http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
God's call out of empire in the Bible and beyond
xviii, 525 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
A compelling view of two competing religious visions--one of "creation" and the other of "empire"--That run throughout the Bible.
"A remarkable offering for those who care about the interface of power and faith with all the threats and seductions that go with it. . . As I read, I felt overwhelmed, both by the mass of data and by the cunning of interpretation. I could not put it down, and expect to continue to be instructed by it.--Walter Brueggemann.
"Howard-Brook illuminates how ancient empires exercised control and manipulation of people not simply by political and military means, but also through the religion of empire. Throughout he makes clear that the core message of the God of creation is to call people out of empire, to refuse to cooperate with the forces of destruction and domination today."--Richard Horsley.
"Will become a classic for communities that seek first to receive the gracious gift of God's alternative future to Empire."--Jarrod McKenna.
"If we who sojourn in America are to be a community that can both name and resist the lure of Empire, we need a story more powerful than the story called America. Wes Howard-Brook knows than the Bible tells such a story. May its story be ours as we're set free from our imperial imaginations to dream with our Creator of a new world here and now."--Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove --Book Jacket.
Introduction : "Is God on our side?" The two religions -- "Then God said, 'Let there be light!'" (Gen. 1) -- "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread" (Gen. 2-3) -- "And he built a city" -- Making one's name great -- The well-watered plain of Sodom -- Fulfilling YHWH's promises -- The price of settling too soon -- Entering the "exit story" -- Solomon's wisdom -- Finding the "way out" -- Kissing calves -- "I have found the Book of the Torah in the house of YHWH!" -- What was "Israel" before the monarchy? -- The first fall of Jerusalem : Jeremiah and Ezekiel -- "In the wilderness, prepare the way of YHWH" : envisioning a way out of exile -- The struggle over Jerusalem's restoration -- Seeking "wisdom" under Greek rule, part one : the Ptolemaic Empire -- Seeking "wisdom" under Greek rule, part two : the Seleucid Empire -- From Greece to Rome : longing for God's reign to come -- Enlightenment and empire : reading Jesus from the Locus imperii in the light of the Resurrection -- The gospel of Jesus Christ against the gospel of empire -- "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ" : the Gospel of Mark -- "Strive first for the kingdom of God" : Matthew's Gospel -- Proclaiming jubilee : Luke's Gospel and Acts of the Apostles -- "Savior of the world" : the Gospel of John -- "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" : Paul's counter-imperial Gospel -- "Come out my people" : the Book of Revelation -- Conclusion : hearing and responding to God's call : "Come out, my people!"
Includes bibliographical references and index.