I had this thought today while mulling over Paul’s travels and passion throughout the ‘civilised’ world that Rome ruled over as to whether he would recognise what we get up to in the name of Jesus / name of the Gospel he proclaimed as having any great similarity to what he was focused on. There is the very current ‘Seven Mountains of Influence’ that is giving a shape to the ‘post-revival’ or the ‘what we do now that the Spirit has renewed us all’. I am careful on what I comment outside of the spheres (mainly limited by geography) that I am to take some responsibility for, but I was sent this link a couple of days back on How neoliberal plunder led to the right’s most ambitious power-grab yet, which might give some insight into the direction that will take us. [Personal note: fear of Sharia law while sowing the seeds for it!]
https://www.alternet.org/smartnews/project-2025-theologian/
There are those who are followers of Jesus who see great value in the traditions that have arisen, and want to align with the older traditions, and as ancient as is possible – would Paul recognise that? There are those who of course look to shape themselves according to a biblical pattern – would that be recognisable even if the biblical pattern was shaped by what Paul wrote? Shapes, ways of doing things, following convictions, reading Scripture – and yet?
Gayle recently had a major dream, full of not only details but huge interaction in the dream. It will need a lot of reflection, but at the heart of it was a coming together of believers with genuine non-believers (we can call them ‘humanists’ for want of a better term) and the eventual outcome was that of undoing economic oppression for the next generation (I have recently been reading how the prophets equated economic oppression as blood shed). Among the believers there were different varieties, but the group who could not go with what unfolded was those who saw themselves as ‘definitively right’ with inflexible perspectives. They left the ensemble. Challenging as one of the ways forward was a connection to those who ‘saw the good in humanity’. They were vital to the outcome – I am reminded so often of the Asiarchs who were not believers but were friends of Paul (Acts 19). Faith is vital, for it is through those who have been touched by the ‘eschatological Spirit’ who have tasted of the powers of the age to come who carry a responsibility to pray and do what they need to do to see ‘on earth as in heaven’… and it is faith that does not compromise but also does not exclude, that works in partnership with those who (like us but in a different way) do not have the full picture.
I think Paul might not see much as recognisable – let’s not kid ourselves! And I suspect he might not be looking for a form that he might recognise, probably a direction, an intent might be more what he might be looking for. If so, would we hear a genuine ‘I recognise that’.
When I am unable to get to sleep, I do a reset, usually by picking up a book. The current read is “The Patriarchs, the origins of inequality” by Angela Saini. A little slow at the start but she explores archeology, anthropology, and history to understand who we got to where we are. She finds that gender is not a heavily enforced category of accepted behaviours in many early societies. Quite the contrary which means patriarchy and hierarchy are not inevitable due to some natural differences between men and women. Many have connected the rise of elites, classes, and gendered spheres of work as the result of agriculture. But many farm wives would beg to differ. They work just as hard out in the dairy or the fields as their partners. So where and when does this inequality between people and between genders arise?
Last night’s (yes it was too hot night to sleep well) read took me to ancient Greece. Where with the rise of city states and elites to manage them inequalities were set in place. Slave and free. Male and female. City states need increasing populations to function. Women, especially free ones were soon relegated to the domestic sphere meant to produce new citizens on a regular basis. You can see how much of this has transferred over, in even more rigid ways, to our society. It shapes our government institutions, religious institutions, the narratives we tell ourselves, and the informal rules we live by. Often disguised under a narrative of purity and righteousness since that is a great way to passively enforce compliance (looking at you tradwives).
Would any of this be recognizable to Jesus. He would absolutely know it because his own society was ordered similarly. And reinforced with a religious narrative. Did he buck against it. Yup. So too did the early Christians. But as a Romanized legalistic Christianity took hold we see women relegated back to the domestic sphere, and often, through history, told that their place was to birth babies and manage their upbringing all the while under the rule of their husband.
The books of the Bible were written within an increasingly patriarchal and hierarchical society. Thus whenever we see a story that goes against that we are reading something important and radical. I wonder how Jesus would feel in this society. Gender norms have become more rigid since he lived. And very rigidly enforced in many places, often by those who claimed to be bringing the good news of life and freedom. There are those who challenge the rules and often pay a high price for doing so. And sometimes succeed. Though that success can be short-lived and always in peril.
Jesus appears to constantly challenge the existing narratives of his time. . . imperialism, rigid structures of class and gender, and a rules-based society managed by elites (religious or otherwise). Would he recognize our social structures as something he was trying to free us from or as something he was trying to lead us toward? Paul too, often expressly challenges the classes and gender inequality in his society. Would he recognize us as having found freedom in Christ or having missed it all together?
And of course, the 7 Mountains and its derivative, Project 2025, are simply to give religious elites and those associated and supported by them, more power. Ummm, would Jesus recognize that as something to fight against or celebrate?