Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation

by Michael J. Gorman

and practice, and its potential to help or harm people in their life of faith. As a biblical scholar who strives to interpret Scripture theologically and missionally, I do not find it appropriate to separate exegesis (analysis of the historical and literary aspects of the text) from theological reflection or application.4 This is not a license for sloppy scholarship, but an invitation to lively and life-giving engagement. Otherwise, as Mitchell Reddish warns about the symbolism in Revelation, “[o]ne may dissect the text to such an extent that one ends up with a cadaver rather than a living text that continues to inspire, challenge, and embrace the reader.”5 Perhaps more than any other biblical book, reading Revelation responsibly is greatly aided by knowledge of how people in other times and places have interpreted, and do interpret, the Apocalypse: in sermons and books, yes, but also in paintings, music, films, and other media. (However, we can only reveal the tip of the iceberg in this book.6) Responsible reading builds on the strengths of other readings of the book while seeking to avoid others’ weaknesses and errors. Responsible engagement with Revelation ultimately pays attention to Revelation’s theological message as a word from God for the twenty-first century that is analogous to what its message was for the first century. Moreover, when we read the Bible as Scripture, we pay attention to the ways it has had real effects in the world, both good and bad, and how it ...