KC (13) World View of Power

In Kingdom Conspiracy, Scot McKnight writes some good stuff about what he calls a World View of Power.

Another worldview and idolatry (is) at work both in the world of Jesus and in our world: the worldview of power (Chapter 4).

Romans politics is about power and domination and might and force and coercion and sword. The politics of Jesus is about sacrificial love for the other, even if that means death from the sword (Chapter 4).

True power is with God, the three King and Emperor, and Jesus will submit only to that God (Chapter 4).

Power has always been a temptation, and I want to argue that majority rule in America carries with it an empire temptation for many Christian citizens (Chapter 4).

The political left takes one posture on issues, while the political right draws swords from another posture. If we step back we see that each side seeks to impose its view on the minority. This is ruling over the other.

I call this quest for power through the political process the “eschatology of politics”-that is, the belief that if we usher in the right political candidates and the right laws, then kingdom conditions will arrive.

I submit that our eschatology has becomes empire-shaped, Constantinian, and political. And it doesn’t matter to me if it is a right-wing evangelical wringing her fingers in hope that a Republican wins or a left-wing progressive wringer her fingers in hope that a democrat wins. Each has a misguided eschatology. The kingdom story counters the culture of politics as the solution to our problems (Chapter 4).

Politics is a colossal distraction from kingdom mission. Politics entails diminution of our kingdom message, because to speak well in the public forum means we have to turn our gospel-drenched message that focuses on Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection into acceptable, common-denominator language and vision. Instead of talking discipleship and a cruciform life, we talk about values and soak it in the pretentious “Judaeo-Christian ethic”. Politics means seeking to influence the state in the direction of the kingdom, but in so doing, it is asking the public and the state to put into law and policy the kingdom story.

We kingdom people don’t need the state, we don’t need the majority, and we must refrain from equating victory in the world with kingdom mission (Chapter 7).

Amen