Saving Christianity From Empire [Paperback]

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2007

U.S. foreign policy today, as presented in official documents and carried out in Iraq, Afghanistan, and an ill-defined "war on terrorism," commits the United States to seek global domination through the unilateral exercise of military power. Critics and supporters of this policy rightly describe it in reference to empire. Saving Christianity from Empire examines four central themes. First, the book describes the nuts and bolts of present U.S. foreign policy, including the philosophical foundations and practical policy options used to justify and pursue empire. Second, the author asserts that empire distorts Christianity, especially in the U.S. context —one in which many Christians passively or actively support U.S. global domination through the exercise of unilateral military power, in opposition to the radical nonviolence of Jesus. In the U.S. imperial context, some combination of fear, patriotism, propaganda, and distorted theology results in broad-based support among Christians for policies that are dramatically opposed to authentic Christianity rooted in the life and faith of Jesus. In short, this theme addresses how the U.S. Empire subverts and distorts Christianity. Third, Saving Christianity from Empire describes empire as a key biblical theme. It explores three conflicting biblical streams, one that embraces or aspires to empire, one that portrays opposition to empire as essential for authentic faith, and another that explains imperial domination of Israel-Palestine as deserved punishment for sin. Finally, Saving Christianity from Empire explores the radical nonviolence of Jesus, the nuts and bolts of nonviolent power and nonviolent social change theory and practice, and the practical challenges to Christians living in an imperial nation now understood by many people throughout the world to be the gravest threat to world peace.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“At a time when Christian fundamentalists see the extension of American power in the world as God-given, Saving Christianity from Empire is especially welcome. In clear, strong language it demolishes the religious justification for imperialism and brings to the fore the best of the Christian heritage—the moral imperative for a nation to love and respect its neighbors.” –Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States (Zinn, Howard )

"Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer's Saving Christianity from Empire delineates the critical choices that face Amercan Christians in 2004, a choice between violent, world-dominating American empire supported by an apocalptic Christianity or a genuinely democratic American republic buttressed by anon-violent, eqalitarian Christianity. As Nelson-Pallmeyer makes clear, the first choice is leading America and the world to disaster, but it will not be easy to change course when both our religion and our nationalist ideology have long collaborated in promoting a fatal addiction to militarist global domination." -Rosemary Radford Ruether Carpenter, Professor of Feminist Theology Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California (Rosemary Radford Ruether Carpenter )

“Nelson-Pallmeyer’s description of a foreign policy that has moved from containment to preemptive offensive war is fascinating, troubling and always historically informed.” –Christian Century, 4/5/05 (Christian Century )

'A richly suggestive book'

John C. McDowell, Expository Times

"Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer's Saving Christianity from Empire delineates the critical choices that face Amercan Christians in 2004, a choice between violent, world-dominating American empire supported by an apocalptic Christianity or a genuinely democratic American republic buttressed by anon-violent, eqalitarian Christianity. As Nelson-Pallmeyer makes clear, the first choice is leading America and the world to disaster, but it will not be easy to change course when both our religion and our nationalist ideology have long collaborated in promoting a fatal addiction to militarist global domination." -Rosemary Radford Ruether Carpenter, Professor of Feminist Theology Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California (, )

About the Author

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is Assistant Professor of Justice and Peace Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more than twenty years he has studied and written about the relationship of religion, violence, and peace and his books include Jesus Against Christianity: Reclaiming the Missing Jesus and School of Assassins: Guns, Greed, and Globalization.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (June 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826428304
• ISBN-13: 978-0826428301
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,144,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Saving Christianity from Empire, December 12, 2005

By 

J. Lindner (Gem Lake, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Saving Christianity From Empire (Hardcover)

Had there been the ability to give this book 3.5 stars I would have. I believe four may be too many and three is not enough. However, since I agree with the general premise, I give it the higher rating.

Pallmeyer makes a strong case that our modern American Empire is now the result of conservative Christian meddling in American foreign policy. To be Christian and to engage in the various imperial activities the American government is currently involved with is an ethical dilemma that cannot be reconciled. Christ spoke of peace and non-violence but nearly every aspect of American foreign policy is the manifestation of violence and territorial ambition. Whatever happened to "turn the other cheek" or the notion that our founding documents promote equality? The Christian right has hijacked American foreign policy and turned it into an Old Testament quest for aggrandizement. Anyone who suggests a different direction is either considered non-Christian or unAmerican, or both. Democrats and Republicans share the blame together.

We have strong republican (small "r") traditions that stem from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and moral vision that stem from the Bible. But somehow these have been mutated into imperial aggression to the detriment of all. Americans are not as safe as we were even before 9-11 because the actions of our government and military have pitted nearly the rest of the world (except for lackeys like Tony Blair) against us. Our faith is in our military, not Christ. Though Pallmeyer doesn't say it, I believe an underlying message is that the moral of the Biblical experience is relevant for today, but the historical context of the various stories is 2500 years out of date.

Fear of attack is what keeps the current political situation from changing. The party in power does nothing to quell people's fears, and the party not in power offers no tanglible solutions of their own. Americans are thus caught in the rhetorical crossfire of two competing (but not conflicting) arguments.

Pallmeyer's argument is somewhat poorly constructed as he uses primarily modern events (events not much older than 15 years) as the basis for his case. Empire is not the invention of the Bush administration. It's been around from our earliest history. People always looked to the horizon for opportunity, but with such opportunity the government grew its attitude of continual growth. We've since filled in our borders (and stole a lot of land from natives and neighbors along the way) but our need to grow continues. Pallmeyer might have had a better book had he taken a more critical view of empire as a way of life (he often quotes William Appleman Williams).

The great victim of American empire is Christianity. A religion of peace is bastardized into an aggressive, unsympathetic movement. For this, Pallmeyer claims, we should be ashamed. Reading the book one could conclude the greatest fear conservative Christians should have (besides Hillary Clinton) is if these really are End Times. Christ may easily confuse the American empire for the Roman empire of his day, and cast his judgment against all of us. What if Revelation is indeed correct, but we've misinterpreted its message?

5.0 out of 5 stars Saving Christianity from Empire, October 24, 2011

By 

Pauline - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Saving Christianity From Empire (Paperback)

Jack Nelson-Palmeyer's books all have serious titles and one might expect that they would be a little boring. I find them to be easy and thought provoking reads. He discusses things that I have thought about but could never find anyone objective enough to talk about them. I highly recommend his books if you want to understand why the religious texts of the various faiths may be contributing to the warlike state of the world.