People of God - Economics and Ideology

8/13/2019 People of God - Economics and Ideology

1/22

32-52 Journal of Theologyfor Southern Africa 134 (July 2009)

The People of God n the Context of

Imperial Politics; Economics andIdeology in Biblical and Ecumenical

Perspective

In Honour of Klaus Nrnberger

Ulrich Duchrow

ABSTRACT

This essay retells the biblical storyfroma socio-historical and economic perspectiveshows that, throughout the biblical narrative, Yahweh is conceived of as a God wliberatesandcallshispeopletoestablishacommunity of solidarity,freedomandequ

in opposition to imperial structures of domination and exploitation. These structuoperate in economic, political and ideological ways. It shows that the ministry of Jeand the witness of the early church is also a protest against the exploitative and violrule of the Roman Empire. Parallels to the present neo-capitalist worldorder arepoinout. In this context, the church is called both to form local communities that livealternative ways of solidarity,and to protestagainst international structuresthatdomiand exploit both people and the environment.

No one can today overlook the challenges posed by the economy to church atheology. Klaus Nrnberger is one of the few pioneers in theology who hafaced these challenges for decades now with academic competence and hresponded to it in a number of writings.

1In this, he, as a Lutheran theologi

takes his central point of departure in the Word ofGod.Therefore, it is propthat an article on the present state of discussion, which is dedicated to hishould be oriented to scripture.

The theme of economics in the context of imperial structures has been cent

to the biblical message since the beginning of the history of Israel and of the fain Yahweh. This theme occurs in various forms in all later phases up to


2/22

The People ofGod intheContextofImperialPolitics,Economics and Ideology

withintheframework of a survey of biblical history, some exemplary and definingexts in more detail, and then draw conclusions for today.

History of Ancient Israelinthe HebrewBible:Liberation from

Empire, Construction ofanAlternative society, Model for the

Nations2

The beginnings: acontrast societyofsolidarity (ca.

1250-1000 BCE)The history of Israel begins with theliberationof enslaved, marginalised groups(called Hebrews) living on the margins of the empire, Egypt, nomadic herders ofsmall stock and peasants paying tribute, precariously surviving on the fringes,who dissociate themselves from the city states of Palestine dependant on theempire. Together they settle in the Palestinian hill country and build up asubsistence economy relying on family solidarity. Politically, this is called"regulated anarchy". This means that the families and clans consciously decide

against hierarchical structures of state and only act together under leadership ofcharismatic figures when threatened by attacks from outside.

Thecrucial point inthis isthat this socialprocessof liberation and reorganisationhas been identified with the experience of the God Yahweh. In the city kingdomsand empires of the ancient near east, deities and their cults were guarantors andpillars of the system. Yahwehisradically opposedtothis.Yahwehisexperiencedas the deity that liberates the oppressed and enslaved. The large group of Mosespeople, who fled from Egypt, bring the trust in Yahweh to Palestine with them.R Albertz summarises this in the following way:

Theorigin ofYahweh-religionisindissolubly connectedtothe process of political liberationofthe Exodusgroup.This religion is thespark thathelpsignitealongstanding, smoulderingsocial conflict. The book of Exodus reports in a number of ways how this conformist,disunited and politically impotent oppressed group of foreign forced labourers obtains apolitical leaderandpolitical hope in the future through the initiative of the GodYahweh.This enables them to come to solidarity with each other and to release themselves fromtheir social inter-connectedness to the outside, and thereby equips them for a common

political act of liberation."3

For this reason N and G Lohfink call this ancient Israelite approach that


3/22

3 4 Duchrow

"a contrast society".4The first shape taken by the people of theGod Yahw

who liberates from imperialstructures, is acommunityin the spirit of solid

originatingfrom nomadic and marginalised groups and structured in smagricultural family formations. The protectionofthissociety is organisecharismatic leaders ("Judges"),who areempoweredbyYahwehwith thof deliverance and mediation. The biblical sources for this are the booksExodus and Judges.

The attempt byIsraelto tame the royalsystemand therising proper

andmonetarysystem, and to fend off the largeempires(about 100BCE)

For reasons that will not be discussed here, the institution ofkingshipprevailIsrael with the ascendancy of David.

5 Clearly, the narrative on Jotiam in Judge

shows strong resistance againstthisby thefreepeasants (cf1Samuel8).Also,King in Israel remains subject, in principle, to approval by the free peasants.spite ofthis,Solomon was able to transform Israel into an ancient near eastEmpire- with forced labour internally and conquest externally. Buttheresista

ofthepeasants hits back at his son. The northern tribes split off and create independent northern Kingdom. However,thisquickly fallsinto thesame patte

The original impulse of the Yahweh-faith toward freedom and solidarity ashows itself in the phase of kingship - initially in the form ofprophetswcriticise power and wealth. In the name of Yahweh they take the side of the peasants, the oppressed and the excluded. Some, like Elia and Elisha, take pin violentsocialrevolutionslikethat of Jehu(2Kings9).When,in the8th centBCE, a new economic structure based on property, interest and money, sprefrom Greece, and society was split between landless people and debt slaves,the one side, and large-scale landowners on the other, the prophets include tdevelopment in their sharp critique.

6From Amos, through Hosea, Micah a

Isaiah until Jeremiah they call for justice and announce the punishment of wicked, who have fallen away from the God of justice.

4 Lohfink, N., Das Jdische am Christentum. Die verlorene Dimension, (Freiburg / BasWien., 1987) 118, and Lohfink, G., Wem gilt die Bergpredigt? Zur Glaubwrdigkeit

Christlichen,(Freiburg / Basel / Wien 1993) (1. Aufl. 1988), 55ff. and others. About the wapproach, see Ulrich Duchrow, Alternatives to Global Capitalism - Drawn from Bib


4/22


5/22

3 6 Duchrow

and by conviction: the great invitation of Yahweh goes out to all nations to turn

Yahweh and to be saved by him."9The "songs oftheSuffering Servant", wh

are at least in part to be interpreted as applying to the collective Israel, show tit is particularly Yahweh's saving action for the weak that makes Israel a nat

of witness for the uniqueness of its God.

Thirdly, theAmalgamation of divine and political power is thereby dissolvThe universal reign of God becomes the sustaining point of departure wh"fully excludes a human kingship, i.e. the institutionally concentrated politi

power... the old equation of near eastern royal ideology, that the divine powe

mirrored in the greatness of state power is broken thereby."10Deutero-Isaiah

longer promises political restitution for Israel. Yahweh himself will be king.

will free the oppressed, strengthen the weak and those grown tired (40:29-

41:17; 42:22). The departure from Babylon will be a new Exodus (52:12). Just

will take the place of power (Is 42:14).

The mysterious song of the suffering servant of God goes one step furth

(Is 52:13-53:12). The thought that Israel creates salvation for the nations, no

its power, greatness and renown, but precisely in its phase of absolu

powerlessness, by bearing their sufferings and sins vicariously, is a first attem

to give a positive meaning within God's plan of history to the loss of politi

power and is probably the deepest theological interpretation that the sufferi

of exile have experienced.11

A further witness of this time is thepriestly writing. This contains the bibliprehistory in Gen 1-11. In it, the different forms of violence among peopgroups of people and nations, and their causes, are investigated. Concr

historical experiences are concentrated into reflections on fundamental conditi

and forms of expression for humanity. The centre of these chapters is deluge and the salvation of Noah and all kinds of living beings in the ark. T

reason for the destruction is given: Earth is spoiled by humans because it is fil

with violence (chamas,Gen6:12f.)This is explicated in the preceding storiesdifferent ways: The man rules over the woman, Cain kills Abel, and then bui

a city to the detriment of the country, Lamech takes disproportional vengean

Especially Babylon, as an original image of empire, subjects the nations, for

them to speak one language, and builds a tower to guard the forced labour

and desires thereby to "make a name foritself, i.e. to have glory and honouIn contrast to this, the biblical primeval history and the whole of the Bi


6/22

The People of God in the Context of Imperial Politics, Economics and Ideology 3 7

as a relational being with good relationships on all sides. Sin, which destroysrelationships andcausesviolence, occurs in history. Therefore, it canbeovercome

within history. In the Cain narrative God says to Cain: "If youaccomplishgoodthings, you areproud,but when you do notaccomplishgood things, sinwaitsthedoor.Itdesiresyou, but you -you must rule overit." (Gen 4: 6f)

Temptations can be overcome and controlled. The fundamental message ofthe Bible is: "another world is possible", a different way of being human ispossible. God is active and working towards this. People are empowered andcalled to become and to be co-workers of God in solidarity.

But what is the structure of this sin that changes good relationships on all

levels into acts of violence? We need to face this problem if we do not want toremain superficial in the quest for alternatives to injustice and imperial violencetoday.

12Adam (the human being) and Eve (life) represent "life of humanity" in

this primeval history. That means the story is not about a historical first humancouple, but, according to the Semitic understanding of clans, it is about alldescendants. The sin they commit is concretely that they want to eat the "fruitof the tree of knowledge of good and evil." In this phrase, every word isimportant. Scripturecalls the resultsand consequences of actions "fruits." "Eatingfruits" therefore means, to appropriate to oneself the fruit of one's actions, tocontrolthesefruits. From this follows the self-righteous ideology ofthepowerful:If it goes well with you, it is because you have acted well. If things are not goodfor you, it is your own fault. In this way, one has one'sownjustification, one'sownrighteousnessin one's hand - withoutGod.Indeed, throughthisknowledge,says the snake, they will be like God. They will no longer need to livetogetherin gratitude for the gifts of God, they may trust the works of their own hands.

The work of their hands becomes God to them. To put it in otherwords:Thosewho determine good and evil according to their own criteria, make the work oftheir hands to be an idol, to which they sacrifice other human beings. In thissense the issue in the case of the structure ofsinalways is: what does one trust?This,therefore, is no "ethical" question. The concentration of theology on ethicsis itself the problem, not the solution, as Barth and Bonnhoeffer have shown.

13

In this way, the primeval history shows the structure in the development ofsin: the rule of the man overthewomanis theexpression of the self-righteousness

oftheman (3,16); Cain comes to be the competitor of his brother and kills him(4,1-8), the descendant of Cain, named Lamech, begins the spiral of violence


7/22

3 8 Duchrow

reigns overandexploitsthesurrounding territory anditspeasants withitspolitimilitary and religious elites (4,17); and in the end, empires arise that violen

subject whole peoples and compel them to do forced labour (11,1-9).The priestly writing and the redactors of the Torah do not leave the matter

this analysis of the violent perversion of God's good creation. In chapter they follow it up with the firstnewbeginningof God inhistory:The departureAbram and Sarah from Ur. God calls them to become a blessing for the natiotrusting in God. Many new beginnings will follow - up to Jesus of NazareGod continues to work toward the transformation ofhumanity. After the exthe rebuilding of Judah and Jerusalem and the reorganisation of the commun

in theframeworkof the Persian empire follow. This allows some latitude to Judaites to organise their communal life according to the Torah (NehemiaThis, however, changes in the Hellenistic empires and in the high point of anciempires, the Imperium Romanum.

Resistance against thetotalisation oftheempire in Hellenism and

Roman empires

Quite the opposite of what is taught in our normal humanist education, there wno empire that so exploited and suppressed the majority of the populationsubjected nations as the Hellenist and Roman empires did. Besides the normtribute being levied, the property- and interest economy with its divisiconsequences, its slavery and the rule of cities over the countryside, togethwith the supporting ideologies, was enforced in a totalitarian way.

Thebook ofDaniel is thecanonicalexampleofapocalyptic resistance thagainst these developments. In apocalyptic resistance theologythemost impotraditions of Torah and wisdom are merged together with prophetic traditionshave selected two chapters (Chapters 3 and 7) from the Aramaic Daniel that particularly important for our investigation, in ordertoillustrate the way in whgroups that remain loyal to Yahweh respond to totalitarian systems.

Daniel,Chapter3illustratesthewhole ofthetotalitarian political-economiideological system oftheHellenistic imperialform:Thegreatking(political powhas a statue made from gold (economic power) in front of which all people a

to prostrate themselves (ideological power). Veerkamp describes this incisiveThe statue was made from gold ... Gold mediates transactions between present a


8/22


describestheunity of politics, economics and ideology in Hellenistictimes. It describesa world economic order.14

The background: Antiochos IV pronounced a decree, reported in 1 Mace1:41 f., according to which all nations were to surrender their cultural and legalautonomy, in order to become one imperial nation. The intention was that theunity prepared by economical (money) and political (military conquest) meansshould now culminate in ideological unity. All kneel, except three Jewish men:Daniel and his friends. Even though they are threatened with the burning oven,they refuse to comply:

"... let it be known to the King: We certainly will not serve your God, and wewill not show reverence to the golden statue you set up." (3.18)

Ton Veerkamp comments:

This confession - forthatis what it is - is the refusal to subject oneself to the God of theKingand theempire - gold. This confession is the announcement ofanaction,anactionof refusal. They do not express a cheap creed, but say what they will do, or rather notdo,and are fully aware of the risks of this refusal to act.

15

The men are rescued by God from the fiery oven, according to the narrative.

However, they had said: God can save us, but if he does not, we declare that wewill not prostrate ourselves. They were prepared for martyrdom. This is theprice of breaking the arrogated total power of the world-system. For powercannot exist without being worshipped, i.e. without being acknowledged assupreme power. Power cannot exist when people withdraw loyalty andlegitimation from it. Today, this power is called: 'there is no alternative to thecapitalist world market'. We will return to this.

Daniel, chapter7, is the great vision of the empires of the world and how

God's Kingdom will overcome them. Initially,thepower of the former Kingdomsis described by wild beasts, indicating that their power destroys humanity.Neobabylonia is depicted as a winged lion, the Median empire as a bear and thePersianasa panther.Thewinged lionis acompilation,symbolisingtheconnectionof the heritage of Assur (lion) and Egypt (vulture) in the one Babylonian empire.It is piquant to note that these animals occur in the coats of arms of the empires,symbolising power. In the vision they are used to depict the ferocious predators

that destroy humanity, which theyare. For the Hellenistic empire Daniel cannoteven find a predator as symbol. It can only be described as a fearful monster. Itis an absolutist power that does not allow any autonomy it is the absolute


9/22

4 0 Duchrow

The secondpartof the vision shows how this terrible being is overcome.A"AncientofDays" ascendsthethrone,acourt session begins, judgement

pronounced,themurderous fiendisdestroyed and powerisgivento abei"likeachildofahuman".16 The symbolismisclear: Godisthe true king,throne islight and truth. Helimitsthemightofthe presumptuous poweOpposed to these predators and monsters Daniel posits the being with a humface. The human community between people is created by God forever. Danconnects to the visions of the prophet in exile Ezekiel, who saw God ina"foras of a human being" (1:26) and to the priestly writing, according to which Gcreated man and womanasrelational beings inGod's image (Gen 1,26-2

Who is this "human-like"figurein Daniel 7? Daniel clarifies this in the dreaminterpretation. The court sitsforthe "holy onesofthe Most High"- itgiv

justiceto thepeopleofGod. This justice isrepresentedascommunityopposedtothe hierarchical world empires. The ideologueofthese, Aristoteacher of thefirstHellenist ruler Alexander, wroteat the endof his Metaphys"Only one canrule", and justified slavery,upon which theHellenisticandRoeconomies were built. Not so in Israel. Itisof the "Holyones"of Israel, wlive accordingtoDan7 incommunity with the humane God, that Veerkamwrites:

Holiness in Israel can only be that which maintains freedom. The Holy One of Israe

the liberator, the holiness of Israel is the maintenance of freedom, its discipline,

Torah. The Liberator is the Sanctifier.17

This means that the reignof Godthat will overcome the murderous emtheworldisacommonwealth thatis formed by people infreedomand solifor people. Forthis reasonitis calledeternallife.

With this background Jesus,thehuman one,thehuman according to imageofGod, becomes understandable.

Jesus, theJesus Movement and the Early Church:

The reignofGodovercomesMammon, imperial-patriarchal-religiousstructures, builds alternativecommunities andempowersforwitness inoikumene

Jesus of Nazareth is born into the Roman Empire. He opposes this empire

all levels with the reign ofGod. It is for this reason that heismurdered by tRoman empire.18 The Gospels show him to be tempted by the temptations


10/22

The People ofGod intheContextofImperialPolitics,Economics and Ideolog

this empire before the beginning ofhismission. InMatthew 4we read that hewas temptedby thethree dimensions of power: economic, religious, and political-

imperial. The tempter is called Satan. Satan is introduced as the power that isworking behind the empire.19

It is very important to note that already at this timeeconomical, political and religious power co-operated in the character of theempire. Sometimes the opinion is heard that today everything is different frombiblical times, in which the empire had been purely military-territorial. This ishistorically false. Even then, temptationanddirect,structuralandcultural-religiouspower cooperated.

What is theeconomical temptationaccording to Matthew 4? The text calls it

"Making bread out of stones". Bourgeois theologyhasinterpretedJesus'answer:"Humans do not live only from bread" as Jesus' implying that one should not beconcerned about material things, but turn toward the spiritual as well. But fromwhere does Jesus take this quotation, and what is its biblical background?

In Deut 8,fromwhich Jesus takes this answer, one is reminded that YHWH'sgifts of land and bread to the people will only be a blessing and serve life if therules of the Torah on solidarity and against the tendency of accumulation ofwealth in the hands ofthestrong are followed. For:

She (your deity) gave you manna to eat. You, however, have tasted it and experiencedthat humans do not live by bread alone, but by all that come out of the mouth of Adonay(your deity). ( 8:3;.

20

This text that Jesus quotes in Mt. 4:4 against the temptation to make breadout of stones, therefore relates to Yahweh's command not to accumulate beyondones needs for daily living. It comes from the core text of the Hebrew Bible onthe "economy of enough for the life ofall"- the story of God's gift of manna in

the desert. The core sentence ofthisstory (Exodus 16) is:

..some gathered more, others less. When they measured what was gathered, those whogathered more had no excess, and those that gathered less had no lack, everyone tookhome justas much as each person needed.

Dietrich Bonhoeffercame to the heart of this matter in his confession of theguilt of the church."

21

The church confesses itself guilty of all ten commandments, she confesses herself guilty

of apostasyfromChrist...; shehasnot been able to make the caring of God so believablethat all humaneconomicactivitytook its aimfromthis caring.


11/22

4 2 Duchrow

In other words, God gives humans enough to live by, if it is shared fairly

This is empirically true even today, as many studies, by the UN, amongst other

prove. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, repeaagain and again: "A child that dies of hunger and its consequences today ha

been murdered."22 An economy that starts out on the presupposition of wan

hides that this want is caused by unequal distribution and takes a lie as a

unchangeable presupposition.

Deuteronomy reflects on this as well. In 8:10-14 it says:

If you eat and are satisfied and you bless Adonay, your deity, because of the good lanthat she gives you, then be attentive that you do not forget Adonay, your deity. B

attentive to her commands, laws and injunctions, thatIcommand you today. Only cathat you do not just eat and are satisfied, building yourself good houses and living them, your cattle and lambs and goats multiplying, your silver and gold and properincreasing, and your heart and mind then become proud and you forget Adonay, youdeity! For she has brought you out of Egypt, the land of slavery...."

This means: striving for wealth by destroying solidarity is the original sin o

trying to judge on good and evil with the aim of erecting one's own righteousne

and to grasp resources with violence instead of living together with others in th

joy of the "enough for all" out of the generously giving and liberating deity. Thexactly is the sin of the normal ancient near eastern environment of Israel, whic

Deut 8:17-20 calls idolatry. This is made extreme in the Roman Empire: 1. I

Roman law, property (dominium) is made so absolute, that even misuse an

destruction thereof is legal. 2. The proprietor is only the man of the hous

(dominus, grk. despotes). He owns not only land and house, but also ha

unrestrained dominion over wife, children and slaves. 3. The emperor is mad

in this image. He is the pinnacle of the empire. He is God, bringer of cosm

salvation.

Jesuslateruses another concept fortheoppositiontoidolatry by accumulatio

According to Deuteronomy, the decision between God and the gods o

accumulation is nothing less than a matter ofthat between life and death(30,15f

and parallels). Jesus summarises the same fundamental assessment in a sectio

of the Sermon on the Mount. He opposes the accumulation of treasure in servic

of the god of accumulation,Mammon(similar to Elijah with respect to the go

of accumulation, Baal) with the life from God's good gifts, free from fears, anthe seeking for the reign of Godandhis justice. Forwhen God's Spirit determin

li ll ill h h d li i b d l J f


12/22


prosper because of their righteousness, and bad ones, who suffer because of

their own sins, or those of their parents. He unmasks this approach as an

attemptbytheruling class to legitimise itself.InthesecondtemptationSataninvites Jesustograsp absolutereligiouspow

by throwing himself from the top of the temple, thereby forcing God to send

angels to protect him. Again Jesus answers with a quotefromDeuteronomy

thistimefrom6:16: "You shallnottemptAdonay,yourGod".Theverse reads, inits context:

Bewarenot toforgetAdonay. God has liberatedyoufromEgypt,the landofslavery.

You shallrespectAdonay, yourdeity.You shallworkfor her, and youshall swearby hename. Do not runafterotherdeities,godsorgoddessesof thenationthatsurroundyou!ForAdonayis ajealous deity,God for you inyourmidst...do notprovoke Adonay, youdeity.

This is concerned with gods that can be manipulated by the powerful to serve

theirown increased power at the cost of those who are reduced to slaves

Thereisnocompromisepossible between these idolsandYahweh, who liberates

slaves.

Inthethirdtemptation,Satan speaks clearly inRomanpolitical terms. "Onmore,the devil took him along on to a very highmountainand showed him all

nationsoftheworld and theirpower. And he said tohim:willgiveyou all ofthis if you will kneel and worship me'." Jesus refuses the temptation withanotherquote fromDeuteronomy:"You shall worship Adonay, yourGod,alone

anddedicate your lifeonly to him." With this, the Romaneconomic,religiousandpoliticaltemptation is resisted. Jesus can begin his mission again to make

Israel into a contrast society, thereby making it able togivewitness amongst the

nationsas God's liberated and liberating people thatanotherworld is possible.ThegospelspresentJesus consistentlyas overcomerof all asymmetrical

dominatingrelationships. In the summary ofW.Wink:23

Jesuscondemnedallformsofdomination:

patriarchyand theoppressionofwomenandchildren;

theeconomic exploitationand the impoverishmentofentireclasses ofpeople;

thefamilyaschiefinstrumentfor thesocializationofchildrenintooppressiveroles

andvalues; hierarchicalpower arrangementsthatdisadvantage theweak while benefiting the


13/22

4 4 Duchrow

racial superiority and ethnocentrism;

the entire sacrificial system with its belief in sacral violence.

Jesus proclaimed the Reign of God (or "God's Domination-Free Order"), not only acomingin thefuture,but ashaving already dawnedin hishealingsandexorcismsandhpreaching of good news to the poor.

Accordingly, Jesus reprimands his male disciples who think theycanintroduc

Roman circumstances into the reign of God (Mk 10:35-45). This key texdemonstrates that an alternative society is to be built in Israel from the bottom

up, by groups of disciples. With this, we approach the question: What shap

then shall thesocio-economic and political alternative take that Jesus envisageconcretely? In this text, Jesus summarises it in the concept of mutual service.2

Youknow, those whoare regarded as rulersoverthenationsrule withviolence over theand their leaders abuse their authority against them. It shall not be like this among youTo the contrary: Whoever wants to be highly regarded or powerful amongst you, shalserve you, and whoever wants to be the first among you, shall be a slave of all. (Mk10:42-44)

On the onehand, this text summarizes the political-economical analysis o

Jesus: Rome, its minions of the upper classes in the centre and periphery oPalestine represent nothing but violent oppression and exploitation. This clea

statement itself is liberating. It creates distance. It removes all legitimacy fromthe system. It de-ideologizes it. The whole of the Pax Romana is nothing buoppression and exploitation. There is nothing to be tamed - only a thorough

alternative can help.

Thealternative in the sense of God s domination-free order is:mutual serviceL. Schottroffhasshown thatdiakonein^in so far as it refers to service at tabl

means supplying service which is done, according to the role allocation of thpatriarchal system, only by slaves and women, and never by males owning

"dominium", i.e. property as basis of domination. Service - far from being

charity within a social system dominated by exploitation and rule - is then

understood as concrete social alternative, in which exploitation and oppressive

rule are removed. In the household, all are siblings. This connects to the familia

solidarity ofthepre-statehood and post-exilic egalitarian societies andruralfamilies

but transcends it. Even the patriarchal structure of the household is transformed

In this the egalitarian tendency of Israel is consistently extrapolated. Wengssummarises:


14/22

The People ofGod intheContextofImperialPolitics,Economics and Ideolog

Equality in principle is presupposed here, but this equality has its vitality in mutuaservice. The disciples of Jesus are a concrete anti-model to the structures of domination

of the world.

25

L. Schottroff indicates that Jesus' encompassing concept of love of neighbouis already meant by this family solidarity in Deuteronomy andtheHoliness CodeThiswould mean thatloveforJesus means thekinship in which within a househoand between households mutual service is done in cooperation, while havingequalrights.Theconcept "slave ofall"meansthat kinship, mutualityandsolidaritdo not stop at the boundaries ofthepatriarchal household.

The text in Mark 10 concludes by anchoring this new social structure in thebehaviour ofJesusand God:

For the human one has not come to be served, but to serve and to give his own life as aransom for all." (V. 45)

The gospels are full of accounts relating to thismotif. The washing of thedisciples' feet before the last shared meal is especially eloquent. Shared mealare the kernel of kinship, breaking downthebarriers of the patriarchal household

All are invited. The reign of God as a feast, at which all are satisfied, is no

longer only universal future, but begins now, starting with Jesus' liberatingpresence that engenders kinship amongst those who are marginalised and hungry- by sharing and mutual service. In so far as it is coupled with actual sharingthe Holy Communion within the Christian congregation is truly the core of thereign of God that Jesus brings.

Jesus views the new community of the commencing reign of God amongsdisciples (in the tradition of Isaiah2,Micah5and Deutero-Isaiah) as the origina

intention of God calling Abraham, the Egyptian slaves, and ancient Israel: Theyshouldbe ablessing forthenations, a shining example that a different world, onnot perverted by sin, is possible, and can be realised through trust in God. Fothis reason, he calls the new community that lives by the rules of the Sermon onthe Mount, i.e. the Torah, "Salt of the earth", "City on the mountain", "Light othe world" (Mt. 5:13-16). Only in this way can the community be the truIsrael, true disciples of Jesus. The test of this is the needy, the hungry, thethirsty etc. (Mt. 25:3Iff). Jesus even goes so far as to say that those who ac

humanely towards them belong to him and are the true Israel - whether theyconfess him with their mouth or not. True confession is acting in the spirit o


15/22

46 Duchrow

and the collaborating Jewish elites. He utilises prophetical forms of direct non

violentaction,e.g. in the cleansing of the temple. Hedoes not condemn attempt

atviolent uprisings against Rome, butchoosesa different strategy, because suchattempts remain locked into the logic of violence of the empire. The ruler

murderhim on the cross the punishment for rebels and escaped slaves. By

choosing not to act in counterviolence, because he trusted in God and God's

order that is freefromdomination, he breaks the personal and institutional logic

of selfishinterestsand violence, thereby destroyingthelegitimacy ofthepowerful

The faith in the resurrection claims that God is faithful to the one who suffers

and is murdered for justice. Failure cannot destroy hope. In this spirit, the

disciples were encouraged, at the conclusion of Mark's gospel (Mk 16:7), toreturn to the marginalised territory of Galilee, to the grassroots, and to follow

Jesus there by healing the oppressed and liberating them, as he did.

The faith in resurrection, i.e. the trust in God'srighteousness,made it possibl

for the early church to follow Jesus on this road. Acts 4:32ff summarises the

vision of the evangelist, Luke, in the following way: Because noone calls God'

gifts absolute property and because the disciples share, there are no poor amongs

them, and in this way they witness to the resurrection. Life is possible agains

the encompassing then Roman order of subjection and violence.

All Gospels and lettersof the second testamentapplythe sketched approach

of Jesus each in their way to their context, on the basis of the biblica

tradition. For the gospels, this is shown in the now classical book of Richard

HorsleyJesusand Empire.26

Especiallythegospel ofMarkshows its antiimperia

sentiment already with its opening words: "Beginning of the good news

(euangelion) of JesusChrist". For this phrase had been reserved for messages

of the Roman emperor. Indeed, the dispute ofJesuswith imperial structures odomination is explicated by Markrightinto the relationshipwithchildren, women

and collective possession, as shown masterfully by the commentary by Ched

Myers.27

1have already quotedanumberof examplesfromthe gospel ofMatthew.

WarrenCarter's book is not only calledMatthew and Empire:it isacomprehensive

analysis of this theme in this gospel.28

The gospel Lukeconcentrates especially

on Jesus' resistance to the economy of the Roman Empire.29 Johnpolemicizes

especially against those forces in Judea that collaboratewiththe Romanworld

26 Richard A. Horsley, Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder

(Minneapolis, FortressPress, 2003).


16/22


order (cosmos) and contrasts the messianic community of the friends of Jesusto these.

30Paul designs his central message in the letter to the Romans as

overcoming the self-righteousness so prevalent in the Roman empire, throughwhich the liberation of the whole of creation from destruction by violence (Rom8),new fellowship between Jews and nations (9-11) and a life in the spirit ofsolidarity is enabled (12-13).

31Like Jesus, he turns toward the weak, despised,

excluded(1Cor 1). Eisa Tamez has been led by this toward a new interpretationof the letter to the Romans from the perspective of the oppressed of LatinAmerica.

32The letters from the school of Paul,Ephesians andColossians, ar

also consciously written as oppositional writings to the Roman empire, as has

been shown in two monographs.33

Toconcludethebiblical reminiscencesweneed to look briefly at theRevelatioofJohn. This bookisoften ignored by liberal, bourgeois theologies and churchesand left to neoconservatives, especially in the USA. These then use ittojustifytheir "good" imperial arms acquisitions and wars - formerly against the SovietUnion and now against the "axis of evil". The central point of departure tounderstand apocalyptics is the comprehension, which is well known, that in

apocalyptic literature one is dealing with literature of resistance and the hope ofoppressed people against the totalising empires from Hellenism onwards.34

Wehave already referred to this context in dealing with the book of Daniel. Forpeople who are persecuted (and therefore have gone to ground) the Apocalypse"reveals" (this is the meaning of the word "apocalypse") - consciously in code,because of the dangers of persecution - that the seemingly absolute beast of theempire, that seems to leave no alternatives, that leads people astray by its falseprophets, that spreads fear and trembling, that this beast is not eternal, but has

feet of clay. Once it is destroyed according to the plan of God, all the world willsee what is now known only to those faithful to God: God will wipe away all

30 Ton Veerkamp, Der Abschied des Messias. Eine Auslegung des Johannesevangeliums,I. TeilJohannes 1,1-10,11; II. Teil: Johannes 19,22-21,25, in: Texte & Kontexte, 29. Jg. Nr. 109-

111, 1-3; 30. Jg. Nr. 113-115, 1-3, (Lehrhaus e.V., Berlin 2006-2007)

31 Gerhard Jankowski, Die groe Hoffnung : Paulus an die Rmer - eine Auslegung, (BerlinAlektor-Verlag, 1998)

32 Elsa Tamez, Gegen die Verurteilung zum Tod - Paulus oder die Rechtfertigung durch den

Glauben aus der Perspektive der Unterdrckten und Ausgeschlossenen, (Luzern, Exodus Pubi.1998).

33 Eberhard Faust Eberhard Pax Christi et pax Caesaris Religionsgeschichtliche


17/22

4 8 Duchrow

tears and create a new heaven and a new earth, in which there will be justice

and life will be able to unfold in fullness. In this new creation no one will rul

over any other. Revelation does refer to a thousand-year reign, in which th"holy ones will reign with Christ". But in this period, Satan is only bound an

can escape and become active again. This shows an inkling of the problems i

theviolent history of Christianity, as suspected byFranzHinkelammert.35Howeve

only the communion of humans and the whole ofcreation,free of domination i

the new earth, will last only this is eternal life. The Revelation ofJohnadds, i

the introductory letters to the congregations: those congregations that remai

faithful to this vision now in resistance, in alternative praxis and hope, will b

strengthened by God and be given part in his future. The others are either dea

already or God will reject them because they are neither warm nor cold. This i

something all those who reject apocalyptic theology because it allegedly is

hindrance to influence politics should take to heart. Apocalyptic theology is th

"mother of all Christian theology" deserving of the name, as Ernst Kseman

stated. Whoever eliminates it, must declare the New Testament to be irrelevant

In consequence, such a person will be theologically helpless and irrelevant whe

systems become totalitarian. For then, political room to manoeuvre needs to bfought for through resistance and system-transcending alternatives.

Consequences for Churches in Ecumenical Fellowship Today

Before comingtoconclusions for ourselveson thebasis of this biblical recollection

we need to make ourselves aware that there is no simple anti-imperial doctrine i

the Bible. The problem is therefore not simply an obvious abuse of the Bible a

in theexample of fundamentalismin theUS. The Bible itself does contain imperi

texts, especially in the tradition of the Israelite kingship, e.g. Ps 2 and 72, o

court wisdom. The Bible reproduces the conflicts around this issue. On th

other hand, it is incontrovertible that a line develops from experiences of failure

the failure to achieve justice, and the consequent catastrophes. This line begin

with the exodus from Egypt and culminates in Jesus of Nazareth: God is not t

be found on the side of the rulers, but with the victims of imperial structures. I

this sense, I agree with Martin Luther on the clarity of Holy Scripture.A second hermeneutical preliminary remark: I referred to different phases o

bibli l hi t i d t h th t f ith i Y h h h diff t ibiliti


18/22


biblical modelsonetooneto present situations. Rather,just like the prophets,we needtomake a precise analysis ofpresentsystemic developments in order to

be able to judge which are the concrete possibilities to intervene in and toliveourselvesinthespirit ofthejustice ofGod.Forthis,wecanfindvaluable impulses

inallthephases oftheBible.36

I have triedtoshow, in anumberofpublications

with wide use of literature,that the present phase of the development of thecapitalist system, in differentwaysin different regions oftheworld, is a mixtureof rightsthatwere achieved instrugglesand a totalising tendency to subject alllife down to the genes and souls to the utilisation logic of capitalusing allpossible means and increasingly using imperialist means. Because we are

dealing with a complexmixture,we need a multiple counter strategy.37

Presupposing this, we may hold on to the following fundamentalinsights

from theaforegoing biblical reminiscences and can makethemfruitful for us.

1. Whoeverwantstoavoidthe theme of empiretoday, mustalsoavoidthe

Bible.God'scontentionwith imperial structures of dominationis central to all

phases of biblical history.

Whoever wants to avoid the theme of empire today,must alsoavoidthe

ecumenicalcommunityofchurches. The World Alliance ofReformedChurcheespecially, has placed theissuefirmly on the agenda since its general council inAccra in 2004. The World Council of Churcheshas addressed theissuein itsAGAPEprocess. TheLutheranWorldFederationhas published a book with thetitleBeingtheChurch in the Midst ofEmpire(ed..Bloomquist).Although thisdiscussion was initially driven forward by theologiansfromtheglobal south,

38 it

hasbeentakenupintensively evenintheUSAfor afewyears.Besides previouslymentionedexegetical works I need mention only Rosemary RadfordRuether,

America,Amerikkka,Elect Nation and Imperial Violence,a historical andtheologicaltreatmentofUSempire,and Joerg Rieger,ChristandEmpire:From

Paul toPostcolonialTimes.39

36 Duchrow, Ulrich, "Alternatives to Global Capitalism" 203ff, and Franz Segbers, Die

Hausordnung der Tora.Biblische Impulsefr eine theologische Wirtschaftsethik, (Luzern,Exodus, 1999)

37 Duchrow, Ulrich, "Alternatives to Global Capitalism", 205, 206.

38 See also Formosa Christianity and Culture Research Center, "Church and Empire", in: Theologies

and cultures, Taiwan, 2/No 1(2005); Franz Hinkelammert, La violencia sagrada del imperio:el asalto al poder mundial, (Bogota, Editorial Buena Semilla, 2003).


19/22


20/22


ofJesusChrist. We can build on this.42

3.Thebiblical criterionfor critique and self-critique is clear:thevictimsof

imperial power structures - since the Hebrews of Ex 3ff., the widows, orphansand foreigners of the period of the kings, the peoples subjected by the Hellenesand Romans, through the European centuries up to the victims of imperialcapitalism nowadays in South and North. Church can be true church today onlyif it is unequivocally on the side of those who are affected by reductions in socialexpenditure, of refugees excluded from Europe, of women in sweatshops of ourcompanies, of suffering nature - "in the midst of empire".

4.What are thealternatives!Jesus resists the empire by empowering people tobuild up alternative communities. The kingdom of God begins in our midst. Aproblemis to bepointedout:often, evenin biblicaltexts,the alternativeispresentedasananti-empire. Thisleads tothe danger that structures of empire infiltrateintothealternative. For this reason it is important to see that Jesus reprimands his maledisciples that aspire to the position of minister in the reign of God. Thepoint is notthat the ruling elites are substituted by others. The structures of power must betransformed. Just as Israel andJesusin Israel clearly rejectedallforms and dimensions

of empire, the church today is church only in rejecting imperial capitalism and inacting accordingly. At the same time, this rejection must be expressed and lived ina way that does not reflect the structures of empire.

For this reason, Walter Wink's translation of "kingdom of God" with "God'sdomination-free order" is appropriate and helpful. Jesus overcomes empire notin fighting by means of violence, but by exposing the suffering of violence andthereby delegitimising it. I agree with Ched Myers

43 that Gandhi is the best

commentary on Jesus' life, suffering and death for the reign of God.44

The

church must learn from his strategy of "active confrontational non-violence" ifit wants to follow Jesus who suffers and struggles with victims, if it wants to bechurch. Martin Luther King and the Zapatistas are other examples.

All ofthisgives a perspective on how the church should truly be church ona biblical basis. Beyond this, what does it mean for a social-political strategy,including the role of the church in such a strategy? I can only hint at this here.

45

42 A fundamental critique of the present situation of the main stream churches in historical

perspective can be found in: Carl Amery, Global Exit - Die Kirchen und der Totale Markt,(Mnchen, Luchterhand, 2002)

43 Ched Myers Binding the strong man: A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus (Maryknoll


21/22

5 2 Duchrow

After precise analysis of the situation, a mixture of strategies, based on t

background ofthebiblical insights should be envisaged. In all cases the cruc

point of departure is that of cooperation with the victims and solidarity forces,fight for political room to manoeuvre from below. The logic of the syste

drives toward everything being subjected to the capital accumulation of owne

This does not mean that this has been achieved - the system has ma

contradictions - but the tendency is toward reversing the rights that have be

attained in past struggles. We pursue a double strategy in Kairos Europe,

rather a multiple strategy: On the one hand, we try to sap energy from t

totalising tendency of the system by delegitimising it and refusing cooperati

with it. In this, one needs to start with the contradictions in the system. On t

other hand, one needs to develop alternative cells from below, locally a

regionally, that devise a cooperative, solidarity-based economy,46 wh

simultaneously national, regional and global alliances are made to interve

politically. In this, the alternatives are developed from the concrete struggl

Starting points can be the defence of the social state and public services a

goods, defence of the constitution and of human rights. These concrete ste

need to aim to transcend the system. For humanity and earth will not be able

survive for long - especially not ecologically - within the capitalist logic tha

totalising itself more and more, and protects itself with ever more totalitari

political and military means.

5. What does this mean for the ecumenical movement?There needs to bdiscussion of principles onabiblical basis in the present processes of consultatafter the ecumenical assemblies, that aims to connect the issues of violence

the different dimensions of Empire and to work toward overcoming this violen

This discussion should not restrict itself to direct and structural violence, binclude issues of violence through culture and "religion". This discussion m

not be held in abstract, but in the praxis at the side ofthevictims struggling f

justice. Therefore it needs to be in the midst oftheconflicts. To learn to act

this way from the biblical inspiration is costly. In the south, many people die

this.In South Africa, the memory is still fresh of what it means to put one's l

on the line for freedom and justice. In the North, one only has to face som

disadvantages. I pray that we, that our churches do not aim to save their liv

but are prepared to risk them in the discipleship of Jesus. It is only in this wthat they will be able to witness to God's non-dominating and life-affirmi


22/22

^ s

Copyright and Use:

Asan ATLAS user, you may print, download, or send articles for individual useaccording to fair use as defined by U.S. and international copyright law and asotherwise authorized under your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement.

No content may be copied or emailed to multiple sites or publicly posted without thecopyright holder(s)' express written permission. Any use, decompiling,reproduction, or distribution of this journal in excess of fair use provisions may be aviolation of copyright law.

This journal is made available to you through the ATLAS collection with permissionfrom the copyright holder(s). The copyright holder for an entire issue of a journal

typically is the journal owner, who also may own the copyright in each article. However,

for certain articles, the author of the article may maintain the copyright in the article.

Please contact the copyright holder(s) to request permission to use an article or specificwork for any use not covered by the fair use provisions of the copyright laws or covered

by your respective ATLAS subscriber agreement. For information regarding the

copyright holder(s), please refer to the copyright information in the journal, if available,or contact ATLA to request contact information for the copyright holder(s).

About ATLAS:

The ATLA Serials (ATLAS) collection contains electronic versions of previously

published religion and theology journals reproduced with permission. The ATLAS

collection is owned and managed by the American Theological Library Association(ATLA) and received initial funding from Lilly Endowment Inc.

The design and final form of this electronic document is the property of the AmericanTheological Library Association.

People of God - Economics and Ideology

Documents

Transcript of People of God - Economics and Ideology