April 11: “Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Dis-Order”

24th Annual Forum on Jewish-Christian Relations, featuring Richard Horsley, Distinguished Prof. of Liberal Arts and the Study of Religion at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

When: Monday, April 11 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Where: Christian Theological Seminary, Common Room

This ought to be a fascinating event. Horsley has been a distinguished historian of the politics of the Roman Empire in ancient Palestine and Judea; lately he has devoted himself to drawing lessons for contemporary Christianity and the American Empire. His book, Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder, is one of the most thought-provoking works of history I've read in a while. It changed the way I read the Bible, especially the book of Mark. Christianity was born out of a struggle against imperial oppression, and when early American settlers looked for a language in which to express their opposition to what they saw as British imperial domination, this was where they looked. But his analysis of American power and Empire, written shortly after 9/11, verges on over-simplistic. (Of course that could just be me defending my turf.) I expect that in his three lectures at CTS, with critical questions posed by some of the leading theologians in the neighborhood, he will delve much deeper.

The event (plus lunch) costs $45, a pretty good deal. You might want to read his book in advance. You have to register before April 4, for details call JCRC - 926-2935 or CTS - 931-4224