Psalm 2 comes often to my mind lately on this question and there is something fascinating to me when God laughs about the plans the earthly kings make. And looking at US politics these days, it certainly looks something like a bizarre dark comedy actually.
Loved seeing you footnote Agamben, as I had him in the back of my mind the whole time reading this.
Most of all, I was thinking of the way he invokes Benjamin's "destitutent power," which feels very close to the properly messianic expectation you're formulating here... An expectation which is much more grace and gratuity than it is effort... To expectantly receive that which "tears our cities down" as the Oh Hellos would put it.
Thanks for this. I've got a few small defenses of the "critique of empire" (insofar as they help warn us off the temptation to reconstitute what God would leave destitute) but I really appreciate every word of this.
Gah, I'm at my folks' house right now and not near my files... If God is in His heaven, my printout wasn't among those I threw out during my deep-clean. I'll for sure get back to you on this though.
Psalm 2 comes often to my mind lately on this question and there is something fascinating to me when God laughs about the plans the earthly kings make. And looking at US politics these days, it certainly looks something like a bizarre dark comedy actually.
Loved seeing you footnote Agamben, as I had him in the back of my mind the whole time reading this.
Most of all, I was thinking of the way he invokes Benjamin's "destitutent power," which feels very close to the properly messianic expectation you're formulating here... An expectation which is much more grace and gratuity than it is effort... To expectantly receive that which "tears our cities down" as the Oh Hellos would put it.
Thanks for this. I've got a few small defenses of the "critique of empire" (insofar as they help warn us off the temptation to reconstitute what God would leave destitute) but I really appreciate every word of this.
Oooooh—say more about Benjamin here? Where is this?
Gah, I'm at my folks' house right now and not near my files... If God is in His heaven, my printout wasn't among those I threw out during my deep-clean. I'll for sure get back to you on this though.
Here's the essay. https://criticallegalthinking.com/2014/02/05/theory-destituent-power/
Near the end he cites Benjamin's Critique of Violence.
I've been wondering for a long time what a "baptized" take on this whole line of thought would look like.
Compelling thoughts! Thanks for pushing us in a new direction.