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diff --git a/bibliography.bib b/bibliography.bib index 6539dfd..c453e29 100644 --- a/bibliography.bib +++ b/bibliography.bib @@ -1,3 +1,47 @@ +@inbook{kidnapped, + title={Kidnapped}, + booktitle={The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson}, + author={Stevenson, Robert Louis}, + publisher={Spring Books}, + address={London}, + date={1989}, +} + +@inbook{violence-in-apocalypse, + title={Violence in the Apocalypse of John}, + author={Barr, David L.}, + doi={10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190655433.013.17}, + date={2020}, + bookeditor={Koester, Craig R.}, + publisher={Oxford University Press}, + address={Oxford}, + pages={290--305}, +} + +@inbook{sectarian-rage, + title={The Legacy of Sectarian Rage}, + subtitle={Vengeance Fantasies in the New Testament}, + author={Frankfurter, David}, + booktitle={Religion and Violence}, + booksubtitle={The Biblical Heritage}, + date={2007}, + address={Sheffield}, + publisher={Sheffield Phoenix}, + pages={114--128}, +} + +@inbook{apocalyptic-other, + title={The Apocalyptic Other}, + author={DiTommaso, Lorenzo}, + booktitle={The 'Other' in Second Temple Judaism}, + booksubtitle={Essays in Honor of John J. Collins}, + bookeditor={Harlow, Daniel C. and Hogan, Karina Martin and Goff, Matthew and Kaminsky, Joel S.}, + address={Grand Rapids}, + publisher={William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co}, + shortpublisher={Eerdmans}, + date={2011}, +} + @inbook{chaos-new-creation, title={Chaos and New Creation}, author={Chester, Andrew}, diff --git a/chapter2.md b/chapter2.md index 4c8d2c7..1310404 100644 --- a/chapter2.md +++ b/chapter2.md @@ -401,6 +401,48 @@ worship and to receive life and healing. 'It is an ethic for martyrdom,' as John J. Collins, the leading scholar on biblical apocalyptic, puts it [@apocalyptic-imagination, chp. 9]. +What about the accusations that apocalyptic language is destructive, violent, +and vindictive? From the above discussion, it should hopefully be clear that +although John's visions are certainly extremely violent, it is not the case that +John encourages wanton destruction and violence. It is the evil, idolatrous +powers of the world which have disfigured God's good creation, and so long as +they refuse to repent of their destruction and violence, they justly bring +destruction and violence upon themselves. + +Many critics insist that it is impossible to apologise for the violence of +John's Apocalypse. Lorenzo DiTommaso argues that 'apocalypticism is an unhealthy +worldview, particularly in its biblical form. It is inimical to a mature vision +of human destiny, or any social order founded on humanistic ideals. It is +hostile to life on Earth, especially in light of the nature and needs of +contemporary society' [@apocalyptic-other, p. 236, quoted in +@apocalyptic-imagination, Epilogue]. David Frankfurter dismisses attempts to +apologise for the violence of John's Apocalypse as 'canonical special pleading +for a very problematic text' [@sectarian-rage, quoted in +@apocalyptic-imagination, Epilogue]. In his review of scholarship on violence in +the Apocalypse, David Barr admits that 'the Apocalypse shows little concern +about employing images that are both violent and ethically offensive,' which is +'especially problematic in a time when many Christians and Muslims regard each +other as wholly evil, and violent apocalyptic groups have emerged in both +traditions' [@violence-in-apocalypse]. + +On the other hand, it is important to read the violence of John's vision in +the context of the author's social location. As Alan Breck puts it in _Kidnapped_: + +> 'Opinion here or opinion there,' said I, 'it's a kennt thing that Christianity +> forbids revenge.' +> +> 'Ay,' said he, 'it's well seen it was a Campbell taught ye! It would be a +> convenient world for them and their sort, if there was no such a thing as a +> lad and a gun behind a heather bush!' [@kidnapped, chp. 12] + +John wrote from the perspective of the poor and oppressed \[QUOTE FIORENZA\], +exhorting them not to vindictive violence but to resist violent powers and trust +God to deliver justice. So, while apocalypticism can be used to inspire +violence, it can also be used, as John uses it, to inspire resistance to +oppressive regimes. + +\[EXAMPLES OF APOCALYPTICISM IN RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS\] + John's apocalyptic imagination uses mythological language to reveal the world of appearances for what it really is. The ideology of Empire is a pretender God, and the suffering of the martyrs is in fact God's way of conquering evil. John |