The American Empire and the Commonwealth of God: A Political, Economic, Religious Statement [Paperback]

David Ray Griffin (Author), John B. Cobb (Author), Richard A. Falk (Author), Catherine Keller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 2006

In this book, four distinguished scholars level a powerful critique of the rapid expansion of the emerging American empire and its oppressive and destructive political, military, and economic policies. Arguing that a global Pax Americana is internationally disastrous, the authors demonstrate how America's imperialism inevitably leads to rampant irreversible ecological devastation, expanding military force for imperialistic purposes, and a grossly inequitable distribution of goods--all leading to the diminished well-being of human communities.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What do you get when you put three theologians together with an attorney? Not a joke, but a deadly serious, academic analysis of our nation, its past and its future. This collection of nine essays addresses the ideological and practical evidence and consequences of what the authors see as an often disguised imperial agenda inherent in the founding and development of the United States. The authors, besides sharing the conviction that the United States "is seeking to become the world's first borderless empire" whose imperialist policies constitute "the primary threat to the survival of the human species," share an affinity for the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. While they object to imperialism on "political, economic and ecological grounds" as well as on "religious-spiritual-moral grounds," they spend most of the book making their secular statement; only the last three essays speak directly of religion. Keller's contribution contains a particularly interesting "debate" between the people she calls "Bush-Doctrine Idealists and the great idol-smasher John Calvin." Students of American history, government and political science, will feel quite at home within these pages, but nonacademics may need to dust off their college texts to remember the particulars of, say, the Marshall Plan. (June)
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Review

"Anyone concerned about the future of American world leadership must read this book." -- Joseph C. Hough Jr., President and William E. Dodge Professor of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary, New York

"This is an enormously urgent and important book." -- Harvey Cox

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (May 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664230091
• ISBN-13: 978-0664230098
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The American Empire?, May 27, 2006

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Rev4u "Rev" (PV, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The American Empire and the Commonwealth of God: A Political, Economic, Religious Statement (Paperback)

The American Empire?



Griffin and a cast of distinguished scholars and peaceful globalists have collaboratively written an interesting collection of essays on American imperialism.

This book has a different title and content than the previous two best selling books by Griffin "The New pearl Harbor," and the 9/11 Commission Report, Omissions and Distortions." However, Griffin remains sincere, determined, undeterred, unhampered, and unco-opted (unlike the author of "The War on Freedom") and continues his quest for the truth about 9/11 and the American Empire while some of his co-authors danced around it, in order to be to be politically correct. This truth has become irrelevant nowadays, and has been replaced by credibility and propaganda. I guess it is best for some truth to remain unknown for the sake of social order. That is why, the 9/11 truth movement was infiltrated, discredited, dismantled, and rendered impotent. Griffin's new book with his co-authors takes a different approach to the truth. They discuss and analyze the historical, political, religious, and economical factors behind the build-up of the American Empire. An unadmitted empire that is portrayed by the creators as benign, because it is decorated with a flag and a popular socialist motto that appeals to the masses that is, liberty, equality, and justice for all.



"The American Empire and the Commonwealth of God" gives the reader a panoramic view rather than in depth discussion of American imperialism. A core issue that was left out in this volume is the discussion of the financiers behind the empires. There is an overwhelming evidence out there that connects the financial Anglo-American Cartel to the ownership and the financing of the American empire. This same Cartel had previously financed the Soviet Union, and other socialists regimes, as well as theocracies, and pseudo-democracies all over the world. This Cartel consists of a globalist/racist group that classifies themselves as citizens of the world to justify their self-serving divisive and fiscal policies. They have a foot in every camp and they argue as well as fincance both sides of a conflict. This Cartel thrives on conflict!

These elites tend to see the peace process as a threat to their survival as well as to the foundation of society that was based on war. They perceive war as a political necessity to legitimize the power of the government and to create nationhood. War is a political, economical, and social stabilizer, as well as a necessary tool for population reduction. Controlled and contrived conflict becomes imperative, in order to create stability and a new order that would behoove these masters of the universe. New monsters must be regularly created and slayed by the freedom fighters, in order to perpetuate conflict. This process would provide the cartel with massive profits, which in turn would engender more power for them. What motivates these financial moguls? Narcissism is definitely the original sin! Man desperately continues his illusive pursuit to become god, and his main tool to achieve this goal is "money." Another critical issue that should have been emphasized by the authors of this book is the actual foundation of the American empire. This foundation is actually made up of paper (called fiat money or Federal Reserve notes) which could be made to collapse overnight just as the Soviet Union did, when the financial Cartel decides to weaken or kill their golden goose for higher profits or globalization purpose. This same cartel has also been heavily financing and investing for many years in two prospective Eastern regional powers, India and China that have the nuclear capacity to annihilate each other, in the hope that the future will bring a contrived conflict to that region, which will prove to be lucrative, and would serve as a population reduction measure in these overcrowded nations. Unfortunately, an empire cannot be run by peaceful means as the authors of the book suggest.

Empires require wars, fiat money, dictatorship, ruling class, no middle class/bourgeoisie, new forms of slavery (low wage earners), mass media, blood shows and sports, mighty military, propaganda, hybrid politicians (half CEOs and half politicians), global corporations, divisiveness, dumbing down of the population, government controlled media, fear, total information awareness, domestic secret service, foundations, WMD, space programs,weather manipulation, and even Martial laws if needed to achieve the goal of complete control. Fear is an intrinsic part of the political process in an empire that is conducive to regressive behavior, which would render adults into incapacitated children. Fear mongering must continue to manufacture consent. Yesterday, we had Nazism and Sovietism, today we have Islamism, and tomorrow we shall have Chinism and environmental crises that will threaten the eradication of the planet.

Finally, "The American Empire and The Commonwealth of God" is a fairly unbiased view of an evasive truth, and a thought provoking volume. This book will provide the reader with an edifying jolt of reality that would awaken the oblivious person to the current state of affairs.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WE THE PEOPLE OF EMPIRE, July 9, 2006

By 

Richard K. Heacock, Jr. (Fairbanks, AK USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The American Empire and the Commonwealth of God: A Political, Economic, Religious Statement (Paperback)

We who venerate the early Christians who refused to bow down to the Roman emperors and faced death as a consequence are called to realize that we are now citizens of the most powerful empire in history.

This is the best book to date to spell it all out so a law degree is not needed to comprehend where we came from and how we got the way we are now.

It would make a great gift for that relative who is still bowing down to emperors!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Christians vs. the American empire, April 15, 2007

By 

Alan F. Zundel (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The American Empire and the Commonwealth of God: A Political, Economic, Religious Statement (Paperback)

Thesis: The U.S. has always been expansionist, and for the last century imperialist, and now as a global empire is developing fascist undertones. Citizens should repudiate this trend and work for global democracy instead; for Christians this is in line with Jesus' opposition of the "commonwealth of God" to Roman imperial rule.

The authors, writing individual chapters, make a good case for their thesis in this brief and accessible book. They call for religious and other non-governmental groups to use Gandhian methods to build the democratic opposition.

I'm with them on that.

--Alan Zundel, the HeartAwake Center