After my post on the church we need (but don’t have) to dethrone consumerism my friend Ian Matthews reached out to me on Twitter and asked if I’d read a certain book. I had it but it’s been a while since I looked at it, I said. Then came the suggestion that we read it together followed by inviting others to read it along with us. So here we are. So what’s the book I hear you cry?

It’s Colossians Re:mixed by Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat from 2004. Here’s the blurb which should explain why we chose this book.

“Have we really heard the message of Colossians? Is this New Testament book just another religious text whose pretext is an ideological grab for dominating power? Reading Colossians in context, ancient and contemporary, can perhaps give us new ears to hear. In this innovative and refreshing book Brian J. Walsh and Sylvia C. Keesmaat explain our own sociocultural context to then help us get into the world of the New Testament and get a sense of the power of the gospel as it addressed those who lived in Colossae two thousand years ago. Their reading presents us with a radical challenge from the apostle Paul for today. Drawing together biblical scholarship with a passion for authentic lives that embody the gospel, this ground-breaking interpretation of Colossians provides us with tools to subvert the empire of our own context in a way that acknowledges the transforming power of Jesus Christ.”

What’s the empire? Well, probably it’s the capitalist-consumer world that all governments (except probably North Korea’s) serve. That the main purpose of government is to make us richer at all times. There is something there that despite the many positives has created a consumer culture that weakens the church and our witness to the kingdom of Jesus.

Here are some of the commendations:

“One of the most creative and exciting books to emerge from the current interface of biblical, cultural and political studies.” – NT Wright

“Colossians will never be the same again; neither will the reader. Whereas Colossians usually sits innocently at the edge of the New Testament, this book shows how it becomes front and centre for readers amid an empire that manages all of globalization.” – Walter Brueggemann.

“Not exactly a commentary, this book is much better. Colossians remixed is an explosive tract for our times. Take up and read.” – Steven Bouma-Prediger.

“A tasty sample of postmodern engagement with a biblical text…It will expose readers to evocative and challenging new ways of reading and interpreting both Scripture and our culture.” – Brian McLaren.

If there’s interest we’ll share a reading plan. The idea is to start after Easter and at the end we hope there’ll be the opportunity to talk with the authors to ask questions and dig a little deeper which is a fantastic opportunity.