First Things First

One of the most interesting and important books I read last year was Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire, by Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat. One of the most important statements in the book came on page 9, before the main body of material itself:

“St. Paul knows that the vision that he is talking about makes no sense if it doesn’t shape the Christian household as an alternative to the dominant roman model of household life. And so the testing ground for anything that we say in this book is first and foremost our family. Out three children, Jubal, Madeleine and Lydia, did not have to ‘suffer through’ the writing of this book. If they did then the book would in fact lack credibility. We did not ‘sacrifice’ family life through long absences while researching and writing. So we offer the kids no apologies. Rather we thank them for grounding our lives in the important things like learning and housekeeping, playing and growing up, stories and nighttime prayers, tears and laughter” (p. 9).

Thanks to Craig Blomberg for typing this out in his review, http://www.denverseminary.edu/dj/articles2006/0200/0209.php. In light of the material noted in the last post, it's not surprising that Craig liked this book immensely.