- The prevailing world view is what John Dominic Crossan calls the norm of civilization. The norm of civilization is that peace only comes through violence, and it is this world view that drives the world as we know it. You will also see this world view defined as retributive justice, and is summarized in Latin as Pax Romana. #
- What might go unsaid is, peace for whom? As the norm of civilization is hierarchical, generally with God at the very top and a monarch/dictator/authoritarian/oligarch immediately below, the norm of civilization is only concerned for peace for those at the top of the pyramid and not for the majority of the population of the world. The population generally benefits from those at the top of the pyramid being at peace, but it is a trickle down effect most concerned about peace of those at the top of the pyramid.#
- Most people, regardless of whether they believe in God or not, and regardless of whether they practice a faith tradition or not, accept this norm of civilization as "just as how things are" because they know nothing different. My reading of the first creation story, and in particular my reading of what is often considered the "fall of man" or the "original sin," is that as we grow in to consciousness (eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil) we develop a dualistic view of the world in which nearly everything outside ourselves is an object. Dualism ultimately classifies everything as for or against me and that ultimately leads to violence. Cain killing Able is the first time we see the word "sin" used in scripture.#
- The good news that Jesus taught is that we don't have to accept the norm of civilization, he taught and described a view of the world that can and will exist when God reigns, when we live in what Jesus called the kingdom of God. Crossan describes the world view of Jesus as distributive justice, or perhaps Ted Grimsrud's term restorative justice is better. In Latin, Pax Christus. Jesus' teaching was built upon a very different understanding of God, as like a relationship between father and child rather than as dictator. Jesus taught in the tradition of the Jewish prophets who called out Israel's lapse into the norm of civilization and failing in its vocation to be a light for the nations. Israel failed to heed God's directive to not become like Egypt from which they were liberated. #
- For me the shorthand for the norm of civilization is empire. You can look back through the histories of empire, including the most recent British and American empires, to see how the norm of civilization plays out. You see how even the United States came in to existence through the violence of revolutionary war, expanded its land through the violence of displacement of indigenous people, and continued its existence through the violence of a civil war. The American empire declared itself in the ultimate act of violence of atomic weapons dropped on Japan, and maintains existence through its current military and economic might. #
- It may be most obvious that empire derives its power through military and economic might, but less obvious but perhaps most important is that empire derives power by religion. Religion binds the adherents and victims of empire to a God they believe pre-ordains a group of people superior over others. What is most important to adherents of empire is a world hierarchical order, as God intended, so that there is peace, a peace that provides the adherents of empire the freedom to be as wealthy and powerful as they can imagine. #
- With the knowledge that empire, the norm of civilization, always seeks out and uses religion, it is understandable how some evangelical christians, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Christians, align with dictators, real and would-be. In the world view of all these people they are simply striving for how everything is supposed to be, the norm of civilization and it's retributive justice and peace through violence. Those of us who grew up during the Cold War that pitted the American Empire against the "evil empire" of the Soviet Union find it mind boggling to see U.S. politicians, past Presidents, current members of Congress, and political pundits aligned to and in support of Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban until we recognize how all these people are working to maintaining the norm of civilization.#
- Empire is always about enforcing the norm of civilization for the whole world. Over the centuries technology has expanded the definition of the whole world from regions to every square inch of the globe, thus empire aspires to truly rule the world, forcing would be empire builders to work with each other. Unfortunately, empire does not share power easily and therefore in a world in which nuclear weapons exist and economic power trumps climate change, empire building will always be a threat to our survival on this earth. #
- The prevailing world view is what John Dominic Crossan calls the norm of civilization. The norm of civilization is that peace only comes through violence, and it is this world view that drives the world as we know it. You will also see this world view defined as retributive justice, and is summarized in Latin as Pax Romana. #
- What might go unsaid is, peace for whom? As the norm of civilization is hierarchical, generally with God at the very top and a monarch/dictator/authoritarian/oligarch immediately below, the norm of civilization is only concerned for peace for those at the top of the pyramid and not for the majority of the population of the world. The population generally benefits from those at the top of the pyramid being at peace, but it is a trickle down effect most concerned about peace of those at the top of the pyramid.#
- Most people, regardless of whether they believe in God or not, and regardless of whether they practice a faith tradition or not, accept this norm of civilization as "just as how things are" because they know nothing different. My reading of the first creation story, and in particular my reading of what is often considered the "fall of man" or the "original sin," is that as we grow in to consciousness (eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil) we develop a dualistic view of the world in which nearly everything outside ourselves is an object. Dualism ultimately classifies everything as for or against me and that ultimately leads to violence. Cain killing Able is the first time we see the word "sin" used in scripture.#
- The good news that Jesus taught is that we don't have to accept the norm of civilization, he taught and described a view of the world that can and will exist when God reigns, when we live in what Jesus called the kingdom of God. Crossan describes the world view of Jesus as distributive justice, or perhaps Ted Grimsrud's term restorative justice is better. In Latin, Pax Christus. Jesus' teaching was built upon a very different understanding of God, as like a relationship between father and child rather than as dictator. Jesus taught in the tradition of the Jewish prophets who called out Israel's lapse into the norm of civilization and failing in its vocation to be a light for the nations. Israel failed to heed God's directive to not become like Egypt from which they were liberated. #
- For me the shorthand for the norm of civilization is empire. You can look back through the histories of empire, including the most recent British and American empires, to see how the norm of civilization plays out. You see how even the United States came in to existence through the violence of revolutionary war, expanded its land through the violence of displacement of indigenous people, and continued its existence through the violence of a civil war. The American empire declared itself in the ultimate act of violence of atomic weapons dropped on Japan, and maintains existence through its current military and economic might. #
- It may be most obvious that empire derives its power through military and economic might, but less obvious but perhaps most important is that empire derives power by religion. Religion binds the adherents and victims of empire to a God they believe pre-ordains a group of people superior over others. What is most important to adherents of empire is a world hierarchical order, as God intended, so that there is peace, a peace that provides the adherents of empire the freedom to be as wealthy and powerful as they can imagine. #
- With the knowledge that empire, the norm of civilization, always seeks out and uses religion, it is understandable how some evangelical christians, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Christians, align with dictators, real and would-be. In the world view of all these people they are simply striving for how everything is supposed to be, the norm of civilization and it's retributive justice and peace through violence. Those of us who grew up during the Cold War that pitted the American Empire against the "evil empire" of the Soviet Union find it mind boggling to see U.S. politicians, past Presidents, current members of Congress, and political pundits aligned to and in support of Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban until we recognize how all these people are working to maintaining the norm of civilization.#
- Empire is always about enforcing the norm of civilization for the whole world. Over the centuries technology has expanded the definition of the whole world from regions to every square inch of the globe, thus empire aspires to truly rule the world, forcing would be empire builders to work with each other. Unfortunately, empire does not share power easily and therefore in a world in which nuclear weapons exist and economic power trumps climate change, empire building will always be a threat to our survival on this earth. #