...real criticism begins in the capacity to grieve because that is the most visceral announcement that things are not right. Only in the empire are we pressed and urged and invited to pretend that things are all right....And as long as the empire can keep the pretense alive that things are all right, there will be no real grieving and no serious criticism.
But think what happens if the Exodus is the primal scream that permits the beginning of history.
- Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination
Christianity has been the single most creative cultural, ethical, aesthetic, social, political, or spiritual force in the history of the West, to be sure; but it has also been a profoundly destructive force; and one should perhaps praise it as much for the latter attribute as for the former, for there are many things worthy of destruction.
- David Bentley Hart, Atheist Delusions
Criticism, destruction, grieving - not words you'd associate with Western Christianity today. Perhaps not even words we would
want to be associated with.
For this purpose was the Son of God manifest: to destroy the works of the evil one. In this latter sense, of course, the destructive force of christianity is indeed praiseworthy. However the thief also comes to steal, to kill and to destroy. This, to Jesus, is the antithesis of the life he came to impart. Much of the historical "destruction" engaged in by christianity has been of the "thief" variety, bringing in its train, death, with all attendant corruption, to wit, the crusades, child abuse and its cover up, and tele-evangelists.
ReplyDeleteBy all means glory in Christ's destruction of the thief's works, but discern also the thievish destruction of lives wrought by the christian church, in all its broad canvas, and not only discern it, but acknowledge it too and confess it before men (and women and children also).
I am very intrigued by this idea of criticism, grief and empire.It touched a chord with me. Perhaps much of what we call "church" is really just empire, which is of course repugnant to the Kingdom of God. You can run an empire. You can only follow the kingdom of God.
ReplyDeleteIs this explored in The Prophetic Vision.
He doesn't actually use the phrase "kingdom of god" much, but the contrast between God's way of doing things and the dominant way of doing things is discussed throughout, with the prophet being one who criticises the dominant way and energises people for God's way.
ReplyDeleteIt's a short book so he doesn't go in depth into either "way", but I swear on my mother's gravy that there's plenty to chew on nonetheless. One of the most important books I've ever read. Arguably more important than one of those books by the minor prophets. Nahum, for example. :-)
I agree completely. Nahum is nowhere near as impotent as Brueggmann. But lay off the ould fella. It's bad enough that he tried and failed to gain ingress to the canon.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's this about mother's gravy? Can you really chew on it?