Praise for The Politics of Witness
Anyone who thinks the church isn’t political doesn’t understand that the church is a politic; and anyone who doesn’t think the gospel is political hasn’t come to terms with the fundamental claim that Jesus is Lord. Allan Bevere, an ecclesial theologian, combines in this book a wonderful “church as politics” with gospel in a wise, warm and challenging manner.
Scot McKnight
Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies
North Park University
Allan Bevere has written a timely, eye-opening, and thought-provoking book for Christians, whether they consider themselves conservative or progressive. He calls us all to forsake the seductive, insidious error of Christendom and civil religion in order to follow Jesus and bear witness to the reign of God. May this book contribute to the renewal of the church for the sake of the world and the glory of God.
Michael J. Gorman
Professor of Sacred Scripture and Dean
The Ecumenical Institute of Theology
St. Mary’s Seminary & University
Baltimore, Maryland
The Church has tragically returned again and again to the mistake of equating the progress of God’s kingdom with the acquisition of temporal political power. Allan Bevere skillfully demonstrates that the modern religious right and left are equally attracted to this error. He calls the Church back to its mission of incarnating the alternative polis that is God’s true kingdom -- a necessary corrective for all Christians in times of heated rhetoric and increasing civil strife.
David W. Opderbeck
Associate Professor of Law
Seton Hall University
Allan R. Bevere is a pastor with the West Akron Regional Ministry of the United Methodist Church (Akron, Ohio) and a Professional Fellow in Theology at Ashland Theological Seminary (Ashland, Ohio). He received his Ph.D from the University of Durham, U.K. He has written three books, The Character of Our Discontent, Sharing in the Inheritance: Identity and the Moral Life in Colossians and All Is Not As It Seems: Random Reflections on Faith, Ethics, and Politics, and is currently working on several more. He has published sermons, contributed articles to a Bible Dictionary, and most recently contributed a chapter to Jesus and Paul: Global Perspectives in Honor of James D. G. Dunn for His 70th Birthday. Bevere engages in a teaching mission in Cuba with the United Methodist Church. He is married and has four children.
The Areopagus Critical Christian Issues series examines important issues in understanding Christian beliefs and developing sound Christian practice. Each booklet is short — less than 80 pages in length — and provides an academically sound and biblically rooted examination of a particular question about doctrine or practice or an area of basic Christian belief. It is jointly edited by Dr. Allan R. Bevere and Dr. David Alan Black.
The Politics of Witness
The Character of the Church in the World
Allan R. Bevere
Energion Publications
P. O. Box 841
Gonzalez, FL 32560
www.energionpubs.com
2011
Copyright © 2011, Allan R. Bevere
Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Aer.io Edition: 978-1-63199-598-9
Kobo Edition: 978-1-63199-599-6
Print ISBNs (Perfect Paper):
ISBN10: 1-893729-81-8
ISBN13: 978-1893729-81-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011931389
In honor and in memory of
Archie Penner (1917-2007)
who first challenged me to rethink Christendom and a status quo ecclesiology.
From the Editors
The Areopagus is a hill in Athens that was once the meeting place of a Greek council. Paul preached on that hill while visiting Athens, presenting the gospel to the Athenian council and converting one of them (Acts 17). It thus provides an excellent name for this series of booklets that examines important issues in understanding Christian beliefs and developing sound Christian practice. Each booklet is intentionally short – less than 80 pages in length – and provides an academically sound and biblically rooted examination of a particular question about doctrine or practice or an area of basic Christian belief.
The Areopagus series is orthodox in doctrine but not bound to the doctrinal statements of any denomination. It is both firm in conviction and irenic in tone. Authors have been chosen for their ability to understand a topic in depth and present it clearly.
Each book is rigorous in scholarship because we believe the church deserves no less. Yet the volumes are accessible in style as we also believe that there are many pastors and laypersons in the church who desire to think deeply and critically about the issues that confront the church today in its life and mission in the world.
In keeping with these convictions, the authors in this series are either professors who are also actively involved in ministry, pastors who have not only thought through the issues but whose ministry has been guided by their convictions, or laypersons whose faith and commitment to the lordship of Jesus Christ and his church have contributed to the Great Commission Jesus gave to all of his followers (Matt. 28:18-20).
The Areopagus Critical Christian Issues series is not only meant to help the church think differently. We hope that those who read its volumes will be different, for the gospel is about the transformation of the whole person – mind, heart, and soul.
We take the words of the apostle Paul seriously when he says to the Athenians that God “has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).
Allan R. Bevere
David Alan Black
Editors
Acknowledgments
Whenever I write acknowledgements for a book, I am reminded that there not only is not enough space to thank all of those who make something like this possible, but there is not enough clarity of memory in my brain to remember everyone. So like all acknowledgements, this one will be quite selective.
I certainly must thank Henry Neufeld and Energion Publications. I cannot overemphasize what a great joy and privilege it has been to work with Henry on various projects, and I appreciate his patience with me as I attempt to balance more responsibilities than one human being should be allowed to have.
I also express my gratitude to my co-editor for the Areopagus Series, Dave Black. Prior to my time with Energion, I only knew Dave by name. It is a gift to now know him personally, and it is a pleasure to work with him as a colleague.
Of course, I cannot begin to state in words the love and support of my family. My wife Carol continues to encourage me as a pastor and a professor, a short-term missionary, a (former) police chaplain, and a writer. She probably wonders at times what is coming next, but I have never had to wonder about her love for me. Such love is a wonderful gift that I receive daily.
Then there are our four children: Alyssa, Courtney, Joshua, and Jason. It is not possible to imagine life without them. Children are indeed a gift from God and we have been blessed four-fold.