud of darkness above you and to subdue all distractions, consigning them to the cloud of forgetting beneath you.

References in popular culture[edit]

Editions[edit]

Editions of related texts include

  • Deonise Hid Divinite: And Other Treatises on Contemplative Prayer Related to The Cloud of Unknowing (1955). ed., Phyllis Hodgson. Early English Text Society. Oxford University Press, 2002 paperback: 0859916987
  • The Pursuit of Wisdom: And Other Works by the Author of The Cloud of Unknowing (1988). translator, James Walsh. Paulist Press Classics of Western Spirituality. paperback: ISBN 0-8091-2972-8.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ An important introductory section of Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica states a recurring premise of the work: that "we cannot know what God is, but rather what He is not, we have no means for considering how God is, but rather how He is not." As for how to proceed: "Now it can be shown how God is not, by denying of Him whatever is opposed to the idea of Him" (Intro to Treatise on Divine Simplicity, Prima Pars, Q. 3). It's possible either that the author of the Cloud was influenced by Aquinas, or correspondingly, both the author and Aquinas were influenced by Pseudo-Dionysius. Orthodox Christian philosophy is also influenced by Pseudo-Dionysius.
  2. ^ Ch. 39-40, other translations:
    * Evelyn Underhill (1922/2003): "And if we will intentively pray for getting of good, let us cry, either with word or with thought or with desire, nought else nor no more words, but this word "God". For why, in God be all good..Fill thy spirit with the ghostly bemeaning of it without any special beholding to any of His works—whether they be good, better, or best of all—bodily or ghostly, or to any virtue that may be wrought in man’s soul by any grace; not looking after whether it be meekness or charity, patience or abstinence, hope, faith, or soberness, chastity or wilful poverty. What recks this in contemplatives?.. they covet nothing with special beholding, but only good God. Do thou.. mean God all, and all God, so that nought work in thy wit and in thy will, but only God.[13]
    * Middle English original: "And yif we wil ententifly preie for getyng of goodes, lat us crie, outher with worde or with thought or with desire, nought elles, ne no mo wordes, bot this worde God. For whi in God ben alle goodes.. Fille thi spirit with the goostly bemenyng of it withoutyn any specyal beholdyng to any of His werkes whether thei be good, betir, or alther best, bodily or goostly—or to any vertewe that may be wrought in mans soule by any grace, not lokyng after whether it be meeknes or charité, pacyence or abstynence, hope, feith, or sobirnes, chastité or wilful poverté. What thar reche in contemplatyves?.. thei coveyte nothing with specyal beholdyng, bot only good God. Do thou.. mene God al, and al God, so that nought worche in thi witte and in thi wile, bot only God.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to:a b "Introduction", The Cloud of Unknowing, (Evelyn Underhill, ed.) 1922.
  2. ^ Jump up to:a b "Introduction", The Cloud of Unknowing, (Patrick Gallacher, ed.) (TEAMS Middle English Texts Series, 1997)
  3. ^ Spearing, A. C. (2001). "Introduction". The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. London: Penguin Books. pp. xii. ISBN 978-0-14-044762-0.
  4. ^ The Cloud of Unknowing, (James Walsh, ed.) (New York: Paulist Press, 1981), p. 2.
  5. ^ Walsh pp. 3-9.
  6. ^ Jump up to:a b c d McGinn, Bernard. The Varieties of Vernacular Mysticism, (New York: Herder & Herder, 2012), p396.
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. Translated by A. C. Spearing. London: Penguin. 2001. pp. 44-45. ISBN 0-14-044762-8.
  8. ^ The Cloud of Unknowing and other works. Penguin Classics. 2001. ISBN 978-0-14-044762-0. Translated by A. C. Spearing
  9. ^ The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. Translated by A. C. Spearing. London: Penguin Books. 2001. pp. 54. ISBN 0-14-044762-8. OCLC 59513557.
  10. ^ The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. Translated by A. C. Spearing. London: Penguin Books. 2001. pp. 44-45. ISBN 0-14-044762-8.
  11. ^ Johnston (1996), p. 188 (paperback).
  12. ^ Johnston (1996), pp. 98-101.
  13. ^ Cloud (version), Underhill (2003), pp. 69-72, Accessed 23 May 2010.
  14. ^ Cloud (original), Gallacher (1997), lines 1426 - 1471Archived 19 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed 23 May 2010.
  15. ^ The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works. Translated by A. C. Spearing. London: Penguin Books. 2001. pp. 63. ISBN 0-14-044762-8.
  16. ^ Jump up to:a b c Bernard McGinn, The Varieties of Vernacular Mysticism, (New York: Herder & Herder, 2012), p398.
  17. ^ The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works, trans. by A. C. Spearing (London: Penguin, 2001), p. xl.
  18. ^ The Cloud of Unknowing, ed James Walsh, (New York: Paulist Press, 1981), p16.
  19. ^ Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel (2006/1986). by Thomas Keating. Continuum International Publishing Group. paperback: ISBN 0-8264-0696-3, hardback: ISBN 0-8264-1420-6.
  20. ^ The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works, trans. by A. C. Spearing (London: Penguin, 2001), p. xviii; Ninian Smart, 'What Would Buddhaghosa Have Made of The Cloud of Unknowing?', in Mysticism and Language, ed. by Steven A, Katz (New York, 1992), pp. 103-22.
  21. ^ See verse four of the song.
  22. ^ Don DeLillo, Underworld (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 273.
  23. ^ "Official trailer for First Reformed". IMDB.com. Appears at :10. Retrieved 8 June 2018.

External links[edit]

Categories:
14th-century Christian texts
Visionary literature
Middle English literature
Neoplatonic texts
Works published anonymously
Roman Catholic mystics
English Catholic mystics
English Roman Catholics
Catholic spirituality
English religious writers
Middle English language
English non-fiction books
14th-century English people
Works of unknown authorship

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reassuring
While the language is condensed the content explained and normalized so many mystical experiences which I've never had anyone talk about. it really helps take the fear of the unknown and reassures that many people have been here before.

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Overall    5 out of 5 stars
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Mark Rene
26-12-2019
WOW, MESMERISING, IT SPOKE TO ME 😮😁
My God, 🙏 l truly understand what this humble genius was saying, l felt like he was speaking to me, even though his message is 600 years old. Beautiful, Aaron Abke recommended this book, l recommend him as he was the one who truly opened my eyes to what l've been looking for. Thank you Aaron & the unknown genius writer😁🙏

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From Australia
Alwyn Noronha
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring
Reviewed in Australia on 9 May 2020
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the book just meanders along until it gets so abstract it it becomes boring to go any further. I will still try and read through the book in time.
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Fr. Neville
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Australia on 15 December 2014
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This spiritual masterpiece demands attention no only in the Middle Ages.
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Samantha Harris
5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating Guidebook to Contemplative Life
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 September 2019
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This is a classic guide for the true Contemplative who desires to seek God's face, the Mary who sits at Jesus's feet. It wasn't until about halfway through the book that I reached the practical insight so persevere.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent translation of this incredibly valuable book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 March 2014
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I have struggled with other so called "modern" translation of this book that still sounded like old English to me. The language always got in the way of the deep spiritual concepts and wonderful guidance offered by the anonymous author. This translation keeps the beauty and warmth of the original, but allows ordinary readers like me to focus wholly on the concepts and advice he is offering, many of which need time and contemplation to be fully absorbed. I am thankful to the anonymous author for writing down his advice, and to Bernard Bangley for this excellent and loving translation.
14 people found this helpful
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James Maccabe
5.0 out of 5 stars none have done it better than this writer
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2016
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Evelyn Underhill really understood this ancient work by an unknown monk. If you want to understand this mystical book ,
none have done it better than this writer. Excellent!
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Anne
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 July 2017
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I am growing in understanding of this text, but it could be a challenge for the general reader
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Andy H
5.0 out of 5 stars ? ....
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2020
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Great quality book, I am still to read and from other reviews - wish me luck!.
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christine ann davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 April 2018
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a classic all Christians and mystics should read
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Jeffrey Chase
5.0 out of 5 stars A Mystical Gem
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2013
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Although written in a very old English language style, I urge you to persevere through this inspired book. I found that the language quickly became less of an issue the further I progressed (similar to when hearing/reading Shakespeare for the first time). In many ways I found that the language helped the real truth being described register intuitively rather than intellectually.
JC
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Country Vicar
5.0 out of 5 stars Middle English!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 February 2015
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Great book! But not one to read quickly! Middle English is interesting - even when edited, for this is a light editing. But a facinating and enlightening read for anyone interested in the business of contemplative prayer.
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Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann

Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann

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Byron Fike
4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Resource
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2016
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A wonderful resource I will keep in my library and return too often. I especially am thankful that at the end of each prayer the occasion is noted. Many of these were written for specific texts of scripture that were about to be studied in class. I plan to consider using some of these prayers when I am leading a study of those particular texts. Also, the final section "Praying the Christian Year." I found those prayers useful last year and utilized them as prayers with our church staff during our meetings.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars ThThoughtful and eloquent
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2016
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When I bought this book years ago, I had the opportunity to talk with Walter Bruggemann about writing sermons and rayers and he said that he found it more work to write a prayer than a sermon, to which I say amen. These prayers are stirring in their meaning and passion. I begin each day reading one and it makes the start of the day so much better.
2 people found this helpful
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Augiemom
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Impactful Prayers
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2020
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Walter Brueggemann's masterful, deep and awe-inspiring prayers will deepen your faith and help you to look beyond the distractions of daily life to focus on God.
---
Zahara
4.0 out of 5 stars Kindle edition
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2009
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Yes this an excellent book, no doubt about it. However my review is directed at the Kindle edition. Each prayer fits on one page, regardless of the length. This means that some display in very, very small type. And there is no way to increase the font size. The font size feature of the Kindle doesn't work with this digital document. At one point I had to reach for a magnifying glass. It would have been nice to know this ahead of time as then I would have bought the actual paper book. It would have been way more useful.
4 people found this helpful
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JAV
5.0 out of 5 stars A real Treasure
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2016
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Wonderful book of prayers! Just reading the forward to the book is so very rich as are the prayers. They are so thought provoking. These prayers have been very inspiring and have helped me to pray in a different way. This book of prayers is a real treasure.
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Nancy deMaille
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2017
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In my searching for a new daily book on prayer I found Walter Brueggemann's
Book. I can only say he has opened my heart to the deep new look at the
Magnitude of God. Jesus tells us to come to Him as little children This is for our faith and trust These prayers have brought me to a glimpse of GOD
I have to read them two and sometimes three times each day To receive the depth of the prayer Thank you
--
owl lady
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Inspirational, Thought Provoking
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2015
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This book is a very thoughtful and inspirational collection of prayers that encompasses the love of God and Jesus, and how our lives are impacted by them. His theological ideas and thoughts resound in the words, and I found it very fulfilling, thought provoking, and inspiring. I would recommend it highly.
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Pastor Bob Higle
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Prayers of Walter Brueggemann
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2018
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I truly enjoyed and was blessed by the prayers captured, recorded, and then published for all to read. Of interest is the prayers captured and written for and about September 11, 2001. Great work for my personal library
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JO
5.0 out of 5 stars my favorite book of prayers.
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2015
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This has become my favorite book of prayers. Selected prayers from years of beginning classes with a meaningful prayer. These have been taken from the classroom and placed in an anthology for our blessing. The formatting leads one to read them with the cadence and focus that was reflected as he first prayed them in the classroom.
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S. Mckelvey
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017
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What a great compilation of poems! This was my first Brueggemann, and now won't be my last.
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Nov 02, 2014Katrina rated it it was amazing
My love affair with 'The Brueg' continues. (less)
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Dec 18, 2018Jackson Brooks rated it really liked it
Beautiful, profound prayers, great for devotions. A few of them are a little sketchy, but use your judgment informed by Scripture and tradition.
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Mar 21, 2009Jay rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: pastors, prayers, congregations, doubters
Shelves: faith, anti-oppression, working-with-people
My favorite book for public prayer- evocative, current, and rich in biblical images.
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Aug 16, 2019Karen rated it it was ok
While I have deep respect for the author, his faith and his work, in all honesty I simply didn't like this book. I had high hopes and deep interest when I began it, but I found the style of the prayers didn't move me to prayer, and there was a repetitive You God/we humans contrast that I grew tired of quickly. It was a relief to put it down. (less)
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Sep 15, 2017Matt rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Power. Enlightening. Imaginative. Just the kind of prayers you would expect from Brueggemann. If you are a fan of his work, or if you simply desire material with which to enhance and stir your own prayer life, then this book will repay you well.
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Nov 11, 2017Sue Whitt rated it it was amazing
Prayers
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May 02, 2018Nate rated it it was amazing
Shelves: spirituality
Heartfelt, profound, theologically and biblically-informed psalms from the inner yearnings and experience of one of our lifetime's greatest biblical scholars. Highly recommended. (less)
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Jun 26, 2018David rated it really liked it
Shelves: 2018, to-re-read
Brueggemann's word choice and use of syntax is often unconventional and thought provoking. (less)
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Sep 18, 2018Yvonne Agduyeng rated it it was amazing
I've had this book for a few years, and I still randomly pick it up on days and just re-read the whole thing. Highly recommend. (less)
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94 A Social Reading of the Old Testament: Brueggemann, Walter:

A Social Reading of the Old Testament: Brueggemann, Walter: 9780800627348: Amazon.com: Books

  • Publisher : Fortress Press (January 1, 1994)
  • Paperback : 340 pages



In this book Walter Brueggemann raises a variety of contemporary and intriguing questions on the relation of society and text in the Old Testament, among them-the hidden agendas that underlie the making and reading of Scripture the conflictual tension in ancient Israel the cry to God of the oppressed and God's response the political dimension of mercy theodicy, violence, horses, and chariots Brueggemann opens to a variety of readers a compelling picture of subversive paradigm and social possibility in the Hebrew Bible.



From Library Journal
Brueggemann, a distinguished Old Testament scholar, presents a collection of essays on the communal life of ancient Israel. The topics discussed include the social implications of the covenant between God and Israel; Israel's social responsibilities; the social roles of the prophets; biblical understandings of property; theodicy; and preaching. This is a Christian interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, whose teachings are seen as a prefiguration of the gospels. An extremely erudite, specialized study recommended solely for seminary libraries.
Robert A. Silver, formerly Shaker Heights P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.



a.m.ryan@xtra.co.nz
5.0 out of 5 stars 
A challenging interpretation of Old Testament texts.
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 1998
--
Brueggemann combines his sociological and exegetical skills to provide an interpretation of Old Testament texts that is challenging and meaningful. 

He highlights the tension between institutionalisation and revolution, complacency and subversion which exists in the Bible. 

On the one hand, there are texts that glorify and support the establishment, which tolerate the oppression of the majority by the powerful.

 On the other hand, there is God's voice responding to the cry of the oppressed. This is a God who wants to enter a new, and transformative relationship with humanity.

Those of us who confine our interpretation of scripture to the literary or the historical, or who see the Bible as confirming a politically conservative view of the world, will find this book uncomfortable. 

Brueggemann is not neutral - nor should he be - and has obvious affinity for the voice of liberation, transformation, justice and peace that calls to us from the Biblical texts. Sometimes, his interpretation is a little forced (as in chapter 5) but such an interpretation is always easy to read and definitely worth considering.
As one who enjoys the wisdom literature of the Old Testsament,

 I found Brueggemann's critique of the sociological background of wisdom more than a little disconcerting. His words challenged me to reflect on my own position in society and to ask myself about the extent to which it influences my response to the Old Testament.

A final word: the second chapter of the book, "Covenant as a subversive paradigm", is inspirational.
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A look at Walter Brueggemann on biblical authority | open source theology

A look at Walter Brueggemann on biblical authority | open source theology


Home » Christian Associates Study Group » What is the place of Scripture in the church today?
A look at Walter Brueggemann on biblical authority
Submitted by DanSteiger on 20 November, 2003 - 5:31pm. 
| The place of Scripture in the church today | Interpretation and community



From the outset I would like to add a personal note about Walter Brueggemann’s background. Brueggemann indicates that Psalm 119:105 is his life text:
“Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” 

Interestingly, it was handed down to him at his confirmation from his father, who taught him “the artistry as well as the authority of scripture”. What a beautiful legacy for a father to leave his son. Aside from his dad, an evangelical pastor who himself loved the Word, Brueggemann’s approach to Scripture was strongly influenced by a number of liberal theologians (of the German variety). 

His association with this latter group has nurtured in him both a special longing for unity in the broader body of Christ (including non-evangelicals), and a penchant for championing the cause of the underprivileged and marginalized elements of society. That association has also reinforced his love for the literary brilliance and divine nature of the Scriptures. All these formative influences are apparent in such statements as this one made in the address he gave at the particular conference on biblical authority under review: “The Bible is essentially an open, artistic, imaginative narrative of God’s staggering care for the world, a narrative that will feed and nurture into obedience that builds community precisely by respect for the liberty of the Christian man or woman.”

Now, enough background. Let’s move on to Brueggemann’s framework for approaching interpretation of the Bible. A base assumption, and two derivative “learnings” (as he labels them) vital to this discussion, are as follows: “How we read the Bible, each of us, is partly a plot of family, neighbors, and friends (a socialization process) and partly the God-given accident of long-term development in faith.” From that Brueggemann concludes that: “The real issues of biblical authority and interpretation are not likely to be settled by erudite cognitive formulation or appeal to classic settlement, but live beneath such contention in often unrecognized and uncriticized ways that are deeply powerful, especially if rooted (as they may be for most of us) amidst hurt, anger, or anxiety.” And further, “Real decisions about Biblical meanings are mostly not decided on the spot, but are long-term growth of habit and conviction that emerge, function, and shape, often long before recognized. And if that is so, then the disputes require not frontal arguments that are mostly exercises in self-entertainment, but long term pastoral attentiveness to each other in good faith.”[2]

Brueggeman’s six facets of biblical interpretation

Beyond these qualifying assumptions, Brueggemann identifies six “facets of biblical interpretation” which he believes are operative (or ought to be) among all those who would maturely attempt to unpack the bible’s meaning and application for today. These he captures in six “I” descriptors: 1) inherency, 2) interpretation, 3) ideology, 4) inspiration, 5) imagination, and, 6) urgency (importance). I will very briefly lay out my understanding of what he is implying with each of these facets, and then I will respond with some of my own commentary on the value and some dangers I personally observe in the application of these.

Let’s start with the first facet. This is not an easy one to articulate, but I’ll give it a try. By inherency, Brueggemann means God’s word is not fixed or frozen - it is the “live word of God.” That authoritative word is embodied in the text of Scripture, but refracted through many authors who were not simply “disembodied voices” but who were speaking the inherent faith into their given context and circumstances. Because of this refraction, and because of the living, active divine breath behind it, the locus of authority is the Bible’s good news and “main theological claims”, and these are what the church at large must base its unity upon. I get the idea that inherency is an acknowledgement that the divine is lurking within the text, but it’s not easy to pinpoint exactly where (beyond that gospel corpus & such main claims as creation, redemption, the consummation of all things, etc.).

With the facet of interpretation, Brueggemann argues that the Bible requires and insists upon “human interpretation that is inescapably subjective, necessarily provisional, and as [we] are living witnesses, inevitably disputatious.” Beyond the baseline of main claims or affirmations of Apostolic faith, we must attach only “tentative authority” to interpretations on almost all questions. He claims that Reformed interpretation too often has involved “a slight of hand act of substituting of our interpretive preference for the inherency of Apostolic claims.”

This process of interpretation that avoids absolute resolution on almost everything the Bible teaches (beyond the most basic of Apostolic claims) is self-evident, Brueggemann claims, in the Bible itself. For example, when God re-iterates the law given at Sinai for a new generation, Moses claims “Not with our ancestors did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today” (Deuteronomy 5:3). The original instruction from Sinai is applied in a fresh manner for a new circumstance. He claims that God actually overturns in some instances some decrees that were in their historic context binding for the people of Israel. He cites God’s original ban from inclusion in community anyone practicing distorted sexuality. In Isaiah 56:3-8 he claims this is overturned for a more inclusive, tolerant perspective. A similar dynamic is observable, he claims, in Deut. 24:1 where it is declared that marriages broken in infidelity cannot be restored. Later in Jeremiah chapter three, Brueggemann sees God actually overturning this original decree in light of new circumstances (where restoration despite infidelity is possible).

The third facet Brueggemann mentions is imagination. In seeking to understand and apply Scripture we ought to employ this faculty of creative imagining to envision “a movement of the text beyond itself in fresh ways.” It takes a measure of fantasy or imagination to “transpose ancient voices into contemporary voices of authority.” Brueggemann claims that we do this all the time in interpretation; for example, he says “those of us who think critically do not believe that the Old Testament was talking about Jesus [what?!!!], and yet we make the linkages. And we make “a huge leap to imagine that an ancient Purity Code in Leviticus 18 bears upon consenting gays and lesbians in the twenty-first century…” (although gay people find supposedly more sound argument in Brueggeman’s earlier idea of situational - perhaps, more accurately, evolutional – abrogation of earlier biblical decrees). I love (and fully concur with) the following summary statement of Brueggemann’s view on imagination in interpretation: “Imagination can indeed be a gift of the Spirit, but it is a gift used with immense subjective freedom which we would do better to concede, even if that concession makes it unmistakably clear that our imaginative interpretations cannot claim the shrillness of certainty but only the tentativeness of our best extrapolations.”

Ideology is Brueggemann’s fourth “I” which is operative as we approach the biblical text. By ideology he means the bias we all bring to the text out of unique design and experience. Our passions, self-interests, anxieties, fears and pains represent a complex filter through which an individual or a group or a culture, filter her/his/their understanding of the Bible. We are essentially context-bound by our unique individual and group filters that we are in some ways permanently marked or skewed in our comprehension and application of certain texts. This introduces a distortion in our perspective that can only be remedied by submitting our convictions to others who interpret out of a much different filter (i.e. a different context and life experience). “There is enough truth in every such interpretive posture and strategy….to make the posture credible and to gather a mass of constituency in order to maintain a sustained voice.” But no posture can rightly be given absolute veracity or claim. None of us can claim to be “innocent” (without vested interest) in this regard.

By the fifth facet of inspiration, Brueggemann does not mean the traditional view of the inscripturation of God’s revelation (i.e. recording in written form). What he means is that the Spirit of God actively breathes through the text and “blows past all our critical and confessional categories of reading and understanding…so that the text yields something other than an echo of ourselves.” This happens as we approach the Bible in prayer and study, or even in times when we may not expect it, when the living Word strikes a special chord in us, individually or corporately. “The script of the book is a host and launching pad for the wind among us that the world cannot evoke and the church cannot resist” - what a powerful statement!

The last “I” in Brueggemann’s hermeneutical repertoire is urgency, or importance (as he puts it, to maintain consistency). Biblical interpretation is not primarily done in order to seize control of the church, but rather to give the world access to the good truth of the God who creates, redeems and consummates. This truth is not to be reduced to formula or technique, or trivialized to solve certain problems or correct certain social inconveniences. We must keep in view that “reading Scripture is for the sake of the missional testimony of the church” - good news that is, first and foremost, for the world.

What I feel is to be gained (or lost) by adherence to Brueggemann’s view of Scripture

On this issue of inherency, the word of God is seen to be lodged within a text that sprang forth from fallible human sources. We are challenged to resist too much familiarity with that text lest we close ourselves to being surprised by what new things God might want to bring out through it. In the language of Karl Barth, it ought to be endlessly “strange and new” to those seeking to encounter God’s living voice through it. I really like that idea of remaining ever open to be surprised by the Word of God – for it to be “rhema” over and over again. But, beyond that, I find this concept an inadequate accommodation for the rigidity of inerrancy. It seems to me it creates more problems than it solves (in terms of helping the Church understand how to bring its life in congruence with sound doctrine).

Brueggemann gets into hot water when he takes this a step further and argues that some biblical witnesses succeeded more effectively than others in bringing out this inherent word. If that is true, then on what basis do we determine where the more authoritative material lies? (Although, if we’re honest, most of us do not attach the same authority to II or III John or even Jude, as we do to other NT epistles – which may well be a step toward the accuracy of Brueggemann’s point). I personally would put more confidence in God’s involvement in insuring that the distortion in transmission to written text was minimized[3]. Otherwise, it seems like the game of telephone, where God’s clear revelation gets all cluttered up in human fallibility; and the best we can hope to find when turning to Scripture is an authoritative gospel nucleus surrounded by a lot of spurious teaching and opinion.

As far as interpretation is concerned, Brueggemann makes a statement which I believe endangers (if embraced) any hope of finally resolving what is authoritative and what is not in the Bible’s teachings: “Interpretive humility invites us to recognize that reading in a particular time, place and circumstance can never be absolute, but is more than likely to be displaced by yet another reading in another time and place, a reading that may depart from or even judge the older reading…The Spirit meets us always afresh in our faithful reading, in each new time, place and circumstance.”

This is a slippery slope, obviously. There is no doubt some truth to certain older teachings being abrogated or overturned by later teachings. But, it seems to me that where there are clear cases of such abrogation, we must be very careful not to overextend that principle and let current political or ideological agendas overturn longstanding interpretations of the text. How Brueggemann actually applies the biblical examples of abrogation cited in his address I find questionable at best. For example it is true, as he argues, that foreigners among the Israelites were in Moses’ day excluded from worship, and then later in Isaiah’s day Israel were given a promise that this was to be overturned in the new covenant God was making. But it is a leap to suggest that this actually meant God was overturning this in Isaiah’s day, and that it might be changed even again in days to follow. This change is set within the context of the promises of the new covenant age, not necessarily that specific moment.

This idea of later biblical teaching replacing earlier teaching has apparently been used to justify arguments for inclusion and acceptance of gay lifestyles within the fold of the church. The Isaiah 56 text appears to be fuel for that justification (I’m not sure that Brueggemann himself espouses that, by the way). In that text eunuchs, a previously excluded group, are shown to now be included in the worship of Israel. What was earlier viewed as a “distorted sexuality” (being a eunuch) in Moses’ day is now to be embraced in Isaiah’s time. The homosexuality of old which was viewed as a distorted sexuality ought to also nowadays be embraced as being sanctioned by more current teaching in the Bible. These sorts of applications strike me as huge interpretive leaps, where certain Scripture is used to justify a present ideological bias.

Brueggemann’s quote above (the one about no reading in any time, place and circumstance holding absolute authority) makes me nervous. But I do realize that many postmoderns do not share my concern (i.e. they would not feel at all concerned whether particular parts of the Bible are authoritative in an absolute sense or not); And they might even honestly ask, why do we as Christians even need to have a text that is absolutely authoritative? Rather than deriding such thinking as naïve, we would do well to ask ourselves how much our quest for certitude is really in itself God-ordained. Having said that, I must confess that my personal motivation to make a stand for and strive to internalize certain Scriptural teachings is very much negatively affected when I perceive a given text or passage as not having a timeless authoritative ring to it. For example, the Apostle Peter urges us to “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” (I Peter 5:8-9). If I do not see this as an absolute command having authoritative sway over my life (e.g. maybe I think the devil is a dated concept), I am apt to drop my guard and act like we as Christ-followers really are not in a serious battle against evil. Or maybe I hear no absolute ring in Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God. I might believe it, but if another church does not, that’s acceptable because who is to say what is absolute? Absolute authority means it’s more than my truth, or only binding because I believe it’s important. It means it is true for anyone because God has revealed that general reality as an anchor in this stage of human history.

I think Brueggemann makes some excellent points on the operation of imagination in interpretation. Indeed, we would do well to own up to that faculty we all employ – and further, see the good in it. The Spirit can and does enliven our imaginations, and no doubt takes us farther than our familiar interpretations (if we apply our creative mind’s in the light of God’s Spirit). But, as Brueggemann rightly asserts, “we must regularly, gracefully, and with modesty fall back from our best extrapolations to the sure apostolic claims that lie behind our extremities of imagination…” This call to “fall back” is reassuring, but does Brueggemann have a sense of what those specific apostolic claims are? Don’t we get back to creeds and confessions, when we start talking in those terms (Were these not an attempt to determine that authoritative “main claim” pool Brueggemann cites?)?[4]

Ideology, or the power of those filters which are the product of our exposure and experience in life, is truly a powerful interpretive force. Brueggemann makes an excellent point here, as there are indeed many Christians who confuse their political leanings with biblical Christianity (e.g. I suppose consumer Capitalism would be a major one for too many American evangelicals, who have adopted this as the uncontested norm for societies). There is great danger in any segment of the body of Christ which allows itself to remain ideologically naïve’ in the face of technology’s shrinking of the world (with its associated easy dissemination of diverse cultural expressions). The consequences of an entrenched narrowness are detrimental to the cause of Christ, as nonbelievers end up rejecting an ideology (even with its merits as far as truth) rather than the gospel itself. As well, it is important to recognize that ideology can be “enshrined in longstanding interpretation” until it is [viewed as] absolute and trusted as decisive authority.

While I agree with Brueggemann’s general point about each of us (including our given group or culture) being context bound, resulting in some distortions in biblical interpretation, I am hesitant to fully embrace his belief that “every such ideological passion…may be encased in scripture itself”. On some levels this may indeed by true of the biblical writers, but how in the world we sort out where and with whom this is evident is certainly a highly subjective determination. Accepting that God has used fallible people (where specific word-choice is not necessarily Spirit-driven, but the inspired or revealed concepts put in the heads of the writers are), I believe we still have other clear didactic material in the NT to help us maturely decide what may have been ideologically-driven (and hence, not necessarily given as timeless truth).

On the point of inspiration as a key facet of interpretation, I think Brueggemann also has good insight. The Scriptures are indeed “the breath of God”, and we must have this overarching appreciation for and humility toward the Bible as we approach it. This posture enables us to catch the “shimmerings” of the text, so that at times we breathe in just what we need to sustain us at the moment. Inspiration helps me resolve the tension of not being able to determine the “good deposit” I am supposed to guard as a leader in the church (recall that the Apostle Paul urged Timothy to “guard the good deposit” – a deposit which Timothy had the prerogative of getting clarification on, but which I don’t). We may find it is impossible to know exactly what constituted the good deposit in Timothy’s mind back then (and what might constitute that exact deposit for us today). But, we can be assured that as we immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, God will see that we come to greater and greater personal and corporate resolution over what that good deposit to be guarded means for ourselves and for our group.

This last facet Brueggemann mentions of urgency or importance is particularly relevant to our times. We see the text of Scripture dissected and trivialized in evangelicalism’s nauseating penchant for pragmatism. The Scripture is distilled down to a formula and proposition handbook, with “precious moments” theologies (God’s promise-a-day, like a one-a-day vitamin) and a Prayer of Jabez prosperity-driven Christianity. May we not let the missional thrust of the Bible get submerged under the avalanche of technique, systematic theologies, and whatever else aimed at mastering the text so that we can “use” it. But, equally, may we not let missional urgency drive us to a quest for more techniques alone; may it also inspire us to be persons who live out the missional testimony (making it visible, and in some cases, more powerful and visible than the stories and words we bring).

In summary, Brueggemann’s contribution to helping us better understand the place of Scripture in the community of faith is substantial. He helps us acknowledge the rallying point for unity in the body of Christ around a simple core of Apostolic claims; the reality of subjectivity in interpretation beyond those simple Apostolic claims; the presence and limits of creative imagination in drawing out meaning from the text; the power of our own ideological filters to distort as we come to the Bible; the all-important role of the Spirit in breathing freshly upon us through His living Word, time after time, as we look to God to help us sense that breath; and, finally, the importance of how all these sum together to produce a message that is crisply and clearly urgent for our world.
---

[1] All quotations attributed to Brueggemann in this paper are taken from the transcripts of his Address to the 2000 Covenant Network of Presbyterians Conference, which took place on 3 November, 2000, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


[2] These three statements above are well-worth pondering, because they are so pregnant with insight!


[3] Brueggemann’s idea seems to suggest that God breathed into the minds of the biblical writers but left them to their own devices in expressing that. This feels a bit too loose - a hit and miss transmission process which lets some revelation through but obscures other aspects of it. I guess by faith I believe the Spirit was not so passive in that process of transmission of revelation to text.


[4] I think Brueggemann would acknowledge the value of an authoritative core of essentials binding for all churches that claim to follow Christ and His teachings. How much deviation should be tolerated on certain main claims, and how ought we to relate to churches that alter or ignore those main claims, is a subject for ongoing discussion in the Church. Teachers may well “incur a stricter judgment” where they as representatives of the Church permit too much freedom in belief and practice, or alternatively, where they make secondary issues binding essentials (and hence grounds for impeding fellowship with non-adherents).
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Brueggemann and Wright
Submitted by Russ on 20 November, 2003 - 6:10pm.


One thing that strikes me about Brueggemann (not having read any of his stuff) is that he seems very, very concerned that the reader’s interpretation - thus as you state, a near Barthian experience with the text - gets up to the front. He wants to stay rooted somewhere (thus the creed, I take it), but that rootedness doesn’t mean that the text is finally authoritative. This is something you hit in the paper. From my perspective he loses some of his (potential) power at this point, as the reader becomes primary, and the actual text (it seems to me) secondary. I would want to argue more along Wright’s line, using a critical-realist framework (cognizant both of the text’s and my limitations - well, some of them anyway), and hold to the integrity of the text. It’s true that we too sometimes update the Bible, in the sense that many interpret the role of women in ministry today in ways that were unthinkable before. Did the text change, did we get better historical/exegetical/hermeneutical tools? Did God finally bash some theological skulls? But I hope we have the integrity to let the text be the text, and at least explain the principles upon which we would revise interpretations (I get the feeling Breugemann would amen that).

In some ways I want to hold the text and the person (reader) as equals in the game. Not that I am as authoritative as the text, but that my opinion/experience counts too. The text is static in that can’t talk back, any interaction occurs in my brain and heart as I ponder it (and maybe God uses that process). If my opinion is to be respected, so should that of the text, but a text like the Bible shouldn’t be just tossed aside like an opinion off the street. I want somehow to accede authority to the text itself, and not simply reduce it to it’s “voice” as it speaks to me today. It has to mean something whether I experience that or not. I’m babbling. Anyway, I liked the paper. Maybe if you post it, it can be part of a platform for discussion. I notice that Andrew’s got some things in that direction already.
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Better and Better?
Submitted by Spiritboi on 28 August, 2004 - 8:13am.


Did the text change, did we get better historical/exegetical/hermeneutical tools?

This is a key question, and I think the answer, in general, is “Yes.” One of the benefits, I think, of post-Reformation (and even post-Enlightenment thinking, Lord help us!) is the willingness to recognise the Bible as a text, with cultural setting, genre etc. In other words, the whole structure of historical-grammatical exegesis allows us a “better tool”. Post-modernity, too, has introduced a basic humility in interpretation and a willingness to grant a hearing to the “voices at the margins” (no matter how NT Wright may use this phrase with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek).

Thus, we are aware of differing roles for women in today’s society, the influence of sexism on interpretation, etc. I would argue that the hermeneutic involved for many social and personal issues is almost identical, whether it be slavery, women, or inclusion of gay/lesbian people in the Church. As much as we may be uncomfortable with this, the solution is not to selectively apply a critical-realist reading!

Or so I think. Just my two cents.
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Some Clarification
Submitted by Spiritboi on 28 August, 2004 - 7:59am.


Mr. B. does in fact argue that glbtq Christians and people should be included as full members in the church. He contributed a major article to the “Claiming the Blessing” initiative within the US Episcopal Church regarding the blessing of same-sex unions. I don’t think the argument from Is. 56 should be dismissed so easily, since in many quarters (not least certain branches of evangelicalism) even the Leviticus passages are in dispute (in terms of context and meaning).

If it’s more appropriate, if we want to discuss sexual ethics and gay and lesbian people, perhaps we could move to the “Rainbow Community and Emerging Church” forum.
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Brueggemann's article "Claiming the Blessing"
Submitted by Aaron Klassen on 1 November, 2004 - 10:53pm.


I would love to get a copy of this article that you are citing, “Claiming the Blessing”, by Walter Brueggemann.

Rev. Aaron A. Klassen Souled Out Ministries, Chicago
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Claiming the Blessing
Submitted by Spiritboi on 2 November, 2004 - 7:25pm.


The package (including articles by Mr. B. and L. William Countryman) is probably available through “Claiming the Blessing” movement, notably Integrity US. If you need further help, feel free to email me at bible01boi@hotmail.com.

What is Souled Out Ministries?

The Peace of Christ, Rob
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Souled Out Ministries
Submitted by Aaron Klassen on 2 November, 2004 - 9:21pm.


Souled Out Ministries is a Youth Church in the Metro Chicago area, where we have over 72 area High Schools represented. We meet on Saturday nights at eight o’clock, and there is an average of 350-400 youth/young adults that come together to form our community of believers. We also have an “adult” church—which is targeted for parents of the youth, and the youth themselves. I guess we kind of did things backwards…we started the youth church in ‘94, and the ‘adult’ church in ‘02! The Sunday congregation is called, ‘Heart & Soul Church’ (HSC).

My wife, Michelle, and I started a discipleship community within the ministry called, Souled Out Master’s Commission (SOMC). We started last year with 13 students, and this year God has blessed us with 25 committed students who have lain down their lives for our Creator God and His Son, Jesus! We have a ministry in Jerusalem, eretz Yisrael, where we have a summer camps for the believeing youth in the Land. We also have a ministry in Decora, IA, and we are going to Patovah, Italy in two weeks to meet with some life-long friends to pioneer a sister community there. In December 1-10th, we are going to Haiti to do the same. God has just blessed us with a new building, as we are bursting at the seams on Saturday nights! My senior Pastor, Ed Basler & his wife Cathi, and the associate Pastor, Joe Manahan are three of the most self-less and real people that I have ever met, and it is an absolute honor to work with them in building the Kingdom of God!

Our SOMC website is under construction, but here is the address: http://www.souledoutmasterscommission.com

Our Souled Out Ministries (SOM) Website is http://www.souledout.net (from there, their is a link to HSC & International stuff…)

Not sure if you were looking for such a lengthy answer, but I could go into our statement of faith, essentials and non-essentials; what we teach at SOMC, et al…

I noticed that you’re in my tomorrow…in that your date is posting Nov 3rd…I’m assuming that you aren’t in the States? What is it that you “do” for a living?

Aaron
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