What is brought here is what I hear from the best of my spiritual friends. The "what" is the need for real world reform combined with spiritual refinement of oneself. Both is the applicable word.
Oh! How I wish that this had been available before last Wednesday's "Reading Bedtween the Lines" in which we discussed this passage It adds so much! Thank you. Even our priest, who preached on this Gospel, didn't give us neary as much insight. Thank you!
Thanks from Downunder on a very Autumnal morning! I twice had the privilege to be at multi-day sessions with Walter Wink and June. The first, on Iona in mid-1990. I remember a comment he made about events that occurred, suggesting that many time it wasn't the event itself that was inherently problematic/good/evil, it was what we did with it that was. Yes, still resonates in this time. Thinking of you in the USA as you head into the election race.
I had the joy of studying with Wink at union seminary and in a two year setting with 1/3 seminarians, 1/3 practicing pastors as I was then, and 1/3 lay people. I remember in discussions of principalities and power he turned us to the "isms" in our world...the term was contemporary not just about s first.century framework for thinking.
This truly showed me an open door to a deeper understanding of Powers and Satan and Christ in life and death…….
Truly made me make that sound we offer to satisfaction of understanding.
The awful anomalies of our fallen world are so gob-smackingly dreadful.
We will never learn from history, as some hope l think. It repeats in a more and more obvious pattern of destruction and division.
I keep asking…..how can this power or that, change so drastically to be cruel and divisive. How can society do this or that….after starting out so well.
Then your article, and l read every one with great appreciation and respect for your contribution to understanding and enjoying knowing more about wider scholarly works.
Marg Mowczko I here in Australia adds much to that learning.
Thankyou for settling a troubling question so thoroughly for me, and l am sure, many others.
I agree basically that Jesus was fighting both the spiritual forces of evil and the human systems of power politics. However, even though it's very popular now to say Jesus was opposing Caesar, there is very little evidence in the Gospels of that being a fact. People are afraid of sounding antisemitic to say Jesus was struggling against the Jewish leaders. It's not anti-Jewish because Jesus was a Jew and not the only one of His time to criticize the Pharisees and Saducees. Look at the Zealots, the Essenes and John the Baptist. There is very little in the Gospels where Jesus spoke against Rome.
History will tell you that Rome ruled several places where they allowed local authorities to rule as long as they got their taxes. The Saducees sucked up to Rome because they loved the power. They were afraid of Jesus' popularity. The Pharisees attacked Jesus' ministry from early on because he violated their rules and criticized their hypocrisy.
One reason I'm against Christian Nationalism is because it's so much like what Jesus struggled against. The religious leaders took advantage of the poor with their false religious systems. Read the "Woes" that Jesus uttered against the religious systems that were hurting the poor Jews of the land (Matthew 23). When Jesus overturned the tables, He called the moneychangers "robbers." They cheated the poor when the poor had to change Roman coins to Hebrew coins. It was a big ripoff! That's when the religious crowd, the "priests and teachers of the law" got really serious (Mark 11:18) about using Pilate, who didn't care what happened as long as he stayed in power. Appease the priests, sure, no problem. The Saducees had Roman connections and would fuss about Pilate if he gave them a hard time. They wanted a crucifixion!
When Jesus had a chance to put down Roman rule, such as their unpopular taxation, He failed to do so. Instead He said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God, the things that are God's." Hm!
However, I do agree that Jesus struggled against both spiritual and human systemic forces. Maybe this is somewhat a matter of semantics, but I feel strongly about historic, Biblical accuracy.
Such a beautifully composed testament and so timely. Thank you very much for all the thoughtful examinations of the readings and historical resources. Bless you.
This interpretation of the John passage makes so much sense. Jesus' opposition to empire was not to be acted out through violent revolution - rather it was to be exposure of injustices through his teachings, through his personal conduct, and through his challenging confrontations with authorities.
Jesus' style of leadership lead to great disappointment and bitterness among many of his Palm Sunday followers - e.g. we reject Jesus as King of the Jews; Free Barabbas!
Pope Francis has had the courage to state a path for his flock through the unjust Russian aggression in the Ukraine. The Pope has suggested that the leaders of Ukraine and Russia negotiate a peaceful end to the violent conflict. The reaction of so many of Pope Francis' followers here in Canada, where there is (rightly) a huge sympathy for Ukrainians, is the same disappointment shown when Jesus was not ready to beat the drums of war- reject not just Pope Francis' advice, but reject him as an authentic spokesperson for their Christian beliefs.
The true message of Christianity was co-opted the minute it became the religion of empire! Jesus was the incarnation of the cry of the poor and oppressed. Jesus the Christ is the blueprint for growing more into our into our humanity and higher consciousness where love, justice and peace drive out our fear of the “powers and principalities” that be. There is no place for violence and war in a world order that makes decisions/actions etc. based on the simple question, “is it life giving or life diminishing for the people and the planet.” The message is as simple as it is dangerous, as the prophet Dr. Martin Luther King spoke this Truth to the powerful religious and political leaders of our day as a Christian witness to living the Gospel,
I appreciate your appreciation of the double meaning contained within these gospel passages. The gospels, in my favored hermeneutics, are subtle allegories which both mean what they appear to mean and also contain another meaning, wrapped up within them. Christ tells us as much in Mark chapter 4.
What I found lacking was more of the cosmic dimension of these words. You tell us that kosmos refers to the ordering or structuring of things, and that is not wrong; however, in my view, it is incomplete. Yes, kosmos does mean that -- and it also means so much more. Your provided definition of 'ordering' is closely related to the sense of the word preserved in modern English 'cosmetic', which means not only ordering but also arranging for beauty, as in flower arranging. (Cue tangential digression on Neoplatonist views of the Kosmos which link it to the Beautiful and the Good.) But there's also an undeniably, well, cosmic sense of the word kosmos. The Enochian literature and Gnostic revelation literature explicitly describe journeys through what we would now call outer space, cosmetically arranged through the Ptolemaic schema of the universe. When read alongside the canon gospels, they provide context which strongly suggests that the "archons of the kosmos" refer both to the temporal/political powers on the earth and the cosmic powers of angels and demons which rule through all of the Aions above.
Thanks, you bring incarnation paradox together beautifully. As I began your reflection I intuitively sensed moving in the direction of Wink (and before him Stringfellow), both drawing upon the New Testament. They are highly relevant because in our time the demonic and kairos are both rising. Unmasking evil is a critical piece of resistance. All of us have blind spots, that’s why we need each other— and transforming grace.
I see a connection between Jesus's return to Jerusalem and knowledge that he would be arrested and executed to Alexei Navalny's return to Russia knowing he would be arrested and eventually killed. Both men chose to do this brave act to make a stand for justice. Jesus's fight for social justice lives on in in courageous men and women everywhere, and that is a spiritual thing. I think the need for it will never end, unfortunately, but we can take hope and inspiration from them.
What is brought here is what I hear from the best of my spiritual friends. The "what" is the need for real world reform combined with spiritual refinement of oneself. Both is the applicable word.
Oh! How I wish that this had been available before last Wednesday's "Reading Bedtween the Lines" in which we discussed this passage It adds so much! Thank you. Even our priest, who preached on this Gospel, didn't give us neary as much insight. Thank you!
Thanks from Downunder on a very Autumnal morning! I twice had the privilege to be at multi-day sessions with Walter Wink and June. The first, on Iona in mid-1990. I remember a comment he made about events that occurred, suggesting that many time it wasn't the event itself that was inherently problematic/good/evil, it was what we did with it that was. Yes, still resonates in this time. Thinking of you in the USA as you head into the election race.
I had the joy of studying with Wink at union seminary and in a two year setting with 1/3 seminarians, 1/3 practicing pastors as I was then, and 1/3 lay people. I remember in discussions of principalities and power he turned us to the "isms" in our world...the term was contemporary not just about s first.century framework for thinking.
This truly showed me an open door to a deeper understanding of Powers and Satan and Christ in life and death…….
Truly made me make that sound we offer to satisfaction of understanding.
The awful anomalies of our fallen world are so gob-smackingly dreadful.
We will never learn from history, as some hope l think. It repeats in a more and more obvious pattern of destruction and division.
I keep asking…..how can this power or that, change so drastically to be cruel and divisive. How can society do this or that….after starting out so well.
Then your article, and l read every one with great appreciation and respect for your contribution to understanding and enjoying knowing more about wider scholarly works.
Marg Mowczko I here in Australia adds much to that learning.
Thankyou for settling a troubling question so thoroughly for me, and l am sure, many others.
Truly transformational. Thank you!
Diana Butler Bass you are a blessing as I navigate this particular phase of country and myself
I agree basically that Jesus was fighting both the spiritual forces of evil and the human systems of power politics. However, even though it's very popular now to say Jesus was opposing Caesar, there is very little evidence in the Gospels of that being a fact. People are afraid of sounding antisemitic to say Jesus was struggling against the Jewish leaders. It's not anti-Jewish because Jesus was a Jew and not the only one of His time to criticize the Pharisees and Saducees. Look at the Zealots, the Essenes and John the Baptist. There is very little in the Gospels where Jesus spoke against Rome.
History will tell you that Rome ruled several places where they allowed local authorities to rule as long as they got their taxes. The Saducees sucked up to Rome because they loved the power. They were afraid of Jesus' popularity. The Pharisees attacked Jesus' ministry from early on because he violated their rules and criticized their hypocrisy.
One reason I'm against Christian Nationalism is because it's so much like what Jesus struggled against. The religious leaders took advantage of the poor with their false religious systems. Read the "Woes" that Jesus uttered against the religious systems that were hurting the poor Jews of the land (Matthew 23). When Jesus overturned the tables, He called the moneychangers "robbers." They cheated the poor when the poor had to change Roman coins to Hebrew coins. It was a big ripoff! That's when the religious crowd, the "priests and teachers of the law" got really serious (Mark 11:18) about using Pilate, who didn't care what happened as long as he stayed in power. Appease the priests, sure, no problem. The Saducees had Roman connections and would fuss about Pilate if he gave them a hard time. They wanted a crucifixion!
When Jesus had a chance to put down Roman rule, such as their unpopular taxation, He failed to do so. Instead He said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God, the things that are God's." Hm!
However, I do agree that Jesus struggled against both spiritual and human systemic forces. Maybe this is somewhat a matter of semantics, but I feel strongly about historic, Biblical accuracy.
Such a beautifully composed testament and so timely. Thank you very much for all the thoughtful examinations of the readings and historical resources. Bless you.
Thank you for this thought provoking essay. I love the quotes from Walter Wink.
Thank you Diana.
This interpretation of the John passage makes so much sense. Jesus' opposition to empire was not to be acted out through violent revolution - rather it was to be exposure of injustices through his teachings, through his personal conduct, and through his challenging confrontations with authorities.
Jesus' style of leadership lead to great disappointment and bitterness among many of his Palm Sunday followers - e.g. we reject Jesus as King of the Jews; Free Barabbas!
Pope Francis has had the courage to state a path for his flock through the unjust Russian aggression in the Ukraine. The Pope has suggested that the leaders of Ukraine and Russia negotiate a peaceful end to the violent conflict. The reaction of so many of Pope Francis' followers here in Canada, where there is (rightly) a huge sympathy for Ukrainians, is the same disappointment shown when Jesus was not ready to beat the drums of war- reject not just Pope Francis' advice, but reject him as an authentic spokesperson for their Christian beliefs.
The true message of Christianity was co-opted the minute it became the religion of empire! Jesus was the incarnation of the cry of the poor and oppressed. Jesus the Christ is the blueprint for growing more into our into our humanity and higher consciousness where love, justice and peace drive out our fear of the “powers and principalities” that be. There is no place for violence and war in a world order that makes decisions/actions etc. based on the simple question, “is it life giving or life diminishing for the people and the planet.” The message is as simple as it is dangerous, as the prophet Dr. Martin Luther King spoke this Truth to the powerful religious and political leaders of our day as a Christian witness to living the Gospel,
Beautiful. And so necessary to tell and re-tell in our time.
I appreciate your appreciation of the double meaning contained within these gospel passages. The gospels, in my favored hermeneutics, are subtle allegories which both mean what they appear to mean and also contain another meaning, wrapped up within them. Christ tells us as much in Mark chapter 4.
What I found lacking was more of the cosmic dimension of these words. You tell us that kosmos refers to the ordering or structuring of things, and that is not wrong; however, in my view, it is incomplete. Yes, kosmos does mean that -- and it also means so much more. Your provided definition of 'ordering' is closely related to the sense of the word preserved in modern English 'cosmetic', which means not only ordering but also arranging for beauty, as in flower arranging. (Cue tangential digression on Neoplatonist views of the Kosmos which link it to the Beautiful and the Good.) But there's also an undeniably, well, cosmic sense of the word kosmos. The Enochian literature and Gnostic revelation literature explicitly describe journeys through what we would now call outer space, cosmetically arranged through the Ptolemaic schema of the universe. When read alongside the canon gospels, they provide context which strongly suggests that the "archons of the kosmos" refer both to the temporal/political powers on the earth and the cosmic powers of angels and demons which rule through all of the Aions above.
Thanks, you bring incarnation paradox together beautifully. As I began your reflection I intuitively sensed moving in the direction of Wink (and before him Stringfellow), both drawing upon the New Testament. They are highly relevant because in our time the demonic and kairos are both rising. Unmasking evil is a critical piece of resistance. All of us have blind spots, that’s why we need each other— and transforming grace.
I see a connection between Jesus's return to Jerusalem and knowledge that he would be arrested and executed to Alexei Navalny's return to Russia knowing he would be arrested and eventually killed. Both men chose to do this brave act to make a stand for justice. Jesus's fight for social justice lives on in in courageous men and women everywhere, and that is a spiritual thing. I think the need for it will never end, unfortunately, but we can take hope and inspiration from them.