The Social Location of the Book of Revelation

Abstract

Abstract Before moving directly to the question of the social location of the Book of Revelation, I should clarify further the nature of the relationship between the seer and his opposition, that is, between his revealed knowledge and the public knowledge of the empire. That relationship involves both social and world boundaries. A social boundary exists because the whole of John’s social world does not comprehend his vision, even though John’s vision comprehends the whole social world; that is, his organizing grid of relationships, power structures, ideals, and values are not shared by all others in Roman society; indeed, his is a minority report. Since the boundaries of John’s social location are a dimension of his world vision, we cannot consider the boundary between him and his opposition in simple social terms. The complexity of the boundary will elude any analysis limited to economic status, social position, and political influence. The social boundary is one dimension of the world boundary; it expresses in the region of social experience a difference in the seer’s vision of reality and Rome’s vision of reality. The two visions involve distinctions between true knowledge and deception, authentic self-expression and false consciousness, service to the true god or idolatry.