On the Mystery—Reflections on Violence, War, and Artificial Intelligence in the Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation is mysterious, provocative, and sometimes unsettling. This September, Pastor Rockford will lead three Sunday School sessions exploring questions that arise from Revelation and have application in our world today.  We will open with a brief focus asking why Revelation seems so mysterious—and how clues within the book itself help us decipher how to make meaning of the holy “madness.” From there, each session will explore key topics:

VIOLENCE — What do Revelation’s disturbing images and narratives say about violence of God, Christian violence, punishment, vengeance, etc.?

WAR — How should Christians think about war in light of Revelation, including jihad, just-war traditions, and ideas of “spiritual warfare”?

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE — What might Revelation contribute to our thinking about AI as it relates to cultural accommodation, morality, economics, truth, and competing visions of the future?

These sessions relate to and add to the recent five-sermon series, “Shining a Light on Revelation.” Hearing those sermons—live or through McFarlin’s website or YouTube channel—and a fresh reading of the Book of Revelation will be helpful but is not required. 

Come curious. Revelation may have more to say to our world than we imagine.