Maybe the real AI was the stupid things we made along the way.
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Richard Beck on the subversive nature of the Bible: It “denies the ultimacy” of any political system (we are not citizens of this world), the prophetic tradition opposes oppression and injustice, and the themes throughout the scripture are about emancipation, liberation.
Beck says that the entirety of “political theology” may rest on the simple statement that the Bible exists “to unsettle the nations.” This seems right; those who claim Biblical support (and thus God’s blessing) on their state, or their ideology or particular political beliefs, whether currently in power or only seeking to be, are missing the point entirely. God has no interest in your political debates, he is only interested in justice.
I think it’s important for everyone, no matter left or right or in-between, whether they are in positions of authority, or seeking an electoral victory, or fomenting a revolution, to ask themselves: Why has every human political system in history led to oppression and injustice of some sort? And what makes me think my preferred political outcome would wind up any different?
I can’t help but go back to Ellul: Our world’s will always leads toward suicide. “If Christians work with all their might for a human project, they are only human beings like others and their effort has no added value. But if they accept their specific function as Christians, which does not necessarily involve participating in the world in material or measurable ways, then this is decisive for human history.”
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Speaking of Ellul, through the end of this month Wipf and Stock is offering a 40% discount on his books; use code IJES40 to purchase from them directly.
I haven’t figured out what that specific function looks like. I understand the roles of light, salt, and sheep. But I’m frustrated with trying to turn those into something that can transact with the world.
I agree; I’m still pretty early on in my reading of the book. In my post earlier today, he talks about laypeople living out the tension by demonstrating Jesus Christ’s forgiveness for the sinful “realities” (economic, ideological, etc.) of the world.
The analogies of salt, light, and sheep resonate with me in that I’ve pondered them even before reading Ellul. But the analogy of salt strikes a deeper chord than simply being a sign of the covenant. In the ancient Near East, salt was used to preserve meat, and pack wounds to prevent infection. I can see that as a specific application, more than simply a sign. And Jesus said we are to be the salt of the earth (ge “land”), not the world (cosmos “system”). The Earth is the Lord’s. The world is not.
Yes, that is a good point, and interesting that you mention preservation, because that term specifically comes up later in Chapter 1, the preservation of the world. I’m still wrestling with the section on Christian ethics and hope to post something about that soon.