These authors said: “…Paul opposed Rome with Christ against Caesar, not because that empire was particularly unjust or oppressive, but because he questioned the normalcy of civilization itself, since civilization has always been imperial, that is, unjust and oppressive…The Roman Empire was based on the common principle of peace through victory or, more fully, on a faith in the sequence of piety, war, victory, and peace.
Paul was a Jewish visionary following in Jesus’ footsteps, and they both claimed that the Kingdom of God was already present and operative in this world. He opposed the mantra of Roman normalcy with a vision of peace through justice, or more fully, with a faith in the sequence of covenant, nonviolence, justice, and peace.
These authors then ask: “Therefore, to what extent can America be Christian? We are now the greatest postindustrial civilization as Rome was then the greatest preindustrial one. That is precisely what makes Paul’s challenge equally forceful now as for then, for here as for there, for Senatus Populusque Romanus as for Senatus Populusque Americanus.”
Sixteen years have passed since this book was published. Considering all the variants of Christianity, with Catholicism being one in America, I repeat their question: “To what extent can America be Christian?” Moreover, to what extent can Catholics and other Christians respect and peacefully coexist with other faiths such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.? Just as important, to what extent can Christians of many sects and denominations peacefully coexist and live by Jesus’ teaching and commandments such as love our neighbors?
Perhaps we first must answer the question: “What defines a ‘Christian’ all sorts of Christians can accept?” That definition will remain elusive. However, a good start might be that Christians subscribe to a faith in the sequence of covenant, nonviolence, justice, and peace. Paul has a lot to offer us.
Deacon David Pierce
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