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(Clicking on the image above will take you to an NPR interview with the author.)
Post 5 of 6. Which of these books is not like the other? Well, the one I am going to blog about in this post. Whereas the first three non-fiction works covered social, political, and economic issues affecting the United States over the past twenty years, today's selection delves into religion. Specifically, Christianity and the book of Revelation. Does this foray into theology have anything to do with the other three books? Oh, yes it does. And not by the author's design. At least I do not think so. Read on to find out more.
What if I told you that in the Bible is a book which early Church officials considered throwing out altogether, and which Martin Luther (the Protestant reformer, not the Civil Rights' leader) placed in an appendix, because he considered the text too odd to be included with everything else? Yet, it is a book that has become the foundation of modern day fundamental Christianity in this country. Well, it is called the Book of Revelation, and reading Bart D. Ehrman's discussion of it has greatly expanded my understanding of modern day American Christians, especially the extremists and nationalists, but also the insidious ones, who feign politeness, but are waiting for the day their enemies will be vanquished by God--the true "silent majority." Let me explain.
If you have never read the Book of Revelation, you are missing out on some of the most graphic revenge porn written in the ancient world. Yes, you read that correctly, "revenge porn." the descriptions are intended to elicit immediate emotional arousal. As readers, we are supposed to be both frightened out of our minds, excited about what lies in store for those who turn away from sin and towards God. According to Revelation, the non-believers will be slaughtered, their blood soaking the land, then reborn, only to suffer for thousands of years in molten lava. The believers will end up enjoying all the luxuries of a bejeweled golden city the size of the eastern part of the United States. And, I mean a literal city built of gold, not some metaphor for joy and happiness. Mr. Ehrman goes into detail about each stage of these prophecies.
Mind you, Jesus Christ, the one who throughout the four Gospels speaks of love, charity, forgiveness, hope, etc., will be leading the charge of this wholesale butchery and torture. Yes, Revelations is that graphic. And, the same Son of God, who preached a rejection of wealth and material things, will lead the believers into an incredible city made of jewels and gold. Hopefully, you can understand why early Church officials were reluctant to include this text into the Bible. There is a clear contradiction between Jesus of the Gospels, and Jesus of Revelation.
And Mr. Ehrman ends up asking which of these versions of Christ you find more attractive. Christian fundamentalists are clearly drawn to the Jesus in the Book of Revelation. They are constantly comparing current events and political leaders to various signs and creatures described in the book. Some of them voted for Trump, despite his infidelities, in the hopes that he will be the one to herald in the end times. Their hope is to see all those who openly mocked their faith, and sinned against God, suffer horribly at His hands. Afterwards, they will be permitted to indulge themselves throughout the golden streets of the eternal city. Their just reward for believing in God despite all the temptations around them. It is that combo, revenge against those who wronged them and denied God, and eternal material wealth, that inspires their continual adherence to their beliefs. There is an arrogance to it.
At least, that is what I see whenever I encounter Christian fundamentalists, and reading Bart D. Ehrman's Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says About the End brought it all into focus.
For the record, the book contains a lot more than what I described here. The author provides a detailed overview of Revelations, along side the historical context that informed it. He also includes a history of modern attempts at mining the dense symbolism in the text for an actual end date. And, how each one failed. He also explains the power of these attempts, despite all the failures. People who sold all their possessions, expecting the end on a particular date, only to find it passing without incident, and, yet, refusing to be discouraged, holding out hope it be just around the corner. In addition, he explains modern biblical scholarship, and how it has illuminated the how people are constantly renegotiating and reinterpreting passages in the Bible. It is interesting to follow the thread of changes across the centuries.
I cannot emphasize enough the need for people to expose themselves to critical analysis of the Bible. I do not mean criticisms of those who believe in it, but attempts to place the texts into historical context. Contrary to what the fundamentalists argue, the Bible has changed, and so have the relationships of those who engage with it, ignore it, or down right reject it. Bart D. Ehrman has written other books about Jesus that are worth reading. They are accessible to a general audience. In addition, he has YouTube videos and a blog.
So, go check him out, or any of the other biblical scholars that are out there. After all, the Bible is the most influential work of Western literature, whether you like it or not. And that influence has huge repercussions on our current political and social climate.
Previous Reviews in this Series...
The Good Hand: A Memoir of Work, Brotherhood, and Transformation in an American Boomtown by Michael Patrick F. Smith
Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas D. Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn
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