Colossians Remixed Colossians Remixed Subverting the Empire: Subverting the Empire: Session 1 Session 1
Dec 28, 2015
Colossians RemixedColossians Remixed
Subverting the Empire: Subverting the Empire: Session 1Session 1
Opening PrayerOpening PrayerRe-brand UsRe-brand Us
by Walter Brueggemann, from by Walter Brueggemann, from Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Awed to Heaven, Rooted in EarthEarth
Colossians RemixedColossians RemixedBased on book by Brian J. Walsh Based on book by Brian J. Walsh
and Sylvia C. Keesmaatand Sylvia C. Keesmaat““Colossians is a subversive tract for Colossians is a subversive tract for
subversive living, and it insists that subversive living, and it insists that such an alternative imagination and such an alternative imagination and alternative way of life is formed and alternative way of life is formed and sustained in the context of sustained in the context of community.” (p. 9)community.” (p. 9)
““What does it mean to be faithful to What does it mean to be faithful to Jesus as Lord over all of our life?” Jesus as Lord over all of our life?” (p. 57)(p. 57)
Some Preliminary Some Preliminary CommentsComments Grew out of conversations Grew out of conversations
between the authors and N. T. between the authors and N. T. WrightWright
Framed as discussion with Gen Framed as discussion with Gen XersXers
Goal of the book is to develop a Goal of the book is to develop a way of thinking about the letter to way of thinking about the letter to the Colossians that speaks to us the Colossians that speaks to us todaytoday
Result is that Paul’s message to Result is that Paul’s message to those of us who are post-modern those of us who are post-modern “Colossians” can be challenging“Colossians” can be challenging
Central QuestionCentral Question““What does it mean to be faithful What does it mean to be faithful
to Jesus as Lord over all of our to Jesus as Lord over all of our life?” (p. 57)life?” (p. 57)
Modern Is So YesterdayModern Is So Yesterday ““We live at a precarious moment in We live at a precarious moment in
history. Relations of subjection, history. Relations of subjection, suffering, dispossession and suffering, dispossession and contempt for human dignity and the contempt for human dignity and the sanctity of life are at the center of sanctity of life are at the center of social existence. Emotional social existence. Emotional dislocation, moral sickness and dislocation, moral sickness and individual helplessness remain individual helplessness remain ubiquitous features of our time.” ubiquitous features of our time.” (Peter McLaren, p. 19)(Peter McLaren, p. 19)
This sense of disequilibrium is paired This sense of disequilibrium is paired with optimistic, future oriented, with optimistic, future oriented, ubiquitous messages, including a ubiquitous messages, including a large share of advertisinglarge share of advertising
Postmodern Is Where We Postmodern Is Where We LiveLive Betrayal – having been fed too many Betrayal – having been fed too many
lineslines Skepticism – toward all historical Skepticism – toward all historical
accountsaccounts Moral codes & normative systems are Moral codes & normative systems are
inventions of humansinventions of humans Unimpressed - by scientific proofs – Unimpressed - by scientific proofs –
postrationalistpostrationalist ““For Xers, both our For Xers, both our experienceexperience and our and our
imaginationimagination of our selves are of our selves are characterized more by incoherence than characterized more by incoherence than coherence, more by fragmentation than coherence, more by fragmentation than unity…We seem to have many centers, unity…We seem to have many centers, each of them shifting and unstable.” each of them shifting and unstable.” (Tom Beaudoin, p. 25)(Tom Beaudoin, p. 25)
Postmodernity and Postmodernity and GlobalismGlobalism ““The belief that there is, not a single The belief that there is, not a single
truth and a single world, but a truth and a single world, but a multiplicity of mutually untranslatable multiplicity of mutually untranslatable perspectives, is strangely analogous to perspectives, is strangely analogous to the belief that the market is a the belief that the market is a boundless medium within which boundless medium within which perfect competition is possible perfect competition is possible between an infinite number of discrete between an infinite number of discrete commercial identities.” (Boyle, p. 31)commercial identities.” (Boyle, p. 31)
Humans are consumers who chooseHumans are consumers who choose Postmodernity’s emphasis on Postmodernity’s emphasis on
pluralism is equivalent to globalism’s pluralism is equivalent to globalism’s concern to preserve consumer choiceconcern to preserve consumer choice
Globalism and ReligionGlobalism and Religion Watch Frontline: “The Watch Frontline: “The
Persuaders”, especially the Persuaders”, especially the second segment on websecond segment on web
Follow the link: Follow the link: http://http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/viewview//
Identify all the religious Identify all the religious language that you canlanguage that you can
Globalism and ReligionGlobalism and Religion SpiritualSpiritual EpiphanyEpiphany Pain/Pain/
sufferingsuffering Sweat lodgesSweat lodges Meaning Meaning
(system)(system) CommunityCommunity Cult(s)Cult(s) Falon GongFalon Gong
Hari KrishnaHari Krishna BelongBelong Homecoming/Homecoming/
heavenheaven ValuesValues ““Fill the empty Fill the empty
places”places” InvitationInvitation ChurchesChurches
Post-modern Reading of Post-modern Reading of Biblical TextsBiblical Texts
Singular view is limitingSingular view is limiting Search for a god is approached Search for a god is approached
through a through a postmodern/globalist lenspostmodern/globalist lensChooses one god from many – Chooses one god from many –
consumer choiceconsumer choiceDemands god to be accountable Demands god to be accountable
to us instead of being to us instead of being accountable to Godaccountable to God
A search for an idolA search for an idol
Colossians and Colossians and GlobalizationGlobalization
Colossians not always Colossians not always someone else’s mail written a someone else’s mail written a long time agolong time ago
Try to imagine the letter of Try to imagine the letter of Colossians written post 9-11, Colossians written post 9-11, in a consumer driven economy in a consumer driven economy to people with high-speed to people with high-speed internet accessinternet access
What might it sound like?What might it sound like?
Colossians 1:1-14 Colossians 1:1-14 TargumTargum11
Targum comes from the Targum comes from the Hebrew Hebrew tirgemtirgem Means both “to translate” and Means both “to translate” and
“to explain”“to explain”Targums were among the scrolls Targums were among the scrolls
found in the Dead Sea cavesfound in the Dead Sea caves
1 pp. 39-41, Walsh & Keesmaat, Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire, InterVarsity Press, 2004
Colossians 1:1-14 TargumColossians 1:1-14 Targum Questions to consider as you read Questions to consider as you read
and discussand discussWhat are your general impressions of What are your general impressions of
this part of Colossians?this part of Colossians?What are the main points of the text?What are the main points of the text?What surprises you about this text?What surprises you about this text?Do you think the text has “exegetical Do you think the text has “exegetical
credibility”? Why? Why not?credibility”? Why? Why not?Does the “targum” raise any issues or Does the “targum” raise any issues or
ideas that you might want to explore ideas that you might want to explore further?further?
Colossians 1:1-14 TargumColossians 1:1-14 Targum ““Always read the New Always read the New
Testament with Old Testament Testament with Old Testament eyes…always hear the New eyes…always hear the New Testament with Old Testament Testament with Old Testament ears.” (p. 42)ears.” (p. 42)
Shalom has rich, multi-layered Shalom has rich, multi-layered meaning in Hebrew Biblemeaning in Hebrew BibleWell-beingWell-beingBlessingBlessingAbundanceAbundanceRichnessRichnessHarmony in relationshipHarmony in relationship
ShalomShalom Ezekiel 34:25-31- a picture of Ezekiel 34:25-31- a picture of
shalomshalomNotice how this shalom is Notice how this shalom is
dependent on God’s grace & dependent on God’s grace & relationship to Godrelationship to God
Contrast this picture with the Contrast this picture with the competition of the marketplacecompetition of the marketplace
Poses the question: Is our sense Poses the question: Is our sense of well-being and security based of well-being and security based on our skills and hard work or is on our skills and hard work or is it derived from God’s gifts of it derived from God’s gifts of grace?grace?
TruthTruth Presents truth personifiedPresents truth personified
Proverbs 1:9-9:18Proverbs 1:9-9:18Wisdom calls out in the public squareWisdom calls out in the public squareRelated to “fear of the Lord”, Related to “fear of the Lord”,
security, justice, & creationsecurity, justice, & creationWisdom, the search for truth, is about Wisdom, the search for truth, is about
proper relationship to God, others and proper relationship to God, others and creationcreation
Biblical truth is relationalBiblical truth is relational Truth is founded on Truth is founded on
faithfulness, especially God’s faithfulness, especially God’s faithfulness to his promisesfaithfulness to his promises
FaithfulnessFaithfulness Psalm 85Psalm 85
God’s faithfulness is related to God’s faithfulness is related to multiple conceptsmultiple conceptsSalvationSalvationSteadfast loveSteadfast loveRighteousnessRighteousnessPeacePeaceBlessings of creationBlessings of creation
Results of Broken Results of Broken RelationshipRelationship
Hosea 4:1-3Hosea 4:1-3Pictures the break in relationship Pictures the break in relationship
between God and God’s people in between God and God’s people in terms of marriageterms of marriage
In opposition to post-modernist In opposition to post-modernist suspicions that truth claims lead to suspicions that truth claims lead to violence, Hosea says that a lack of violence, Hosea says that a lack of truth/faithfulness leads to violencetruth/faithfulness leads to violence
Humanity’s relationship to Humanity’s relationship to creation keeps cropping up in creation keeps cropping up in these textsthese textsSuggests a spirituality rooted in Suggests a spirituality rooted in
everyday lifeeveryday life
MessiahMessiah Compare with Isaiah’s picture of Compare with Isaiah’s picture of
the Messiahthe Messiah Isaiah11:2-5, 9Isaiah11:2-5, 9
Notice use of “spirit”, “knowledge”, Notice use of “spirit”, “knowledge”, “wisdom”, “understanding”“wisdom”, “understanding”
Same words Paul uses when speaking to Same words Paul uses when speaking to the Colossiansthe Colossians
Exemplifies wisdom through “fear of Exemplifies wisdom through “fear of the Lord”the Lord”
Acts with justice/righteousnessActs with justice/righteousnessSecurity and fullness of creation resultSecurity and fullness of creation result
Same themes impact all of creationSame themes impact all of creation
Colossians 1:1-14Colossians 1:1-14 Paul’s prayer for knowledge Paul’s prayer for knowledge
for Christians at Colossaefor Christians at ColossaeTransformative of all aspects of Transformative of all aspects of
their communal lifetheir communal lifeA reading of Colossians that A reading of Colossians that
indicts modernist objectivity indicts modernist objectivity because of the emphasis on because of the emphasis on relationshiprelationship
BibliographyBibliography Background Clipart. Microsoft Office Background Clipart. Microsoft Office
Online. Online. http://http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.asoffice.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lcpx?lc=en-us=en-us (16 Jan. 2005) (16 Jan. 2005)
Brueggemann, Walter. Brueggemann, Walter. Awed to Awed to Heaven, Rooted in EarthHeaven, Rooted in Earth. Minneapolis: . Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2003. Augsburg Fortress, 2003.
Walsh, Brian J. & Keesmaat, Sylvia C. Walsh, Brian J. & Keesmaat, Sylvia C. Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Colossians Remixed: Subverting the EmpireEmpire. . Downers Grove, IL: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004. InterVarsity Press, 2004.