Giving Away the Roman Treasures

Why a course on the book of Romans?

I'm running a course on the book of Romans from mid February. I would like to give here a brief sketch on what fancies may have possessed me to do so.

I recall once asking a young man his favourite book of the Bible. I still ask people this question, if they appear to be the sort who might answer it. 

“Romans,” he answered.

“Why?” I asked.

He squeezed up his face in reflection. “It's just so clear,” he said. I wasn’t sure I believed him.

There was always an awkward energy around this ancient text in the religious circles of my youth. It was commonly understood to be the central and supreme Christian statement. On the other hand it’s a text that runs in circles of contradiction and is full of material that seems incomprehensibly distant from the sorts of people who swore their lives on it. It was revered as a book which, if correctly understood, would unlock the secrets of the universe, but failing to grasp its elusive meaning was considered a serious problem. There was a very real, though undeclared, sense that they who had control of the meaning of this short text, controlled history. There have been times when this was not far from the truth. And so, while it was a difficult book to understand, let alone to love, there was a sort of social pressure to love it and understand it, or at least to appear so. 

One has to be curious: what is the meaning of this letter, and how did it become so important, so powerful, and so consequential?

I remember as a young person, hearing much protestant waxing on the Book of Romans. I quite often didn’t know what they were talking about, but it seemed to me that they didn’t really know either, and that the issue had thereby cancelled itself out. I decided not to worry about it too much.

Years later I found myself becoming unexpectedly fascinated with the mad and irrepressible little man who wrote Romans, though on very different terms. I began to resonate with him the more I found myself nudged to the edges of various religious establishments. We now had something in common, he and I. He became a wandering friend. I've found the most illuminating guides to his thought have been rather irreligious philosophers, or Jewish scholars, which would seem ironic for such a “Christian” book, but it's not really: Paulos, apart from obviously being Jewish, was a compulsive transgressor of social and religious boundaries. I've had my head and my heart deep in his strange texts ever since.

The Book of Romans is a small window into a radical movement, at a time when imperialist politics were devouring the world. This underground network of communities were, together, forming a messianic vision that existed at the intersection of anarchy, ecology and marginalised life. Unlike the engines of religious assimilation, this movement was formed of communities which were religiously, ethnically and economically diverse. This glimpse into a radical creature politics of the past is, I believe, of profound value to the movements of re-imagination that are gathering today, whether religious or not.

And so, I'll be hosting an online course through Romans, starting February 18th running through to June. I have no desire at all to gain power within the Christian fold by claiming a definitive interpretation of this daunting castle on the map of religious history. I'm interested in giving away the treasures; gathering with a mixed group willing to look from the outside in, or the inside out, with curiosity about the strange potency of this two thousand year old letter. The course is open and accessible to people of all backgrounds, positions and interests. You can find out everything you need to know here. Any questions you might have are welcomed below, or of course by email. I would love to see you there.

Best

DBB