Wait, Witness, Worship: (Limited) Human Agency as Resistance in the Book of Revelation
Recent approaches to apocalyptic literature suggest that the purpose of such literature is to exhort its audience toward subversive resistance-a now common interpretation of the Book of Revelation. However, as the cosmic events depicted in the text are usually either divinely or demonically initiate...
| Published in: | Australian biblical review |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
[publisher not identified]
2022
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| In: |
Australian biblical review
Year: 2022, Volume: 70, Pages: 101-115 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Revelation
/ Apocalypticism
/ Resistance
/ Subordination
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| RelBib Classification: | HC New Testament NCD Political ethics ZC Politics in general |
| Summary: | Recent approaches to apocalyptic literature suggest that the purpose of such literature is to exhort its audience toward subversive resistance-a now common interpretation of the Book of Revelation. However, as the cosmic events depicted in the text are usually either divinely or demonically initiated, human agency seems to be limited. A closer examination of human activity in the text demonstrates a clear binary distinction made between humans who side with God (the "faithful"), and humans who side with evil (the "worldly"); whilst the worldly are shown to have a degree of agency and power, their actions inevitably lead to further cosmic imbalance. This is a deliberate authorial move to prevent overt acts ofresistance from the faithful-whilst the worldly's actions push the world further into disaster against the backdrop of cosmic struggle, the faithful are provided a limited set of actions that assist in the culmination of God's plan: they are told to wait, witness and worship. These three actions function as a strategy of resistance, allowing the faithful agency in combating evil within their own contexts, whilst limiting overt resistance to avoid further scrutiny from the powers that be. |
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| ISSN: | 0045-0308 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Australian biblical review
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