The Subversive Gospel

by Hanks, Tom; Doner, John P.

• ISBN13: 9781606084007
• ISBN10: 1606084003
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-19
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock Pub

Summary

What do the New Testament writers actually teach about (1) the poor, (2) women, and (3) sexual minorities? Why do traditional commentaries and introductions so often ignore or treat superficially such burning questions churches grapple with today? Must we seek out specialized monographs to get adequate information and satisfactory answers in each area? At last, in a single volume Tom Hanks brings together the fruit of decades of study, examining each New Testament book in each of these three crucial areas, which often overlap in human experience (Latin American male liberation theologians often forget that the option for the poor may involve solidarity with a lesbian of color who wants to be ordained!).Building on his pioneering study on oppression and poverty in Biblical theology (Orbis 1984; Wipf 2000) and his Anchor Bible Dictionary article on Poverty in the New Testament (which the New York Times review commended for its balance), Hanks analyzes the teaching of each New Testament book regarding the main cause of poverty (oppression) and the variety of liberating Christian responses. Feminist and womanist studies are mined to highlight the presence/absence and role/leadership of women in each New Testament book. The remarkable absence of modern notions of family and family values in the New Testament books is emphasized, along with the prominence of sexual minorities as authors and subjects of the New Testament books. L. William Countryman comments regarding the poor, women and sexual minorities: Tom Hanks has brought these issues to the exegesis of the New Testament in a sustained and orderly fashion. He demonstrates beyond question that most of the New Testament authors were not interested in maintaining the household structures of the ancient Mediterranean and that, indeed, most of the individuals presented in the New Testament documents would not have seemed to be models of 'family values' either in their time or todayÉ.The works of Hanks and [Theodore W.] Jennings, with their detailed and careful argumentation, show that excellent work is being done in this vein. However surprising their conclusions may be to casual readers (or offensive to readers protecting what they conceive as orthodoxy), they are, in fact, deeply grounded in attentive scholarly work (Dirt, Greed & Sex, Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007, p. 251-252).

Author Biography

Thomas D. Hanks served with the Latin America Misin from 1963 to 1989 as Professor of Hebrew Bible at the Latin America Biblical Seminary (now University). He did graduate studies at Wheaton Graduate School of Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary (BD), Garrett-Northwestern (MA) and Concordia Seminary (ThD). Since 1992 he has been Executive Director of Other Sheep, a multicultural ministry with sexual minorities. He also is author of God So Loved the Third World (Wipf and Stock).

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Abbreviations	p. xvii
Glossary	p. xix
Matthew: A Log Cabin Publican? Good News for Sex Workers!	p. 3
Mark: Good News for the Sick and the Physically Challenged	p. 22
Luke: Good News for the Poor and for Women	p. 37
John: Jesus' Beloved Disciple Subverts Literalism and the Law	p. 55
Praxis of the Apostles (Acts): Queer Couples Collaborate in Mission to the Unclean	p. 67
Romans: Anti-Judaism and Homophobia Deconstructed	p. 80
1 Corinthians: Use Your Gifts to Strengthen the Body	p. 97
2 Corinthians: God's Solidarity with the Weak and the "Crazy"	p. 110
Galatians: Christ Liberated Us from the Law That We Might Remain Free	p. 118
Ephesians: Liberation from Nihilism and from Anti-Judaism	p. 127
Philippians: The Contagious Joy of a Political Prisoner	p. 137
Colossians: Sophia-Wisdom and Liberation from Elitist Patriarchal Philosophies	p. 144
1 Thessalonians: The Missionary-Nurse in Paul	p. 153
2 Thessalonians: Preventing Poverty by Diligent Labor	p. 160
1 Timothy: Merry News for Widows: "You May Remarry"	p. 167
2 Timothy: Good News for Those Condemned to Death	p. 174
Titus: Good News with Good Works for the Marginalized	p. 179
Philemon: Liberating Solidarity with a Slave	p. 185
Hebrews: Subversive Hermeneutics and Jesus' Liberating Purpose	p. 191
James: The Priority of Praxis Guided by Wisdom	p. 200
1 Peter: Persecuted Immigrants in a Xenophobic Empire?	p. 208
2 Peter: Christian Virtues for a Renewed Green World	p. 217
1 John: God's Pure Love in Solidarity with the Poor	p. 226
2 John: The Limits of Tolerance to Make an Inclusive Community Viable	p. 231
3 John: Hospitality as Making an Inclusive Community of Friends	p. 236
Jude: Celebrating the Love-feasts, Subverting the Canon	p. 241
Revelation: Woe to the Great Sex Worker, Babylon	p. 249
Chronological Order of the New Testament	p. 259
Didactic Reading Order for the New Testament	p. 261
Bibliography	p. 263
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