David L. Barr

Silence and Praise

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In this wonderfully written book, Ryan Leif Hansen makes the case that John's Revelation envisions the unmaking of a broken world disfigured by the political and economic practices of an unsettling, evil empire. Constructing what he calls a ‘rhetorical cosmology,' Hansen contends the prophet is mostly interested in persuading his auditors to a way of thinking about the social world in which they live a marginal existence. The prophet’s goal is not to encourage the embattled communitys passive co-existence of survival or to acts of violent rebelling but to participate with a sovereign God, who has already judged that evil world through the exalted Lamb’s slaughter, in remaking a new order of shalom. The book's doxologies, strategically placed, provides a rhetorical cue: the community participates in God’s redemptive program by its radical acts of non-participation in the exploitive demands of powerful elites and especially in its worship of God. Hansen's reading of Revelation provides a way forward, not only in understanding the book's apocalyptic landscape but in relating its message to today’s church." —Robert W. Wall Seattle Pacific University and Seminary "Against a reading of Revelation that assumes that John presents to his audience a meditation on a sturdy and stable cosmos, Hansen suggests that the author creates a rhetorical cosmology, that is, a discursively constructed experience of the world. According to this view, the dismantling of the cosmos described in Revelation comes not in a literal way but in the reading and performance of the text done by the community gathered in worship. By tracing the origin of the Apocalypse to the politically subversive nature of the early church’s liturgy, Hansen is empowering present day readers to recover the true context and message of Revelation." —Osvaldo D. Vena Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary “How shall Christians 'change the world'? It seems like a basic question. But according to Ryan Leif Hansen, the book of Revelation confronts us with more fundamental, unsettling questions: Which world? The one so obviously governed by idolatry and injustice—the one so massively 'there'? Or the world coming into being through the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lamb-Messiah? And what change? The change we impose through power, coercion, and violence? Or the change already wrought by the Lamb who was slain, in which we participate through silent prayer and boisterous praise? Hansen’s work on Revelation makes a crucial contribution to political theology.” Douglas Harink The King’s University College, Edmonton "A thoughtful and sustained interpretation of the book of Revelation that takes it seriously but not literally, rhetorically but not as simply a verbal construct. Synthesizing the work of a variety of modern scholars, Hansen presents a compelling interpretation of the importance of this ancient work.”

The Revelation of John

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“With great skill, Resseguie presents a unified reading of John’s Apocalypse as seen through the lens of narrative criticism in the grand tradition of Northrop Frye. The book provides not only careful discussion of major literary concerns but also a close reading of the text from beginning to end, a reading in constant dialogue with a wide range of scholars. This is a welcome addition to the growing body of work analyzing the Apocalypse as a narrative, and whether you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing on specific points, you will find a stimulating and well-argued commentary.”