Help Me Interview Walter Brueggemann & Terence Fretheim

This Interview ROCKED.  Thanks for the questions!

I'm convinced that much of what "believe" is rooted in our DNA, or something like that, along with our social, family and cultural history. Theology is very much a matter of biography; those who claim some special dispensation of revelation are simply fooling themselves and being terribly dishonest. I'd like you to ask Brueggemann and Freitheim - what factors in their childhood/youth predisposed them to think as they do? 

As for other scholars, here are two: James Sanders who lives, retired, in Claremont. Coming from an evangelical background, he particularly adept at illuminating its struggles, even as he probes his specialty, Dead Sea Scrolls and Old Testament. 

Another scholar, from Western Theo Seminary in Holland: Leanne Van Dyk - http://www.westernsem.edu/faculty/vandyk - she's done a great deal of work on various atonement theologies and how they show up in our hymnody.

Tom

The Fretheiem podcast referred to a two-part podcast on the Gospel of John that I can't seem to find in the archives ... can you give me a pointer? 

Fretheiem talks a lot about God relationally creating stuff out of other stuff - humans out of dust, and so on. He also points out that we first encounter God in Genesis 1:2 hovering over the face of the waters. Taking "the waters" to be the void, the sea of potentiality, the "uncarved block", is he sneaking up on creation ex nihilo by postulating a creation that always was in origin relational? "The Void" as partner?

I have quite a lot of questions! I figured I would throw out more than one in case any catch your eye :)

1. Maybe you could ask them their take on current philosophical theologies of God (Process, Open Theism, Arminianism, Calvinism, Molinism, etc.)

2. How do they, both academically and pastorally, deal with the OT "texts of terror"?

3. What role, if any, should the creeds play in the life of the church today? (This one comes to mind because I've read Brueggemann winsomely critique the creeds for being too hellenistic. It would be great to hear his thoughts one their role in the church today). 

Thanks, Tripp!

I think you should intervew Kent Sparks about his new book Sacred Word, Broken word. I'd be happy to shoot him a message if you'd like.

Hmmm... Where to begin.... I'm not sure I want to presume that I could come up with a better question for Brueggemann than you can, but I am interested in hearing his perspective on ecumenism in the church. To what does he attribute the fragmentation of denominational identities and how should we perceive the revelation of scripture in light of the polarities which surround it? I'd be interested in that... There are a lot of good bible people here at Princeton... you should interview one of them...

In the past year, a little more than halfway through my seminary experience, I have really enjoyed exploring process thought because of the emphasis it places on the interconnectedness of all life and relationships. I was first introduced to this deeply relational view of God through the Hebrew scriptures, by my OT professor Tony Cartledge. Also in the past year, as I have ventured out from my evangelical background and gotten involved with more progressive and liberal folks, I realize many of them have no interest in thinking of God as trinity — for a variety of reasons. Despite the complex nuances and incomprehensibilities of trinitarian thinking, I love it because it is a constant reminder to me that, at the very core of things, God is relational, active, moving and always engaged in this dance of life. The understanding of God in the Hebrew scriptures is also deeply relational and dynamic, as YHWH is constantly breaking out of boxes to keep the covenant alive. My question is, how do you reconcile these two different, yet deeply relational perspectives of God — God as Trinity, and YHWH as the keeper of covenant — and how do you see this vision of God speaking life to Christians in the 21st century?

I'm not familiar at all with Fretheim's work (mea culpa, mea culpa), but I would like to hear Brueggemann comment on the rise and prominence of very aggressive, Enlightenment-flavored atheism in public discourse.  When I first read his Old Testament Theology in 2000, I thought such things were a bad dream from which we'd awakened in a postmodern age, but they're back.  What might Walter say about that?