Notes on Revelation for the Rest of Us (part 2)

 

Moving on to chapter 2 of McKnight and Matchett's Revelation for the Rest of Us. This chapter is called, "For Whom Was the Book of Revelation Written? (Take a Deep Breath)."

At the start of the chapter the authors explain that John was a leader in the churches of western Asia Minor (the "seven churches"). It seems that "the Roman way of life was penetrating these churches," and John was speaking out against that, so the authorities put him in prison/exile on the island of Patmos.

The Revelation is John's response. So it is John "speaking out" (a phrase that is going to recur here). It was intended for the churches, and so everything in it would have been, though at times difficult, comprehensible to his audience.

The authors say that as a result of Rome's destruction of the temple at Jerusalem in 70AD, Rome became the epitome of evil in Jewish eyes. Then there would come the persecution of Christians under Nero, and in response "a tradition of dissidence begins to take root."

My response: I don't think the author's do a particularly good job of describing just what was going on in the churches that the authorities had a problem with. These things are well-known, after all. I'm also not sure they make a convincing case that the Jesus-communities in Asia Minor were, by worshipping Jesus, practicing a kind of dissidence against Rome akin to the Jewish dissidents at Masada. 

On page 17 the authors give us this:

In the book of Revelation Jon instructs the seven churches of western Asia Minor on ow to live as Christian dissidents in an empire racked by violence, power, exploitation, and arrogance... This is a book that calls us to civil disobedience.

 The authors go on to define dissidents as people of hope who imagine a better future and then begin to embody it in the world. They speak out against injustice. Then we get a list of modern dissidents as examples: Gandhi, Fannie Lou Hamer, Mandela, King, etc.

Having tutored the reader on just what a dissident is and does, McKnight and Matchett then explain that John was a dissident also, or as MLK said of Christians, a "transformed nonconformist." His "speaking out" is in response not only to the power of Rome but to the churches who have let themselves be infiltrated by those powers. "[John] saw too much of Rome in the church and not enough church in Rome."

The authors say that one key to understanding Revelation is to understand that John is speaking out both against Rome and against the churches (p.23). It's a "dual critique." And finally, it "speaks a powerful encouragement to be dissident disciples.

My response: Although I do think Christians are to be nonconformists, as King said, I'm not convinced we're all called to be dissidents like Gandhi, etc., or that such is the main thrust of John's Revelation. I'm still waiting for the book to convince me.