Unwavering Faithfulness

Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, he is the author of dozens of books, including Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now<.i>, Interrupting Silence: God’s Command to Speak Out, and Truth and Hope: Essays for a Perilous Age.Brent A. Strawn is D. Moody Smith Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and Professor of Law at Duke University. Previously, he was the William Ragsdale Cannon Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and books, including The Old Testament Is Dying: A Diagnosis and Recommended Treatment and The Old Testament: A Concise Introduction.

“Isaiah is a book of such large scale that it can be hard to come to grips with it. Walter Brueggemann and Brent Strawn offer here a great gift: a compilation of pathways into its grandeur by way of key moments. One could hardly ask for two guides with more knowledge and wisdom about the Bible, and it's a particular blessing to hear Brueggemann's voice now that we have lost him.”—Christopher B. Hays, D. Wilson Moore Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary“When I think Brueggemann, I hear, ‘The gospel is fiction when judged by the empire. The empire is fiction when judged by the gospel.’ Breathtaking truth. Crisp, clear, poetic, prophetic, more than most of us can imagine. Dangerous, like the gospel itself. This book does not disappoint. Brueggemann and Strawn’s prose brings Isaiah’s fierce prophecies to life in this time and for all times. You want to preach truth to power? You want to teach your lay leaders how to be prophets for the reign of God? Run to this book, with tools for you and your community.” —Jacqui Lewis, Senior Minister and Public Theologian, Middle Church“Few books of the Hebrew Bible have had a greater influence on Christianity (already evident in the New Testament) than the book of Isaiah. What a privilege, therefore, to have two of our finest Old Testament scholars leading a study of key texts from this powerful, prophetic work. Here we benefit from a fascinating collaboration between Brent Strawn and (in one of his last projects) Walter Brueggemann. In fact, it would be hard to think of two finer navigators for a voyage through the book of Isaiah. In sum, this study guide isn’t merely helpful, it matters.”—Daniel L. Smith-Christopher, Professor of Old Testament Studies, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles