Bulgakov's Apocalypse of John Chapter 13 :The Two Beasts

After a long hiatus due to Jed's move and getting settled in a new place we have resumed our series on Sergei Bulgakov's Apocalypse of John: An Essay in Dogmatic Interpretation. This time we tackle Chapter 13: The Two Beasts.

[@shari6063]

The use of the term “hypnotizing” is reminding me strongly of Matthias Desmet’s book The Psychology of Totalitarianism. Such a great book.

[@gagemurphy777]

The part where you were talking about resisting something giving it power was exceptional.

[@shari6063]

45:13 “Faith is the foundation, the root, the underlying substance of hope. If you have any hope, it comes from some faith in you. Hope, you may say, is a bud upon the plant of faith, a bud from the root of faith; the flower is joy and peace.”
- George MacDonald
Edit: great case for optimism:)

[@shari6063]

Patience and faith of the Saints. Sounds very hands off. 😊

[@grailcountry]

You can see this enacted in That Hideous Strength.

[@gagemurphy777]

The beast relies on the friction of opposites as opposed to the fusion of polarities. Tomberg’s whole point with the snake (spirit of electricity).

[@shari6063]

Is an enemy simply an adversary (a Satan if you will) someone who stands against the path you have chosen to follow? See the story of Balaam. And the place where Christ calls Peter Satan for blocking his way to Jerusalem.

[@shari6063]

First!

[@shari6063]

35:21 we feed the beast and the beast gives us something in return i.e Christianity is made legal in Roman society…….good thing? 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@rhb30001]

The second beast is the United States

[@EdJonProductions]

What of Mark 16;16? Fully agree with the need to avoid judgment and condemnation in rhetoric but there is such language in the bible. Though that quote is likely an interpolation it is indicative that the scribes thought it would make theological sense to add and put in Jesus' mouth. And the sooner you dismiss scribal addition you risk the integrity of the many additions and interpolations in the bible that we like or refer to. Like 2 Thessalonians which you mention which seems to be a forgery

[@grailcountry]

But what of ... this game never ends. I have no interest in these kinds of textual arguments. If you read the text as if it speaks of the God revealed in Christ, you will read it differently. If you are looking for something else, you'll find that too.

[@EdJonProductions]

@@grailcountry but how god is revealed in Christ varies by one's hermeneutic. I can imagine a christocentric reading of that text that says you need to get baptised for remission of sins or you stay dead/are condemned and punished. Fully consonant with elements of Romans. My point is that Christianity does not seem scripturally fundamentally opposed to coercive soteriology and rhetoric. In many ways the conversation in the video strikes me as a modern innovation post-globalisation and with the secular space, rather than what is captured in the Word of the bible, where we realise that the category of 'unbelievers' condemned and scattered throughout the NT is parochial and aggressive.