God’s Reign & the End of Empires (Kyrios)

Synopsis

In This Profound And Enlightening Book, Theologian Antonio Gonzalez Analyzes The Nature Of Global Empires Since The Time Of Babylon. His Premise Is That Empires Maintain Power By Any Means Necessary, Including Exploitation, Injustice And Idolatry. It Is In This Context Of Empire, Specifically The Roman Empire, That Jesus Proclaimed The Reign Of God As Opposed To The Reign Of Caesar. Within God S Reign, God Alone Rules, With Mercy, Love, Justice, And Special Concern For The Oppressed. Imbued With This Faith, A New Community Of Believers Developed, Particularly Among The Poor, Who Lived What Jesus Proclaimed, Sharing Resources And Practicing Equality And Forgiveness Rather Than Retribution. The Author Documents How, During The First Centuries A.d., Post Resurrection Communities Continued To Practice Living In The Reign Of God. With The Rise Of Emperor Constantine, However, This Vibrant Countercultural Movement Of Believers Became Coterminous With, And Was Institutionalized Within, The Roman Empire. When That Empire Fell, Over Time The Institutional Church Became The Dominant Power With All The Trappings Of Empire. The Author Shows How The Evils Inherent In Empire Are Still Prevalent Today Throughout The World, With The Church Often Blessing And Sharing In The Power. God S Reign And The End Of Empires Concludes By Focusing On How Christian Counterforces Throughout The Centuries Have Attempted To Reclaim The Spirit And Praxis Of The Reign Of God As Modeled By Jesus, And It Examines In Depth Both Secular And Faith Based Contemporary Movements That Reflect This Praxis By Working To Counteract The Detrimental Effects Of Empire. The Author Sees These Movements As Reason For Hope. -- Publisher's Description. The Globalized Empire. The Need For Social Theology -- Problems Of The Global Village -- The Economic System -- Global Problems Revisited -- The Problem Of Alternatives -- Conclusion -- The Biblical Diagnosis. The Recourse To Scripture -- The Logic Of Babel -- Biblical Radicality -- Escaping From Empire. The Election Of Abraham -- The Story Of The Exodus -- The Permanence Of The Logic Of Adam -- The Reign Of God -- Conclusion -- The Strategy Of The Messiah. The Reign Of God -- The Reign Of The Poor -- The Community Of Disciples -- The Conflict -- The Meaning Of The Cross -- Conclusion -- The Messianic Communities. The Imperial Society -- The Social Stratification Of The Empire -- The Irruption Of God's Reign -- The Social Level Of The First Christians -- The Transformation Of Social Relations -- The Persistence Of The Christian Model -- Conclusion -- The Communities And The Empire. The Universal Function Of The New Society -- The Messiah And The Powers -- Christian Participation In The State? -- The Meaning Of History -- Conclusion -- The Signs Of Our Times. The Problem Of The Signs Of The Times -- The End Of Constantinianism -- The New Forms Of Dissidence -- The New Popular Economy -- The Relevance Of Nonviolence -- Conclusion -- Toward A New Society. With All Peoples -- Christian Effectiveness -- Concrete Practices -- The Character Of Our Proposal -- Conclusion -- General Conclusion. Antonio González Fernández ; Translated By Joseph V. Owens. Includes Bibliographical References.