Shane J. Wood, professor of New Testament and its origins at Ozark Christian College and author of Thinning the Veil, returns for the eighth episode in the faith and politics series — this time on Revelation.

Wood argues that the question the series has been circling is the question Revelation opens with. Christians in Asia Minor were living under an emperor in decline, caught in a conflict they hadn't chosen, and the book was written to tell them how to stand.

Much of the conversation is about definitions. When the crucified king is at the center, what counts as victory changes — which is why Smyrna's reward for faithfulness is that things will get worse. Wood reads Pliny's letter to Trajan as a Roman governor's genuine confusion at a group whose stubbornness took the form of being better citizens than his citizens.

They also discuss why worship was a national security matter in Rome, the iconography of Washington, why obedience and subversion both have textual warrant, and Wood's closing claim: that the early church regarded the emperor as a figure to be pitied rather than feared.

Go deeper: Christians & Politics

Thinking Christian is hosted by Dr. James Spencer, president of the D. L. Moody Center and author of Digital Discernment (InterVarsity Press). Each conversation reads the Bible as the final authority for life and faith, questioning the assumptions of our culture, even our Christian culture, so that we don't settle for a narrower vision than God's word offers.

Unsettling convention. Cultivating conviction.
Episodes, articles, and questions: thinkingchristian.org
About James Spencer: thinkingchristian.org/james
The Thinking Christian Framework: thinkingchristian.org/framework
Order Digital Discernment: amazon.com

Advertising and partnership inquiries: info@thinkingchristian.org

Find more from Shane at hsi website https://www.shanejwood.com  

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome back

02:13 The situation Revelation was written into

04:05 Paul, household codes, and relocating structures

06:09 Obedience and subversion: holding the spectrum

07:08 Rome is too small a target

10:56 Smyrna: victory that looks like more suffering

13:34 Pliny, Trajan, and a governor's confusion

16:40 Sacred order and why Christians couldn't comply

17:58 Worship as national security in Rome

20:22 Civil religion, grammar, and iconography

23:36 A Roman historian walks into the Lincoln Memorial

26:19 The slow descent, not the sudden conversion

29:10 The verses we carve and the ones we don't

31:19 Matthew 28: discipleship as political

34:40 Matthew retelling Israel's story

38:05 When governing authority overreaches

40:52 Nero, Domitian, and emperors in decline

45:23 Pharaoh who knew not Joseph

46:44 The church as guide, not political strategist

48:05 The true enemy behind the empire

50:30 Pity, not fear

 

Shane J. Wood, professor of New Testament and its origins at Ozark Christian College and author of Thinning the Veil, returns for the eighth episode in the faith and politics series &mdash; this time on Revelation.
Wood argues that the question the series has been circling is the question Revelation opens with. Christians in Asia Minor were living under an emperor in decline, caught in a conflict they hadn't chosen, and the book was written to tell them how to stand.
Much of the conversation is about definitions. When the crucified king is at the center, what counts as victory changes &mdash; which is why Smyrna's reward for faithfulness is that things will get worse. Wood reads Pliny's letter to Trajan as a Roman governor's genuine confusion at a group whose stubbornness took the form of being better citizens than his citizens.
They also discuss why worship was a national security matter in Rome, the iconography of Washington, why obedience and subversion both have textual warrant, and Wood's closing claim: that the early church regarded the emperor as a figure to be pitied rather than feared.
Go deeper: <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.org/series/christians-politics">Christians &amp; Politics</a>
Thinking Christian is hosted by Dr. James Spencer, president of the D. L. Moody Center and author of Digital Discernment (InterVarsity Press). Each conversation reads the Bible as the final authority for life and faith, questioning the assumptions of our culture, even our Christian culture, so that we don't settle for a narrower vision than God's word offers.
Unsettling convention. Cultivating conviction. Episodes, articles, and questions: <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.org/">thinkingchristian.org</a> About James Spencer: <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.org/james">thinkingchristian.org/james</a> The Thinking Christian Framework: <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.org/framework">thinkingchristian.org/framework</a> Order Digital Discernment: <a href="https://amzn.to/4zf0Xsm">amazon.com</a>
Advertising and partnership inquiries: <a href="mailto:info@thinkingchristian.org">info@thinkingchristian.org</a>
Find more from Shane at hsi website <a href="https://www.shanejwood.com">https://www.shanejwood.com</a> &nbsp;
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome back
02:13 The situation Revelation was written into
04:05 Paul, household codes, and relocating structures
06:09 Obedience and subversion: holding the spectrum
07:08 Rome is too small a target
10:56 Smyrna: victory that looks like more suffering
13:34 Pliny, Trajan, and a governor's confusion
16:40 Sacred order and why Christians couldn't comply
17:58 Worship as national security in Rome
20:22 Civil religion, grammar, and iconography
23:36 A Roman historian walks into the Lincoln Memorial
26:19 The slow descent, not the sudden conversion
29:10 The verses we carve and the ones we don't
31:19 Matthew 28: discipleship as political
34:40 Matthew retelling Israel's story
38:05 When governing authority overreaches
40:52 Nero, Domitian, and emperors in decline
45:23 Pharaoh who knew not Joseph
46:44 The church as guide, not political strategist
48:05 The true enemy behind the empire
50:30 Pity, not fear
&nbsp;

Thinking Christian is a podcast hosted by Dr. James Spencer, president of the D. L. Moody Center and author of Digital Discernment (InterVarsity Press), with co-host Dr. Ashish Varma. Reading the Bible as the final authority for life and faith means questioning the assumptions of our culture, even our Christian culture, so that we don't settle for a narrower vision than God's word offers.

James and Ashish talk with scholars, pastors, and authors about Scripture and theology, biblical manhood and discipleship, technology and AI, Christian nationalism and politics, church history, and faith and mental health. 

Unsettling convention. Cultivating conviction.

Episodes, transcripts, articles, and questions: https://www.thinkingchristian.org

Thinking Christian is a podcast hosted by Dr. James Spencer, president of the D. L. Moody Center and author of Digital Discernment (InterVarsity Press), with co-host Dr. Ashish Varma. Reading the Bible as the final authority for life and faith means questioning the assumptions of our culture, even our Christian culture, so that we don't settle for a narrower vision than God's word offers.
James and Ashish talk with scholars, pastors, and authors about Scripture and theology, biblical manhood and discipleship, technology and AI, Christian nationalism and politics, church history, and faith and mental health.&nbsp;
Unsettling convention. Cultivating conviction.
Episodes, transcripts, articles, and questions: https://www.thinkingchristian.org

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Thinking Christian with Drs. James Spencer and Ashish Varma

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Find more from James at https://www.thinkingchristian.org/.

Christians shouldn&rsquo;t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://www.thinkingchristian.org/">https://www.thinkingchristian.org/</a>.

Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

Revelation and Empire: Shane Wood | Faith & Politics #11

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/554820e5-eb76-4cc2-b83b-b4b30150cf8b/transcript