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.