BOOK REVIEW
The concept of the oppressed is well brought out in the book. Connected with the poor, Tamez links oppression to poverty and perhaps drives home her objective in a ground breaking manner by stating To sum up the poor in the Bible are the helpless, the indigent, the hungry, the oppressed, the needy and the humiliated. And it is not nature that has put them in this situation they have been unjustly impoverished and despoiled by the powerful. This is a perfectly executed strategy to stir cognition towards values of humanity and spirituality that all but draws the readers attention ever closer by purposeful elaboration of the mighty role that power comes with.
Elsa asserts that the basic cause of poverty is oppression. Linking it with a case study of the European and North American biblical theology, she points out at a discrepancy in the total exclusion of oppression, a field which she finds possible to tackle only within an existential situation. By tracing the theology of liberation, she notes that its existence in Latin America as the root of all theological work, by regarding its historical expression of oppression and liberation. This conceptual truth is perhaps a wake up call to the theology field to investigate where the line started beating them and probably pick themselves up for in this arena they are the only experts who should be looked upon for the total awareness and intuition in matters of the field.
The book sheds light on the basic points of reference for understanding oppression. Stating that it is historical in character, Elsa goes ahead to explain that investigation of two identifiable and opposed groups are pivotal in its identification and characterization. She explicates that the oppressors are rich influential people who can never be satisfied with what they have. Driven by the basic concern of wealth accumulation, they turn to oppression, an avenue they consider varied yet very rewarding with minimal or no effort. Their ultimate aim is to gain in one fashion or another.
Their spirituality is questionable. Whether they subscribe to the Christian values and the teachings of the Bible is debatable. The book notes that they are idolaters who follow false gods that can lend an aura of legitimacy to their actions- a kind of humane justification that keeps the soul content and satisfied. Truly, this is the opposite of Biblical teachings. Drawing from the Bible, she affirms that Yahweh, the God, demands justice be done because he himself is justice and love and should never be used to serve their purpose. Probably these teachings are in the Bible but are they really in the oppressors minds and souls that one day we might expect them to comply
Looking curiously through the societal mirror, the root form of oppression can be collapsed into different concepts all addressed in the Bible. As the fundamental cause of poverty, oppression directly connects with class struggle, the story of the Exodus, liberation, democracy, revolution, land and property, the wrath of God and sanctification or salvation or hope in a new light. This data could explicitly explain or portray a link between the oppression of the Israelites, how countries are oppressed, the message of hope and Gods actions today, the place of the rich and the poor in recent times and the time to come.
The Bible has explicit teachings on the rich and the poor. Since time immemorial, the state has existed and the Bible does well to appreciate the trends with prophet by prophet in The Old Testament carrying a message of hope for the poor and a warning to the rich. Even Jesus himself had a soft place in His heart for the poor who translate into the oppressed in the infamous Beatitudes. These are issues that do little to escape the eyes of the author as she links them to the practical world of reality and self inspection. If a curious eye is attached to these details, then the far reaching implications would be glorious for the society at large and the enrichment of the spiritual lives that true Christians subscribe to.
Oppression occurs in different forms. Its experience involves the degradation of the human person, ruthless violence, deadly attacks, smashing and crushing of the poor, the effects of grinding imposed on the poor and the vexation of the poor all due to the tyranny of the oppressor. These actions will invoke an accusatory mood and the oppressed, encouraged by their plight and aware of their predicament will rise up and cry to their God. These people will be heard and set free. This evokes memories of similarity between the myriad teachings on the subject, as relayed across all lines of the Biblical teachings, a notion that Tamez is fully aware and able to articulate.
This perfect manuscript carries the same sentiments as Thomas Hanks book, For God So Loved the Third World, which agrees that oppression is the root cause of poverty as James noted. By avoiding to place the blame on the poor themselves due to racial inferiority, laziness, vices or other reasons he confirms that the rich bear the basic guilt due to their oppressive and exploitation actions. Never does Tamez falter in her quest for a fruitful explanation, a field in which her compatriot comes to her aid and together they form a distinguished arena for the discussion of the state of the poor.
Power begets corruption and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The author seems to be wary of the effects the book should elicit and through measured doses tries to influence the society at large and the governing units by urging them to rise to the occasion. Man was born to keep his fellow mankind company but never did God intend for one party to exploit or oppress the other in the pretext of ruling. Never should one be swayed by earthly delicacies and strangle the values of humanity in pursuit of that which belongs to the Earth. We are just but in transition in the earth and our conscience should always reflect an unwavering awareness for the longing to be like Christ, to walk in his ways and outshine the set targets.
The book is a welcome addition to a growing body of evidence that the Bible is a book about social justice for the oppressed of the land and that this indeed is the good news. Its unrelenting tempo and masterful touch of exquisiteness creatively places it in a pivotal point in the Bible support arena. It can be claimed to have an in-depth analysis of a theme dominant in the Bible yet crucial for cohesion of mankind.
The book has earned itself accolades in the theology field. The envy it elicits can be found no further than in Walter Winks review in which he simply queries, Why havent we North American biblical scholars done such a systematic study of the words for oppression in the Bible If the answer is that we who possess the critical skills are not ourselves oppressed or identified with communities of the oppressed, then it becomes imperative that we listen all the more carefully to these voices from the South. His envy showed what an exquisite master class the book is.The book has tremendously contributed to the church in Latin America. A careful and creative interdisciplinary study in biblical theology, Old Testament, and social ethics its impact on the spiritual and above all social life is simply unbelievable. Though it will be simply insane to expect instant impact, the eventual awareness raised by the book through a first person point of view is absolutely marvelous. Writing from a perspective of those oppressed by poverty and sexism, Elsa Tamez has brought us an insider perspective. Although this book gets pretty technical with regards to biblical exegesis, it is an excellent example of early Latin American liberation theology and liberationist hermeneutics. Written by one of most well known Latin American women theologians, it is well worth reading. It is a very good religion course text. The book can be counted on for spurts of analytical wealth the biblical understanding of oppression.
USING GODS RESOURCES WISELY
Mans livelihood existence and sustenance is dependent on a well kept environment. For religious groups, the responsibility might not link up to their spiritual needs but Brueggemann can never have failed to elaborate the crucial and significant role bestowed upon Christians. His exploration unravels the mandatory role that Christians should play failure to which devastating effects can be expected as exemplified by the city of Jerusalem. Drawing from Isaiahs prophecies, he explores their relationship of the environment to the social issues especially in the urban setting.
The book is unraveled in an informal style of oral presentation as it was prepared for and presented at the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church (USA) in June 2-10 1992. This original style and the local contextual reference of the Presbyterian Church helps the author who is not a Presbyterian himself narrate a vehement and well connected research that submerges critical matters putting them out of view but thematically retains attentiveness to the ferment current present in Isaiah studies forwarded by other writers in the theological arena. The book offers contribution to the difficult but notably urgent conversation in the church concerning human crisis all around us and the churchs large and faithful response in terms of stewardship.
As expected, the book is challenging as a presentation to its immediate audience as well as to readers of the published manuscript. The stimulating environment on which it is grounded is by no chance a minute platform for the integration of the environment crisis and its relation to the social relations is by no means a mean feat. From a lost sense of covenantal neighborliness, Brueggemann aesthetically intertwines artistic issues with theology producing a magnificent manuscript that explores the failure, demise and prospects of Jerusalem.
In and admirable way, the introduction states the problems of ecology, consumerism and resource depletion as essentially characteristic of the urban areas and their close association to power, anxiety, technology and more plausible greed. This gives an avenue for comparison between the urban and non-urban areas which are less prone to the problems stated above. The urban areas seem to be more exposed more than the non-urban areas but what is the urban folks ability to comprehend to the problems and amicably solve them This seems to be the central question behind his presentation, a question he manages to answer authentically and to its full and admirably with an effective link to the scriptures, the fountain of hope and inspiration to Christians.
The research he dedicated to his work is simply marvelous. The book does not seem to solely draw from the Bible but also the indulgence into further survey strongly cements the work. As noted, it is his identification of the urban ingredients and continuous awareness to these issues that prompts a valid and timely argument, and more remarkably a base whose foundation shall not wither with age, but shall prevail for generations. For each generation has its role and its role should be undertaken to the ultimatum, the environment and its preservation should and will remain central to mans livelihood, survival and existence. Above all, the divinity of this calling is far and above the human nature and is tied to the spiritual Christian life as underlined in the ups and downs of the tale of Jerusalem.
Important to note is his digression into earlier writing which enable him to point it out that the book of Isaiah is subdivided into three depending of the state Jerusalem is in. there is a Jerusalem under assault, a risky time for the city and this is the initial division of the book. It is followed by a displacement and a time of surveillance which can never be any harder for the people. The final Jerusalem is a restored city, a city full of joy and merry in the wake. Interestingly and viably though, Brueggemann calls on readers as well as his audience at the conference to look at it in the perspective of the city that is near them, citing examples like Milwaukee, Louisville, Atlanta, Cleveland, Geneva, Johannesburg, Rio and Belgrade. In his words, risk, surveillance and potential of joy in every city is dependent on the management of Gods resources.
The mood for his groundbreaking work is laid by the terrain of the book of Isaiah. Brueggemann astutely notes that the book begins in rawness. The citing of the unwise misuse of resources as the cause of the city living under deep threat is a well worked out strategy aimed at orienting the readership with the prophets own utterances. Brueggemann claims that they are aimed at establishing the reality of threat and serve as an explication of factors which greatly offer a threat and cause for concern to the city of Jerusalem. This serve as a perfect introduction and the maintenance of a good flow and linkage of the book with the scriptures as prophesied by Isaiah are hinged on the perfect introduction and corresponding responses there on.
The allusion to the long poem of Isaiah provides a strong spring board and Brueggemann perfectly exploits it. The house of Jacob, in his case a representative of the populace is addressed but in this case it does not stand for the religious elite but rather for the whole population. He follows it up with an insightful interpretation of the whole book which bears an awfully precise interpretation and assertion of the relevance of the teachings of Prophet Isaiah to the then generation and how that message has remained vile and applicable to the current generation and may hold for long even for generations to come.
In the forsaking of the city he cites four fills. This, he argues has is the root of disregard of the populace and exaltation of goods disposal. The fourfold fills he indentifies are the fullness of diviners- explained as people with management competence but are unable to hold the values and practices which characterize the community. They manipulate the society both economically and politically due to their lack of nativism which embodies the realms of restoration and flourishment pegged on the good use of resources. The second fill is a city full of gold and silver. This signifies money accumulation and increased attention to surplus value. The people never get enough, those with excess still want to accumulate more and it definitely has to come from those with less. The third fill which signifies armory, instruments of self security and armed personnel match our increasing greed and anxiety. This is the fill of horses and an un-ending line of chariots. The last is the fill of idols. Created by our own hands, it is marked by technological inventiveness, signposts of power and monuments to self sufficiency.
Never can this critical analysis be refuted. The greedy economics, pre-occupation with techniques, distortion of religion and mismanagement of resources go hand in hand. The world is at limbo on the best course to follow. Spirituality has been sacrificed with greed taking over. Never has the divine teachings been so ignored. Yet, this lament is voiced from generation to generation. Is it that we lack answers The answer is no. Brueggemann provides these answers and many more relative information but you see, it is only for those who care to read his book. In the end though, it offers a beacon of hope, a glimmer that one can only pray that it does illuminate the footpaths of the generation.
Using Gods resources wisely is a manuscript of its own class. Once one opens the first page, the careful insights keep you glued to the text. Not only does it arouse the yearning for more, it does incite action for the dawning of the neglected responsibility is too hard to take in. the only reprieve one might ever live with is a personal blame if he fails to heed to the calling for it highlights the need for collective responsibility. Most notable is the ray of hope that is the eventual rejoicing of the city that we can only hope will soon be unveiled for how long shall we misuse God-given resources
The author deserves accolades for his works more so the perfect presentation propelled by his use of the informal presentation style. It enables us to not only read his ideas, but also listen to his voice in presentation. The numerous challenges facing the community and the impacts of the nagging desire for economic and political superiority have plagued our society. The attention has thus shifted in favor of the pursuits at the expense of the environment.
TO LOVE AS GOD LOVES
The book To Love as God Loves, focuses on how the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the ancient Biblical times saw Gods love. Filled with immense passages on Gods amazing love and prayer, the book carries the best and concise explanations on the two. Written in a well flowing manner, the book provokes the thinking abilities of the reader mostly through the sayings of the saints which are designed towards the sole intention of the book-thought provocation. Though it can be a source for means or criteria towards certain goals, it probably offers more of challenges on reflections about God and his world. Calling on all spheres of mankind to appreciate, give and warmly receive love, the author does not tire at a superficial level, way before he fully asserts his points in the argument he proposes. Indeed, he possesses the audacity and knack to explore the subject of love into the deepest imaginable spheres.
Embezzled in the title, To Love as God Loves, the book calls for an applied approach to Gods love and its manifestation in our lives. Bondi uses these selected passages derived from Christian literature to show us how his love should be striven for in His kingdom. He attributes a successful achievement of this goal to appreciation of our common existentialism as men and women in Gods world and awareness of our frailties which might interfere with our ability to love. The basic foundation is an understanding of Gods love and plan whish will enable us to use love as the foundational principal and keystone upon which to build our lives. The metaphorical representation of situational circumstances is an approach that Roberta C. Bondi uses to enlighten us in the understanding of love in our contemporary world. Visualizations can lead to practical inferences, the avenue through which love can be expressed.
Bondi elucidates that love can assume different forms and at many times be conceptual. The relationship of love to man can be situational to many different applications in diverse contexts. Therefore, he bears the pains of having to draw examples from historic Christian authors, attach to them substance and in a precise manner offer the subject in its fullness to what love should be to us or what it can be. To love, as God would have us love is to be continually aware of our relationship to our fellow mankind and how that relationship plays to Gods intention of what he requires of loving subjects. Her tacit approach enables her to accomplish her writing goal.
Man is no island. She asserts this well thought out ideology through perfectly presented solid arguments that show how human nature is conflicted by our passions. Her acknowledgement of the essential function of prayer forces her to authoritative explore its crucial role in solution finding in the spiritual life of Christians in all spheres as well as all corners of the world. The fun of knowing how to pray coupled with the underlying pride in an act Christians and other religious factions subscribe to is a mode of communication to the supernatural being who controls what happens in earth and heaven.
Talking of supernatural, she further presents her ideas on her image of Gods love and the far reaching depths that it goes. She exclaims that God loves beyond your dreams, extravagantly, without limit (p.101). To love, as God wants us to love is to look within each of us and to examine our most basic of motivations in relationship with our fellow man. The early Christian mystics had insights into our humanity that exposed our human frailties as well as our ability to discern Gods intent in his kingdom. Through Bonds reflections on the early writings of the church, we see that Christian love is and has been what Gods kingdom is truly and simply all about.
In an easy to read manner, Bondi addresses a stodgy topic (the early monasticism) and succeeds in transforming it into an insightful, precise and a well laid out book that addresses the look at what it means to be a Christian who loves as God loves. The book invokes a sense of hope for Christians in the organized church. It unveils Christianities vital, intense and prophetic role to call people not just to know god but love as God Loves. This is irrespective of class, status, race or even any other barriers for God knows not of that which man has created for himself.
All Christians admire the conquests of Christ. The work elicits joy, tears, laughter, and timidity and the nigh drawing of the end. The linkage of traditional pressures and conflicts explored are not any different from the one her generation faces and the likelihood of their persistence across all generations is sky high. This realization gives birth to a gorgeous, historically deep, and formationally thoughtful work concerning the understandings, thoughts, and praxis of the Desert Fathers and early Church who indelibly offer a vital newness in thinking and prayer geared towards humility, love, Christian perfection, and living this life as toward and in emulation of Christ.
Contemporary Christians find themselves in a secular culture that demands their allegiance and conformity. As a people of faith, they find themselves capture in culture which eventually lead to the erosion and compromise of their beliefs. How does one deal with this struggle Is it possible to love as god loves by breaking away from those cultural mores that we find most dear Bondi addresses those questions and more as she leads us into a conversation with the early monastic proponents who had similar challenges. By providing Christians with answers, the author expects the Christians to make the right decisions for Christianity is a faith open to individual decisions and personal choices. It is never about being forced, the same way that love should flow from a Christians heart.
To truly love as God means incorporating a new definition of love and humility that goes beyond our present secular understanding. A dialogue with the Desert fathers and mothers enables us to weed out those stumbling blocks which hinder us from loving ourselves, our neighbors and our God. Probably, this is a calling for us to heed the necessity of Gods call and develop that ideal understanding and relationship that will enable the thriving and flourishment of love. This text serves as a key guide to the fountains of understanding how God loves and how we can imitate that love.
Roberta Bondi brings the rich tradition of the early Church fathers and mothers into the 20th century, and invites us to learn anew what it means to love. Applauded as plaudits as easily understandable and very engaging, she further explores the concepts perfection and humility. This draws even closer, the desire of Christians to live it out and every day practice that which glues the Christian family together, thus, the book is a dose of Christianity from a practical angle, and who doesnt want to compare and associate to the teachings of the Bible.
When Jesus declared the greatest commandment as love the Lord your God with all your heart, with your entire mind and with all your soul and love your neighbor as you love yourself, he illustrated how a community bound by love can be easily achieved. The message that Bondi aims at drumming into our ears is the same only that he attaches to it a practical angle, making the book a must read for all. The interesting narration maintains the attention of the reader keeping him glued to the manuscript from the first page to the last page.
To conclude, the books explore human code of behavior, morals and ethics in relation to the teachings of the Bible, the valid human guideline. The reference of the Bible authenticates the books as a powerful manifestation and an essential guide book for Christians all over the universe. In a societal point of view, it is necessary to note that though a solo unit cannot change the inferences of the universe and its features, the appreciation of collective behavior and observance of societal values in accordance to Biblical teaching maligns the society to a spiritual inclination.
Categories:
0 comments:
Post a Comment