Locating and leaving Babylon: A missional reading of Revelation 17 and 18 in light of ancient and contemporary political contexts

This article explores a missional reading of Revelation 17 and 18, focusing on the significance of “Babylon” for John’s audience in Roman Asia and for Christian communities today. John uses the symbol of Babylon to shape missional communities, inviting them to reimagine their world. In John’s 1st-ce...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Flemming, Dean E. 1953- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage [2019]
In: Missiology
Year: 2020, Volume: 48, Issue: 2, Pages: 112-126
IxTheo Classification:CG Christianity and Politics
HC New Testament
RJ Mission; missiology
Further subjects:B Bible. Offenbarung des Johannes 17-18
B missional reading
B Rome
B missional hermeneutics
B Civil Religion
B American politics
B mission of God
B Contextualization
B Revelation 17
B Babylon
B Revelation 18
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Description
Summary:This article explores a missional reading of Revelation 17 and 18, focusing on the significance of “Babylon” for John’s audience in Roman Asia and for Christian communities today. John uses the symbol of Babylon to shape missional communities, inviting them to reimagine their world. In John’s 1st-century context, Revelation 17 and 18 expose the idolatry, economic exploitation, and dehumanization of the empire. The symbol of Babylon, however, does not lie frozen in a 1st-century past; it continues to speak loudly into contemporary political and economic realities. The contextual reading in this article particularly describes Babylon’s presence within the civil religion, economic practices, arrogance, and violence of the current North American context. The article then asks, What does it mean to “come out” of Babylon (Rev 18:4), both for Christians in John’s world and today? Finally, the article reflects on nine implications that emerge from John’s treatment of Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18 for the ongoing task of missional hermeneutics.
ISSN:2051-3623
Contains:Enthalten in: Missiology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0091829619887180