Abstract
Individuals often have one of two responses to Revelation. On the one hand, they shy away from it completely by excising it from their personal canon. On the other hand, they obsess over it and immerse themselves in it. These two opposite responses might spring from the same root—Revelation’s images and language of violence. For both these types of folks, Jeffrey D. Meyers’s book, The Nonviolent Apocalypse, offers a healthier way for Christians to read and engage this enigmatic work of the New Testament.
Revelation’s violent language and imagery is problematic for individuals who focus on Jesus’s message of a peaceable kingdom. Even in the pages of this journal, previous articles have dealt with the violence bubbling up from the pages of Revelation (see, Richard A. Spencer, “Violence and Vengeance in Revelation,” Rev&Exp 98.1 [2001]: 59–75).
Meyers is following a trend of interpreters re-evaluating and reinterpreting Revelation as a work demonstrating the practice of nonviolence, which might seem strange based on traditional understandings of Revelation. However, as I wrote over two decades ago, “The Christians in Revelation actively resist the power of the age, but that resistance is nonviolent. Christians have two weapons with which they fight in every struggle—trust in the resurrection and the word of their testimony” (David May, Revelation [Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys, 2001], 93). Meyers contributes to redeeming Revelation from its violence heritage by presenting a sustained and well-grounded thesis that Revelation is resistance literature that assisted the first readers, and contemporary readers, with “its use of nonviolence tactics and its call for the churches to practice nonviolence” (p. 157).
In his book, Meyers undergirds this thesis with three major sections: “Revelation’s Use of Nonviolence,” “Revelation’s Call for Nonviolent Resistance,” and “When Revelation Isn’t Nonviolent.” In the first two sections, the author grounds his explication of Revelation’s emphasis on nonviolence in the historical context of the book as it portrays resistance to the Roman empire. He demonstrates that the hymns, worship, portrayal of Jesus, and visions of the new Jerusalem not only allowed the readers of John’s day to resist Rome but also provided practical examples for how contemporary readers might use nonviolent methods to resist the empires of today.
In the third section, Meyers does not ignore or gloss over the violence Revelation portrays and how Revelation has been used to justify violence. He highlights especially the rhetoric of Revelation as it dehumanizes and demonizes others. The violent language and imagery within Revelation will always be problematic and can work against practices of nonviolence. As the author notes, the “text cannot be fully redeemed, but that does not mean it should be rejected” (p. 142).
One of the strengths of this work is that the author, who teaches peace, justice, and conflict studies, is well versed in various theories on and writers of nonviolence. He takes these contemporary theories and illustrates connections with the tactics found in Revelation. He also weaves contemporary nonviolent examples of resistance, such as in Chile, the Philippines, and the United States, into his explication of Revelation. If the world of Revelation can seem strange and the language opaque, the contemporary examples the author provides highlight some of the strategies and tactics for nonviolence today.
Meyers is a good writer, and readers will appreciate many memorable sentences that linger in one’s thinking, such as “Jesus did not respond to Roman power by raising an army. He responded by rising from the dead” (p. 26) and “[Revelation] does not seek to predict the future but to shape it” (p. 74). Of particular interest and importance, especially for today’s cultural context, is the section on “Witness: Proclaiming Opposition.” This section highlights the importance of “truth-telling” and moral witness. Especially in societies which take truth and turn it into a lie and take lies and create “truths,” this chapter, although short, illustrates the power of truth telling and moral activism via witness.
Those fearful of the violent imagery in Revelation will find in Meyer’s work a refreshing approach to activate their passion for reincorporating Revelation back into their personal canon. For those who have vicariously reveled in the violence of Revelation, Meyers will provide them with a healthier option for understanding the imagery and challenge them to focus on practicing nonviolent tactics.
The Nonviolent Apocalypse needs to be read, heard, and heeded in a time that seems saturated with daily violence that is both national, international, and local. My concern is the economic cost of this book might be an issue. At $95 for 188 pages that is 50 cents per page. This work deserves a wide audience, but the cost might prohibit some from purchasing it. Hopefully, however, libraries will include this work within their stacks. It deserves a place on the shelf and in one’s hands.