Conscience & Obedience: The Politics of Romans 13 and Revelation 13 in Light of the Second Coming

by William Stringfellow

Is the Church truly above politics? Or is it all too often a gullible victim of the political arena? The theme of this prophetic work is that Christians must comprehend politics if they are to transcend politics. In 'Conscience and Obedience', William Stringfellow reviews the long history of the church's interpretations and misinterpretations of Scriptural texts relating to politics. The most notorious abuses have come, he says, in interpretations of Romans 13 and Revelation 13. Stringfellow declares that what is missing most is an understanding of eschatology that can stand against any political ideology, whether of the status quo or revolution. 'Conscience and Obedience' challenges the reader to examine the sources of our faith and our freedom.

Genres: Theology, Politics

Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Frank William Stringfellow (April 26, 1928 – March 2, 1985) was an American lay theologian. He was active mostly during the 1960s and 1970s.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stringfellow is one of the good guys. This look at biblical politics and ethics (in light of both Romans 13, Revelation 13), describes the ways in which a biblical calls for a distance and a critique of the powers. Biblical politics is always critical of Empire, always eschatologically hopeful for the inbreaking Kingdom, always at loggerheads with the Status quo.

"If the church is faithful to Jesus Christ as Lord can the church ever support the political authority of the status quo?"

[W. Littlejohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to this book with high hopes, based on intriguing things I had heard about both the man and the book; but unfortunately they proved, in general, ill-founded. Not that it was at all a bad book. It was well-written, provocative, had some very fascinating arguments regarding not only Romans 13 but the Church's posture toward political authority generally, and it was very helpful in fortifying my more anarchist impulses, which had become somewhat dormant of late. Already in the 1970s, Stringfellow had a keen grasp of the deep, institutionalized evil of American empire and of the resolute stance that Christians must take against it.

So, while the book has many interesting things to say, it offers little substantive reflection on Romans 13 as such. To be sure, many tantalizing insights and lines of interpretations are hinted at, but almost never systematically developed. Indeed, the same could be said not merely of his engagement with Romans 13, but of the entire political theology sketched in the book--it's great for spurring questions and thought experiments, but you can't take any clear answers away from it, or even any clear idea of what Stringfellow wants you to think, or thinks himself. Of course, it's fine not to try and offer cut-and-dried answers to complex problems like these is fine, but one ought at least to provide a clear and consistent trajectory; the incompleteness of these reflections ends up generating more frustration than insight.

[Daryl Grigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

every Christian should read it and live it