I am reviewing a book
this month! This is thanks to Speakeasy who sent it to me in return for an
honest review, no matter how critical. The book is Empire Baptized: How the
Church Embraced What Jesus Rejected 2nd-5th Centuries,
and it is penned by Wes Howard-Brook (J.D., M.Div.). Wes is a professor at
Seattle University. He previously practiced law, but now he teaches theology at
SU, he works in a deacon formation program for the Archdiocese of Seattle and
of course writes books, among many other things. As apprehensive as I am about
lawyers writing books on Christianity, I gave him a shot anyway and he does not
disappoint.
Let me begin by saying that I have to consider this book to be an
important contribution to the topics of early Christian history and the
evolution of Christianity. The early Christian writers have been important
voices to both the Orthodox/Catholic traditions and the many streams of
Protestantism. Yet, Howard-Brook challenges their views from Origen to
Augustine. While giving a critical analysis of several of these writers, he asks
his readers to consider the idea that it was actually the internal workings of
the Roman Empire’s religious, philosophical, social and economic structures
that came to undergird their Christian formation, as oppose to the Jewish
rootedness and culture of its origin. He argues very well that this is most
evident through their (and now our) narration and interpretation of scripture
and the subsequent development of our theologies and doctrines over the millennia.
As a side note, for those who are up on the “New Perspective on
Paul” and where it is going (by Sanders, Dunn, Wright and Co.), I felt this
absolutely complimented that work as well. It too confronts faulty
soteriologies and anthropologies that have been based on misunderstanding of
the ancient Jewish culture.
Nevertheless, within this contextual setting Howard-Brook enters
into a much needed exploration on the important themes of ecology/creation care,
anti-Semitism, war and nonviolence, sex, hierarchy, social justice and other
things that we Christians have notoriously mishandled. So, while I definitely tout
this book as well researched history book and critical analysis, Howard-Brook also
points directly toward the contentious issues that we divide over now and no
doubt will continue to do in the future thus offering many points of relevancy.
It is also worth mentioning that Empire Baptized is a
continuation of another book Howard-Brook had written titled Come Out, My
People. In this book he seems to outline God’s leading Israel away
from the “religion of empire” in exchange for the “religion of creation” throughout
the Biblical narrative. I say “seems” because I have not read Come Out, My
People, but he offers a brief recap in the forward. With that, I had
little trouble keeping up with Empire Baptized, so I felt this was a
good standalone book. With that said Howard-Brook does rest on interpretive
assumptions about the Bible that I presume he worked out more fully in the
first book which would be helpful for many beforehand, or at least something to
keep in mind while reading this book.
My only “con” for the book is not so much a flaw as much
as a friendly caution. This book is geared toward an academic audience which I personally
do not have problem with, but I know some will. Being of that genre and
vocabulary it can at times feel daunting. This, however, is not to dissuade
anyone from trying. In fact if I can get more people in my own sphere to take
the time to work through it, I will. It is definitely a book worth having
on the shelf for any who are interested in these topics and dilemmas.
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