The Holy Thursday Revolution

by Beatrice Bruteau

Overview

In a time of increasing anxiety, the author of Radical Optimism breaks new ground as she explores the two teaching events of Holy Thursday: the Footwashing and Holy Communion. The Holy Thursday Revolution shows how this new paradigm-a movement from Lord to friend-can dramatically alter our personal and social relations, our economic and political practices.

Drawing from a wide range of disciplines Bruteau presents a unifying vision of a world that must move from economic and military domination to one of equality and sharing. She dares to offer hope for the future based on a revolution begun two thousand years ago with the spiritual power to make all things new.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570755767
Publisher:	Orbis Books
Publication date:	04/28/2005
Pages:	338
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	xi
	Acknowledgments	xiii
	A Note on the Notes	xiv
Part I	Domination as Worldview
1	The Ills of the World: The Politics of Domination	3
	Politics Rests on Perception	5
	Definition of "Domination"	7
	Calling to Mind Our Sins: War	9
	Tyranny, Oppression, and Slavery	10
	Economic and Ecological Domination	14
	Social Classes and Work	17
	Ethnic, Gender, and Family Domination	20
2	Our Basic Insecurity: The Psychology of Domination	23
	Mastery by Destructive Power	24
	Deference Ranks	26
	Domination and Submission	30
	Scarcity and Fear	35
3	How We Identify Ourselves: The Metaphysics and Logic	39
	Success and Failure	39
	Alienation: Why We Can't Love "Others"	41
	We Learn to See the World of Hurting	43
	Separated Selves	45
	The Logic of Mutual Negation	47
	Revolution	49
	Story I: The Jesus Ministry and Holy Thursday	51
	The Baptismal Vision	51
	Meditation and Reflection for Paradigm Shift	53
	Jesus' Social Program of Boundary-Breaking	55
	The Two Showings of Holy Thursday	58
	The Suppers Inaugurate the Kingdom	60
	The Multilevel Revolutionary Supper	63
	Revolution and Torah	65
Part II	Person as the Basis for the New Paradigm
4	Person and Perichoresis: A New Metaphysics	69
	Jesus Offers Unconditional Positive Regard	69
	A New Selfhood: The Person	71
	The Nicodemus Story	72
	Eros and Agape: The New Logic	74
	You Have to Do It Yourself	76
	Perichoresis: The Metaphysics of the Trinity	78
	Creation Metaphysics	81
5	Living inside God: The Psychology of Love	85
	One Great Living Body	86
	Altruism in Our Genes	89
	Life in the Messianic Body	92
	The Communion of Friendship	95
	Saints and Mystics	97
	Togetherness in Creation	101
6	"In the Days of the Messiah": Friendship, Communion, Politics	102
	The Messiah Phase Transition	103
	Morality and Technology: The Enhancement of Being	104
	The World as the "Great Work"	108
	Everyone Unbound, Active, and Sharing	110
	Getting More from Less	112
	A Major Shift from Domination	115
Part III	Human Nature
7	"You Can't Change Human Nature!"	123
	Domination Is Natural	123
	Human Nature Is an Animal Nature	125
	Power Differentials Are Cosmic Forces	129
	The Sociobiological Argument	131
	Social Status Values Can't Be Uprooted	134
	Don't Change It-We Like It!	137
8	It's the Nature of Nature to Change	140
	The Need for Change	140
	Changes Are Already Appearing	142
	Changing Views of Human Nature	144
	Human Nature Is Made for Changing	146
	The Natural Goodness of Human Nature and the Evolution of Cooperation	150
	Learning to Change: Redefining Success and Well-being	155
9	Memes, Mysticism, and Phase Transitions	161
	Changing the Whole System	161
	The Methods of Memes	164
	Mysticism without Mist	169
	The Noncontingent, Secure Self	173
	The Fiat and the Phases	177
	Story II: The Revelation at Sinai: A Phase Transition	182
	The Many-Leveled Torah/Teaching	182
	A Universal Revelation	186
	The Turning Point and the Supernatural Life	188
	The Proclamation of Liberation	189
	The World Filled with Holiness	191
Part IV	The Covenant Community
10	Jesus and the Covenant Community	197
	The Historical Jesus	198
	The Social Situation in the Late Second Temple Period	200
	John the Baptist Announces the Kingdom of God	203
	Jesus Implements the Torah	205
	The Kingdom of God	206
	The Jesus Program	210
	The Covenant Community	213
11	Implementing the Friendship Covenant Community	219
	The Reality Ethic	221
	Religious Politics	222
	The Covenant with Earth	228
	Economic Welfare in a Global Age	230
	A Properly Human Life	234
	Education and the Cultures to Come	236
	Art, Sport, and Playfulness	239
	Technology and Morality	241
	Those outside the Covenant	244
12	Partners with God in Creation	248
	Sitting under One's Own Fig Tree: The Nathanael Story	249
	Human Nature: Creativity and Generosity	254
	Faith, Hope, and Imagination	258
	Notes	265
	Bibliography	317
	Index of Subjects	329
	Index of Names	336