Revelation as Civil Disobedience

Revelation as Civil Disobedience PDF Author: Prof. Thomas B. Slater
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1501841750
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Book Description
The book of Revelation is a form of civil disobedience that focuses upon sustaining a faithful witness in spite of the consequences. The author defines civil disobedience as resisting unjust laws in nonviolent ways even if it means the potential death of the protestor (e.g., Rev. 12:11). Along those same lines, the book also redefines conquering as sustaining a faithful witness under duress, modeled after the faithfulness of Jesus, even to death (e.g., 1:5; 2:10, 26-28; 6:9-11; 14:12; 20:4). Even when resistance is expressed in military terms, Christians never take up arms (e.g., Rev 12:7-12; 14:1-5; 19:11-21) but overcome evil through their faithful witness. Slater argues, for example, that Rev 19:21 symbolically refers to a powerful spoken witness that defeats evil. This study develops a way for Christians to read and appreciate the book of Revelation. Many decry the violent nature of the book without noting that Christians are never encouraged to take up arms. Along those same lines, many laypersons see the book as a justification for military intervention against Satan and his minions. They too miss the fact that the book of Revelation never tells Christians to arm themselves. Rather, Christians defeat evil by witnessing faithfully. Both sides would be challenged to rethink and reassess their respective positions given the stress on faithful witness in the book.

Revelation as Civil Disobedience

Revelation as Civil Disobedience PDF Author: Prof. Thomas B. Slater
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 1501841750
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 171

Get Book Here

Book Description
The book of Revelation is a form of civil disobedience that focuses upon sustaining a faithful witness in spite of the consequences. The author defines civil disobedience as resisting unjust laws in nonviolent ways even if it means the potential death of the protestor (e.g., Rev. 12:11). Along those same lines, the book also redefines conquering as sustaining a faithful witness under duress, modeled after the faithfulness of Jesus, even to death (e.g., 1:5; 2:10, 26-28; 6:9-11; 14:12; 20:4). Even when resistance is expressed in military terms, Christians never take up arms (e.g., Rev 12:7-12; 14:1-5; 19:11-21) but overcome evil through their faithful witness. Slater argues, for example, that Rev 19:21 symbolically refers to a powerful spoken witness that defeats evil. This study develops a way for Christians to read and appreciate the book of Revelation. Many decry the violent nature of the book without noting that Christians are never encouraged to take up arms. Along those same lines, many laypersons see the book as a justification for military intervention against Satan and his minions. They too miss the fact that the book of Revelation never tells Christians to arm themselves. Rather, Christians defeat evil by witnessing faithfully. Both sides would be challenged to rethink and reassess their respective positions given the stress on faithful witness in the book.

Civil Disobedience in Antiquity

Civil Disobedience in Antiquity PDF Author: David Daube
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 161097509X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
This book derives from the Messenger Lectures at Cornell. In it Daube provides a synoptic view of nonviolent civil disobedience in the Ancient World. His learning lets him draw freely on Greek and Roman sources--theological, legal historical, literary, dramatic, and popular. From these he shows that there is hardly a variety of civil disobedience known today which is not anticipated in some form or another by the ancients. Is this book more than an entertaining exercise of scholarship? Professor Daube writes, "To speak through historical figures is sometimes wiser than to declare in one's own name. The word 'person' originally means a mask . . . Civil disobedience can at all times profitably avail itself of persons."

My Civil Disobedience… (An Open Letter to a British Journalist from a Fundamental Christian)

My Civil Disobedience… (An Open Letter to a British Journalist from a Fundamental Christian) PDF Author: Richie Cooley
Publisher: Richie Cooley
ISBN: 1370403208
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 12

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Book Description
An article recently appeared on the Guardian's website criticizing the US evangelist Franklin Graham. This short essay is a response to the article. I don't necessarily seek to defend Franklin on every point; rather, I seek to defend religious fundamentalism. This is the new, edited version.

Aquinas and King

Aquinas and King PDF Author: Charles P. Nemeth
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781594606380
Category : Civil disobedience
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
During the tumult of the 1960s, the American character was tested in extraordinary ways--none more pressing than the rightful clamor for civil rights in Black community. Existing laws institutionalized the second class citizenry in many quarters and courts were very unsympathetic to the obvious injustices coursing through the American experience. Laws were aplenty -- most of which served to maintain the unjust status quo. Those seeking reform had a variety of options open when challenging these wrongs. Consider the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr. How did Dr. King arrive at a philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience to the inequalities of his day? Why did he choose this method of structural challenge over the other options? Dr. King could have gone in very different directions. Why did he passionately urge his followers to lay down the sword, to accept suffering and humiliation rather than strike his errant and hateful neighbor, and to willingly and very humbly experience the jail cell for his alleged crimes? As King relates: "I've seen too much hate to want to hate, myself, and I've seen hate on the faces of too many sheriffs, too many white citizens' councilors, and too many Klansmen of the South to want to hate, myself; and every time I see it, I say to myself, hate is too great a burden to bear." By examining the man, his life and his work, both written and oratorical, the author concludes that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was in fact a Thomist through and through. Not a Thomist on all things, but as to his understanding of law and its corresponding obligation or lack thereof, King is the ultimate Thomist. In his letters and writings, texts and speeches, King is a regular advocate of the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. A reader can feel the respect that King has for Thomist principles, and in a sense, Thomism is the "antidote" against the ravages of modernity. King's theory of civil disobedience classically adheres to the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Amazingly, he even tells us about his allegiance to the philosophy of St. Thomas. That is what this work is all about -- a discourse on and a discernment into the compatibility of both men and a revelation that once again, St. Thomas had the answers long before the problem ever emerged. "Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections." -- CHOICE Magazine

The Oxford Handbook of the Book of Revelation

The Oxford Handbook of the Book of Revelation PDF Author: Craig Koester
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190655453
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 640

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Book Description
The Book of Revelation holds a special fascination for both scholars and the general public. The book has generated widely differing interpretations, yet Revelation has surprisingly not been the focus of many single-volume reference works. The Oxford Handbook of the Book of Revelation fills a need in the study of this controversial book. Thirty essays by leading scholars from around the world orient readers to the major currents in the study of Revelation. Divided into five sections-Literary Features, Social Setting, Theology and Ethics, History of Reception and Influence, and Currents in Interpretation-the essays identify the major lines of interpretation that have shaped discussion of these topics, and then work through the aspects of those topics that are most significant and hold greatest promise for future research.

Politics - According to the Bible

Politics - According to the Bible PDF Author: Wayne A. Grudem
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310413583
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 626

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Book Description
Should Christians be involved in political issues? This comprehensive and readable book presents a political philosophy from the perspective that the Gospel pertains to all of life, including politics. Politics—According to the Bible is an in-depth analysis of conservative and liberal plans to do good for the nation, evaluated in light of the Bible and common sense. Evangelical Bible professor, and author of the bestselling book Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem unpacks and rejects five common views about Christian influence on politics: "compel religion," "exclude religion," "all government is demonic," "do evangelism, not politics," and "do politics, not evangelism." Instead, he defends a position of "significant Christian influence on government" and explains the Bible's teachings about the purpose of civil government and the characteristics of good or bad governments. Grudem provides a thoughtful analysis of over fifty specific and current political issues dealing with: The protection of life. Marriage, the family, and children. Economic issues and taxation. The environment. National defense Relationships to other nations. Freedom of speech and religion. Quotas. And special interests. Throughout this book, he makes frequent application to the current policies of the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States, but the principles discussed here are relevant for any nation.

The Nonviolent Apocalypse

The Nonviolent Apocalypse PDF Author: Jeffrey D. Meyers
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1978708351
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
Revelation is resistance literature, written to instruct early Christians on how to live as followers of Jesus in the Roman Empire. The Nonviolent Apocalypse uses modern examples and scholarship on nonviolence to help illuminate Revelation’s resistance, arguing that Revelation’s famously violent visions are actually acts of nonviolent resistance to the Empire. The visions form part of Revelation’s proclamation of God’s way as a just and life-giving alternative to the system constructed by Rome. Revelation urges its readers to pursue this radical form of living, engaging in nonviolent resistance to all that stands in the way of God’s vision for the world.

Civil Disobedience

Civil Disobedience PDF Author: Henry David Thoreau
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1504013778
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
Thoreau advocates for nonviolent protest in his classic manifesto Motivated by his disgust with the US government, Henry David Thoreau’s seminal philosophical essay enjoins individuals to stand against the ruling forces that seek to erase their free will. It is the duty of a good citizen, he argues, not only to disobey a bad law, but also to protest an unjust government. His message of nonviolence and appeal to value one’s own conscience over political legislation have resonated throughout American and world history. Peppered with the author’s poetry and social commentary, Civil Disobedience has become a manifesto for civil dissidents, revolutionaries, and protestors everywhere. Indeed, originally so unpopular with readers that Thoreau was forced to buy back over half of the books from his publisher, this work has gone on to inspire the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

Revelation for the Rest of Us

Revelation for the Rest of Us PDF Author: Scot McKnight
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310135796
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 327

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Book Description
See how the Book of Revelation can be read as a book of discipleship, challenging Christ-followers everywhere to live as hopeful agents of resistance and transformation. The last book of the Bible frustrates and frightens many people with its imagery and apocalyptic tone. Popular interpretations rely on fear and politicization and often lead to pride and alienation of others. Is this really how we were intended to read John’s Revelation? In Revelation for the Rest of Us, Scot McKnight with Cody Matchett explore the key message of Revelation and how it: Calls us to be faithful and hopeful witnesses to Jesus. Stimulates our imagination to see the world through the eyes of God and excite our faith. Challenges us to stand against the militarism, economic exploitation, oppression, and injustice of worldly authorities. McKnight addresses the popular misconceptions about the book, explaining what John means in his use of the images of dragons, lambs, and beasts; and how the symbolism of Revelation spoke in the days of Rome and still speaks powerfully to the present day—though not in the way most people think. You’ll learn to see the Book of Revelation in a fresh and hopeful new way. Drawing from the latest scholarship, the authors present an understanding of Revelation for anyone interested in deepening their personal study of the Bible and strengthening their faith as dissident disciples who can discern the presence of "Babylon" in our world and learn to speak up, speak out, and walk in the way of the Lamb.

Prophecy and Pontius Pilate

Prophecy and Pontius Pilate PDF Author: Richie Cooley
Publisher: Richie Cooley
ISBN: 0463291999
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 12

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Book Description
The world of archaeology has recently produced another gem of Biblical significance. There is now more evidence for the historicity of Pontius Pilate. Join me as I quickly sketch his life and highlight his ancient foreshadowing.