Royal Conciousness:
Countering the Counterculture
Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination, pages 21—37








I.
 Nature of the Prophetic Imagination





What does Brueggemann mean when he writes, “Prophetic imagination as it may be derived from Moses is concerned with matters political and social, but it is as intensely concerned with matters linguistic (how we say things) and epistemological (how we know what we know)—all of which may be to engage simply in verbal distinctions” (p. 21)?








II.
 The Problem of Accommodation





Why does Brueggemann propose that, “It could well be that the possibilities emergent from the ministry of Moses are too radical for any historical community, either in terms of theological presupposition or in terms of societal implementation” (p. 22)?





He points out that the radicalness of the early church was co-opted by the dominant culture to produce an enduring institution. What is the danger of our own accommodation to the dominant culture? How does it blunt our prophetic imagination? How does it threaten “the freedom of God”? What does Brueggemann mean by “the freedom of God”?





Who are the hapiru (p. 23, see n. 4 on p. 134)? What value does a free God have for the hapiru? Who would be their equivalent in our society?








III.
 The Solomonic Shift





In what sense can Solomon’s ‘contribution’ be described as “state-sponsored syncretism” (p. 23)? [If you don't know the meaning of "syncretism," click on the word to look it up in Miriam-Webster's Online Dictionary.]





How can the temple Solomon built be viewed as the “canaanization” of Israel (p. 24)?





What does Brueggemann mean by saying that “Solomon had a social vision contrary to that of Moses” (p. 25, emphasis added)?





What are the three dimensions of the Solomonic achievement (p. 25) that Brueggemann discusses. Briefly comment on each one.






Brueggeman states, "It is difficult to keep a revolution of freedom and justice under way when there is satiation" (p. 26). What does he mean by "satiation," and for whom was it possible at the time of Solomon?






On page 27 Brueggeman writes, "... an exploitative appetite can develop insatiable momentum so that, no matter how much in the way of goods or power or security is obtained, it is never enough." How is this applicable to the reign of Solomon?






Explain what Brueggeman means on pages 28-29 when he writes, "In responsible biblical faith the freedom of God is always in considerable tension with the accessibility of God. This tension was sharp for Moses, who tended to stress the freedom of God at the expense of his accessibility. With Solomon that tension has been completely dissolved in the interest of accessibility."








IV.
 Solomon’s challenge to the counterculture of Moses (31ff)





Briefly explain Solomon's response to each of the three facets of the "counterculture of Moses."





Briefly comment on each of the two major theological contributions to Biblical faith that arose in the period of the United Monarchy (creation faith and messianism). How did each one support the interests of the king? How could each one also be used to advocate for the interests of the oppressed?