2016/06/29

Richard Heinberg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Richard Heinberg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Richard Heinberg
Heinberg discussing energy at University of Toronto, March 2013
Born	1950
Occupation	Writer, educator, environmentalist
Language	English
Nationality	USA
Ethnicity	USA
Genre	non-fiction
Subject	peak oil, resource depletion, sustainability
Notable works	The Party's Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Reality
Spouse	Janet Barocco
Website
www.richardheinberg.com

Richard Heinberg (born 1950) is anAmerican journalist and educator who has written extensively on energy, economic, andecological issues, including oil depletion. He is the author of thirteen books. He serves as the senior fellow at the Post Carbon Institute.

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Career

Heinberg, after two years in college and a period of personal study, became personal assistant to Immanuel Velikovsky in November 1979 and after Velikovsky's death assisted Mrs. Velikovsky editing manuscripts.^[1]^[2] He published his first book in 1989, Memories and Visions of Paradise: Exploring the Universal Myth of a Lost Golden Age,^[3] which was the result of ten years of study of worldmythology. An expanded second edition was published in 1995.^[4] He began publishing his alternative newsletter, the MuseLetter, in 1992. His next book was published in 1993:Celebrate the Solstice: Honoring the Earth's Seasonal Rhythms through Festival and Ceremony.^[5]

In June 1995, speaking to the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations in Dayton, Ohio, Heinberg provided "A Primitivist Critique of Civilization" and discussed the ways in which "We are, it would seem, killing the planet."^[6]

His books from the later 1990s address the relationships between humanity and the natural world. In 1998, he began teaching atNew College of California. in the "Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community" program, which he helped design. He remained a member of the Core Faculty until 2007, when the College closed its doors.

In 2003, Heinberg published The Party's Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies, one of the first full-length analyses on the issue of peak oil.

In 2004, Heinberg provided the closing address for the First US Conference on Peak Oil and Community Solutions. His title was "Beyond the Peak."

Heinberg in his garden in Santa Rosa, California. August 2011

In February 2007, Heinberg addressed the Committee on International Trade of the European Parliament and served as an advisor to the National Petroleum Council in its report to theU.S. Secretary of Energy on Peak Oil. In October 2007, theGreen Party of Aotearoa organised a speaking tour of New Zealand for Heinberg, which included a presentation in theBeehive theatrette within the New Zealand Parliamentbuilding.^[7]^[8] In 2008 he was a Mayor’s appointed member of the Oil Independent Oakland 2020 Task Force (Oakland, California),^[9] which was convened to chart a path for the city to dramatically reduce its petroleum dependence.

Heinberg is now the Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute in Santa Rosa, California. He lives in Santa Rosa, California. He is also a violinist, illustrator, and book designer. He is married to Janet Barocco.

Heinberg has proposed an international protocol to peak oil management with the aim of reducing the impact of the arrival of the peak.^[10] The adoption of the Protocol would mean that oil-importing nations should deal to reduce their importations in an annual percentage, while exporting countries should deal to reduce their exportations in the same percentage. The Uppsala Protocol^[11] has been focused in a similar direction.

Heinberg is the editor of MuseLetter,^[12] which has been included in Utne Magazine’sannual list of Best Alternative Newsletters. He has appeared in the documentaries The End of Suburbia, The 11th Hour, Crude Impact, Oil, Smoke & Mirrors, Chasing God,What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire, The Great Squeeze, The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, A Farm for the Future and Ripe For Change.

Heinberg is one of the more moderate commentators on peak oil (compared to others like James Howard Kunstler.^[13])

Publications

Memories and Visions of Paradise: Exploring the Universal Myth of a Lost Golden Age (1989; revised edition, 1995; British edition, 1990; Portuguese edition, 1991)
Celebrate the Solstice: Honoring the Earth’s Seasonal Rhythms through Festival and Ceremony (1993; Italian edition, 2002; Portuguese edition, 2002)
A New Covenant with Nature: Notes on the End of Civilization and the Renewal of Culture (1996; Portuguese edition, 1998) ISBN 978-0-8356-0746-9
Cloning the Buddha: The Moral Impact of Biotechnology (1999; Indian edition, 2001; Japanese edition, 2001; Chinese edition, 2001)
The Party's Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies (2003; British, Italian, German, Spanish, and Arabic editions, 2004–2005; revised North American edition, 2005; Spanish edition, 2007; French edition, 2008 German Edition)
Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World (ISBN 9780865715103) (2004; British edition 2005)
The Oil Depletion Protocol: A Plan to Avert Oil Wars, Terrorism and Economic Collapse (2006, ISBN 978-0-86571-563-9),
Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines (2007, ISBN 978-0-86571-598-1).
Blackout: Coal, Climate, and the Last Energy Crisis (June, 2009). (ISBN 9780865716568)
The Post Carbon Reader: Managing the 21st Century’s Sustainability Crises], edited by Richard Heinberg & Daniel Lerch (2010) ISBN 978-0-9709500-6-2
The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Reality, (2011) ISBN 978-0-86571-695-7
Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future (2013)ISBN 978-0976751090
Afterburn: Society Beyond Fossil Fuels (2015) ISBN 978-0865717886
Our Renewable Future: Laying the Path for One Hundred Percent Clean Energy (2016) ISBN 978-1610917797, co-authored by Richard Heinberg and David Fridley

References

Contributors. Kronos VI(2), Winter 1981.
Sammer, Jan. The Velikovsky Archive.Aeon VI(2), Dec. 2001.
Los Angeles, Calif.: Tarcher. 282 pp. ISBN 0-87477-515-9.
Wheaton, Ill,: Quest Books. 294 pp. ISBN 978-0-8356-0716-2.
Wheaton, Ill.: Quest Books. 199 pp. ISBN 0-8356-0693-7.
Heinberg, Richard (June 15, 1995). "The Primitivist Critique of Civilization". A paper presented at the 24th annual meeting of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations atWright State University, Dayton, Ohio,. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
"Peak oil educator to visit New Zealand"(Press release). Green Party. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
Fitzsimons, Jeanette (11 October 2007)."Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers, Questions to Members". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved June 9,2012.
"Oil Independent Oakland (OIO) By 2020 Task Force". 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-05-25. Retrieved9 September 2013.
Oil Depletion Protocol
Protocol of Uppsala
http://heinberg.wordpress.com/
http://kunstler.com/blog/

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related toRichard Heinberg.

Wikisource has original works written by or about:
Richard Heinberg

Post Carbon Institute
Heinberg's personal website
Richard Heinberg at the Internet Movie Database
Richard Heinberg at Seoul Youth Hub Conference 2013, Reshaping the Way We Live
- Richard Heinberg's keynote speech at Seoul Youth Hub Conference(2013) Seoul, South Korea
2008 interview on Global Public Media Heinberg on Post Carbon Institute's Green New Deal
OneWorldTV video interviews with Richard Heinberg:
- Richard Heinberg Counters Big Energy PR Hype, July 13, 2012
- “Don't worry! There's Plenty of Oil” (only there isn't), Aug 29, 2012
Interview: (October 21, 2006) The Oil Depletion Protocol
Interview, July 2006
Oil, Smoke & Mirrors Contains interviews with Heinberg discussing peak oil.
Critique of CivilizationPaper presented at the 24th annual meeting of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations, June 15, 1995.
Peak Everything lecture onYouTube
BLIND SPOT Documentary, Official Website.
The End of Growth: 2011 interview with Heinberg on YouTube on the Keiser Report

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Heinberg&oldid=723518840"

2016/06/28

Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God - Kindle edition by Elizabeth A. Johnson. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

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"In this wonderful, lucid, and challenging book, Elizabeth Johnson not only maps the frontiers of theology but critiques, synthesizes, and appropriates a range of insights to help us fruitfully and humbly expand our grasp of the Loving Mystery who is God." - M. Shawn Copeland, Associate Professor of Theology, Boston College, and past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America

"As Elizabeth Johnson notes, Karl Rahner had an abiding concern that much of Christian theology presented God 'unworthy of belief.' Here Johnson has given us a God truly worthy of our belief, fidelity, and love. Every word breathes with the author's own deep love of God, the church, and the world. Combining her usual theological sophistication with the practical wisdom that comes from a life-long commitment to the life of faith, this is theology as it should be." - Roberto S. Goizueta, Associate Professor of Theology, Boston College, and past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America

"It is a great act of generosity...that such an accomplished scholar would pause in her career-long project to share with us her considerable gifts as a teacher, as she does in her new book...Quest for the Living God is an invitation to its readers to explore some of our best contemporary reflections on the experience of God and topics surrounding the doctrine of God. Written in clear and accessible prose, the book avoids the technical language that peppers scholarly works intended for a professional audience, and takes pains to guide a theologically inexperienced reader through all the issues that inform a particular interpretive concern...It is rare that one finds a book that will appeal to all sorts of audiences, but Quest for the Living God is one. Professional theologians, undergraduate students and literate people of faith will enjoy all that this engaging work has to offer." -John E. Thiel, America, January 21-28, 2008

(John E. Thiel)

"In her new book, Quest for the Living God, she offers a compelling case for several important movements in modern Christian thought. She begins with Karl Rahner's seminal investigations in the 1930s before moving on to various contemporary Christian theologies-and, finally, to the complex connections being forged between Christianity and other world religions...with her usual clarity and precision...It is just such orthodoxy, unhistorical and disembodied, that fails to reach the living God these theologians seek to recover. Elizabeth Johnson's careful analysis reminds us how much we miss when dead birds fall from the pulpit." - Dennis O'Brien, Commonweal, April 11, 2008

(Dennis O'Brien)

"This is another splendid book by Elizabeth A. Johnson...Written primarily for intelligent lay folk, the engaging style of this review of the last 50 years of Christian theology contains Johnson's own insights couched in smooth, economic and yet elegant language with an occasional zinger that sums up a movement or an insight. Johnson's table of contents is a reliable outline of her book; a real help for teachers or study groups who use The Quest for the Living God as I propose to do in an upper level undergraduate research seminar this fall...Johnson lays out the richness of inter-religious dialogues and the urgency of attending to all God's offspring, including the planet and its beautiful burden of living creatures of the sea, the skies, the earth. Theologians give them voices, point to the living Spirit of God creating an evolving world so heedlessly and recklessly squandered by its human users and abusers. The last chapter is a wonder...Johnson's epilogue invites readers to continue the quest for the transcendent and immanent God who invites our conversations and exceeds all we can say." - Jill Raitt, Fontbonne University, Catholic Books Review (http://catholicbooksreview.org)

(Jill Raitt)

"With her characteristic generosity, Johnson surveys a range of new theological currents in the doctrine of God, showing the context in which each idea arose, the theological reasoning behind it, and its implications for spiritual and practical life. Included are chapters on transcendental, political, liberation, feminist, black, Hispanic, interreligious, and ecological theologies, followed by a chapter of trinitarian reflections. Suggestions for further reading conclude each chapter." - Amy Plantinga Pauw, Christian Century, May 6, 2008 (Amy Plantinga Pauw)

"Elizabeth Johnson's Quest for the Living God extends her generous intellectual hospitality to an intriguing array of contemporary Christian doctrines of God, welcoming voices from all over the theological map and providing a common table around which they may hear one another out and be heard with respect. In this spirit, she concludes by leaving the door open rather than closing it with a rash of final pronouncements." - Jenn Cavanaugh, Parabola, Summer 2008 (Jenn Cavanaugh)

"Johnson succeeds in emphasizing the mystery of God and the insatiability of the human quest for encountering that mystery. She illustrates this most effectively by highlighting the diversity of perspectives that fail to exhaust the mystery of God. Perhaps even more impressive than its comprehensiveness is the book's accessibility. Johnson takes the most complex theological themes, such as divine agency and the nature of the Trinity, and makes them intelligible for an introductory level audience. I look forward to using this text in an undergraduate context, trusting that students will receive a substantive and inspiring introduction to the theologies of God." - Erin Brigham, Anglican Theological Review, Fall 2008 (Erin Brigham Anglican Theological Review)

"Johnson speaks of the quest for the living God using the Scripture text 'Like a dry and arid land so does my soul long for you, My God.' St. Augustine experiences this in his quest for God as he stated in his confessions: 'You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more.' This is the experience one might have from this book." — Benedictines

(Janelle Maes, OSB)

"This is one of the most important and provocative books on theology to have appeared in the U.S. since Vatican II... I challenge every thinking Christian to read chapter one-they will be so energized that they will rush to go through the whole book." —Joseph Cunneen, The American Catholic (Joseph Cunneen American Catholic Studies)

(Sanford Lakoff)

"In her new book, Quest for the Living God, she offers a compelling case for several important movements in modern Christian thought. She begins with Karl Rahner's seminal investigations in the 1930s before moving on to various contemporary Christian theologies-and, finally, to the complex connections being forged between Christianity and other world religions…with her usual clarity and precision…It is just such orthodoxy, unhistorical and disembodied, that fails to reach the living God these theologians seek to recover. Elizabeth Johnson's careful analysis reminds us how much we miss when dead birds fall from the pulpit." - Dennis O'Brien, Commonweal, April 11, 2008

(Sanford Lakoff)

"This is another splendid book by Elizabeth A. Johnson…Written primarily for intelligent lay folk, the engaging style of this review of the last 50 years of Christian theology contains Johnson’s own insights couched in smooth, economic and yet elegant language with an occasional zinger that sums up a movement or an insight. Johnson’s table of contents is a reliable outline of her book; a real help for teachers or study groups who use The Quest for the Living God as I propose to do in an upper level undergraduate research seminar this fall…Johnson lays out the richness of inter-religious dialogues and the urgency of attending to all God’s offspring, including the planet and its beautiful burden of living creatures of the sea, the skies, the earth. Theologians give them voices, point to the living Spirit of God creating an evolving world so heedlessly and recklessly squandered by its human users and abusers. The last chapter is a wonder…Johnson’s epilogue invites readers to continue the quest for the transcendent and immanent God who invites our conversations and exceeds all we can say." - Jill Raitt, Fontbonne University, Catholic Books Review (http://catholicbooksreview.org)

(Sanford Lakoff)

"With her characteristic generosity, Johnson surveys a range of new theological currents in the doctrine of God, showing the context in which each idea arose, the theological reasoning behind it, and its implications for spiritual and practical life. Included are chapters on transcendental, political, liberation, feminist, black, Hispanic, interreligious, and ecological theologies, followed by a chapter of trinitarian reflections. Suggestions for further reading conclude each chapter." - Amy Plantinga Pauw, Christian Century, May 6, 2008 (Sanford Lakoff)

“Elizabeth Johnson’s Quest for the Living God extends her generous intellectual hospitality to an intriguing array of contemporary Christian doctrines of God, welcoming voices from all over the theological map and providing a common table around which they may hear one another out and be heard with respect. In this spirit, she concludes by leaving the door open rather than closing it with a rash of final pronouncements.” - Jenn Cavanaugh, Parabola, Summer 2008 (Sanford Lakoff)

“Johnson succeeds in emphasizing the mystery of God and the insatiability of the human quest for encountering that mystery. She illustrates this most effectively by highlighting the diversity of perspectives that fail to exhaust the mystery of God. Perhaps even more impressive than its comprehensiveness is the book’s accessibility. Johnson takes the most complex theological themes, such as divine agency and the nature of the Trinity, and makes them intelligible for an introductory level audience. I look forward to using this text in an undergraduate context, trusting that students will receive a substantive and inspiring introduction to the theologies of God.” - Erin Brigham, Anglican Theological Review, Fall 2008 (Sanford Lakoff Anglican Theological Review)

(Sanford Lakoff)

"This is one of the most important and provocative books on theology to have appeared in the U.S. since Vatican II... I challenge every thinking Christian to read chapter one-they will be so energized that they will rush to go through the whole book." —Joseph Cunneen, The American Catholic (Sanford Lakoff American Catholic Studies)

About the Author

Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J., is distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University. She has received numerous awards, including the Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion for She Who Is (1993), the American Academy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion for Friends of God and Prophets (1999), and the Book Award of the College Theology Society for Truly Our Sister (2004). She was also the recipient of the John Courtney Murray Award of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the Jerome Award of the Catholic Library Association, and the Monika K. Hellwig Award of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

2016/06/27

The Heart of Christianity | BRev

The Heart of Christianity | Book Reviews | Books | Spirituality & Practice

The Heart of Christianity

Rediscovering a Life of Faith

By Marcus J. Borg

A bellwether work that sets out in cogent, compassionate, and imaginative terms the direction of the Christian way in difficult times.

Book Review by Frederic and Mary Ann

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Progressive Christians have been waiting a long time for a bellwether volume that sets out in cogent, compassionate, and imaginative terms the direction of the faith in difficult times. Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong opened the gate with his book A New Christianity for a New World. Marcus Borg, Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University, takes us all the way home. Borrowing a phrase from Kenneth Burke, he suggests that discerning the heart of Christianity involves us in an "unending dialogue." This ambitious, substantive, and boldly political resource establishes the terms for a conversation that will no doubt continue for years.

In the first three chapters, Borg lays out the conflict within Christendom between those who cling to an earlier paradigm, with its emphasis upon faith as believing, requirements and rewards, and the afterlife, and those who align themselves with an emerging paradigm of Christian life as relational and transformational. He discusses the essential differences between the two camps vis-à-vis the Bible (the heart of tradition), God (the heart of reality), and Jesus (the heart of God).

Before we can relax into this clearly delineated situation, Borg surprises us, calling on mainline Christians to reclaim the Biblical term of being "born again" as a way of drawing closer to their more conservative brothers and sisters. He sees this "rich and comprehensive notion" as a spiritual one which involves "becoming conscious of and intentional about a deepening relationship with God." Another dimension of being born again is taking seriously the call to be just and to care for the poor and the downtrodden. "Seeing the political passion of the Bible calls us to a politically engaged spirituality," he writes, and with great clarity and courage, he suggests concrete consciousness-raising projects that churches can undertake to protest the domination systems that harm the most vulnerable among us — widows, orphans, the poor, and the marginalized.

In the most creative and visionary chapter, "Open Hearts and Thin Places," Borg mines the many meanings of heart with quotations from the Hebrew Bible and Christian tradition, concluding it is "the spiritual center of the total self." We need to be born again because we have closed hearts. In contrast, an open heart can sense the movements of grace through what Borg calls the "thin places" (a Celtic term) in our lives.

Another important element in Borg's imagining of the Christian way is practice, which he defines as "the formation of Christian identity." Churches are just beginning to respond to this after centuries of neglecting the resources of the desert fathers and mothers, the mystics, the monastics, and other mentors of daily practice. Now there is much talk about disciplines of prayer, more emphasis upon the spiritual practices of hospitality and compassion, and new interest in liturgical renewal in a variety of forms. The author concludes: "In my judgment, the single most important practice is to be part of a congregation that nourishes you even as it stretches you."

Finally, Borg delineates some of the challenges of being Christian in an age of pluralism. "When Christianity is seen as one of the great religions of the world, as one of the classic forms of the primordial tradition, as a remarkable sacrament of the sacred, it has great credibility. But when Christianity claims to be the one true religion, it loses much of its credibility." Although Borg does not mention it, the real meeting point between all the world's religions is the heart and the spiritual practices of love, compassion, kindness, and hospitality. Hopefully, Christian congregations will seize the moment and make this watershed work the focus of their adult education programs and small study circles.

Recommended Books » Marcus J. Borg official website

Recommended Books

Dr. Borg was often asked for his recommendations for books that were well-suited to adult study groups. Here is a list of the books that he often commended to readers.

Books by Dr. Marcus Borg

Reading the Bible Again
The Heart of Christianity
Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary
The God We Never Knew
Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, with John Dominic Crossan
The Last Week
The First Christmas, with N.T. Wright
The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions.

Books by other authors
In no particular order:

The Luminous Web.
by Barbara Brown Taylor
Brief (about 100 pages) and stylistically elegant book about the relationship between science and religion.

Shantung Compound.
by Langdon Gilkey
One of Borg’s favorite “teaching” books. A case study of human nature, politics, and religion. A great read.

Who Was Jesus?
by John Dominic Crossan
The most readable of his books.

God and Empire
by John Dominic Crossan
Also a very readable book – and important and provocative.

Excavating Jesus
by John Dominic Crossan, with Jonathan Reed
A compelling blend of Jesus scholarship and archeology.

Jesus and Non-Violence
by Walter Wink
Brief, striking, provocative.

Memories of God.
by Roberta Bondi
Growing up with God and moving beyond childhood understandings to a mature theology.

The Practicing Congregation and
Christianity for the Rest of Us.
by Diana Butler Bass
Important books about the revitalization of mainline congregations.

Sabbath.
by Wayne Muller
A life-giving book about recovering Sabbath.

Buddha
by Karen Armstrong
The most readable of her books. A fascinating account of the life of the Buddha and his teachings, with frequent connections to Christian notions.

The Prophetic Imagination
by Walter Brueggemann
Important and accessible.

Why Religion Matters
by Huston Smith

The World’s Religions
by Huston Smith
The most readable and most interesting introduction to the world’s major religions.

A New Religious America
by Diana Eck
Religious pluralism in America.

Theologies of Religions
by Paul Knitter
Insightful account of Christian theologies of religious pluralism.

Books by John Shelby Spong.

Karen Armstrong - Buddha (Penguin Lives) (lit) - PleX Torrent - Kickass Torrents

Download Karen Armstrong - Buddha (Penguin Lives) (lit) - PleX Torrent - Kickass Torrents

With such bestsellers as A History of God and Islam, Karen Armstrong has consistently delivered ?penetrating, readable, and prescient? (The New York Times) works that have lucidly engaged a wide range of religions and religious issues.

In Buddha she turns to a figure whose thought is still reverberating throughout the world 2,500 years after his death. Many know the Buddha only from seeing countless serene, iconic images. But what of the man himself and the world he lived in? What did he actually do in his roughly eighty years on earth that spawned one of the greatest religions in world history? Armstrong tackles these questions and more by examining the life and times of the Buddha in this engrossing philosophical biography. Against the tumultuous cultural background of his world, she blends history, philosophy, mythology, and biography to create a compelling and illuminating portrait of a man whose awakening continues to inspire millions.

The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith (Audible Audio Edition): Marcus J. Borg, John Pruden, HarperAudio: Books

Amazon.com: The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith (Audible Audio Edition): Marcus J. Borg, John Pruden, HarperAudio: Books

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsThe Heart of Christianity

By Stephen L. Smith on July 27, 2004

Format: Hardcover

I've read all of Marcus Borg's books and have recently read "The Heart of Christianity". From a conservative evangelical background, I have always strugged with his approach, yet I keep coming back for more. He has helped me grow in my faith, and be open to see things from other angles. Despite his orthodox/unorthodox theology, there is a spirituality in this book, that cuts to my heart. He is all about actually experienceing Christianity in this life, and I find his writing to have a spiritual quality that, for some reason, comes home to me. I may not ever agree with all he writes, but he lifts the faith beyond the factual to the experiential and to its root. I heartily recommend this book to everyone wishing to grow and struggle in faith.

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3.0 out of 5 starsA mixed bag

By J Lee Harshbarger on October 1, 2006

Format: Paperback

Our church, an evangelical congregation (Vineyard), had a Lenten book study with an Episcopal church in town this past spring. We studied three books: this one, "The Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard, and "A Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren. Our pastor introduced the books to our congregation in this way: "'The Divine Conspiracy' goes right to the heart of our beliefs at this Vineyard church; 'The Heart Of Christianity' is something that our friends at the Episcopal church would feel at home with, and 'A Generous Orthodoxy' is somewhere inbetween the two."

This is the second book that I can remember reading by a liberal Christian. The first book, which I also read this year and read before this one, was "A New Christianity For A New World" by Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong. I found that book to be heretical, turning Christianity into something completely unrecognizable in light of the Bible. I feared that "The Heart Of Christianity" would get me worked up, too, especially coming from an author of The Jesus Seminar. I was surprised that I found some things in this book that I really liked, and overall, I got more out of this book than McLaren's "A Generous Orthodoxy," even though I was most excited about reading that book.

You know how some CDs you buy have some really great songs and some songs that you find either boring or you can't stand them, so you always skip them? Yet, overall the CD is worth buying because the good songs are so good. Well, that's how I feel about this book. Some chapters I was mesmerized by the incredibly enlightening message; other chapters I found to be way off the mark.

The first chapter that impressed me was chapter 2, "Faith: The Way Of The Heart." The author highlighted four kinds of faith, using Latin terms to help differentiate (kind of like the way we use the four different terms to more carefully define love). The first is assensus, close to the English word assent: "a propositional understanding of faith." The second is fiducia, which he translated in English as trust. The third is fidelitas, like the English word fidelity. He emphasized that it's not fidelity to propositional statements, but to the person of God. The fourth is visio, like vision, "a way of seeing." As Borg described each of these facets of faith, I was driven to a deeper understanding of what faith in God means.

Another chapter I especially liked was chapter 7, "The Kingdom of God: The Heart of Justice." While this interpretation of the Kingdom of God takes a stance commonly associated with liberal churches, I think he supported his views very well, convincing me that the liberals have something here about God's heart that conservatives tend to miss.

One more chapter was especially meaningful to me, chapter 8's "Thin Places: Opening the Heart." In this chapter, "thin places" refers to those places, times, or situations where you sense God right there with you, not as he typically seems to us in daily life, where getting to him requires some clearing out of the daily hustle and bustle, like clearing away weeds and forest to make a path. This chapter was an invitation to open your heart to God.

Some other chapters had some interesting thoughts, but were not as compelling as the three stellar chapters noted above. Then there were some chapters that I found to contain views that I could not adopt. One was his view of religious pluralism (like many liberal Christians, he has real trouble with the idea that Jesus is the only way to salvation), and another was his view of the Bible. It was good for me to read this to get a better understanding of how a liberal Christian might view the Bible, and gave me a respect for their viewpoint, but still it's not something I can agree with. For example, the author appears to not believe the miracles in the Bible really happened, such as Jesus turning the water into wine. He instead reads a metaphorical meaning into it (as do other liberals who cannot accept Biblical miracles as literal). Borg claims that when we read the Bible as a literal document, we miss the metaphorical meaning (the meaning for life). The metaphorical interpretation he gave for the water into wine story was rich in meaning, and I think he has a valid point that we may miss such rich meanings by only reading them as a literal reporting of events, but I don't think it has to be either/or; we can believe the miracles happened as stated, and learn to read the metaphorical meanings from them also.

So, as a theologically conservative Christian (or am I middle of the road?), I cannot agree with some things in this book; nevertheless, I found it to be worthwhile reading. Some things in the book provided great enlightenment and some spiritual growth for me. Other parts helped me gain a better understanding of how a liberal Christian approaches the Bible, Christianity, and faith in God; understanding others who are different from you and disagree with you is always a plus.

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5.0 out of 5 starsChristianity at its best...

By Don Smith on October 8, 2003

Format: Hardcover

I just finished reading Marcus Borg's new book "The Heart of Christianity" and it's the best book on contemporary Christianity that I've read in a long while.

Borg talks about the "earlier paradigm" of Christianity and an "emerging paradigm". He discusses the history of the "earlier paradigm" and provides useful insights such as the rather recent notions of Biblical infallibility (post-Enlightenment) and Papal infallibility (1870) which many may assume have ALWAYS been a big part of the Christian tradition.

Borg makes quite clear early on in the book that the "earlier paradigm" can and does WORK, insofar as bringing people into fuller communion with God and can certainly produce lives which work for compassion and justice. However, for various reasons (institutional, scientific, and cultural - for example), many in the modern Western world find the "earlier paradigm" to be uncompelling and "unbelievable".

Borg attempts to show throughout the book how much more deep and wonderful the Christian tradition is than merely "believing" certain doctrines or defending the literalness of certain events (creation, the flood, the Exodus, walking on water etc...) in order to "prove" the strength of our faith. Did the Exodus really happen? Maybe not. Is it a true story of the human need for liberation from bondage - certainly. Confusing "did it really happen - could I have videotaped it?" with "Is that story true?" is a big issue.

Borg argues that we diminish our faith stories by making them merely literal. He pushes for the "more-than-literal" meanings in the Christian scripture. It is a modern Western mindset which equates "facts and proof" with "truth".

Borg is a deeply spiritual person who has experienced God personally, who claims that Jesus is Lord, and that "the Other"/"the Spirit"/"God" is real. He even more or less agrees with the value of intercessionary prayer (as opposed to Spong) along the same lines as Catholic doctrine.

The Christianity which Borg portrays in the "emerging paradigm" is very compelling for me. It is deeply spiritual, rooted in historical Christian traditions, non-exclusivist, and transformative on the personal and community level. A brilliant easily readable book. Highly recommended.

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4.0 out of 5 starsLearn how YOU can live passionately as a Christian

By FaithfulReader.com on May 16, 2004

Format: Hardcover

Evangelicals beware --- this is the same Marcus Borg of the Jesus Seminar, the one who has categorically stated that he does not believe that Christianity is the only path of salvation, that the Bible is the Word of God, that Jesus experienced a bodily resurrection, or that Jesus is, in fact, the Son of God. So why review this book? Why give him any cyber ink at all?

There are any number of reasons why evangelicals need to be aware of what Borg believes and what he has written, not the least of which is his tremendous influence on non-evangelicals, particularly those who have left mainstream denominations but still long for a way to express what faith they have left. Borg offers them a way of returning to the church that does not require them to adhere to a rigid set of beliefs that they have long considered suspect. And he's very good at what he does and how he does it; his books always sell well, and he is constantly in demand as a speaker. He has a knack for welcoming people "home" --- to mainline churches --- in a warm and compassionate way.

In THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY, Borg lays down a welcome mat that has already proven attractive to those who have been disenchanted with what they perceive as an anti-intellectual faith. His welcome mat encourages people to give Christianity another chance because the times have changed, and from those changes a new, inclusive paradigm has emerged. Christianity, he holds, is no longer about a belief in a set of doctrines but about "loving God and loving what God loves."

That said, Borg never demeans those who do hold to a strong doctrinal stance and a literal interpretation of the Bible, much of which he considers to be metaphorical. But while many evangelicals dismiss him outright, Borg is obviously trying to build a bridge between the conservative and liberal factions in the church. It's hard for evangelicals to understand how someone who denies the deity of Jesus can be so passionate about Christianity, and yet this book shows Borg to be an evangelist for the faith. He loves Christianity, and he wants Christians to find the common ground that has eluded them for so long.

Even if you completely disagree with Borg's fundamental premise, THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY is worthwhile reading for anyone who is unafraid to examine a perspective on faith that seemingly differs dramatically from their own. You may be surprised at some of his thoughts, like his suggestion that liberals begin using the term "born again" to describe their transformation from an old way to a new way of being Christian, or his emphasis on the importance of having an intimate relationship with God.

There's no question that some who read this book will conclude that Borg has cut the heart right out of Christianity. But likewise, there's no question that many lapsed churchgoers will return to the faith as a result of Borg's enormous influence. For that reason alone, evangelicals would do well to familiarize themselves with the work of this highly gifted thinker and communicator.

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예수와 비폭력 저항 - 제3의 길

알라딘: 예수와 비폭력 저항 - 제3의 길

[eBook] 예수와 비폭력 저항 - 제3의 길 pdf

월터 윙크 (지은이) | 김준우 (옮긴이) | 한국기독교연구소 | 2012-08-02 | 원제 Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way

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예수의 말씀에 대한 새로운 해석과 그것을 실제적인 현장에서의 실천원리로 재구성해내고 있는 책. 가장 성공한 '비폭력 투쟁가'인 예수를 두고, 그의 비폭력 투쟁이 어떻게 성공했는지, 비폭력 저항의 효과와 원수를 사랑하는 십자가의 영성은 무엇인지, 비폭력 저항 훈련은 왜 필요한지에 대해 간결하게 설명하고 있다.

옮긴이의 말

1장 비폭력 저항이 성공하는가?

2장 '악한 자를 대적지 말라'의 참된 의미

3장 비폭력 행동원리

4장 비폭룍 저항의 효과

5장 원수 사랑과 십자가 영성

6장 비폭력 저항 훈련의 필요성

Notes

참고도서

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총 : 4편

리뷰쓰기

승리의 확신을 가지게 한 책 새창으로 보기

임광지 ㅣ 2004-11-16 ㅣ 공감(0) ㅣ 댓글 (0)

승리의 확신을 가지게 한 책

“눈은 눈으로, 이는 이로 갚아라하고 말한 것을 너희는 들었다. 그러나 나는 너희에게 말한다. 악한 사람에게 맞서지 말아라. 누가 네 오른쪽 뺨을 치거든 왼쪽 뺨마저 돌려 대어라. 너를 걸어 고소하는 네 속옷을 가지려는 사람에게는, 겉옷까지도 내 주어라. 누가 너더러 억지로 오 리를 가자고 하거든, 십 리를 같이 가주어라.”(마태복음 5:38-41) 이 말씀을 한두 번 읽은 것이 아니다. 이 말씀을 읽으면서 이런 생각을 했다. ‘원수 사랑을 강조하기 위해서 높은 수준의 이상을 말씀하신 것이다. 이 수준에 우리가 도달할 수 없지만 노력을 쉬지 않고 해야 한다. 그러면 좀더 나은 세상이 올 것이다.’

폭력적 현실 앞에서 이것이 과연 가능할까? 가능하다면 이런 대응 방식이 성공한 경우가 얼마나 될까? 우리가 이 길을 따라가면 과연 악을 제압하고 승리할 수 있을까? 예수님의 방법을 따라 간다면 우리도 승리할 수 있다는 확신이 서지 않았다. 확신이 서지 않는 길을 가기는 망설여 질 수밖에 없다.

그러나 이 책을 읽으면서 내가 이해해 왔던 성서 이해가 얼마나 짧은 것이었나 하는 것을 알게 되었다. 아니 오해를 하고 있었다는 것을 알았다. ‘비폭력’이라는 단어와 ‘투쟁’이라는 단어가 얼마나 어울리는 단어라는 것을 알게 되었다. 비폭력이라는 수단이 폭력이라는 수단보다 더욱 강력한 대응방법이라는 것을 알았다. 악을 뒤집어엎을 수 있는 가장 강력한 수단이 비폭력이라면, ‘비폭력’이라는 단어와 ‘투쟁’이라는 단어의 조합은 가장 자연스럽다. ‘비폭력’이라는 단어와 ‘투쟁’이라는 단어가 어울리지 않는다고 생각한 이유는, ‘비폭력’이라는 수단으로는 폭력 집단을 이길 수 없다고 생각했기 때문이다. 그러나 월터 윙크는 아시아. 아프리카, 남미의 여러 나라의 예를 들면서 비폭력 투쟁이 폭력적 투쟁보다 악을 제압할 수 있는 더 효과적인 수단이었다고 설명하고 있다. 지금까지 우리는 악에 대해서 도피하거나 아니면 폭력적으로 대항하는 두 가지 수단 밖에 없었다. 그러나 제 삼의 길이 바로 비폭력 투쟁이라고 말한다. 이 길이 승리의 확률이 더 높다고 말한다.

비폭력 투쟁은 결코 약한 자들의 무기력한 행동이 아니라고 말한다. 악을 조롱하고 웃음거리로 만들어 악의 세력들이 자신의 모습을 보고 수치심을 가지게 만들어서 변화로 이끄는 방법이라고 말한다. 제삼의 길, 비폭력 투쟁은 원수에 대한 사랑이 그 핵심이라고 한다. 원수 역시 하나님의 자녀임을 인정하고, 원수를 변화의 길로 나오게 하는 것이라고 한다. 우리 속에 내면화 되어 있는 폭력숭배와 증오와 보복의 악순환을 벗어나게 하는 길이라고 말한다. 제삼의 길은 십자가의 길이고, 십자가의 영성이라고 한다. 그래서 제삼의 길은 훈련되어야 한다고 말한다.

폭력이 더 교묘하고 악랄해지고 있다. 제국주의 길로 나아가고 있는 미국이 그렇고, 합법적 민주주의를 가장한 사법적 폭력이 그렇고, 기득권을 놓치지 않으려고 마지막 발버둥을 치는 자칭 보수주의자들이 그렇고, 구국을 위한 기도를 한다고 성조기를 흔들어 대는 근본주의 신앙인들이 그렇다. 폭력을 폭력이라고 말하지 않고 애국을 위한 행동이라고 하고, 안보를 위한 행동이라고 하고, 선교사를 보내준 은혜에 나라에 대한 보은이라고 한다. 폭력은 이렇게 더욱 자신의 행동을 폭력이라고 하지 않고 정체를 숨긴다. 폭력의 피해를 입는 사람들조차 자신들이 희생을 당하고 있다는 것을 모르게 만든다. 그러나 예수님이 말씀하신 비폭력 투쟁을 따라가면 우리도 승리할 수 있다는 확신을 갖게 한다. 폭력적 투쟁이 아니라도 폭력집단의 정체를 드러내고 승리할 수 있다는 소망을 가지게 한다. 비폭력 투쟁이 결코 도덕적 이상이 아님을 알게 되었다. 가능한 현실이라는 것을 알게 되었다. 힘없는 약자들의 무기력한 대응방식이 아니라 악한 집단을 회개로 이끌어 낼 수 있는 가장 강력한 투쟁방법이라는 것을 알게 되었다. 폭력을 극복하는 가장 확실한 방법이라는 것도 알게 되었다. 그래서 전의(戰意)를 새롭게 한 이 책에 대해서 더욱 고마움을 가진다.

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침묵도 불법도 아닌 또 다른 방식의 저항 새창으로 보기

kwangma ㅣ 2004-11-05 ㅣ 공감(0) ㅣ 댓글 (0)

미국 대선이 끝낫고 세상은 여전히 복잡하기만 하다. 미국과 같은 제국주의적 국가의 억압과 불의한 전쟁은 여전히 계속될 것이다. 그런 가운데 국내의 복잡한 정치 현실 속에서 유독 기독교의 모습이 더 부정적으로 보이는 것은 불의에 대한 교회의 이름모를 침묵과 그것을 넘어 불의에 대한 지지 때문인지 아니면 나 자신의 소극적인 모습 때문인지 아직은 잘 모르겠다. 아마 둘 다 일듯 싶지만... 월터 윙크의 이 책은 나에게는 생소한 비폭력 저항에 대해 다루고 있다. 비폭력 저항이란 불의에 대한 침묵과 굴복의 방식을 의미한다고 생각해왔다. 다른 의미로는 소극적이면서 수동적인 대응이라고 여겨왔다. 그러나 이런 나의 생각은 책의 앞부분을 읽으면서 여지없이 무너지기 시작했다. 책의 표지에 적혀있던 제 3의 길은 나로서는 다소 충격이었다. 저자는 폭력에 직접 폭력으로 대항하거나 침묵하면서 불의를 참는 두 가지 길만이 있는 것이 아니라 예수가 지적한 제 3의 길이 있으며 그것이 비폭력 저항이라고 주장한다. 이 책의 초반부에 가장 충격적인 내용은 아무래도 다음 성경말씀에 대한 해석일 것이다. ( 마5:38~42 ) "눈은 눈으로, 이는 이로 갚아라 하고 이른 것을, 너희가 들었다. 그러나 나는 너희에게 말한다. 악한 사람에게 맞서지 말아라. 누가 네 오른쪽 뺨을 치거든, 왼쪽 뺨마저 돌려 대어라. 너를 걸어 고소하여 네 속옷을 가지려는 사람에게는, 겉옷까지도 내주어라. 누가 너더러 억지로 오 리를 가자고 하거든, 십 리를 같이 가 주어라. 네게 달라는 사람에게는 주고, 네게 꾸려고 하는 사람을 물리치지 말아라." 이 말씀은 주로 악한 사람에 대한 수동적인 대응 또는 침묵 그리고 용납이라는 메시지로, 때로는 단지 믿음으로 모든 것을 참고 베풀라는 메시지로 이해되어왔지만 저자는 이 말씀은 전혀 다른 의미로 예수가 말하는 제3의 길 비폭력 저항의 방식을 설명해 주는 것이라고 말한다. 그리고 그 주장은 십분 타당해 보인다. 이 성경 말씀에 대한 그의 해석은 그의 비폭력 저항에 대한 입장에 대해 내가 동조할 수 있게 해준 중요한 부분이며 아마 다른 이들에게도 설득력있게 다가올 것이다. 나는 기독교인이라면 더욱 그럴 것이라고 생각한다. 다양한 사회속에서 억압받는 이들이 가득하지만 침묵하는 교회를 향해 저자의 외침이 얼마나 필요한지는 말할 필요도 없다. 그러나 저자는 책을 통해 한가지를 더 중요하게 강조한다. 그것은 단지 그런 비폭력 저항에도 그리스도의 사랑이 필요하며 우리 스스로도 상대만이 악한자이고 우리는 선하다는 자만을 버려야 한다는 점이다. 비폭력은 수동적이거나 소극적인 방식이 아니라 목숨을 걸고 하는 또 다른 길이며, 상대가 변화할 것이라는 믿음 속에서 우리와 상대 모두 기쁨을 누리는 길이라고 저자는 믿는다. 그렇기에 단지 상대를 악한 자들이라고 믿고 그들이 변화되지 않을 것이라고 또한 믿는 것은 예수의 길이 아니라고 저자는 말한다. 그러나 결코 쉽지 않은 길이라고 저자는 말한다. 악한 적을 단지 쓰러뜨리기 위한 대상이 아니라 함께 변화할 인격체로 받아들이면서 불법을 통한 대응이 아니라 비폭력을 통한 저항을 하는 것은 수동적이거나 불의에 순응하는 왜곡된 입장도 아니고 폭력에 의거한 불법적인 입장도 아닌 평화적인 방법이라고 나의 생각은 바뀌어 갔다. 이 책은 최근에 출판된 <사탄의 체제와 예수의 비폭력>의 내용을 요약한 것이라고 한다. 그렇기에 최근에 출판된 좀더 완성도 있는 저자의 책을 통해 좀더 많은 배움을 얻을 수 있으리라 믿는다. <사탄의 체제와 예수의 비폭력>에 대한 찬사와 수상 내용을 볼 때 기대되는 책이기도 하다. 특히 혼란스러운 폭력의 시대에는 더욱 그러하다.

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예수의 복음의 진수를 맛보라!!! 새창으로 보기

서로사랑 ㅣ 2004-10-29 ㅣ 공감(1) ㅣ 댓글 (0)

2000년대에 들어서 “예수는 없다”, “예수는 신화다”라는 도전적인 제목의 책들이 기독교의 현주소를 돌아보게는 했지만, 예수와 그의 복음을 만나게 하는 데는 미흡했다. 그러나 한국기독교연구소의 김준우 교수가 번역한 월터 윙크의 “예수와 비폭력저항(Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way)”은 이천년 전의 예수와 그의 복음을 직접 만나게 해줄 뿐만 아니라 현대에 적용가능하게 해주는 밭에 감추인 보화와 같은 책이다.

또한 우리는 작년에 미국의 이라크전쟁 동맹계획을 막았던 역사상 전례가 없던 최초의 세계적 반전평화운동(2003년 2월 15일, 3월 15일)의 힘을 보았는데, 이 책은 김준우 교수의 말대로 기독교 근본주의와 군사주의가 만나 군사패권주의 라는 전쟁경제체제를 유지하는 상황에서, 폭력극복과 평화정착을 위한 구체적 방법을 제시한 책이다.

윙크는 최근의 비폭력 투쟁의 성공사례들과 통계를 들면서 비폭력저항은 성공하지 못한다는 통념을 깨뜨린다. 그리고 비폭력이라는 용어 자체가 부정적이어서 악에 대한 무력함이나 도피를 말하는 것처럼 들릴 뿐만 아니라, 복음이 왜곡된 상황에서는 비폭력이 수동성 내지 무저항을 뜻하였다고 지적한다. 그리고 일부 평화주의자들이 고통당하는 사람들의 고난보다 자신들의 의로움에 더욱 관심을 쏟는 것은 예수의 제 3의 길인 비폭력저항을 외면하는 이기적인 행동이며, 깨끗한 손과 더러운 심장을 지닌 채 죽으라는 악마의 유혹에 불과하다고 일갈한다.

윙크는 한 걸음 더 나아가서 불의를 참지 못하고 바로 잡으려는 많은 사람들이 예수의 비폭력에 관한 가르침을 단순히 실천할 수 없는 이상주의라고 치부해버리는 것은 큰 오해이며, 예수는 결코 그렇게 살거나 가르치지 않으셨다고 강변한다. 오히려 예수의 가르침은 역사상 이제까지의 어떤 발언보다도 가장 혁명적인 정치적 선언 중의 하나라고 주장한다. 그리고 ‘악한 자를 대적하지 말라’(마5:39)는 말의 참된 의미는 ‘악한 자에게 저항하지 말라’는 뜻이 아니라, ‘악한 자에게 맞서서 폭력으로 대응하지 말라’는 것이다. 악에 대해 반로마 투사들 못지않게 대항했던 예수는 악에 대항하기 위해 수동적 태도를 취하거나 폭력적으로 대항하지 않고 제 3의 길인 전투적인 ‘비폭력’을 택했다는 것이다.

윙크는 이를 실증하기 위하여 “누가 네 오른쪽 뺨을 치거든”, “누가 너를 고소하여 네 겉옷을 가지려는 사람에게는”, “누가 너더러 억지로 5리를 가자고 하거든”, 세 가지 예수의 말씀을 예로 든다. 그리고 그동안 많은 사람들이 변화된 상황을 고려하지 않고 법칙화되거나 불가능하기 때문에 예수의 은혜를 구할 수밖에 없는 것처럼 변질시킨 이 말씀들의 진정한 의미를 회복하여, 예수가 하나의 생활방식으로 열어놓은 악에 대한 비폭력저항의 탁월성을 밝히 보여준다. 그리고 예수의 제 3의 길의 핵심은 “원수사랑”이며, 현대에 와서는 원수사랑이 참다운 기독교 신앙의 리트머스 시험지가 되었다고 강조한다.

윙크는 우리 시대는 원수를 통하지 않고는 하나님에게 다가갈 수 있는 다른 길이 없는 테러리즘의 시대이기 때문에, 우리가 악한 사람과 선한 사람 모두에게 햇빛을 비춰주시는 하나님을 발견하거나 더 이상 새날을 보지 못하거나 선택해야 한다고 주장한다. 그리고 이를 위해서는 억압적인 법에 대항하면서도 법의 지배를 존중해야 하며, 우리 자신의 영혼 속의 폭력을 뿌리뽑아야 한다고 말한다. 따라서 이러한 제 3의 길은 용기를 필요로 하는 십자가의 길이며, 훈련과 연합된 투쟁을 요구한다고 독자들에게 주문한다.

이 책은 모든 그리스도인들이 꼭 읽어야 할 책이며, 예수의 복음의 진수를 맛보게 하는 책으로서 강력히 추천하며, 이 책의 원판으로 곧 출판될 <사탄의 체제와 예수의 비폭력>도 적극 추천한다. (한성수 역, 한국기독교연구소, 2004. 10)

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진정한 평화의 길 새창으로 보기

성경단 ㅣ 2004-10-26 ㅣ 공감(0) ㅣ 댓글 (0)

80년 대 군사독재 정권의 무자비한 칼이 춤을 추던 시절, 그 당시의 현실에 대해 교회에서 목사님의 설교를 통해 들을 수 있는 말은 대체로 두 종류였다. 첫째는 “세상의 권세는 하늘에서 준 것이니 복종하라는 것이고” 두 번째는 (아주 우회적인 표현법으로) “이해한다. 하지만 상대가 칼을 쓴다고 해서 믿는 자들도 칼로 대항하면 안된다” 는 논리였다.

첫 번째 종류의 이야기는 언급할 가치도 없는 것이고, 두 번째 논리를 펴는 사람들의 요지는 한 마디로 ‘예수님은 비폭력주의자’ 이셨다라는 것이다. 시대와 상황은 변했지만 아마도 대다수의 많은 기독교인들이 가지고 있는 예수에 대한 생각이 ‘비폭력 저항자’로서의 상일 것이다. 하지만 문자적으로 나타나는 답은 같을지는 몰라도 실질적인 내용이나 그 답에 이르게 된 과정은 오늘 윙크가 말하는 예수와는 완전히 다르다.

무엇보다 먼저 윙크는 ‘비폭력’이라는 용어가 일반적으로 통용되는 내용에 이의를 제기한다. 사람들이 알고 있는 비폭력은 대체로 소극적이고 수동적이며 자기 의로움의 결과물로, 권력 앞에 복종하는 개념이다. 그러나 비폭력 저항주의는 인간에 대한 근본적인 성찰의 과정과 결과이며 하나님의 평화를 일구어 내는 데 가장 적극적인 노력이라는 것이다.

나아가서 윙크는 2장에서 ‘악한 자를 대적치 말라’ 는 말은 악에 대해서 ‘저항하지 말라’는 뜻이 아니라 ‘폭력에 대해 폭력으로 보복하지 말아라’, 즉 ‘비폭력 저항’이 예수의 참 정신임을 강조하고 있다. 악에 대한 일반적인 대응 방법은 세 가지로 나눌 수 있다 1)수동적 태도 2) 폭력적 대응 3) 비폭력 저항 예수의 삶을 살펴 보면 첫 번째 두 번째 태도는 싫어하셨고 3의 길, 즉 비폭력 저항의 길을 선택하시고 악에 대해 싸우셨음을 알 수 있다.

윙크는 그 예로 예수의 말씀 가운데 “누가 네 오른쪽 뺨을 치거든”, “누가 너를 고소하여 네 겉옷을 가지려는 사람에게는”, “누가 너더러 억지로 5리를 가자고 하거든” 이 세가지 말씀을 해석하면서 예수의 비폭력 저항의 정신의 길을 강조하고 있다. 또한 예수와 솔 알린스키의 비폭력 공동체 행동원리들을 나란히 비교하면서 내가 혹은 우리 공동체가 삶에서 부딪히는 실제적인 악에 대항해서 근본적인 승리를 이끌어 낼 수 있는 원리와 방법들을 이야기하고 있다. 중요한 것은 비폭력 저항이야 말로 폭력에 대한 가장 근본적인 해결책이며 효과적인 방법이라는 것이다.

이 책의 핵심적인 내용은 5장에 있다. 윙크는 예수의 3의 길(비폭력 저항)의 종국적인 목표는 ‘원수 사랑’에 있음을 강조한다. 원수 사랑이야말로 그리스도의 제가가 되는 확실한 시험 과목이라는 것이다. 원수사랑은 인간이 하나님의 형상을 입은 자임을 증명하는 길이다. 데이비드 레이놀즈의 말에 따르면 비폭력의 철학이란 한마디로 ‘적의를 넘어서는 용기’이며 ‘비폭력에 있어 가장 어려운 부분은 법을 위반하거나 감옥에 가는 것이 아니라 반대자의 인간성을 주장하는 일이다’. 원수를 사랑하는 것은 우리를 억압하는 자들을 하나님의 눈으로 보는 것으로 지금 현재의 모습으로 그들을 규정하는 것이 아니라 하나님의 능력과 기적으로 변화하는 미래의 모습의 가능성을 인정하는 것이다.

또한 예수의 비폭력 저항의 정신은 우리 자신 속에 남아 있는 영혼 속의 폭력의 뿌리들을 제거할 것을 요구하고 있다. 이것은 참으로 중요한 지적으로서 윙크는 그리스도인의 신앙적 관점에서 비폭력 저항이야 말로 근본적인 자기 신앙의 성찰의 과정임을 말하고 있는 것이다. 윙크도 지적하고 있다시피 우리는 악에 대해서 맞대응해 그들과 똑같은 방법으로 싸울 때 의식적이든 무의식적이든 ‘스스로 의로운 사람’임을 내세우며 자기 자신을 정당화 한다. 비폭력 저항은 악에 대해서 악으로 대응하고 싶은 인간의 본능적인 쓴뿌리들을 제거하는 좋은 훈련 과정임을 역설하고 있는 것이다.

윙크는 예수의 비폭력 저항은 ‘십자가의 길’임을 단언한다. 비폭력 저항은 고난의 길이라는 것이다. 십자가는 악을 다루는 예수의 방식이기도 하다. 십자가의 길은 반드시 이기는 것은 아니다. 때로 우리는 질 줄 알면서도 싸워야 한다는 것임을 말하는 것이다. 하지만 십자가의 길은 궁극적으로는 승리의 길이라는 확신을 가지고 용기를 내어야 한다. 악에 대해서 힘없이 복종하든지, 같은 방법으로 맞서 싸우는 방법으로는 이 땅에 진정한 하나님의 평화를 일구어 낼 수 없다. 비폭력 저항의 길이야 말로 예수의 삶이며, 우리가 진정으로 따라야 하는 제자의 길임을 알아야 한다.

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2016/06/29