Alumnus Walter Brueggemann, Renowned and Influential Bible Scholar (1933-2025)
Esteemed alumnus Walter Brueggemann ’55 was widely regarded as one of the most respected and influential Bible scholars and theologians of the past century. He passed away on Thursday, June 5, at his home in Michigan. He was 92.
Generations of pastors, theologians and church leaders around the world knew Brueggemann as a vital and prophetic voice in contemporary Christianity. He was a prolific author who wrote more than 100 books, and although his work was primarily aimed at clergy, it indirectly reached countless churchgoers through their sermons.
Brueggemann also maintained strong connections with Elmhurst University as a friend, mentor and speaker. In recognition of his life’s work and achievements, in 2015 he was awarded the Niebuhr Medal, the University’s highest honor. He was the first alumnus ever to receive the Niebuhr Medal, which was established in 1995 to recognize extraordinary service to humanity.
After graduating summa cum laude from then-Elmhurst College in 1955, Brueggemann went on to study at Eden Theological Seminary in Missouri and completed his doctoral work under the esteemed biblical scholar James Muilenburg at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where another renowned Elmhurst alumnus, Reinhold Niebuhr ’10, served on the faculty. Brueggemann later received a Ph.D. in education from St. Louis University.
An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Brueggemann taught at Eden for 25 years, then at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, until his retirement in 2003. At Columbia, he held the title of William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament.
“Dr. Brueggemann was an endlessly energetic and inspiring teacher, and gifted speaker, who had a profound impact upon my own formation and on thousands of his students, audiences and readers,” said Nancy C. Lee, a biblical scholar and religious studies professor at Elmhurst University who knew Brueggemann for 35 years as a teacher, mentor, colleague and friend. “He also significantly helped to move the academic discipline of biblical studies, which sorely needed a sea change, beyond necessary methods of historical criticism toward newer, important methods that have made biblical scholarship more engaged with real-world issues.”
Please see below for tributes to Walter Brueggemann.
In 2023, Professor Lee worked with Elmhurst University to initiate the Walter Brueggemann Endowed Chair in Biblical Studies and Prophetic Justice, to honor “his monumental contribution to the field, and to ensure that Elmhurst will continue his legacy, through its teachers, scholars and students, and his vision of serving society and faith communities.”
Brueggemann is survived by his wife, Tia; his sons, James and John; and their families.
GIVE TO THE BRUEGGEMANN FUND WALTER BRUEGGEMANN HOMEPAGE WALTER BRUEGGEMANN COLLECTION