I spent the weekend away at an Anabaptist conference. I never knew much about the Anabaptist’s till this conference. Along with a whole pile of other things they are real believers in the idea of a non violent God. The movement started during a European war and many who were part of the movement were killed because they refused to take up weapons of destruction. They acknowledge there is a lot in the Bible that suggests God is violent but their very wise argument against this notion is the fact that we are all immersed in conventional wisdom and sometimes the writers of the Bible attributed ideas about what Empire is on to God. Does that make sense? It makes sense to me but that may be because I sat through a sermon on the whole notion.
Urban Seed did a bit of a presentation thing at the conference, along with other groups who are exploring what community and mission look like in the Australian context. I bumped into this girl there called Narelle who I did the Waiters Union Course with about 8 years ago. (mum do you remember her?) Narelle and I were pen pals for about 6 months after the course finished. She has become a Sister (as in a nun). When she told me I tried to look normal but she said to me “why do you look so surprised?” I didn’t mean to look so surprised but it is just not often a lifestyle young people take on these days. I don’t think I could handle being a sister but she says she gets a lot out of it. She gave me her address. We are going to be pen pals again. I am looking forward to that.
It’s an interesting point – predominant ideas colouring certain biblical statements, but if you want to maintain a christian and biblical perspective then there is little remaining to establish a faith.
It is still putting God in a box, placing our own conceptual image over that of God (interesting the image of concept is also based on ANE notions of empire).
Is it any better to conform biblical theology to neo marxist ideologies? Addressing the issue of violence in either positive or negative terms is still thinking within the box. Where does redemption and grace fit in? Throwing away biblical statements creates further condemnating and hostilities by placing a human designed mesh of rules and values over everything.
Many of the practices of non-violence involve manipulation, inducing feelings of shame, guilt and powerlessness, the very things caused by the violence that is being opposed. A community can be unaware of creating outcasts by invalidating and categorizing individuals broadly and refusing to allow them free thinking or speech.
Gem, I can’t say I remember Narelle by name (I might if I saw her) but I probably would have reacted as you did when she said she was a nun. Is she a catholic nun or some other denomination? I’m glad it’s working for her.
I don’t agree at all with Jas’s comments. I think there is plenty remaining on which to establish a christian faith when you look at the Bible as being written by people in a particular cultural context. The essence of the christian story is very clear in the Bible seeing it this way…. and then of course there is the church and the work of the spirit and the world God created and fellowship with other christians and so much more… I don’t believe we can ever know God in this life any way, apart from the culture we grow up in. But we still can know him even though he is “a poor reflection in a mirror”.
Working in a context where I regularly see the actual lived effects of violence, I’m with the Anabaptists. To solve disputes some forms of power will get used and I do not think any other form is worse than bashing the crap out of someone or killing them or making them see other people get killed and injured. The trauma of violence is awful. You could argue that evangelists are “manipulating” people. To use power for good is not necessarily a bad thing.