Empire: Through the Looking Glass and into the Well

Abstract

The presence and influence of the idea of 'empire' is not something that was left behind with the end of the Roman Empire, for where the study of the Historical Jesus is concerned, we find that we are still dealing with concept and consequences of 'empire'. Working from the principle that the study of any topic is also the study of one’s self and one’s own context - for when looking into a well one also sees one’s own reflection - this short article will aim to establish the importance and function of empire in New Testament research today, as well as its connection with the researcher.

Keywords

• Empire
• Historical Jesus
• rhetoric
• interactivism