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The Politics of Holiness

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Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (1934 -) Projects Sanctification as Virtue and Mission: The Politics of Holiness Nathan Willowby Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Willowby, Nathan, "Sanctification as Virtue and Mission: The Politics of Holiness" (2016). Dissertations (1934 -). 640. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/640 SANCTIFICATION AS VIRTUE AND MISSION: THE POLITICS OF HOLINESS by Nathan Willowby, B.A., M.Div. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2016 ABSTRACT SANCTIFICATION AS VIRTUE AND MISSION: THE POLITICS OF HOLINESS Nathan Willowby, B.A., M.Div. Marquette University, 2016 This dissertation considers the political implications of the doctrine of holiness. I proceed by demonstrating the neglect of holiness in political theology, the viability of the holiness movement as an embodied witness of the political implications of the doctrine of holiness, and a biblical trajectory in Leviticus that extends into the New Testament. I describe this scriptural holiness as vocation for all of God’s people through personal formation and outward societal action to extend God’s holiness. With attention to the approaches of political theology and formation, I demonstrate that the holiness movement of the nineteenth century offers an example of holiness in practice that addresses societal problems (e.g., urban housing crisis, intemperance, and slavery). I then propose three theological issues that undermined the political vision of the holiness movement in the twentieth century. First, the scope of sin narrowed resulting in a less hopeful expectation of sanctification’s power. Second, most of the holiness movement adopted premillennial eschatology, which altered the way it viewed social structures. Third, the holiness movement was marginalized by its theological rejection of the Third Great Awakening, which served to influence religious and civil approaches to social problems in the twentieth century (e.g., the New Deal and Social Gospel). Three case studies (race, global missions, and temperance) demonstrate the influence these respective theological shifts had on social action. I argue that a theological interpretation of Leviticus 17-26 guides the holiness movement to embody the vocation of holiness as an alternative vision to the formation of modern politics regarding social orderings. I extend Israel Knohl’s insight that Leviticus 17-26 responds to prophetic critiques of cultic practices and reconceives holiness to address social challenges. I argue that Jesus picks up this stream when he recites, “love your neighbor as yourself,” and that Christian embodiment of this scriptural holiness sustains the political vocation of holiness in changing contexts (including the modern bifurcation of life into private and public spheres). I conclude that vocational holiness enables a Christian understanding of political community. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Nathan Willowby, B.A., M.Div. First, in as much as this is a project about vocation, I must first acknowledge my gratitude to God who has seen fit to call me to the vocation of studying theology. I strive to serve Christ in all that I do and find great meaning in the sense of vocation that I have been given. Second, I want to thank the formative influences that made this project possible. My parents, siblings, extended family, and friends have encouraged me to use my time, talents, and gifting in a manner oriented to my sense of vocation. They have modeled lives of vocation for me in such a powerful way that I was formed to believe in the power of vocation to direct life towards ends that are determined by God. In a more practical sense, my wife’s parents created a writing space in their home that proved very productive during fall visits in 2014 and 2015. My mother also came to Milwaukee on several occasions to watch my daughter and provide me with additional time to write. Once I began to see my vocation as directed towards serving the church, I found remarkable people ready to help me grow into a life-long pursuit of that calling. My academic journey was guided by my professors at Anderson University, where Fred Burnett, James W. Lewis, and the late Gilbert Stafford helped me to see my calling as appropriately oriented towards research, teaching, and writing that could serve the church. They opened my eyes to the prospect of graduate work beyond seminary. Professor Merle Strege was part of that too, but deserves special mention for the continued mentoring and encouragement that he has offered to me since I left Anderson. iv Professors Douglas Campbell and Stanley Hauerwas at Duke oriented my research interests and gave me the confidence to pursue a Ph.D. Dr. D. Stephen Long has exceeded my expectations of what an adviser would be. He has been gracious with his time, remarkably fast in providing feedback, an inspiration to work hard, and a professor who makes all his students know that he cares for them as people. I would not be the theologian I am today without his influence and I am grateful beyond measure that I have been able to study with him here at Marquette. The Marquette Theology Department has shaped me in further ways. Dr. Sharon Pace guided me into Leviticus scholarship and willingly accepted the role of co-director late in this project. I also appreciate the guidance of Fr. David Schultenover, S. J. who was my academic adviser upon entering the program and continued encouraging me once my file was passed on to Dr. Long. I am also thankful for Dr. Joseph Ogbonnaya and Dr. Mickey Mattox for serving on my dissertation committee, and for their guidance that I expect will come through comments and defense questions. I also want to thank several friends who have been important for my work on this dissertation. First of all, Dr. Jacob Shatzer read much of this project in draft form. His familiarity with William Cavanaugh was helpful as I searched for a particular political theologian to guide my critique of the political action of the holiness movement. More importantly his friendship and accountability have been influential for my formation as a person and scholar. Dr. Brian Sigmon helped me proofread Hebrew, helped me process recent Old Testament scholarship, and read the Leviticus chapter prior to my final draft. Dr. Andy Alexis-Baker helped me work through the vision v analogy I use in chapter one, and I am thankful for his friendship and for regularly stretching my theological imagination to consider issues and questions that I had not previously considered. In addition to my work as a graduate student, I have been honored to serve as the pastor of Crossroads Church of God for the past six years. The people of Crossroads are truly remarkable. They have been gracious and understanding of the demands on my time that doctoral work requires. They embody a political community that is not yet perfect and sometimes shows marks of the state’s formation; however, they consistently blur the categories and combat the polarized ideologies that are so often separate in our present day. Crossroads Church has taught me so much about what it means to strive to be God’s holy people. I love the way they gather many different backgrounds and perspectives together each Sunday morning. I love that I look out from the pulpit at the political community that is Crossroads and know that only Jesus would bring this particular group of people together. They have taught me that we all learn more about ourselves and, more importantly, the God we worship because of our willingness to be in holy mission together. Finally and most importantly I want to thank my wife and daughter. I am so grateful for the way my wife, Jill, has journeyed with me to see this project to completion. I love her immensely and cannot imagine life without her. We have been doing life together since before I was thinking seriously about the relation of political theology to holiness. She has taught me that what I study is important, and yet in order for it to have the impact that I hope my work and research will have for the church, it must be vi communicated by a form of life that makes what I think, believe, and write intelligible. She has selflessly adapted her career and zip code to share in my vocation to the church through seminary, pastoral ministry, and now finally completing this dissertation. I cannot place into words how important her friendship and companionship is to me. I can only hope that I am able to remind her that I am truly grateful daily by the way that we live and seek holiness together. My daughter Emerson entered our life after this project was already underway. But, the bulk of writing happened in time that created separation from her. She has learned to read the signs that daddy is about to “go to work” and graciously says good- bye and joyously welcomes me back home. She profoundly reminds me that time spent with others (and especially time that is often viewed as “wasted”) is formative and meaningful when she requests my presence on the floor to read or play. Her flourishing amazes me and reminds me how important it is for theology to keep the long view of the future in mind. vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1, “Leviticus in a Ring.”………………………………………….…………………...234 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................................vii INTRODUCTION: THE VIRTUE AND MISSION OF HOLINESS ....................................
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