Description
In this accessible and provocative study, Brian Blount reads the book of Revelation through the lens of African American culture, drawing correspondences between Revelation's context and the long-standing suffering of African Americans. Applying the African American social, political, and religious experience as an interpretive cipher for the book's complicated imagery, he contends that Revelation is essentially a story of suffering and struggle amid oppressive assimilation. He examines the language of "martyr" and the image of the lamb, and shows that the thread of resistance to oppressive power that runs through John's hymns resonates with a parallel theme in the music of African America.
Reviews
From the Journal of Biblical Literature (Spet. 2005) by Danielle Brune Sigler Austin College (same review as Review of Biblical Literature)
Theology Today (Vol. 62, No. 4, Jan. 2006) "By moving from the world of Revelation to the modern world and back again, Blount helps his readers see both with different eyes." --Craig R. Koester, Luther Seminary
The Journal of Religion (Vol. 86, No. 2, April 2006) "This is a challenging examination of central aspects of Revelation, one that represents Blount's striking competence as a biblical scholar
Christian Century (October 18, 2005, pg. 22) From the "Take and read" segment
From Review of Biblical Literature (September 2005) by Danielle Brune Sigler Austin College