In this superb book, Greg Carey seeks to steer a path between submitting to Revelation’s authority and resisting it and, in my opinion (as one who defaults towards ‘submitting’ to the scriptures), he succeeds marvelously. He exhibits a deep sensitivity to the pastoral challenges that John faced as he sought to motivate Christian congregations to preserve their distinctive identity and witness where this meant nonconformity with their neighbours’ expectations and entailed potentially substantial costs thereby. He appreciates John’s program of identifying the human costs that Roman imperialism exacts and calling for resistance to its injustices, and he regards this to be a facet of Revelation that continues to speak an important word to Christian communities in modern political contexts, treating John as an ally in this regard. At the same time, he wrestles openly and honestly with those facets of Revelation that potentially impose unnecessary human costs of their own.
After an introduction (‘Opening Words’) in which Carey explains his approach and goals, chapter 1 (‘Reading Revelation as Apocalypse, Prophecy, and Letter’) lays the customary foundation for a contemporary-historical approach to listening to Revelation as a word to congregations in first-century Roman Asia and to thinking about how Revelation works upon those first hearers’ perceptions of and orientation towards their local contexts. On this basis, Carey rightly observes that Revelation raises important questions for modern Christ-followers in regard to how allegiance to Jesus plays out in relationship to the political tensions and agendas at work in their own context.
Carey addresses more theological questions in chapters 3 and 4. In chapter 3 (‘Jesus in Relation to God and the Spirit’), he notes how John introduces a ‘blurriness’ in terms of the conceptual lines between God, Jesus and the Spirit in Revelation that represents a step in the direction of Nicene theology. Chapter 4 (‘Does Revelation Have an Eschatology?’) provides a rich examination of how Revelation constructs ‘ultimate things’ in terms both of priority or value and in terms of the temporal trajectory of history and the destiny of the individual. While Carey wrestles with the theological problems of Revelation’s exclusivity and visions of eternal punishment, he also foregrounds the essential message of hope in God’s justice that John offers.
Chapter 5 (‘Pathos, Emotion, and Affect in Revelation’) gives Carey an opportunity to display his adroitness in rhetorical criticism as well as underscore the importance of what Revelation ‘does’ to the reader alongside whatever Revelation’s visions might ‘mean’. In chapter 6 (‘Wealth and Poverty in Revelation’), he unpacks John’s critique of the Roman imperial economy while acknowledging that John’s extremist position in regard to Christian response to the same would fall unequally on disciples of different economic strata. Acknowledging John’s position to be extremist also allows Carey to listen more sympathetically to the other Christian prophets whose posture was more moderate.
The task of critique emerges more forcefully in chapters addressing the widely acknowledged problems with Revelation. Chapter 2 (‘Authority and Authoritarianism in Revelation’) examines John’s refusal to leave room for dissent from his vision and particularly problematises his use of disgust or debasing to sideline rival teachers – a problem that Carey rightly connects to modern political discourse. Chapter 7 (‘A Queer Book’) both positively explores gender in (and gender-bending facets of) Revelation and critically examines John’s regrettable sexualisation of female opponents and adoption of misogynistic imperial tropes (e.g., visualising provinces as semi-naked, subjugated women). Chapter 8 (‘Violence and the Bloody Lamb’) elevates the nonviolent means by which Jesus has overcome in Revelation 5 alongside examining the problems of divine violence in Revelation and, more uncomfortably, the expressions of joy at the exercise of divine violence that have often promoted ‘a desire for violence among its readers’ (p. 151). Finally, in chapter 9 (‘Mapping Resistance in Revelation’), Carey explores the way Revelation functions as resistance literature (in the context of apocalyptic literature more generally), as well as the way John reinscribes the damaging strategies and tropes of the very empire he opposes.
While fully cognizant of the historical context of John and his congregations, Carey’s main goal is ‘to find contemporary Christian meaning in Revelation’ and explore ‘how modern readers may engage it in life-giving ways’ (p. xi) despite the many reasons modern readers might have to avoid engaging it entirely. This book certainly delivers on its promises. Readers will particularly appreciate the ways in which Carey connects John’s word to current concerns, including authoritarianism, (Christian) nationalism, political idolatry and ongoing economic injustice.
It was a delight to read this collection of mature reflections from a scholar of Revelation, apocalyptic literature and issues of public concern. But I found the book particularly instructive not only for what Carey said about Revelation but also for the way Carey approached his task and the voice that he adopted. He is present with his readers from beginning to end, inviting us into his own thought processes and development. Here, we do not encounter an author who, while being deeply learned and thoughtful, seeks to project an aura of self-assured certainty. Rather, we find a scholar who honestly and transparently shares his own struggles with the text and its interpreters, giving us permission also to live in those spaces of uncertainty and ongoing exploration where new insight and growth remain possible. Above all, I am struck by the gentleness and generosity with which Carey interacts with fellow scholars, particularly those with whom he disagrees, challenging the rest of us in academia to lay aside the antagonistic approach to debate that pervades scholarly culture in favour of regarding one another as fellow seekers after insight and meaning, all of whom are in process together.
This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking book that will benefit those who teach Revelation in both academic and ecclesial settings. It would also serve well as a companion text in advanced undergraduate or seminary-level courses on Revelation.
