Early Christian Understanding of the Empire

Strength to Strength welcomed Zack Johnson to discuss how the early Christians viewed the governments of men.

In August of 2019 a well known American actor named Rain Wilson wrote on Twitter, “The metamorphosis of Jesus Christ from a humble servant of the abject poor to a symbol that stands for gun rights, prosperity theology, anti-science, limited government (that neglects the destitute) and fierce nationalism is truly the strangest transformation in human history.”

Has the Christian understanding of Jesus and empire undergone a metamorphosis?

In this talk, Zack Johnson explores some of the behaviors and thoughts associated with Christian nationalism and compares them with the early Christian understanding of the empire and its implications.

He urges Christ followers to return to sacrificialism instead of embracing Christian nationalism. He concludes that Jesus has imperium, not empire, and that the two are often incompatible.

Resources:

• “No Blood but Our Own” by Zack Johnson
• “Four Quadrants of Peace” by Zack Johnson

Zack Johnson worked for the Air Force as a congressional analyst before receiving an honorable discharge as a conscientious objector. He also spent time in Mozambique working in development and disaster relief.

Zack was born and raised in Ecuador and has a passion for Christianity and the international realm. His interests include models of world change, travel, and languages. He developed an allegiance to the historic Christian faith while studying the Bible through Greek and finding a faithful church community.

Zack is the President at Sattler College. He, his wife Crystal, and their children are a part of Followers of the Way in East Boston, Massachusetts.