Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgments......Page 8
America's Ambiguous Identity......Page 10
Separating Religion and Domesticating Jesus......Page 14
A Depoliticized Jesus......Page 15
A Depoliticized Judea and Galilee......Page 18
A Depoliticized Roman Empire......Page 20
Investigating Jesus and the Empire......Page 22
1. Roman Imperialism: The New World Disorder......Page 24
Israel under Empire......Page 25
The Rise of Rome......Page 26
Expansion of the Roman Empire into the Middle East......Page 27
Roman Imperialism......Page 29
"Orientalism" and "Globalization"......Page 30
Emperor Cult and Patronage Pyramids......Page 31
"Bread and Circus"......Page 33
The Glory of Victory......Page 35
Terror and Vengeance......Page 36
Humiliation......Page 39
Indirect Rule through Kings and High Priests......Page 40
Repeated Revolts......Page 44
Israelite Tradition(s) and the Social Location of Resistance......Page 46
Protest, Resistance, and Terrorism by Scribal Groups......Page 48
The Qumran Community, the Pharisees, and Other Circles of Scribes/Sages......Page 49
"The Fourth Philosophy"--Refusal to Pay Tribute to the Romans......Page 50
The (Counter)Terrorism of the Sicarii......Page 51
Protests by the Jerusalem Crowd......Page 54
Popular Protests in the Countryside......Page 56
Popular Prophetic and Messianic Movements......Page 58
Hidden Forms of Resistance......Page 62
3. Toward a Relational Approach to Jesus......Page 64
Multiple Aspects in Considering a Historical Leader......Page 65
Historical Conditions of and for Jesus-in-Movement in Roman Palestine......Page 68
Cultural Tradition......Page 70
The Gospels as Communication and Historical Sources......Page 72
"Text" (the Message in Communication)......Page 74
Context (of Communication)......Page 76
Tradition......Page 78
Gospels as Bold Declarations of a Popular Movement......Page 80
The Gospel of Mark......Page 81
The Sequence of Jesus' Speeches Known as Q......Page 84
4. God's Judgment of the Roman Imperial Order......Page 88
A Basic Pattern in Israelite Tradition......Page 90
Further Opposition to Rulers in Israelite Tradition......Page 92
Conditions of Social Conflict under Roman Rule in Palestine......Page 94
Jesus' Prophetic Condemnation of the Temple and High Priests......Page 95
Prophetic Pronouncement of God's Judgment of Jerusalem Rulers in Q......Page 96
Demonstration and Prophecies against the Temple and High Priests in Mark......Page 100
Tribute to Caesar......Page 107
Roman Imperialism Implicated in Jesus' Exorcisms......Page 108
5. Covenantal Community and Cooperation......Page 114
Healing the Effects of Imperialism......Page 115
Expelling Alien Occupying Forces......Page 116
Healing the Social Body......Page 117
Instilling Hope in a Hopeless Situation......Page 118
Counteracting Social Disintigration......Page 119
Working in Village Communities......Page 120
Renewing Covenantal Communities......Page 122
Jesus' Covenant Renewal Speech in Q......Page 125
Jesus' Covenant Renewal in Mark......Page 130
Jesus' Alternative to the Roman Imperial Order......Page 135
The Empire Strikes Back......Page 138
The Empire Did Not Have the Last Word......Page 141
Or Did It . . . ?......Page 144
America's Manifest Destiny: The New Rome......Page 146
The Sole Superpower......Page 149
Transformation of American Empire: The New World Disorder......Page 152
Recent Resistance......Page 154
Jesus and American Empire......Page 156
Abbreviations......Page 160
Introduction: American Identity and a Depoliticized Jesus......Page 162
1. Roman Imperialism: The New World Disorder......Page 164
2. Resistance and Rebellion in Judea and Galilee......Page 166
3. Toward a Relational Approach to Jesus......Page 169
4. God's Judgment of the Roman Imperial Order......Page 173
5. Covenantal Community and Cooperation......Page 177
Epilogue: Christian Empire and American Empire......Page 179
Index of Ancient Sources......Page 182