Homebrewed Christianity

From Iron Swords to Nuclear Bombs: Tracing 3,000 Years of Escalatory Violence with John Dominic Crossan

Sep 8, 2025
Join biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan, a former Catholic priest known for his insights on distributive justice, and Tim Whitaker from The New Evangelicals, as they unpack the profound implications of Genesis. Crossan reframes original sin, highlighting violence as the root of societal decay. He offers a compelling argument that Jesus' directive to love enemies is a strategy for resisting escalatory violence. The conversation dives into the evolution of violence over 3,000 years and bridges biblical teachings with modern justice movements, urging active engagement for societal change.
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INSIGHT

Justice As Distribution, Not Retribution

  • Crossan reads justice primarily as distributive justice, not retributive punishment.
  • He argues Genesis 1 embeds distributive justice as the very nature of creation and God.
INSIGHT

Sabbath As The Crown Of Creation

  • Crossan reframes Sabbath as the crown of creation that enforces equal rest and fair distribution.
  • The Sabbath, year, and jubilee make time itself march to distributive justice rather than being mere ritual rest.
INSIGHT

Original Sin As Violence, Not Disobedience

  • Crossan locates 'sin' first in Genesis 4 with Cain, not Genesis 3's garden story.
  • He reads original sin as the emergence of escalatory violence, not sexual disobedience.
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