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    • Yeah, you don't hear that preached much in church, but that is as central to Christianity as it gets. The gospel Jesus preached was the "Gospel of the Kingdom." He proclaimed that...

      9 hours ago by Zack Allen

      in The Kingdom of God

    • Woa. Something about the way you put that... Gives a whole new understanding (to me, at least) of "the kingdom of god is within you." See, I always kinda thought of the kingdom of God as...

      13 hours ago by Jesse Evans

      in The Kingdom of God

    • Well I was always under the impression that "freedom costs a buck-o-five." Seriously though, I think I like the heart of what you're saying here (we're offered salvation (freedom)...

      13 hours ago by Zack Allen

      in Independence day sort of

    • Yes, I suppose that could describe our experience of it, Jesse. But I'm more interested in the reality of the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed. If it comes slowly to us because we're not...

      1 day ago by paul munn

      in The Kingdom of God

    • I see what you're saying Paul. As another possible perspective, it could be one of those things that just "creep up on you." Like, all the signs are there but you just don't see...

      1 day ago by Jesse Evans

      in The Kingdom of God

the Jesus Manifesto

following the way of Jesus in the land of our captivity
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Democracy Matters: Discourse, Practice, Reality

Started by markvans · 10 months ago

In Democracy Matters Cornel West, that prophet of American democracy and Christianity, makes an impassioned plea for all those concerned with true justice and freedom to stand up and take back democracy from those who would rather have an Empire than a Republic.
In a chapter on American Christ ... Continue reading »

4 comments

  • reibwo

    10 months ago

    Love this post. Very succinct and cogent.
    reply
  • gyakusetsu

    10 months ago

    Democracy is simply the tyranny of the majority. It should not be venerated any more than other tyrannies.
    reply
  • geoffh

    10 months ago

    gyakusetsu,

    When viewed as a form of government, democracy becomes an institutional tyranny; but when viewed as the action of a people (often against/in spite of the government) then it may not be.
    reply
  • C.H.Featherstone

    10 months ago

    This is why I think it's important we not use the word democracy, as it describes not so much a process by which people govern themselves, but rather a type of state arrangement and exercise of state power (particularly the industrial capitalist/welfare state), based in the fictitious (and unrealizable notion) that someone "sovereignty" resides with "the people." When we mean self-government, we should use the phrase "self-government," and not democracy. People have always governed themselves, sometimes better than others, in times and places we would consider "undemocratic." I will not argue that we have or will ever have "true democracy" (whatever that means, I'm not sure its desirable), we have always governed ourselves.

    My problem with thinkers like West are his equation of the welfare state and of popular sovereignty with, if not the Kingdom of God, then a form of government that God prefers for human beings above other forms of government, a form of government worth struggling for as part of God's struggle in redeeming and reconciling humanity. (This is the problem with George Bush an the America-worshiping right as well.) That God's prophetic promises for God's people can, should and must be reflected in the policies and actions of nation-states and governments. Indeed, I do not believe God speaks to nations or governments, but rather only to God's called out people (we make the mistake of thinking speaking to God's people is the same as speaking to Americans).

    Finally, I have to argue with the statement that "we are building" the Kingdom of God. This is nonsense. Better is Holsclaw's statement that we are "being built into" the Kingdom. Jesus is always the actor, and we are always acted upon. When we saw ourselves as architects, authors and builders, then we privilege ourselves and the outcome we desire, our intentions and our actions above those of others, and it is my contention that attitude ALWAYS leads to coercion, compulsion and violence (usually state violence). Not our will, but God's. Not our outcome, but God's.
    reply

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