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Living on Hope While Living in Babylon: The Christian Anarchists of the Twentieth Century
Though Christendom has come to an end, it appears that old habits die hard. Jesus promised his followers neither safety nor affluence, but rather that those who come after him should expect persecution. Christian discipleship and tribal nationalism, however, despite the legal separation of church and state, continue to be co-opted into the nation-state project of prosperity and security. This co-option has made it difficult for the church to recognize her task to be a prophetic witness both for and against the state. That only a small pocket of Christians bear witness against such an accommodation of Christian practice is disconcerting; and yet, it breeds hope. In Living on Hope While Living in Babylon, Tripp York examines a few twentieth century Christians who lived such a witness, including the Berrigan brothers, Dorothy Day, and Eberhard Arnold. These witnesses can be viewed as anarchical in the sense that their loyalty to Christ undermines the pseudo-soteriological myth employed by the state. While these Christians have been labeled pilgrims, revolutionaries, nomads, subversives, agitators, and now, anarchists, they are more importantly seekers of the peace of the city whose chief desire is for those belonging to the temporal cities to be able to participate in the eternal city--the city of God. By examining their ideas and their actions, this book will attempt to understand how the politics of the church--an apocalyptic politic--is necessary for the church to understand her mission as bearer of the gospel.
138 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
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About the author
Tripp York
13 books9 followersFred "Tripp" York (born 1973) is a professor of religion and Mennonite author.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 1, 2015
Took a while to work through this slim book (only 108 pages, plus bibliography and index), as we were doing it for a very casually paced book group. I'd say it is fine, but just fine...
It began as the author's master's thesis which was reworked into a book, and it suffers from the same things most master's theses do... good ideas in development, but still looking rather too hard at the advisory committee. And just when you think it is getting into gear, it is done.
Not that I didn't appreciate his treatments of the Berrigans, Clarence Jordan, and Dorothy Day; these are all exemplary figures, from whom we have a good deal to learn. But has no one like them emerged in our more recent past? If not, we're in deep, deep trouble.
It began as the author's master's thesis which was reworked into a book, and it suffers from the same things most master's theses do... good ideas in development, but still looking rather too hard at the advisory committee. And just when you think it is getting into gear, it is done.
Not that I didn't appreciate his treatments of the Berrigans, Clarence Jordan, and Dorothy Day; these are all exemplary figures, from whom we have a good deal to learn. But has no one like them emerged in our more recent past? If not, we're in deep, deep trouble.
January 1, 2023
Bought this book for a friend & read it all in one day. It was tremendously insightful & was a great first step into a political theology that I haven’t thought deeply about. York serves as a great guide to the Christian tradition in this realm & is a powerful storyteller. Truly, this book has a little bit of everything & far surpassed my expectations!
September 7, 2012
York presents a cogent and persuasive analysis of the Christian anarchist politic (asserting that it is apocalyptic rather than apolitical), and goes on to show what it looks like lived out in the lives of well-known anarchists like Dorothy Day and Clarence Jordan.
March 18, 2023
While I didn’t agree with every word in this book, I enjoyed him saying out loud things I’ve quietly thought. It is never a bad thing examine how we as Christians relate to empire. The Kingdom of God extends beyond the borders of the United Stated. The call to follow Christ is costly, no matter what type of government you live under.
August 5, 2010
A beautiful and insightful introduction into four under-appreciated modern-day Christian saints - Dorothy Day, Clarence Jordan, and brothers Daniel and Phillip Berrigan - viewed through the lens of Christian anarchist politics.
York takes two chapters to describe exactly what he means by Christian anarchist politics, but the bounty of the book is clearly in his hagiographies of the iconoclasts themselves. This book has value as both a provocative challenge to popular Christian understandings of faith's role in political involvement and as an introduction to the lives and thought of these four saints.
York takes two chapters to describe exactly what he means by Christian anarchist politics, but the bounty of the book is clearly in his hagiographies of the iconoclasts themselves. This book has value as both a provocative challenge to popular Christian understandings of faith's role in political involvement and as an introduction to the lives and thought of these four saints.
December 21, 2017
Very well written
Mr York in a very good way expresses the true nature of Christian non violence and the true meaning of what Christ spoke in his doctrine.
Mr York in a very good way expresses the true nature of Christian non violence and the true meaning of what Christ spoke in his doctrine.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews