Scripture and Empire

[Marty Troyer]

The CR tag-line is, "following Jesus, we seek shalom in the shadow of empire."

Do Biblical resources exist that are able to equip churches to live into this vision. What are the resources and authors that are encouraging you "in the shadow of empire"? What hermeneutical tools are you using to help your congregations "subvert empire"? Are there actual Bible Study guides that anyone is publishing for groups to use? Or is it all in book/commentary form?
Do you see a need (like I do) for new or different Biblical study resources to help the church live as exiles in the shadow of empire?
My growing list or authors includes: John Crossan, Richard Horseley, Ched Myers, Daniel Smith-Christopher, Hauerwas, Marcus Borg, Rob Bell, John Yoder. But none of those are providing study guides.
Who else would you add to that list? And do you know of resources designed to be studied more than read?

Seems like to sustain an exilic existence churches are going to need more than weekly sermons. and even more than webpages. Any thoughts?

[Nathanael Snow]

The example of sexual ethics was meant to be illustrative.
I'm not sure I'm on the same page as you are in terms of the social dimension. I often say of "society" that I've never met him. And I remain an ardent supporter of completely free markets uninfluenced by political privilege.

[J Fowler]

While not directly based on Scriptural study, I have found Wendell Berry's critique of Western agriculture (The Unsettling of America) and Neil Postman's critique of Western media and technology (Amusing Ourselves To Death) leads me further into this idea of standing juxtaposed against Empire.

I have found that these prophetic voices outside of the church have often awakened in me a need to break my allegiance to the world's false dreams and seek GOD's great dreams. They have left me seeking for a Scripturally founded response to what I feel are spiritual insights.

I also don't believe future (or even present) generations of the church will be equipped to embody the Gospel through merely Biblical study alone. I love what is happening all over the world, and it is the hope of the church in my opinion, where small pockets of JESUS people are committing to living out GOD's dreams through intentional Christian community. It's critical, I agree, to teach people Biblical orthodoxy (right belief) but as others have said also, we must then teach others how to embody the orthodoxy...taking them into the realm of Spirit-lead orthopraxy (right action).

The real call is one of spiritual birthing and parenting. We need other humans to learn how to be fully human, and we need spiritual families to learn how to really walk with JESUS.

To live right side up in an upside down world we must walk with others who recognize that we are exiles.
That's why I appreciate everyone here on Common Root.

To sum it up, I agree Marty, we "need more than weekly sermons" & "webpages" (although we need those too).
We need real life intentional communities, laboratories of social innovation born of the Holy Spirit. Afterall, the first trapping to throw-off is our self-centered individualism. Even in group study this personal independence remains very much alive.

I believe the Anabaptist, Celtic, and Monastic streams of the church have much to teach us about this context of community and holistic discipleship.

[Steven McDade]

I often find this idea of creating a program or study guide can be both a blessing and a curse.

Sometimes a study guide hinders questions a person might have. (BTW, did Jesus have a study guide in his day?)

Never thought of myself as an exlie, but I just left and IC because I felt that I was not understood.

[Eliacin Rosario-Cruz]

Steven,

You are right. There are better ways than others on engaging in such kind of projects. There have to be a sense of humility in that we are not making a "perfect program." Many of us interested in projects like this come at is from the realization that all of us have been "schooled" in a way of thinking and and approaching life that most of the time is incongruent with what we've come to believe is our call as followers of Jesus. We do not live in a vacuum (sp?). We are formed by the assumptions and values of our culture and context. If we are to become followers of Jesus, we are to then engage in some sort of process that will put into question our current thinking/being, and give us an alternative way of seeing (enlightenment).

I do believe Jesus had a study guide - of course not in the way you and I understand it, not in the consumption of information, post-printing press - in his teachings and example of life. The disciples and others were part of a "Way" of learning that was "other" from the modus in which 1st century jews lived.

[Magdalena Perks]

Look back rather than to the present. The hesachysts and Church Fathers, the Philokalia, the great Russian saints and Divines, the Wesleys, George Fox...

Later, St. John of Kronstadt, a great visionary, and Romanides, and Schmemann. Yes, I know, it's all hardcore orthodoxy. Schmenemann's "Great Lent" is important.

[Magdalena Perks]

Right. We live the Way.