The Emperor’s God: Misunderstandings of Christianity
- By
- D. Michael Rivage-Seul
- Published
- October, 2008
- List price
- $24.00
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About this book
This is a unique offering from IED Press – our first in the field of religion. The Emperor’s God fits perfectly with IED’s focus on imperialism and “plunder by trade.”
Mike’s book shows how religion in general and Christianity in particular have been used ideologically for more than 1500 years to support the project of the world’s elite aimed at dispossessing the one’s Fanon called the wretched of the earth.
Instead, though the basic biblical tradition and the prophetic work of Jesus of Nazareth were originally anti-imperialistic, they were soon turned on their heads by those intent on privatizing the world’s commons.
Mike Rivage-Seul knows what he’s talking about. He’s a former Roman Catholic priest, who received his doctorate in theology from one of Rome’s great theological universities. He has worked with liberation theologians in Rome, Brazil, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Zimbabwe, and Cuba. His personal path of awakening took him from an unquestioning acceptance of “official church doctrine” to prophetic teaching, writing, and activism as a member of the “loyal opposition” within the Catholic Church.
This book is rich with provocative insight drawn from the liberation theology tradition. It is perfect for Introduction to Religion courses aimed at helping students understand that strain of thought. Church discussion groups will also find it stimulating unexpected conversations.
— J.W. Smith, Editor, IED Press
The Basic Argument
Jesus rejected empire, and the worship of Satan it necessitates. Jesus was also rejected by empire, and was executed as an insurgent.
In 313, (Edict of Milan), and 381 (Theodosius), Christianity accepted the temptation Jesus had refused. It embraced empire. Becoming empire’s religious ideology (e.g. divine right of kings),
and worshipping Satan, the necessary condition for empire’s embrace.
None of this changed with the Reformers who continued to legitimate the state, even in Hitler’s Germany.
After the 2nd Vatican Council (1962-’65), and the Medellín (Colombia) Conference of Latin American Bishops (1968), Liberation theology was born. It held that the God of Jesus cannot align with empire nor with the interests of the rich. Instead Jesus’ God is on the side of the poor and oppressed.
In response, the U.S. Government (& ironically the Roman Catholic leadership) waged war on liberation theology, and against liberation theologians. The U.S. provided massive funding for Evangelical fundamentalists such as Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, Pat Robertson, Jim Baker who were pro-U.S., pro-capitalism, and anti-communist. Fundamentalists of this kind tended to worship the God of the rich. They distracted believers from such commitments by centralizing issues of abortion, homosexual marriage, and evolution rather than social justice. Meanwhile, advocates of liberation theology worshiped the God of the poor.
Faithful Bible readers must decide which is the God Jesus proclaimed, and where their own loyalties are found.
What they are saying about this book
This book could not be timelier coming as it does at the climax of the ’08 presidential campaign. Recent controversies stirred by Jeremiah Wright on the one hand and John Hagee on the other show that Mike’s insight about a “Battle of the Gods” between the God of the Rich and the God of the Poor is spot on. While the ideologized God of the Rich is familiar to all, Jesus’ own God of the Poor remains a scandal and unknown. Mike’s book counters all of that.
– J.W. Smith, editor, The Institute for Economic Democracy website
The Emperor’s God is an outstanding book. Faced with a rabid Reconstructionist/Domionist movement and the apocalypticism of the evangelical Christian right, The Emperor’s God is a welcome political and spiritual counterpoint. Mike Rivage-Seul has written a powerful and passionate treatise on structural violence and contemporary responses to it within faith-based communities.
– Peter McLaren, Professor. University of California, Los Angeles. Author of Che Guevara, Paulo Freire and the Pedagogy of Revolution.
I guarantee this book will be a challenging journey. This is not a book for those whose strong attachment to the hidden Sacred Cows of our society allows no questioning. Like the Old Testament prophets, Mike asks us to go beyond what most today assume. I have found his writing rich with brilliant insights into the Christian message. Enjoy!
– Rev. Paschal Baute, Ed.D. Midway College, Midway KY.
Mike’s love and respect for his students are evident in every paragraph of this incredibly insightful book.
– bell hooks. Distinguished Professor-in-Residence. Berea College, Berea KY.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Foreword
I. MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT FUNDAMENTALISM
1. Once a Fundamentalist, Always a Fundamentalist
2. Only Fundamentalists Are Truly Christian
3. Christian Fundamentalists Resist the Modern World; Liberals Cave In
4. Liberal Christianity Seeks Domination Too
5. The Bible Must Be Interpreted Literally (Sometimes)
6. God Supports Conservative Politics
II. MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE BIBLE
7. There Is Only One God
8. Eve Sinned First
9. Abraham Would Have Killed His Son for God
10. Jesus Is God’s Only Son
11. Apocalypse Is about the End of the World
III. MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE CHURCH
12. Christianity Is Compatible with Empire
13.Churches Committed to the Rich or to the Poor Worship the Same God
14. (Left) Politics Has No Place in Church
IV. MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
15. Fundamentalists Reject Darwin
16. Abortion Should Be Outlawed (Sample chapter, PDF format)
17. God Hates Homosexuals
18. Our Violence Is Holy; Not Theirs
19. Activism and Spirituality Are Incompatible
APPENDIX
Clarifying Concepts: Economic Systems
