Evangelicals and Empire

Christian Alternatives to the Political Status Quo

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"A book to be engaged, discussed, and welcomed among Christians concerned for authentic theopolitical engagement with the contemporary world."--Halden Doerge, theotherjournal.com

This groundbreaking collection considers empire from a global perspective, exploring the role of evangelicals in political, social, and economic engagement at a time when empire is alternately denounced and embraced. It brings noted thinkers from a range of theological perspectives together to engage the most explosive and discussed theorists of empire in the first decade of the twenty-first century, Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri.

Literary theorist Hardt and political philosopher Negri, named "innovators to watch" by Time magazine, are coauthors of the provocative book Empire and its sequel, Multitude. In Empire they argued that nation-states are subordinated to the power of transnational, global capitalism. At the same time, they viewed empire in its very tendency toward de-centering as opening up new, creative possibilities for the "multitude" of ordinary folk to spread and practice democracy. In Multitude, they argued that their basic arguments on empire had not been disproved by 9/11 and its aftermath.

Using Hardt and Negri's work as a springboard, the contributors challenge evangelicalism's identification with right-wing politics and grapple with the natures of both empire and evangelicalism. The book includes a foreword by Nicholas Wolterstorff and an afterword by Hardt and Negri.

Contributors

Jim Wallis

Helene Slessarev-Jamir and Bruce Ellis Benson

M. Gail Hamner

Lester Edwin J. Ruiz and Charles W. Amjad-Ali

Jennifer Butler and Glenn Zuber

James K. A. Smith

John Milbank

Patrick Provost-Smith

Sebastien Fath

Kurt Anders Richardson

Juan Martinez

Eleanor Moody-Shepherd and Peter Goodwin Heltzel

Elaine Padilla and Dale T. Irvin

Donald W. Dayton and Christian T. Collins Winn

Mark Lewis Taylor

Corey D. B. Walker

Amos Yong and Samuel Zalanga

Michael S. Horton

Mabiala Kenzo and John Franke

Paul Lim

Mario Costa, Catherine Keller, and Anna Mercedes

Endorsements

"Evangelicals and Empire is a significant book because it deals with religious groups that are usually identified with the politics of empire. Helping the reader understand the deeper reasons for the connection of empire and religion, the essays in this book come together to provide a truly invaluable resource for our time as they flesh out alternative resources that resist empire within the evangelical traditions. The future belongs to such efforts that seek to identify new horizons for the interplay of religion and politics."--Joerg Rieger, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University

"Powerful, urgent, and rigorous. Evangelicals and Empire's diverse voices combine solid scholarship and moral passion to produce a challenging rethinking of what it means to be evangelical."--Ronald J. Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action

The Authors

  1. Bruce Ellis Benson

    Bruce Ellis Benson

    Bruce Ellis Benson (PhD, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is distinguished visiting scholar in philosophy at Loyola Marymount University and executive director of the Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology. He previously taught at Wheaton College for...

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  2. Peter Goodwin Heltzel

    Peter Goodwin Heltzel

    Peter Goodwin Heltzel (PhD, Boston University) is assistant professor of systematic theology at New York Theological Seminary in New York, New York, and coeditor of Theology in Global Context.

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Reviews

"This is a heavy volume, with extraordinary chapters, many responding to the important scholarly work of the much-discussed theorists of empire, Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri. Agree with Hardt & Negri (et al) or not, this is a wonderful example of . . . offering theologically and Biblically-informed thinking to develop a uniquely Christian perspective on the theories shaping our analysis of the modern world, done, particularly, as an asset for wise and faithful social reform. I literally praise the Lord for this kind of conversation, this level of discourse, the witness of a book like this. . . . Diverse authors (ethnically, nationally, and theologically) offer deep insights into one of the biggest questions of our day (and offer so many significant chapters that anyone interested in global Christianity or modern missions should consider this). . . .What a book! Kudos to Brazos, once again."--Byron Borger, heartsandmindsbooks.com

"This book offers a collection of essays that reflect the emergence of a politically radical, evangelical scholarly community among a cohort of younger Christians. The book is significant partly because of its content but mainly because of this emerging scholarly community, which shows the promise of reshaping evangelical public witness in the United States in some interesting ways. . . . The very existence of this kind of book portends the remarkably diverse future of both America and American Christianity."--David P. Gushee, Prism

"Evangelicals and Empire . . . gives the reader all manner of things to ponder and discuss. . . . The book is remarkable in its theological, racial, ethnic, national, and gender diversity. . . . [The editors'] work of acquiring diverse contributors, raising relevant questions, and probing this thorny problem is truly to be celebrated. Many of the essays will without question have enduring value as the current global reality continues to unfold. . . . [This volume] shines in far more places than it stutters. Thus, it is a book to be engaged, discussed, and welcomed among Christians concerned for authentic theopolitical engagement with the contemporary world."--Halden Doerge, theotherjournal.com

"What Evangelicals and Empire imparts to evangelicals is not so much a single programme for reform but a multifaceted assault on Christian complacency in the days of modern empire. . . . It is a virtue of this volume that its contributors disagree so much, that the mutual point of departure is the work of non-evangelical scholars, rather than the representative of any one tradition in Christianity. This allows for a whole range of important voices to emerge. Recommended reading."--Ian Clausen, Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology

"The wide variety of chapters written by thirty-two diverse authors complexifies the perception that evangelicals are of one mind and political persuasion. . . . This well-balanced and prophetic anti-imperial work addresses sociopolitical, economic, class, gender, ethnic, racial, philosophical, theological, biblical, and geographical issues and concludes with a response by Hardt and Negri to their interlocutors."--Paul Alexander, Religious Studies Review

"[This volume] brings together a diverse team of over two dozen thinkers to explore the 'empire theory' of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri and to raise the question of how evangelicals might fit into the picture. . . . The contributors, representing an extraordinary racial, ethnic, national, and gender diversity virtually unseen in evangelical scholarly works, bring a critical perspective to the Hardt/Negri thesis. . . . Christians interested in a genuine theopolitical engagement with the contemporary world will profit much from the book and the pathways for fresh involvement various contributors have laid out."--Richard V. Pierard, Theological Book Review