tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684752445949340487.post4798916164798364372..comments2023-06-29T16:23:39.806+01:00Comments on engage: take every thoughtmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04556299081652933923noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684752445949340487.post-41542775748757043312009-09-05T12:29:03.961+01:002009-09-05T12:29:03.961+01:00Thanks for this thought, DS. I like it! it is ce...Thanks for this thought, DS. I like it! it is certainly more satisfactory to have a political and social reading than a purely individual one.<br /><br />As I read your post, I was struck (or disturbed) by the martial imagery. To take a person captive and parade him or her through the streets of Rome is utterly disturbing for a Christian on a number of levels. How do I feel about the appropriation of this metaphor to talk about something (admittedly) less violent? <br /><br />It made me look at the text where the martial imagery takes central place. He seems to be defending himself against the charge of being weak - (not using weapons of authority to do something - don't know what?) He argues that we do not use the methods of Rome. We battle only in the area of thoughts, taking them captive. To me, this it is poorly concealed side-swipe at Roman imperialism and a clear statement that the church fosters a counter ideology (for want of a better word). Like you say, for our day, it takes captive consumer ideology. To what extent is the church fostering a counter ideology? How could it do so? This is on my mind a fair bit at the moment, because, for me, the church has co-opted the values of consumerism in an uncritical way and a way that is harmful to itself. I am convinced that the church will never be able to confront social justice until it extricates itself from the dominant value system and harbours an alternative.<br /><br />I'm up for warking out how we might begin to take the thoughts of consumerism captive - anyone to join me?markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04556299081652933923noreply@blogger.com