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

by Michael J. Gorman

whether the U.S. ever was or is an empire, and even whether empire is inherently evil.39 And of course many will argue that no U.S. president has ever been called a god,40 even if his military successes have been seen as the fruit of divine calling and blessing, and even if the succession of military, political, and economic conquests accomplished by the U.S. is said to have produced an American superpower with various kinds of outposts and client states around the world. It must, at the very least, be conceded the United States is perceived as an imperial power by many people in many parts of the world that have been affected by American military, political, and economic power. We should not, however, allow arguments about the precise nature of empire, or its embodiment in the American context, to keep us from hearing Revelation’s sharp critique of the status quo. It is more important for us to see Revelation as a critique of secular power wherever and however it expresses itself oppressively, and especially as a critique of such power that is deemed sacred and granted devotion and allegiance. This manifestation and sacralization of power is undoubtedly part of the American situation (and also part of the experience of other nations). Thus J. Nelson Kraybill has recently written a study of Revelation entitled Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation. He writes perceptively that although “no Western nation has outright ruler wors...