Throughout Walter Brueggemann's career, he has repeatedly found his way back to the David and royal traditions. From some of his earliest articles and essays to monographs, commentaries, and sermons, he has explored this rich field in literary, social, and theological depth. As he has said, My preoccupation with David rests on the awareness that David occupies a central position in the imagination of ancient Israel and in the rendering of 'faith and history' by that community. As the genealogies locate David, he stands mid-point between the rigors of Mosaic faith and the destruction of Jerusalem; as a consequence he becomes, in the artistry of Israel, the carrier of all the ambivalence Israel knew about guarantees and risks in the world YHWH governs. This volume brings together some of Brueggemann's key essays on the David traditions, as well as their interrelationships with traditions in the book of Genesis. --from the Foreword This volume usefully brings together a powerfully argued body of material from Walter Brueggemann relating to David and the development of Israelite theology. Its chapters feature the typical hallmarks of Brueggemann's scholarship: strong arguments on important themes, a very sharp eye for exegetical detail, a profound sensitivity to the theology of the narratives and a remarkable freshness of style. Students of the Bible encountering these contributions for the first time, or established scholars revisiting them, will find this book deeply enriching. -Philip F. Esler DD (Oxon) FRSE St Mary's University College, Twickenham Various critical studies of the imposing figure and theological importance of David, written throughout the remarkable career of Walter Brueggemann, are brought together in this volume. Attentive to literary and historical matters, Brueggemann is always concerned about the impact the theological message can have on the church today. Grounded in the scholarship we have come to expect from this prolific author, thil³¼