Journal of Hispanic / Latino Theology

Volume 4 | Number 4 Article 3

5-1-1997 5:21-24: Religion, Politics, and the Latino Experience C. Gilbero Romero California State University, Los Angeles

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Recommended Citation C. Gilbert Romero, “Amos 5:21-24: Religion, Politics, and the Latino Experience,” Journal of Hispanic / Latino Theology 4:4 (May 1997) 21-41.

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Amos 521424: Religion, Politics, and the Latino Experience C. Gilbert Romero California State University, Los Angeles

I hate, I repudiate your festivals, and I do not enjoy the odor of your festive assemblies, Even though you raise up to me your burnt offer- ings and tributes, I will not be delighted, And the thank—offeringsoi your {aired animals I will not iook upon. Take away from me the agitation of your songs; I will not listen to the music of your harps, But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an overflowing stream (Amos 512124, translation mine).

Introduction

No matter how some things change, other things remain the same Certain patterns of human behavior are a constant throughout history, One of those constant patterns is the uneasy mix between politics and religion. Paradoxically, the mix becomes more complicated and problematic the more the ambiguity in the relationship between them is clarified. That is to say, whoever defines the relationship and struc- tures the definition controls the dynamics of the relationship. Thus only in ambiguity with ongoing redefinition and reappropriation of mean— ing can the relationship between religion and politics make any real sense,1 The alliance between religion and politics has taken many forms throughout history, The metamorphic capability of the alliance depends primarily on the available cultural expressions of a given sociopoliti— cal, economic reality, With the Amos as our guide in this dis» cussion, we see that eighth-century Bea. was a mix of rich and poor, with an ever widening gap between them. The gap was caused principally, though not exclusively, by economic exploitation The rich and powerful tended to legitimize the disparity through religious reasoning. For example, a prominent belief current at the time was that

‘This is so given the perspective of the one doing the defining. Admittedly, in this scenario I am proposing that the defining and reappropriating be done by the common people. This will become clearer below, 22 C. Gilbert Romero Amos 5:21.24: Religion, Politics, and the lalimi Expurimcv 23 wealth God’s the means signaled blessing. Apparently, toward achiev— The indictments are like an ever tightening noose around Israel’s that wealth were as ing not important as the ends of possessing the neck, Punishment is promised first to Israel’s neighbors and then to wealth itself. Israel, The escalating gravity of sins finds its culmination in the sin Into this morass of eighth-century 5.01;: injustice jumped the of injustice, which has several ramifications. The crime of injustice is Amos.2 Aware of the historical and economic realities of north- prophet compounded by its apparent justification through the cult. I say "ap- ern Israel, of the levels of and the of reli— especially injustice hypocrisy parent justification" because the very performance of cult by one who he made what I consider one of the gious activity, strongest statements is guilty of an unresolved injustice is a mockery of the cult itself, Amos on the relation between and He did this religion politics. by relating 5:21—24 seeks to redress that wrong, Punishments against Israel for un- cult with life. public Amos stated emphatically that the cult, and there- repentant injustice are spelled out in the ensuing chapters of the book, fore is unless it is rooted in the of religion, meaningless doing justice. especially through the literary genre of vision. Amos’ theological commentary on the mixture of politics and religion The link between justice and cult is not unique to Amos, In fact, is most in his treatment of and the cult as aptly expressed justice found it is a theme not uncommon among the pre—exilicprophets,‘ Perhaps in 5:21-24. the closest parallel to Amos 5:21-24 is found in Isaiah “til-15.5 This In order to understand Amos’ prophetic message regarding poli- parallel indicates a certain constancy of concern about the significance tics and this will focus on where religion, essay 5:21-24, justice, be- of the justicecult issue emerging in the prophetic message. cause of its social nature, represents politics, and the cult (ritualized What stands out above all in Amos 5:21-24 is the notion that the interaction between a and its deity people) represents religion. The first rejection stated in verses 21-23 is not of the cult itself, but of its abuse. of the discussion deals with the cult and as part memory its catalyst, It is an oracle in the first person where Yahweh, in no uncertain terms, and with the “Between Time” as the framework for the doing of jus- spells out for Israel the real nature of the relationship between politics tice. The second discusses the Latino part experience of religiosidadpopu- and religion, or, in other words, the distinct correlation between the lar and its relationship to Amos and justice. treatment of people with what and how one believes. The verbs used in verses 21-23 very emphatically state dissatisfac- tion with the cult as rendered" In Yahweh’s of the cult Amos 5:21-24 fact, rejection is expressed in terms of its unacceptability to the senses that under- a scores, in a somewhat fashion, the of the sin While forming distinct unit of their own, these verses closely re- anthropomorphic gravity of cult abuse. For in verse 21 the verb translated as “take late to the rest of the book and may even be said to be the center of example, in” to the sense of smell.7 In verses 2223 the the book theologically and textually. From the theological perspective, delight generally applies the early part of the book pronounces divine judgment against Israel's neighbors primarily for sins committed against other nations in war- ‘The various commentaries are quick to point out passages, But one time. parallel is Judah and Israel, must Subsequently, judgment proclaimed against examine these parallels with a critical eye because of the specific Sit: im Mien primarily for sins against their own people (considered far more seri- of each prophet. Worship and cult will be used interchangeably because, for all ous than sins against other nations).3 practical purposes, Israel's worship was through the cult. ‘In particular the vocabulary parallels are highlighted by Shalom Paul, Amos (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 1991) 189. This work has a very usetul and extensive bibliography (299—367). 2For a historical and socioeconomic reading of Israel during Amos’ time, see 6Most likely as celebrated at , a key northern sanctuary. ln verse 21 the John Bright, A History of Israel, 3d ed. (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1981); Philip verbs translated as “hate” (or) and "despise" or "reject" (ms) have cognates in 1. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah: Au ArchaeologicalCommentary(Philadelphia: WestmjnA Ugaritic and Akkadian that convey an equal intensity of feeling. See Paul, Amos, ster, 1988) gives a good summary of the archaeological evidence of the period, evi- 189, mm 8, 9. This notion of Yahweh’s rejection (m'sl of anything is, as a rule, the dence that substantiates Amos‘ critique of the extensive economic disparities reaction of Yahweh having been rejected by the people (l Sam [5:23; Hos 426;). between rich and poor. See also Theodore H. Robinson, Prophecy and the See Hans Walter Wolff, Mel and Amos (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977) 262. A in Ancient Israel (London: Gerald Duckworth, 1960) 60‘71. more technical treatment of Amos 5:2'1‘24 from a prosodic perspective can be found 3T his is so because of the sense of community and of oneness as God’s people in F, 1. Andersen and D. N. Freedman, Amos (New York: Doubleday, 1989) 523“), that made every miscarriage of justice against a fellow Israelite a crime against a 7Here it is the first person singular of the verb nah. See also Gen 8:2l; Exod iamin member. 30:38; Lev 26:31; 1 Sam 26:19. 24 C. Gilbert Romero Amns 5:21-24: Religion, Politics, and the Latino Experience 25 verbs “to look and “listen/"l round favorably” out the sensory basis tion of covenant as codified at Sinai. The Sinai covenant demanded for the assault. Even the list of modes mentionedlo worship indicates a responsibility for the other. This meant that in Israel every expres- the of the and thus totality worship experience, relationship, between sion of cultic worship was to have an ethical dimension, even if it were Yahweh and the people that is jeopardized by cult abuse. The abuse merely the ritualized reaffirmation of the covenant relationship itself of the cult is no periodic peccadillo: it is serious business with serious with implied loyalty to that relationship. consequences. While the Sinai covenant established a sense of responsibility for However, it is in verse 24 where for this redemption transgression “the other” (another way of saying “justice”) as the primary dynamic In one of the transpires. most potent of prophetic images, Amos paints of Israel's relationship with God, the reaffirmation of that relationship with a fine brush on the canvas of his audience’s imagination a pic- became a kind of mantra in her cult}2 It can be said that Covenant re- ture of as it justice ought to be related to the cult. newal was an ongoing concern of Israel's cultic celebrations. Even the important feasts of Weeks (Pentecost) and Ingathering (Booths) may Cult be said to be celebrations of covenant renewal.13 In fact, “the ceremony of covenant renewal may well have been celebrated more regularly in North Israel than in It is a truism to state that the need to celebrate is one of the most Iudah.”“ human of needs. This need for celebration If this was the case, then Amos’ with Amaziah within a expresses itself in many struggle cultic framework takes on ways, and worship is a common way in which a perceived relation- particular significance (:104’7). Amos, between a his call to within the cult, to be a threat ship people and its god is celebrated. Worship is the meas- by proclaim justice proved to the of Bethel.“ For Amos there was no doubt that ured human response to the sense of the sacred that people experience Amaziah, priest the cult was framed in in their lives in relationship with a deity. Cult is the specific ritualized covenant terms, which involved the doing of form that the response often takes. justice.16 This particular attitude did not sit well with Amaziah, who In the case of Israel the two became indistinguishable because cul- tic worship was constitutive of Israel’s identity. Israel was a worship 12In addition to responsibility for one’s fellow human beings and responsibility ing community.” Civilizations other than Israel in the ancient Near to Yahweh through the Sinai covenant, the cult also expressed, at yet another level, East often a particular relation to Creation-e Noachic remnant. “Worship clearly represents celebrated cultically their earthly institutions as having a response to the Holy that is designed, among other things, to ward off the powers heavenly for and But for archetypes, . . . example kingship temple. Israel, oi chaos and destruction, Worship of God, then, offers a means of evoking the cult celebrated a with Yahweh as its personal relationship god. This God’s power to forgive, to restore, to heal a broken humanity and a wounded relationship was forged principally by historical deeds of salvation that earth, And fidelity to God’s will in daily life offers the means for the earth‘s con- elicited a response from Israel to honor the covenant terms of the rela' tinuing fruitfulness and for God’s continuing blessing upon ills people" (Harrelv son, From Fertilin Cull, 13). tionshlp. This, together with an appreciation for creation, to proved “See Harrelson, From Cult, 21. In addition, Passover, later combined be the measure Fertility ongoing of acceptance or of Israel as God’s rejection with the feast of Unleavened Bread, may be said to celebrate God’s covenant rela- The indelible character of that people. relationship is found in the no« tionship with the people because of its salvific origins. With the introduction of the Davidic covenant promises through Nathan (2 Samuel 7), the cultic referent 8Here the first form of “to Hiphil person nbl, behold, regard.” See also Gen of “the chosen one" for special treatment shifted from the people to the monar- 4:45. chy. This had severe political as well as theological and ethical consequences. 9i ierc the verb is ém‘, which is often used in solemn speech between Yahweh “Ibid., 63. and the as in the famous people, prayer of Ben! 614K, “Hear, O Israel.” “Bethel was an important cultic shrine since the time of the patriarchs (Gen 1"For discussion of their meaning and significance see Paul, Amos, 189—92;Wolff, 28:10-22), and its significance perdured throughout the period of the northern and 1081 Amos, 261—4; and James L. Mays, Amos (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1969) kingdom. 10643. Both Paul and the of Mays emphasize significance relationship in cult, which u’R. E. Clements argues persuasively for a direct linkage between cult and cove- can have disastrous results when severed. nanl in Prophecy and Covenant (London: SCM, 1965) 86—107, especially 94ft. Regard- “For an incisive of the nature and interpretation significance of Cult in Israel’s ing Amos he says, "The very foundation of Israelite life was its covenant relationship see Hans Joachim in Israel Va: history Kraus, Worship (Richmond, John Knox Press, to Yahweh, which was affirmed through certain cultic rites. . . . These prophets 1966); Walter Harrelson, me Cult to York: Fertility Worship(New Doubleday An- lAmos and Hosea], by rejecting the sacrificial worship of the shrines did so on chor, Of the 1970). two, Harrelson’s work is the more helpful overall not only for account of the failure of such cult to accord with the nature and demands of the its historical but perspective, also for its theological insight. covenant. The prophets, and not the cult of the sanctuaries, made known the true 26 C, Gilbert Romero Amos 5:21.24; Religion, Politics, and the lttlim) Experienw 27 was a strict of institutions.17 In this preserver mentality, preservation concern of God performing salvific deeds on behalf of the people. Sav- of the institution took over for the individual priority justice when- ing events that occurred long ago, such as the Exodus, continued to ever there was a conict between the two. A latent motif in this situa- take place with each succeeding generation,” And it is the memory, tion of conflict was the and between perceived practiced polarity the usually in cult and always in awareness of covenantal relationship, that Sinai covenant focused on the of individuals in (which community rela- served as catalyst for the ongoing process.21 to and the Davidic covenant focused on tionship Yahweh) (which the Concerning the text from Amos under discussion, verses 21-23 institution of the in monarchy relationship to Yahweh). remember the time when cultic ritual and sacrifice were completely acceptable to Yahweh. The factor of injustice as rationalized through the cult 2:8) elicits the intense reaction from Yahweh Memory (63, negative described earlier. Within the cultic framework, the memory of the good of Memory is another crucial element in understanding the relationv is marred by the doing of the bad. The doing injustice is incom- with the of cult, if the former tends to be ship between cult and justice. It had an important function in the cult patible rendering especially the as seems to be the case in Amos 52210.3. when viewed as expressive of the Sinai covenant relationship. That legitimated by latter, There is also the issue of the relation between time function is the remembering, the making present, of the deity’s sal— chronological and and the role of in both. vific action, forged in relationship, on behalf of the community. The redemptive history memory Chronologiv cal time for lsrael is the lived of a at a certain key process of making present in cult through memory is called “re— experience reality point a and it becomes time premeritation.“‘H This process of representation combines the dimenv along temporal continuum, redemptive through of the to be obedient to her tradiA sions of past, present, and future in a unitary experience. The collec‘ generational acceptance challenge tions, the Sinai covenant, This is evident in tive memory of the faith community, exercised in the context of the principally particularly 3:1ff., where is made to the of the formative cult, served as the catalyst for the coalescence of past, present, and appeal people’s memory and events of Exodus and the Sinai covenant. But because of future. The experience becomes a kind oi “eternal now/’1" saving the are This to re- The case of Israel serves as a model for us. In Israel’s perspective injustices people promised punishment. challenge can be the cult even when done there was only one redemptive history: it was the ongoing care and spond expressed intentionally through through the literary genre of irony and hyperbole, as in :4—5 where the invitation to the BethellGilgal sanctuaries is made. activates the actualization which “is the will of Yahweh” (87, 99). “The condemnation ot the cult lay not in the tact of its Memory process, process existence, but in the fact that it had abandoned the covenant tradition of lsrael’s by which a past event is contemporized for a generation removed in past” (100). On the same subject see Arvid S. Kapelrucl, Central Ideas in Amos (Oslo: time and space from the original event.”22 The contemporization oc- Oslo University, 1961) 48ft, esp. curs when possibilities for decision making are presented For example, "Such as temple and monarchy, which Amos did not support without some Amos has Yahweh presenting to lsrael the consequences of its behavior qualifications. For an insightful treatment of the pol'tical and religious implications and some alternatives to those in 4 and 5. ol the Amos»Amaziah confrontation, see Francisco GarciaTreto, “A Reader consequences chapters Response Approach to Prophetic Conflict; The Case of Amos 7:10.17,” The New Amos 4:7-11 underscores Israel’s hardness of heart. in spite of vari» Literary Criticism and the Hebrew , ed, ]. Cheryl Exurn and David Clines (Valley ous punishments by Yahweh in chronological time, lsrael refused to Forge, Pan Trinity Press International, 1993) 114—24, mOr what in the technical literature of a generation ago was called Vergegen- uwlirligung.Sec Martin Noth, “The ’Re-i’resentation' of the in Procla- W’The chronological position of the Exodus in lsrael's history remained fixed mation,” Essays on Old Testmnmi Hermeneutics, ed. Claus Westermann (Richmond, 0250 B,c,E,?), but its quality as redemptive event-moot iust meaning econtinued Va: John Knox Press, 1966) 76-88. For Noth, “representation” occurred in the to rcverberate in the life of the people.” Brevard Childs, Memory and Tradition in context of the cult. See also Tradition and Theologyii the Old Testament, ed. Douglas lsmvl, Studies in Biblical Theology 37 (London: SCM, 1962) 84. Knight (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977). The idea is to make present for the 2"’Mcmory plays a central role in making Israel constantly aware of the na- current the that is the generation "reality" usually salvific experience of the origi» ture of God’s benevolent acts as well as of her own covenantal pledge” (Childs, nal the community by god in covenant relationship, and made new by each sub- Memory and Tradition, 51). Also see ll. Eising, “zukm,” TheologicalDictionary Gillie the sequent generation through participatory experience of cult. Old Testament, ed, H. Ringgren (Grand Rapids, Mich : Eerdmans, 1980) 4;64«82. “Much the same lines as discussed Mircea along by Eliade, The Sacred and the 22Childs, Memoryand Tradition, 85. From a cultic perspective, this is the prin- York: Brace and World, 88-94, Profane (New Harcourt, 1959) 68413, esp. cipal function of memory. 28 C. Gilbert Romero Amos 5:21.24: Religion, Politics, and the latino Experience 29 participate in redemptive time by rejecting covenant responsibility. The Admittedly, Childs’ theory could wreak havoc with the "brute severity of this response may be reected in the use of the divine war- tact“ school of history, since there is virtually nothing to substantiate rior motif in 4:13 ("Lord god of hosts”), which has a distinct castiga- beyond doubt events that occurred in the Old Testament. But what flavor. In 5, alternatives are tory chapter provided presenting hope ever direction the discussion goes, this theory does give value to wit- These alternatives. are bolstered first Arnos’ (5:43, 1445). positive by ness, reinforced by memory, which, in turn, gives support and reversal of the of the of meaning Day Yahweh, from delight to destruc- credence to the traditions that were the basis of Israel/s belief. tion (5:18-20), and second by the positive image of justice as owing Those traditions deriving from the Sinai covenant that had ethical water The cultic context of 5:2]~24 allows for the actualization (5:24). implications deserved to be remembered from generation to genera- of and decision process contemporizing making through memory’s tion, since they were so formative for the people. As a preserver of active recollection of from redemptive history chronological history, such traditions, the cult thus became a framework for the renewal of those decision based on providing making possibilities covenant reA commitment to those covenant traditions. In so doing the ethical sponsibilities. dimension of the covenant became inexorably linked to the cult. Brevard Childs a on when proposes significant perspective memory Deepening our understanding of memory helps us to realize its he that in the Old Testament there is no says "original event,” merely impact not just on cult, but on other aspects of behavior as well. For various witnesses to an event. Some witnesses are closer chronology example, Childs underscores the active aspect of memory with effect to the than others and so remember it more cally original happening on behavior.“ On a higher plane, the nuancing between God’s remem- In of our strongly. light this, question concerning remembered tradi— bering and Israel’s remembering remains critical: these were ongoing tions should be not how do interpreted events relate to "objective reciprocal activities based on mutual commitment. As Childs puts it: event," but, rather, how do the successive interpretations of an event

. in terms of God’s a relate to the primary witness of that event?23 This posing of the ques~ memory Time'sequence plays secondary role. . . , His {God’s} is not conceived of as an actualiza- tion is more an issue of reliable memory than of objective fact. It ap- remembering tion of a event in rather, event stems from the eter- pears that in the Old Testament context witness is the only access to past history; every nal of God. from Israel’s of view is each the original event and is remembered and reinterpreted by succeed- purpose Only point remembrance past. God's memory is not a rte-Creating of the past, but a continuation ing generations, which makes the value of memory in interpreting and of the seltsame purpose. . . . His [God‘s] memory includes both the reinterpreting the testimony of the various series of witnesses exceed» great deeds of the past as well as his continued concern for his people ingly important. in the future.25 We may suppose that Amos saw himself as heir (contemporary to the of tradition of the witness) ongoing testimony living primary On the other hand, Israel’s memory involves each generation’s par- witnesses to the events of Exodus and original Sinai, formative events ticipation in the recollection of the traditions that elicited a decision in the life of the Israelite people. Subsequent generations recalling these in obedience to the dictates of the covenant This dynamic functions events were actually witnessing to their own commitment to accept as the ongoing redemption first experienced by the ancestors. Through the of the that the conviction ear- fidelity tradition, is, positive of the the cult, each new generation in chronological time was challenged lier witnesses. This commitment was made and ritualized the through to enter redemptive time. In other words, sacred time and sacred space cult. So, in the case of Amos 4—5 we have a situation where response (cult) allowed for a dynamic quality in history, which made the wor- to the consequences and alternatives presented by Yahweh to Israel depended on how the people valorized earlier witnessing to the sav- events of Exodus and Sinai. ing (redemptive time) especially Obviously, 2‘ln the sense that in Creek the verb “to remember" (mimn’eskomai) sometimes some would the earlier witness value and to an depreciate (consequences) refers action; for example, to "remember" one’s parents means to take care choose injustice, while others would take seriously the earlier witness- of them, and to “remember” the dead means to bury them (Childs, Memory and ing (alternatives). Tradition, 25). “livid, 42. With regard to the deity's remembering it is important to distin- guish here between memory and myth. Myth is the past harmonized to conform to the present, whereas memory is the present related to the past. In cult there 23lbid. is often a confusion between the two. 30 L", Gillwt Romero Amos 5:21~24: Religion, Politics, and the infirm Experience 31 in in “for shiper's ongoing participation redemptive history,“ effect, This Between Time activated by the use of symbols means that the the Old Testament, is conceived of as from redemptive history resulting quality of the Between Time will depend on the nature and function God’s action and Israel's response/’27 of the symbols utilized. For a symbol to be fruitful30 it must be deriva- tive from the culture in which it is used In sum, cult is the context Thu “Between Time" of chronological history interacting with redemptive history. The reac' tualization of redemptive history is done by memory, which also al« lows for future The discussion of memory in cultic worship has served to call our possibilities for ethical choices (consequences and attention to the matrix of chronological time and redemptive time, alternatives) The Between Time, expressed symbolically, is the cultic fusion with which is the point of ethical decision making. This matrix is the mo~ present’s the "no longer" of the past and the “not yet” ment at which chronological time becomes redemptive time, It is the of the future, where a choice is made to participate positively in the period when the individual is presented with consequences and alter- redemptive history or not. Ultimately, the choice made is one with natives to certain ethical choices and decides in favor of one over an- definite social and ethical implications. other: This matrix is the moment of ethical choice when the past and In the case of Amos 5:21.24, the time for decision making, the time for the shift the future momentarily fuse into the present, it is this matrix that we from chronological time (sins of injustice committed against call the “Between Time.”28 the neighbor) to redemptive time (the doing, of justice), is presented Within the framework of cult the Between Time is actualized by way of the symbol of rolling water in verse 24‘ The symbol of roll. through the use of symbols. it is the imagination that sets the sym~ ing water marks the Between Time when Israel’s memory is challenged bolic world into motion, thus making possible for the worshiper not to recall the reasons for the repudiated cult (it was not always so), and only a representation of past salvitic events by God on behalf of the to choose the reestablishrnent of covenant relationship through the people, but also a pledge of hope for future continuity of that selfsarne doing of justice, salvific activity, The covenant relationship of mutual responsibility with the awareness of the “no coupled past (the Ionger”)-present- lusticc future (the “not yet”) continuum makes for the moment of choice, the of ethical decision point making.“ We see that Amos is very comfortable in the cultic context"1 and so frames much of his message from that perspective.32 And the mes- 2t’ln the words of (Thilds, “God remembers Israel and lsrael remembers God‘— sage that is most prevalent in Amos, from the cultic perspective, is the Same verb is usedand so God's action and Israel’s response belong together.” the need for the doing of justice, It be said that the of “The redemptive events of israel’s history do not come to rest, but continue to might doing is the central theme of Amos' and that its meet and are contemporary with each new generation” (Memory mid Tradition, 83), justice message relationship Norman l’orteous supports Childs’ position in this regard: "In memory each new generation in Israel was able to reinterpret the formative events of her history as the God of the Covenant er to new obedience" l’orte- living challenge (Norman ing with the Between Time it is important to bear in mind that its culric context ous, “Actualixation and the L cism of the the Prophetic Cult,” Living Mystery, gives it its quality of sacrality as redemptive time. collected [Oxford Basil Blackwell, 1967] essays 139) 3"To be “fruitful” here means the eymbol's ability to be generative of and 89, meaning 27Childs, Memory Tradition, for subsequent generations. 2“There are some similarities to Gadamer's oi horizons and the theory Concept "l'lenning Graf Reventlow sees Amos’ natural “home” in the cult as the con- of Zwischcnzeii, popular with German scholars in the first half of this How- text of covenant ritual Am! century (D125 {125 Profetm be: Amos, Forschungen 1.ur Religion ever, l am more indebted to the of the Ernst Bloch for insights philosopher my und Literatur des Alien und neuen Testaments [Gottingenz Vandenhoeck & discussion at the Between Time, especially his treatment of the “not (Much Scandinavian yet" Ruprecht, 1962) iii). scholar Arvid Kapelrud concurs by classifying nicht), See Bloch, Man on His Own (New York: Herder and Note Herder, 1970). Amos as among the nqdm, those with special relationship to the temple (Central especially the foreword by Harvey (fox (7—48)and the introduction by Jiirgen Molt- Ideas, 576). mann for an look into Bloch’s (19—29) insightful thought “We can see, for example, the various references to and inferences from the 2"When i speak ot covenant or covenant tl is the Sinai covenant cult in various of responsibility parts the book. For example, at the outset Amos appears to frame to I am its which referring because of twofold characteristics ot bilateralism and his entire within a message cultic context when he has Yahweh speaking the en. in the thus conditionality expressed Decalogue, making personal responsibility for suing words of judgment from (1:2), See also references in 3:14; 4:45; one's neighbor a significant factor in relationship with God. Furthermore, in deal. 5:5, 21~27; 8:104], and especially 911-8. 32 C. Gilbert Romero Amos 5:2}24: Religion, Politics, and the lutirm Experience 33 with the cult is crucial both for effective justice and for meaningful wholeness, and right relationship—much along the lines of the theo- cult.“3 logical meaning of shalom,“ As wholeness, integrity, and right rela- of which Amos 5:24 as the axial What is the justice speaks? Using tionship, shalom bespeaks a certain basic orderliness among people. we the word trans- verse of the entire book note several things. First, When we consider the particular prophetic notion of justice as order with lated as “justice” is mspt, and it is paired sdqh, which is usually liness (shalom), right relationship between two parties (in Amos’ case translated The serves to focus "righteousness/’3" pairing generally between Yahweh and Israel), then it is easy to see how the transition attention on the significance of mspt as justice. Rather than understand— into the world of symbolism takes place. It is the symbol, with its poly- ing a juridical meaning for the idea of justice it is more accurate to at valence, that can describe the nature of the right relationship, or the a relational dimension to Amos’ of the tribute understanding concept.35 condition of justice, at any given moment. This would keep all discussion of justice in the realm of ethics and cove- Amos 5:24 uses the powerful image of water to speak of justice. nant responsibility, That is to say, the orderliness of right relationship between Yahweh An understanding of justice in Amos as relational reality would and his people is represented by a gushing stream: “But let justice automatically expand its meaning to include the idea of integrity, [ms'pt] roll down like waters, / and righteousness [sdqh] like an ever- t'lowing stream." The poetic device of synonymous parallelism under~ 33This combining of justice and cult in Amos brings into locus his combination scores the connection between the ethical sense of justice (right of politics and religion as it relates to ethical behavior. See Norman Porteous, “The the of waters and the cult as the Basis of the Ethical Teaching of the Prophets,” Studies in Old Testament Prophecy, relationship) through symbol rushing ed, ll, ti. Rowley (Edinburgh: T d: T Clark, 1957) 143-36, More concretely, Walter framework for the motivation to do justice (5:21—23). Brueggemann sees prophetic faith following the Mosaic tradition of presenting a The symbol of water reaches deeply into the collective memory of a tree mixed with a of and That is to religion of god politics justice compassion. Israel in order to show both its chaotic and constructive sides.37 But say, the Mosaic/prophetic faith sees Yahweh as not bound to a static state reli- it is the prophetic imagination that gives the symbol its meaning. It gion, but tree and in relation to a people who responds to oppression by the pro— is the that the the motion of justice and compassion, Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination prophet’s imagination plumbs possibilities, signifi- (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1978) 16-20. cant alternatives to the current situation of tension. Walter Bruegge- 3‘Much has been written about both terms. However one wants to nuance it, mann cites Latin American theologian Rubem Alves for the classic a to their which is connected with there is clearly strong ethical dimension use, explanation of prophetic imagination: "The practice of imagination is the Sinai covenant. “In 5:24 justice and righteousness are held up as opposite to a subversive activity not because it yields concrete acts of defiance what the people are doing. But no definition is given; Amos seems to consider it but because it the and re that unnecessary. , . , It is not clear how Amos uses MlSPAT and SEDAQA here, (which may) keeps present provisional but the terms seem to have a rather wide meaning. As he has just mentioned the fuses to absolutize it.”35 behavior of the people it is likely that also justice and righteousness may here be used to characterize the behavior Yahweh expected from his people” (Kapelrud, Central Ideas, 65). 35The relational perspective of justice is more in keeping with Amos’ use of 30john Durham discusses various meanings of shalom, allowing for a compati- Sinai covenant thinking and his ethical focus. One of the major prophetic strands bility between shalom and mislzpatwithout specically saying so. Durham, “Shalom of theological givens is that Yahweh and lsrael are in special relationship, which (D15?!)and the Presence of God,” Proclamation and Presence, ed. }. Durham and is why any violation of that relationship is taken so seriously, “But it is Israel itself 1, Porter (Richmond, Va: )ohn Knox Press, 1970) 27233, especially 286i}, who has broken the Covenant: it is forgotten or it is not understood that Yahweh 37For example, the waters of the flood (Genesis 6'9), the crossing of the Yam like El has ethical demands to which his followers had to adhere. have been They Sui during the Exodus (Exodus 15), crossing the lordan (loshua 3) were all both a ancient ethical living in changing society without realizing that the obligations destructive and constructive. On the themes of order and chaos in Amos see Daleye were valid also under new circumstances” (Kapelrud, Central Ideas, 48). Kapelrud Heynes, “lo the Face of Chaos: Border Existence as Context for Understanding on in goes to say that because of the stress on doing justice Amos. sacrifices were Amos,” Old Testament Essays 6 (1993) 72-89. For an alternative position to the one considered useful but not necessary. In fact, moral conduct was the norm for the presented here, see Ion L. Berquist, “Dangerous Waters of justice and Righteous- divinehuman relationship (ibid., 80ft.) The work of Hemchand Gossai, lustice, ness: Amos 5:18—27," Biblical TheologyBulletin 23 (1993) 54«63. and Hm Social the Uni~ Righteousness, Critique of Eiglztli~CenturyProphets (American “Brueggernann, The Prophetic Imagination, 119, n, 'l. Brueggemann places the and New York: is a com— versity Studies Vlll: Theology Relig’on, Lang, 1993) 141, issue more forcefully, “it is the vocation of the prophet to keep alive the ministry and Gossai maintains that both terms are of a prehensive study of silk mspl. of imagination, to keep on conjuring and proposing alternative futures to the single and thus form a basis for the social of relationshipcrionted nature, critique eighth one the king wants to urge as the only thinkable one. indeed, poetic imagination rice. is the last left in which to and conict the dominant century prophets, woy challenge reality" (ibid ,, 45), 34 C. Gilbert Romero Amos 5:21-24: Religion, Politics, and the Latina Experience 35

That is to the future alternatives that are say, imagination provides an ethically-based alternative, showing that now, in the Between "lime, not a continuation of the This is the present. provision possibility of once-chaotic waters could become redemptive as the rolling, flowing, something new, of something that may be referred to as the “libera- moving, active waters of justice. This justice is nothing less than the tive dimension of the present.” In effect, through the use of the sym— affirmation of the right relationship with Yahweh, which implies right bol the prophet probes the polyvalence of its semantic field, comes into relationship with the neighbor (the promotion of the shalom oi “the contact with certain of historical aspects memory, and gives an interpre other”). This reaffirmation of shalom occurred within the context of cult. tation or a into new reinterpretation something that is distinctively In Amos, ethics and relational concerns are the point of conver- different from the The horizon of is ex- present. possibilities greatly gence of religion and politics (justice and cult). For lsrael at the time panded. of Amos the most significant relationship was with Yahweh in cove- For Amos the of water became a symbol powerful tool for testing nant, and it is the echoes of the Sinai covenant that we see in 5:24 that Israel’s sense of ethical in responsibility. its collective memory Israel give the relationship between religion and politics (cult and justice) experienced water as punishment (ood—Genesis 6—9)and redemp- its strong ethical dimension. in the framework of cult, in the context tion the sea in Exodus But it was the of (crossing 15). memory the of the Between Time, Amos 5:24 uses the conditional language of cove- of the waters that remained most redemptive aspects strongly, hence nant ("if . . . then”) to propose an ideal combination of politics and constant reference to the Exodus as motive for behavior. So right when religion: if there is to be a valid cult, then it must be accompanied by in the face of and Amos, multiple agrant injustices,39 utilized the sym- the doing of justice Bruce Birch states the case quite succinctly: “Is- bol of water, he reminded his listeners of its destructive aspect (espe~ rael itself did not make sharp separations between the cultic and the as at creation when as the chaos Out of cially proposed motif). watery ethical, and the numinous character of God’s holiness is as important chaos God order brings (Can 1:22). to the explicit moral and ethical references as to the cultic.”“ In a cultic context, Amos 921-8 the to be meted presents punishment Let us now turn our attention from Amos to a contemporary rev out to Israel the of water. :3 through symbol appeals to the ality where Amos’ perspective could prove quite useful: the Latino of the destructive chaos of creation myth dragon residing in the pri' experience of religiosidudpopular or devotional piety. meval waters (Leviathan). Verses 4-6 are Cosmic in their scope as the waters of chaos symbolically promise to become the instrument of The Latino punishment for a sinful Israel, These are the same waters of chaos that Experience: Religiosidad Popular destroyed a sinful people at the time of Noah (Genesis 6—9).But these The experience of religion and politics is a universal human waters are not only destructive, they are redemptive as well. phenomenon that goes back to the very origins of human history. The Amos’ prophetic imagination plumbs the people's memory with underlying question has been, and continues to be: how does one relate regard to the symbolic power of water in order to propose an alterna- belief in deity, with all its ramifications, to one’s daily life? The Latino tive, evoking water’s redemptive aspects,” As Amos did with the sym- experience, particularly in the United States,42 has been a history of bol of the Day of Yahweh earlier (5:18-20) so also with the symbol of an infelicitous mixture of religion and politics, The Latino religious water (5:24), the symbol is reinterpreted by reversing a current con- reality has been more a matter of personal beliefs deeply ingrained in notation. ln Israel’s memory, the waters of chaos were destructive of cultural categories than of any dogmatic system of credal formulae en- the right relationship that existed with Yahweh. Amos 5:24 presents cased in Mediterranean or European paradigms.

“According to Abraham l'leschel the prophets have a keen sensitivity to evil so that even minor injustices assume cosmic proportions (Heschel, The Prophets “Bruce C Birch, Lrl justice Roll Down: The Old Testament, Ethics and Christian York: 48: [New Harper Row, 1962] 1:4) This may help to explain why Amos uses Life(Louisville, Ky: Westminster/john Knox Press, 1991) 151. More than any other such strong language and why injustice is seen in such cosmic terms contemporary biblical scholar Birch has demonstrated the ethical dimensions of “Exodus references in :1 and 9:7 are reminders of Yahweh's salvific the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly in collaboration with ethicist tarry Rasmussen. acts on behalf of the people and include implicitly both the covenanting at Sinai “So as not to become needlessly embroiled in the semantic war between and the crossing of the Yam Sui, which is gloriously celebrated in song in Exodus “Latino” and “Hispanic” 1 will state simply that Latino here has a wider cultural 15. Compare the chaotic and redemptive qualities of water in Amos, e.g., 427-8; and historical reference than Hispanic (which I would restrict to devotional piety 5:8, 24; 8:8, 1143; 9:6. [religiosidad popular] because of its strong and unmistakable inuence from Spain). 36 C. Gilbert Romero Amos 5:21.24: Religion, Politics, and tlw liitino Experivrice 37

The Latino In the first political reality has involved survival as a powerless place, both Amos and rcligiosits‘adpopular deal with God in a where the framework of cultic people society social, political, and economic structures are through worship. The very idea of popular de- often determined others. votion it well within the of what we by Consequently, religion as religiosidizdpopu- places parameters would call wor- lar has served Latinos as a bulwark against the politics of encroachv ship. This means that the divine-human relationship for both Amos ment those and in the context of by reaffirming cultural elements that give people a sense religiosidudpopular, cultic worship, is based on of and a bi-level dignity empowerment. Thus, to speak of the Latino experience interaction, namely, the mundane and the sacral. The mun» in the United States in terms of religion and politics is to speak of the dane level of interaction would include the broad framework of histor- experience of a group of people whose culturally based religious be- ical activity where God may or may not intervene. The sacral level of liefs are their where some primary resource for self-determination in a world of interaction, species of dialogue is undertaken, seeks sig- potential oppression. nificance from what has occurred on the mundane level. This initial Given that religiosidadpopular is the principal culturally based devo» mix of the mundane and the sacral, in the context of cultic worship, tional can be said to expression of religious faith among Latinos, it thus becomes begin the integration process of politics and religion. necessary when confronted with the politics of potential oppression Perhaps the most important aspect of the cultic framework for both to bolster that faith with Amos and is the resources from the wider corpus of Christian religiosidad popular covenant relationship that both the a belief, namely, Bible, it is in this spirit that I propose Amos’ treat- presuppose, relationship that is both bilateral and conditional. We ment of and as note that and are politics religion being of great value for the Latino ex- bilaterality conditionality the chief characteristics of perience of religiosidad popular. the Sinai covenant out of which Amos operated. The two basic conse- quences and implications of this are freedom and mutuality. Freedom for God in this covenant relationship means that God is Amos, Justice, and Religiosidad Popular not domesticated, that is, access to God is not controlled. God is free, not at the heck and call of human official or Amos It may seem at first blush that the pairing of Amos and any authority. religiosidad the cult of his that domesticated the is a bit challenged day In fact, the popular peculiar if not downright impossible, until one has taken deity. reason given by Amaziah for Amos/ from the Bethel sanc- the time to examine carefully the premises of both expulsion regarding politics was that and tuary “it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple” (7:13). religion. The crucial point of contact between the two is the premise There is no doubt that in this case cultic access to God was controlled that relationship with God is predicated on mutual commitment. For the Amos 5:21~24 Amos it is the Sinai by king. challenged this, affirming divine freedom covenant, for religiosidadpopular it is a personal by stating that justice, and not the king, is the means of access to God expression of membership in a community in relation with God based in the cult. the same human freedom is the to on or By token, ability recog- baptism its equivalent. The underlying dynamic of behavior in nize and accept God/s freedom at the moment of encoun~ this covenantsbased relationship between God and God’s is personal people ter.45 In the case of the a religiosidadpopular, devotion itself becomes the primarily behavioral ethic, How does one best or act out a express framework for the divine/ human with God? The encounter, and the recognition and relationship Scriptures provide the fundamental re- acceptance of the fact that God or not answer a makes source of responses for both Amos and religiosidudpopular. may may prayer the devotee free. The “bargaining” element of various devotions is The temptation to use the Bible as a moral guidebook is but strong an of the with actually affirmation freedom of God and the devotee. fraught danger. As Birch clearly states, “Simply put, the Bible means a to and for covenant cannot a Mutuality basically responsibility the be used as prescriptive code book/“‘3 Rather, it must be used The of the Sinai covenant its with other sources of relationship. very structuring through authoritative moral insight.“ Hence, our discus- “if . . , then” is an indication of mutual sion of Amos in relation phrasing commitment be— to justice and popular must be more rcligiosidad tween Yahweh and Israel. From Yahweh’s of the suggestive than determinative. point View, commit— ment is a gratuitous love and loyalty freely given to Israel without any

“Birch, Let Iusticc Roll Down, 32. “The of God’s “The reasons are question “domestication” is dealt with in Birch, Let for this discussed extensively in Birch, Let lustice Roll Down, very ably 30‘46. lustice Roll Dawn, 224—8. This is a good example of the mix of politics and religion. 38 C. Gilbert Romero Amos 5:21—24: Religion. Polilirs, and the Latino Experience 39 merit on its It is in part,“ to this covenant love and a response loyalty, As concrete example, for illustrative purposes, let us take the com- called hosed in the Hebrew text, that Israel the Commandments keeps mon practice of the home altar. Because it is an expression of religiosidad In other words, Israel’s in the covenant is the mutuality relationship popular the devotion of the home altar is an act of cultic worship and promotion of the (shalom) of the the of well~being other, promotion therefore very much a part of religion The moment of encounter be- justice. tween the devotee and God occurs at the altar when a dialogue with Freedom in the covenant makes a human choice relationship pos- God (or a given representative) is begun. The initial state of the ritual sible: whether to or God's own freedom to love accept reject gratui‘ involves memory that “represents” (actualizes) past experiences of means the touslyl Rejection acknowledging “king’s” right to control blessings either personal or familial. Historically, there might have been access to the and thus to set the terms of the deity relationship—as some “unanswered prayers," but the faith quality in the nature of the did Amaziah. of God’s freedom to love means aware Acceptance freely relationship with God is such that the memory of blessings predomi- ness of of and and consequences acceptance rejection choosing the nates. Otherwise, the devotee would not be doing this again and again suitable alternative Amos railed the cultic against practices of his day Memory makes present chronological/redemptive history from the because a of the of the Sinai cove- they implied rejection mutuality past in order for the devotee to make a contemporary decision whether nant Yahweh had become domesticated. relationship: Injustice was or not to make redemptive time out of chronological time This is the and often rationalized the and perpetrated through cult, Yahweh was moment of the Between Time, the moment of the Entretiempo. Will the not allowed to be free, ethical choice be based on the mutuality of the implied covenant rela~ In 5:21-24 Amos clarified the of in covenant implications mutuality tionship or not? The emergence of the Between Time (the Entreliempo) the and of mem- relationship by bringing together power significance actualized through the use of symbol and set in motion by the imagi- ory and within the context of cultic He reminded the symbol worship. nation provides the framework for the proper ethical choice, and thus of the of the covenant people mutuality relationship. Yahweh was faith- makes redemptive time out of chronological time. ful and Israel was not. Israel abused the covenant relationship Through For example, the devotee at the home altar chooses memories of the use of the of water for Amos activated the symbol running justice, past blessings, when prayers were answered, to motivate a current and of memory imagination the in the Between Time of cultic or people dialogue (petition gratitude). There may be a serious problem under in order to worship transform time (historical at the chronological memory consideration moment that only dialogue with God can bring of salvic events) into time to the salvific ex- redemptive (recommit to resolution. It may be personal or family illness or some other debili- perience). tating factor, Entrance into the dialogue provokes a hopefully positive In the case of it as religioside popular is, already indicated, a conv outcome for the devotee, The implied covenant relationship, in the text of worship that means a context for the divine~human encounter framework of memory-induced blessings, favors, or salvil'ic acts, makes and the bivlevel mix of the mundane and the sacred There is an im« possible in the Entretiempo a responsive decision with ethical implica plied covenant based on the Sinai model of conditional— relationship tions. The imagination presents the future hope as an alternative to ity and mutuality, which means that there is a ethical orientation strong the present status of need by proposing symbols to be acted upon in the In other words, there can be no true devotion un- relationship. A frequent symbol in the home altar devotion expressing the hope less there is a concern genuine for the promotion of the of of well-being probable resolution to a problem is the pilgrimage or manda (prom- “the other,” El atro should be a in all the preoccupation ma— a genuinely ise to fulfill pledge) as covenant reciprocity. Pilgrimage is a powerful ture expressions of devotional Whatever the pietyl specific expression symbol with powerful polyvalences. It would not be too great a stretch of rcligiasidadpopular, the dynamics of between God and to relationship see in the pilgrimage the same type of symbolic energy that Amos the devotee remain the same: those the basically suggested by prophet sees in running water." Amos In the context of cultic worship (a specific devotion) there is a divine-human encounter where the presupposition of the relation— "Without digressing into the symbolic significance of pilgrimage, suffice it to ship is one with denite ethical implications, say that just as Amos communicates the importance of running water as a symbol for justice (S:24)—ior example, the Hebrew word 3!! in its Niphal form can have “Amos' fellow northern Hosea prophet spoke very eloquently on this issue. the meaning of “roll on under its own power,” thus indicating an inner force going Hosea 11 remains one of the most rich in the theologically chapters Bible that treat to completion (eg, Isa 55:10~11)—so the pilgrimage can symbolize justice as indi« of Yahweh’s gratuitous love (heard) for his people. cated below in the text, 40 Ct Gilbert Romero Amos 5:21.24: Religion, Politics, and the llmo Experience 41 The or manila has ethical in pilgrimage implications the sense that terpart in the symbolism of the Bible so that it is empowered from (shalom) is The a well-being sought. pastoral agent has unique oppor- within to effect positive change in the life of the believer. lts task is to tunity promote this the into the com, to well-being beyond personal integrate religion and politics. it may not always be successful in munitarian areas of concern of the devotee. The potential is there The this regard, but it will always be significant. of the devotee, from in well-being resulting participation the devotion, The prophet Amos provides a case in point, with his promotion can said be to be on the of others as contingent well-being promoted of justice within the context of the cult, a relationship that can find by the devotee. This is true because of the covenant relation- implied its parallel in religiosidadpopular. The promotion of justice, or the well- ship with God, which has its basis in the of the promotion well-being being of 21 OUT) in the expressions of religiosidadpopular, is a challenge of others. This is a concrete of way promoting justice With his em~ that can be met and that must be met by different entities, from the on the between phasis proper relationship religion and politics as ex~ believer to the pastoral agent to the theologian and biblical scholar and pressed through the Cullic practice and deeds of justice, Amos provides beyond“ a model for religiosidad popular to do likewise.

Conclusion

The mix of and religion politics is an inevitable reality that can have a positive or negative outcome depending on who defines the terms. Institutions dominated by excessive self-interest tend to place religion at the service of politics through a process of symbol manipulation. People for whom religion is a form of selfvatfirrnalion and of achieve~ ment of dignity tend to subordinate politics to religion. For them reli- gion becomes a way of life, a basis for relating to God and others. Consequently, there are of necessity ethical implications in the rela~ tionshipi Politics becomes the arena of public behavior because of its social dimensions. Thus religion and politics are inextricably linked because of the ethiCal implications of relating to God and others in pub- lic situations. Guidance for this ethical behavior is provided by the culturally based value systems of people. Those cultures whose value systems are the Bible shaped by generally tend to look to the Bible for resource material, not the least of which are parallel experiences, For Latinos these parallel experiences are particularly inspirational because of the guidance they can provide. Relating to God in the midst of a variety of and experiences, in reaction to being acted upon by other people, makes for a solemn and intensive search for those parallel experiences that have personal significance. This is one of the major reasons why the Hebrew Scriptures in particular are so appealing to Latin Ameri- can theologians-the parallel experiences of suffering and exile between the Israelites and Latinos are so evident “Though it came to my attention too late to be into this article, A radically based cultural expression of belief for the incorporated religious Pedro laramillo Rivas’ Dz la en el de 105 Latino is injusticia y iipresién lengsze figumdii pmfctas, religiosidudpopular, that of devotional that comes aspect piety lnstitucion San )eronimo 26 (Estella: Verbo Divino, 1992) discusses figurative lan- from cultural consciousness and which finds favor in biblical sym- guage in the prophets who deal with injustice and oppression. The treatment of bolism. A task Amos 5:24 and water crucial for religiosidudpopular is to seek its cultural coun- the symbol of for justice is of particular interest.