Have we really heard the message of Colossians? Is this New Testament book just another religious text whose pretext is an ideological grab for dominating power? Reading Colossians in context, ancient and contemporary, can perhaps give us new ears to hear. In this innovative and refreshing book Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia C. Keesmaat explain our own sociocultural context to then help us get into the world of the New Testament and get a sense of the power of the gospel as it addressed those who lived in Colossae two thousand years ago. Their reading presents us with a radical challenge from the apostle Paul for today. Drawing together biblical scholarship with a passion for authentic lives that embody the gospel, this groundbreaking interpretation of Colossians provides us with tools to subvert the empire of our own context in a way that acknowledges the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"In my nearly twenty-five years of book selling I have seen few books which can rival Colossians Remixed for its sheer Christian audacity, its deep desire to be faithful in reading the Word in light of the burning questions of our time. Readers will be sure to be stunned--pondering, reacting, struggling with this fresh take on Scripture, as they are led to good insights about how to live out a transforming discipleship. If this proposal is taken seriously, the Bible will be heard anew, lives will be changed, and God will be pleased." (Byron K. Borger, Hearts & Minds Bookstore, Dallastown, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania)
"What would Paul say to contemporary Western culture? Well, it might just look like this. Walsh and Keesmaat have written one of the most creative and exciting books to emerge from the current interface of biblical, cultural and political studies. Bringing together serious historical study of Colossians and the urgent questions of our time, they entertain as well as educate with verve, wit and surprise as well as scholarship and in-depth cultural analysis. Paul recognized that living under a global empire posed particular challenges for Christians in the first century. This book compels us to engage with the equivalent questions we face in the twenty-first." (N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham and author of the multivolume work Christian Origins and the Question of God)
"A gripping, powerful and penetrating interpretation of Colossians for the third millennium! Based on responsible scholarship, enlivened by a discerning imagination and fired by commitment to Paul's gospel, this reading of Colossians by Walsh and Keesmaat is an outstanding contribution to the church's task of conceiving Christ rather than global consumerism as sovereign in our world. At the same time, it is a provocative stimulus to the church's mission of living out that alternative sovereignty in a community of compassion resistant to the forces of coercion from within and without." (Andrew T. Lincoln, Portland Professor of New Testament, University of Gloucestershire)
"Colossians Remixed is a book I've been waiting for eagerly; it's a tasty sample of postmodern engagement with a biblical text. It will provide a fascinating and readable entry into Colossians--and deeper into the essential message of Jesus and Paul. And in the process, it will expose readers to evocative and challenging new ways of reading and interpreting both Scripture and our culture." (Brian D. McLaren, pastor and author of A New Kind of Christian)
"Brian and Sylvia are phenomenally wise, profoundly formed by their immersion in biblical language, astutely aware of the pains and anxieties of residents in postmodernity, and outstandingly alert to the dangers of enculturated Christianity. This is a brilliant book--using multimedia of imaginative stories, probing conversations, alternative readings. Their targums alone are more than worth the price of the book because they make the Bible come alive with its deepest referents to Israel, to the community at Colossae and to our world, caught as it is in the throes of the empire." (Marva J. Dawn, author of Unfettered Hope: A Call to Faithful Living in an Affluent Society and Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God)
"This creative and intellectually stimulating understanding of Colossians offers both a fresh reading of the letter in its first-century setting and a provocative attempt to challenge the cultural elites of the twenty-first century with Colossians' worldview. Not all will agree with its hermeneutical approach or its political positions. Everyone, however, will benefit from thinking with the authors about the ways in which the church has become captive to the dominant culture and the ways in which the dominant culture has too quickly dismissed the church." (Frank Thielman, Presbyterian Professor of Divinity, Samford University)
"This book is a Molotov cocktail lobbed into the midst of contemporary biblical studies and the American empire. It is full of illuminating exegesis of Colossians, rooted in solid knowledge of the Old Testament background and the first-century Roman imperial context of the New Testament. Its most helpful--and controversial--feature is that it demonstrates how a faithful reading of Colossians addresses head-on our contemporary idolatry of consumerism and the postmodern suspicion of truth that characterizes our culture." (J. Richard Middleton, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, N.Y.)
"Walsh and Keesmaat expertly bring the ancient world of Colossians and the contemporary world of North America crashing together, and the result is dynamite. Rich, provocative readings of Scripture combine with penetrating, trenchant analysis of culture. Insights from a plethora of sources (exegetes, philosophers, musicians) are expressed in a readable, conversational style. A culturally subversive ethic is persuasively put forward for Christ-followers in our age of empire. Not exactly a commentary, this book is much better. Colossians Remixed is an explosive tract for our times. Take up and read." (Steven Bouma-Prediger, Jacobson Professor of Religion, Hope College)
"After they did all of their exegetical homework, these authors decided to let the book of Colossians touch our lives in the contemporary world. Well, Colossians will never be the same again; neither will the reader. Whereas Colossians usually sits innocently at the edge of the New Testament, this book shows how it becomes front and center for readers amid an empire that manages all of globalization. The book makes clear what a difference there is when the text is given Spirit-led imagination." (Walter Brueggemann, Emeritus Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary)
"What would Paul say to contemporary Western culture? Well, it might just look like this. Walsh and Keesmaat have written one of the most creative and exciting books to emerge from the current interface of biblical, cultural and political studies. Bringing together serious historical study of Colossians and the urgent questions of our time, they entertain as well as educate with verve, wit and surprise as well as scholarship and in-depth cultural analysis. Paul recognized that living under a global empire posed particular challenges for Christians in the first century. This book compels us to engage with the equivalent questions we face in the twenty-first." (N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham and author of the multivolume work Christian Origins and the Question of God)
"A gripping, powerful and penetrating interpretation of Colossians for the third millennium! Based on responsible scholarship, enlivened by a discerning imagination and fired by commitment to Paul's gospel, this reading of Colossians by Walsh and Keesmaat is an outstanding contribution to the church's task of conceiving Christ rather than global consumerism as sovereign in our world. At the same time, it is a provocative stimulus to the church's mission of living out that alternative sovereignty in a community of compassion resistant to the forces of coercion from within and without." (Andrew T. Lincoln, Portland Professor of New Testament, University of Gloucestershire)
"Colossians Remixed is a book I've been waiting for eagerly; it's a tasty sample of postmodern engagement with a biblical text. It will provide a fascinating and readable entry into Colossians--and deeper into the essential message of Jesus and Paul. And in the process, it will expose readers to evocative and challenging new ways of reading and interpreting both Scripture and our culture." (Brian D. McLaren, pastor and author of A New Kind of Christian)
"Brian and Sylvia are phenomenally wise, profoundly formed by their immersion in biblical language, astutely aware of the pains and anxieties of residents in postmodernity, and outstandingly alert to the dangers of enculturated Christianity. This is a brilliant book--using multimedia of imaginative stories, probing conversations, alternative readings. Their targums alone are more than worth the price of the book because they make the Bible come alive with its deepest referents to Israel, to the community at Colossae and to our world, caught as it is in the throes of the empire." (Marva J. Dawn, author of Unfettered Hope: A Call to Faithful Living in an Affluent Society and Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God)
"This creative and intellectually stimulating understanding of Colossians offers both a fresh reading of the letter in its first-century setting and a provocative attempt to challenge the cultural elites of the twenty-first century with Colossians' worldview. Not all will agree with its hermeneutical approach or its political positions. Everyone, however, will benefit from thinking with the authors about the ways in which the church has become captive to the dominant culture and the ways in which the dominant culture has too quickly dismissed the church." (Frank Thielman, Presbyterian Professor of Divinity, Samford University)
"This book is a Molotov cocktail lobbed into the midst of contemporary biblical studies and the American empire. It is full of illuminating exegesis of Colossians, rooted in solid knowledge of the Old Testament background and the first-century Roman imperial context of the New Testament. Its most helpful--and controversial--feature is that it demonstrates how a faithful reading of Colossians addresses head-on our contemporary idolatry of consumerism and the postmodern suspicion of truth that characterizes our culture." (J. Richard Middleton, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, N.Y.)
"Walsh and Keesmaat expertly bring the ancient world of Colossians and the contemporary world of North America crashing together, and the result is dynamite. Rich, provocative readings of Scripture combine with penetrating, trenchant analysis of culture. Insights from a plethora of sources (exegetes, philosophers, musicians) are expressed in a readable, conversational style. A culturally subversive ethic is persuasively put forward for Christ-followers in our age of empire. Not exactly a commentary, this book is much better. Colossians Remixed is an explosive tract for our times. Take up and read." (Steven Bouma-Prediger, Jacobson Professor of Religion, Hope College)
"After they did all of their exegetical homework, these authors decided to let the book of Colossians touch our lives in the contemporary world. Well, Colossians will never be the same again; neither will the reader. Whereas Colossians usually sits innocently at the edge of the New Testament, this book shows how it becomes front and center for readers amid an empire that manages all of globalization. The book makes clear what a difference there is when the text is given Spirit-led imagination." (Walter Brueggemann, Emeritus Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary)
About the Author
Walsh serves as the Christian Reformed Church chaplain to the University of Toronto. With Richard J. Middleton, he wrote The Transforming Vision and Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be (both IVP). He is also the author of Langdon Gilkey (University Press of America, 1992) and Subversive Christianity (Alta Vista College Press, 1994).
Keesmaat is adjunct professor of biblical studies and hermeneutics at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. She wrote two articles for the IVP Women's Bible Commentary, and she wrote the book Paul and His Story (Sheffield, 1999). She is also editor of The Advent of Justice (Dordt College Press, 1994).
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm giving this book four stars because while there was a lot of good stuff in here, there was also some problematic material. To me, four stars should mean: a good book for those who are sharp enough and open enough to read thoughtfully and reflectively, taking the good and rejecting the occasional misstep.
In order to make this review at least somewhat useful to those considering whether to read or buy the book, I'll make a few general comments. First off, the writing style is very good. There is well-written prose, reasonably creative dialogue, narrative, poetry, targum, just about as many genres as one book could handle. This allowed the book to seem fresh each time I picked it up, and also kept it from getting old fast. Secondly, however, I should note that the book covers a wide range of issues and can get somewhat technical. It is definitely more accessible than say Barth or Aquinas, but it is still worth reading carefully. In particular, I'm thinking of A. Travison's review. Either he didn't understand the discussion of Postmodernism at all, or his comments are simply dishonest caricatures. To be generous, I'll assume that he just should have read that section a little more slowly.
Far from being an assault on reason, this book provides an insightful and balanced--if somewhat brief and condensed--analysis and CRITIQUE of postmodernism. They are not Postmodernists who think that everything is up in the air. They are not saying that we need to abandon reason. They are saying that "conservative" (for lack of a better word) reactions to Postmodernism have been shallow and naďve. They are saying that we need to calm down and not make an idol out of rationality. And we need to realize that we do carry a worldview with us into EVERY intellectual discussion in which we engage.... Read more ›
In order to make this review at least somewhat useful to those considering whether to read or buy the book, I'll make a few general comments. First off, the writing style is very good. There is well-written prose, reasonably creative dialogue, narrative, poetry, targum, just about as many genres as one book could handle. This allowed the book to seem fresh each time I picked it up, and also kept it from getting old fast. Secondly, however, I should note that the book covers a wide range of issues and can get somewhat technical. It is definitely more accessible than say Barth or Aquinas, but it is still worth reading carefully. In particular, I'm thinking of A. Travison's review. Either he didn't understand the discussion of Postmodernism at all, or his comments are simply dishonest caricatures. To be generous, I'll assume that he just should have read that section a little more slowly.
Far from being an assault on reason, this book provides an insightful and balanced--if somewhat brief and condensed--analysis and CRITIQUE of postmodernism. They are not Postmodernists who think that everything is up in the air. They are not saying that we need to abandon reason. They are saying that "conservative" (for lack of a better word) reactions to Postmodernism have been shallow and naďve. They are saying that we need to calm down and not make an idol out of rationality. And we need to realize that we do carry a worldview with us into EVERY intellectual discussion in which we engage.... Read more ›
36 of 39 people found the following review helpful
By Brian Hui
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book essentially takes N.T. Wright's Pauline theology seriously and tries to re-situate Paul's message in Colossians into the contemporary postmodern, postcolonial context. To put it succinctly, Wright argues that Paul's essentially Jewish view of the messianic king wasn't some "heavenly" or "spiritual" king but a very this-worldly king. I.e., the kingdom of God isn't something we simply die into, but something that God is also bringing onto earth in all its fullness (social, political, spiritual, etc.). Thus, if Paul says Jesus is the messianic king (which, per the Davidic covenant and psalms, means also king of the world), his kingship necessarily confronts the claims of all other kings, especially the Caesar of the then-world empire Rome. Drawing similarities between the ancient Roman empire and today's American global democratic-capitalistic "empire", Walsh and Keesmaat attempt to give Paul a contemporary "voice". In other words, they suggest that the messiahship and lordship of Jesus necessarily subverts the absolute world powers today (esp. American-style global capitalism), whose influence is social, political, economic, spiritual, etc. Thus, Colossians calls us to live in subversion to today's empire.
A few reviews seem to interpret this book as a biblical justification for a leftist politic (or terrorism!). I can understand how such a reading can take place. The authors do not mince words in criticising the powers that be, and they do go at it strong on a few of their socio-political views. However, their message and approach is too valuable for these things to be stumbling blocks. There is a greater challenge in this book than about debating between the left and the right.... Read more ›
A few reviews seem to interpret this book as a biblical justification for a leftist politic (or terrorism!). I can understand how such a reading can take place. The authors do not mince words in criticising the powers that be, and they do go at it strong on a few of their socio-political views. However, their message and approach is too valuable for these things to be stumbling blocks. There is a greater challenge in this book than about debating between the left and the right.... Read more ›
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am another person who has only great things to say about this book. This is my first Amazon book review and I decided to write it because I would love to see people buy and read this book. I can be described as having been an "out of church Christian" and have struggled for many years over the form of Christianity that too often sells the Gospel and use Christ as a tool to win converts. I am also as an individual wedged between Modernity and Post-Modernity. There are a lot of books that have come out in recent years that tackle suck questions, but I have found this to be head and shoulders the best for a couple of reasons. First it uses scripture almost exclusively to form its thesis. It is at the core a Bible commentary. Whlile the post-modern in me does want to throw off reason as an idol, I do not trust paths that are forged outside of scripture as a base. It also does not cherry pick scripture to come to a conslusion that the authors want to assert, the conversation comes straight out of Colossians. Their view comes out of Colossians rather than down on Colossians.
Second and most importaintly the "answer" the authors point to is Christ. It sounds trite, but if you have read Colossians it is rather obvious. The man Jesus is the one who made everything and is the one in whom all tings hold together. Now that is a huge thing to wrap your brain around and I have not found many authors who have tried to tackle it seriously and practically for us who are living in the curent day.
It is a great book to read together with others. It is a rather sophisticated book and it is not the easiest of reads. We have started a Bible study on Colossians around it and it has been very good.
I also find it very interesting that this book was written by Canadians.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!!!
Everything in this book has been thoroughly thought, not only the content but even the form -three parts, four chapters each; Paul's time, contextualization to the 21st century;... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Didi
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting history here...
This was an interesting read, it was a good companion read to a study on Colossians or even with other NT letters. Helps you understand the culture and why Paul says what he does.
Published 3 months ago by Dustin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, Fast
I got my item in good shape very quickly. I had no problems and appreciate being able to purchase this book.
Published 17 months ago by newmommy
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a must!
For all who are interested in biblical theology, this book is worth using your time.
Subverting the empire of Rome in the first century - and subverting the "empire" of USA or... Read more
Subverting the empire of Rome in the first century - and subverting the "empire" of USA or... Read more
Published on April 5, 2011 by Al Madsen, Norway
1.0 out of 5 stars
Postmodernist drivel passing for Biblical commentary
Just because a commentary doesn't follow a classic path (purpose, outline, text, etc..) doesn't mean it's bad. Read more
Published on October 3, 2010 by Tony P
4.0 out of 5 stars
Why Can't Christians Read the Bible Like Walsh
What is it that is so intriguing about this book, ..... and why do such authors as NT Wright (without judging whether NT Wright is an Angel or Demon)speak so highly of this work? Read more
Published on July 4, 2010 by Steven M. Leydorf
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Commentary that Convicts
Brian Walsh and Silvia Keesmat have written the oddest, most poignant, prophetic and convicting commentaries that I have read. The style is dialogical. Read more
Published on November 26, 2009 by Erin J.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Provocative Read (in a good way)
Have you ever turned on the radio, listened to two minutes of a catchy new song, begun to sing along to the strangely familiar chorus, only to then realize that this "new" song was... Read more
Published on May 12, 2009 by David C. Cramer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Important and powerful reading for contemporary US Christians
The contemporary church in North America is so completely compromised in its relationship to the state that it doesn't even know idolatry when it is committing it. Read more
Published on December 18, 2008 by R.W.A.
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Creative, Provocative Commentary
Occasionally, a book comes along that ignites the fires of my imagination and fuels my passion for being part of the counter-culture we call the Church. Read more
Published on October 20, 2008 by Trevin Wax
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