Nationalism

Does Romans 13 Condone Government Violence? (podcast)

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Greg deconstructs problematic interpretations of Romans 13.  Episode 649 http://traffic.libsyn.com/askgregboyd/Episode_0649.mp3

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Podcast: Do You See a Difference Between Patriotism and Nationalism?

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Greg separates the wheat from the chaff in this allegiance-busting politically provocative episode. http://traffic.libsyn.com/askgregboyd/Episode_0380.mp3

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A Kingdom Not of This World

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In the previous post, I introduced how Jesus directly taught against the favored nation status of Israel, an theme that runs throughout his ministry. For example, Yahweh’s Sinai covenant with Israel was rooted in a…

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Jesus and the “Favored Nation”

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Nationalism lies at the heart of the Old Testament narrative. This concept is intimately wrapped up with the law-oriented covenant God made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai, for at the heart of this covenant…

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Reinterpreting the Law, Violence and Nationalism of the OT

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The law of the OT was intended to serve a negative object lesson. This finds its clearest expression in Paul. To begin, Paul interpreted Jesus’ death on the cross largely in sacrificial and substitutionary terms….

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God’s Non-Violent Ideal in the OT

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While God condescended to working within the violent-prone, fallen framework of his people in the Old Testament—as I argue in Crucifixion of the Warrior God—the OT is also full of references to how God worked…

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Rekindling an Old Debate: How to be a Christian Citizen

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Back in 2008 Greg joined Shane Claiborne and the now deceased Chuck Colson with host Krista Tippet on NPR’s On Being program to debate what it means to be a Christian citizen. Given the current…

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Jesus and Nationalistic Violence

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Throughout the Old Testament, we find Israel spoken of as God’s “chosen nation.” The Israelites were to be a nation of priests whom God wanted to use to unite the world under him (Ex 19:6)….

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Politics & the Kingdom of the World

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Instead of aligning any version of the kingdom of this world with the kingdom of God—as is common in American Christianity—kingdom-of-God participants must retain a healthy suspicion toward every version of the kingdom of this…

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Making America an Idol

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I write as a kingdom person in the context of America, presently the dominant empire in the world. In that light, I’d like to address the fact that my calling is to resist nationalism even…

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Remembering the Myth During Election Season

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Given the current political furor in America right now, we thought we would post an extended quote from Greg’s book The Myth of a Christian Nation. This book was originally a reflection on Christian political engagement…

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Jesus’ Different Kind of Nation

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God called Abraham to form a unique nation by which “all peoples of the earth will be blessed.” The unique call of the descendants of Abraham was to become a nation of servant-priests whom God…

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5 Distinctions of God’s Kingdom

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Jesus said that his kingdom was “not from this world,” for it contrasts with the kingdom of the world in every possible way. This is not a simple contrast between good and evil. The contrast…

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The Radically Distinct Kingdom of God

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Yesterday, we posted a video where Greg mentioned the radical distinction between the kingdom of God and the governments of the world. The following explains this distinction further. Nothing is more important to the cause…

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Nations and Violence

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In this video by The Work of the People, Greg shares why there is no such thing as a Christian nation. Nations are not the kind of things that turn the other cheek, love their…

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God’s “Ways” and “Thoughts” are Higher

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Isaiah 55:8-9 is one of the more often quoted passages in the Bible. It reads:             … my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways … As the heavens are higher…

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Should Christians Recite the Pledge of Allegiance?

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A number of years ago I attended a basketball game at a Christian school. Just before the game everyone was asked to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance. So I stood, placed my hand…

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Is America Uniquely “Under God”?

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As a rallying slogan for our civil religion, the proclamation that we are “one nation under God” arguably serves a useful social function, for it gives many Americans a sense of shared values and vision….

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Lighten Up: America is NOT the Kingdom of God

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For some thoughts from Greg on the 4th of July and the Kingdom of God, see The Birth of Two Kingdoms: A Fourth of July Reflection. And now for one of the most ridiculous examples of confusing…

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As We Approach the 4th

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zen Sutherland via Compfight This is the time of year when we start hearing loud bangs at night and you have to ask yourself the following multiple choice question: Was that bang: a car backfiring?…

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