Status
Available
Collection
Description
Have we really heard the message of Colossians? Is this New Testament book just another religious text whose pretext is an ideological grab for dominating power? Reading Colossians in context, ancient and contemporary, can perhaps give us new ears to hear.In this innovative and refreshing book Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia C. Keesmaat explain our own sociocultural context to then help us get into the world of the New Testament and get a sense of the power of the gospel as it addressed those who lived in Colossae two thousand years ago. Their reading presents us with a radical challenge from the apostle Paul for today. Drawing together biblical scholarship with a passion for authentic lives that embody the gospel, this groundbreaking interpretation of Colossians provides us with tools to subvert the empire of our own context in a way that acknowledges the transforming power of Jesus Christ.… (more)
Publication
IVP Academic (2004), Edition: Illustrated, 256 pages
Similar in this library
Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation by Miroslav Volf
The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation, A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics by Richard B. Hays
The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol 10: Romans - Galatians by Murray Harris Frank E. Gaebelein James Montgomery Boice
Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel by Brian D. McLaren
A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN by Brian D. McLaren
Resident Aliens: A Provocative Christian Assessment of Culture and Ministry for People Who Know that Something is Wrong by Stanley Hauerwas
Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N. T. Wright
User reviews
LibraryThing member groansfromwithin
This is one of the top books that I have ever read! I couldn't put it down. It demonstrates how Christians in the first century had to stand up against the empire in order to live faithful lives for the Kingdom of God. It discusses how this understanding of Colossians and other NT writtings can
This is a must read for any christian who desires to make a difference in the world!
Show More
make a significant impact on how we interact with postmodern culture. It raises questions like: How has the church become like the empire? Are we influenced by imperialism? What are we doing to bring the justice of God into the world in light of our involvement with empire?This is a must read for any christian who desires to make a difference in the world!
Show Less
LibraryThing member jd234512
If I had read this book several years ago, I believe my review of it would have been even more positive. This is largely because this idea of subverting the empire was a fresh idea that was really beginning to take off in my mind and those of which I was reading. I was not at the point of reading
At this point, however, this seems to be a preaching to the choir of me and actually seemed to be too skewed in favor of reading Colossians in this manner that it became reduced in meaning and power I feel. We are greeted with a forewarning of sorts that this will function as an "anti-commentary" and to change our expectations of what this will be. After hearing Walsh and Keesmaat speak at a recent conference, however, I was really hoping it would be a more intense approach(as in a commentary) because I really appreciate their outlook for interpretation of the Bible. Ideologically, they may be considered more liberal in their perspective, however they still maintain a fairly conservative approach to the Bible which I highly appreciate(combined with their ideology).
While there are many gems in this that definitely make it still worth reading, I couldn't help but feel that I was bombarded with a little bit of agenda in naming and blaming the powers and living consciously (socially, ecologically, etc.). This is clearly an important aspect of Colossians(and I'm sure they would argue a sorely missed understanding among scholars) however it was staggering to see such imbalance in position.
Show More
more scholarly approaches to the concept(as this clearly is although extremely readable), but was learning how subversive Jesus was in the face of Rome at the time and so likewise as we found out here Paul as well.At this point, however, this seems to be a preaching to the choir of me and actually seemed to be too skewed in favor of reading Colossians in this manner that it became reduced in meaning and power I feel. We are greeted with a forewarning of sorts that this will function as an "anti-commentary" and to change our expectations of what this will be. After hearing Walsh and Keesmaat speak at a recent conference, however, I was really hoping it would be a more intense approach(as in a commentary) because I really appreciate their outlook for interpretation of the Bible. Ideologically, they may be considered more liberal in their perspective, however they still maintain a fairly conservative approach to the Bible which I highly appreciate(combined with their ideology).
While there are many gems in this that definitely make it still worth reading, I couldn't help but feel that I was bombarded with a little bit of agenda in naming and blaming the powers and living consciously (socially, ecologically, etc.). This is clearly an important aspect of Colossians(and I'm sure they would argue a sorely missed understanding among scholars) however it was staggering to see such imbalance in position.
Show Less
LibraryThing member shannonkearns
It only gets three stars because it's written in a really obnoxious style. Once the book gets rolling, though, the theology and the praxis are excellent.