The (Lieben)GOOD LIFE

The Book of Revelation is about "works."  To be more precise, the Book of Revelation is about how works are a condition for journeying successfully through the wilderness of Babylon (Revelation 17-18) into the Promised Land of the New Jerusalem/New Garden (Revelation 21-22).  We get a glimpse of the importance of the work that disciples of Jesus are called to by attending to two images of Jesus in the opening chapter.  Two Orienting Visions of Jesus In Revelation 1:5-6, we see that the accomplishments of Jesus are described after the pattern of Exodus, that paradigmatic event that demonstrated YHWH's power to deliver his people. In John's description, the death of Jesus functions like the blood of the Passover, liberating (literally "loosing" or "unbinding") God's people from the tyranny of sin. Just like the first exodus, this liberation comes with a responsibility, work to do: the work of being priests to the God and Father of Jesus Christ.  ...

One of the reasons I enjoy researching and teaching in the latter part of the New Testament (e.g., 1-2 Peter, Hebrews, and Revelation) is because these often unfamiliar texts say things in ways that we are not accustomed to hearing them said, especially as it relates to how we conceive of life in Christ. And sometimes this different way of saying things runs up against what we "know" to be true.  In my most recent go-around at teaching Revelation, I have been struck by this simple, pervasive, and yet often-overlooked fact: John's Apocalypse is about works!  To be even more precise,  John's Apocalypse is about being saved by works! In the midst of the fantastic and perplexing imagery of Revelation, especially in chapters 6-20, it is easy to loose the forest for the trees. But, as I will try to show (in the next three posts), the majestic extravagance of Revelation 4-5 and the shocking horror of the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls are in the service of this most fun...

Does the Book of Revelation contradict the claim that God is love?  This is one of the questions we will be wrestling with in my course on the Book of Revelation as we patiently read through what is a complex and perplexing text. Throughout the history of its interpretation, on occasion students of the book have come to the conclusion that the notion that God is fundamentally loving is irreconcilable with message and imagery of John's Apocalypse (this is another name for the Book of Revelation), especially in Revelation 6-20.  Interestingly, their are two bookends, or framing devices (more technically known as  inclusios ) in Revelation that seem to suggest that the book is ultimately about God's love. The first inclusio can be found in Revelation 1:4-8 / 22:12-21; the second framing device is located in the message to the first of the seven churches and the last of the seven churches in Revelation 2-3.  Inclusio 1: Revelation 1:4-8 / 22:12-21 In the opening greeti...

People my age, especially educators, who engage with 18-22 year-olds regularly complain that this generation lacks passion and drive: in short, we think they care about nothing. Recently, I got a window into the heart of this generation, and it renewed in me a desire to invest in their lives. This summer I have been teaching an intensive course on the Book of Revelation. In one of my first lectures I highlighted one of Augustine's key insights: the problem of humanity is not that we lack the right information (education) or the right technology; rather the essential problem with humankind is that we do not love the right things. In my lecture I stressed that, in my view,  the Book of Revelation is ultimately about teaching us to love and align ourselves with the right things. In the course of trying to demonstrate this, I showed the class a video clip from a documentary called the Persuaders , a PBS Frontline look into the advertising industry. I was deeply moved by the conve...