Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia C. Keesmaat
ISBN: 9780830827381
This is a book in which biblical, cultural and political studies interact. It is a serious effort to make the epistle to the Colossians speak to the post modern culture of today. And in this it succeeds. It is not exactly a commentary, rather a tract for our times and examines some of the pressing questions of our era. What issues were facing the church in the days in which Paul wrote the letter? In what way are those things paralleled today?
This book has been called ‘ a tasty sample of postmodern engagement with a biblical text’. This assessment is a good one. It aligns the life of the first century church, living as it was, in the shadow of the Roman empire, with the contemporary situation of the church facing the power and multiple influences of the American empire and its global impact on every phase of life in the world today. This book is refreshing for its candour and its wit. It has a conversational style whilst also stretching the mind with its argumentation. It shows how a faithful reading of the text of Colossians challenges head on our contemporary idolatry of consumerism and the suspicion of truth so rampant in our culture. There are numerous insights contained in the book and these will resonate with any thoughtful heart that seeks the truth of God. A provocative note present in the book stimulates the church to live not as those caught in the trap of the 21st century global empire but as that community of God which abides under His alternative Lordship. It alerts its reader to the dangers of enculturated Christianity and leads to a deeper understanding of the essential message of Jesus and of Paul. Readers will need to ponder and reread this book. It is a ‘fresh take’ on Colossians and some will react to parts of it and there will be a struggle but for those who persevere with it there will be much benefit gained.
