The Great Turning by David C. Korten (Part 1)
David Korten, in “The Great Turning” argues that the way of EMPIRE is the organization of society through hierarchy based on violence and power and this has largely held sway in the human race for the past 5,000 years. He traces the roots of EMPIRE to ancient times and charts the evolution of its favored instruments of control to the trans-national institutions of today including those conceived, born, and growing in the United states of America.
Korten documents how elitists with an imperial agenda have consistently sought to undermine and sabotage the bold, noble, and inspiring “American Experiment” with a vision of world domination through the principles of EMPIRE.
Korten argues for an alternative to EMPIRE in what he calls “Earth Community” which is a life-centered, egalitarian, sustainable way of ordering human society based upon democratic principles of partnership, mutual relationship, and cooperation.
My interest in this book is twofold: 1) I am peeling the red, white, and blue flag from around my eyes and seeing some parts of the American dream in fresh light. Some of what I see, I do not like very much, some of what I see looks like EMPIRE as described in this book. 2) Earth Community as described by Korten has a strong resemblance to what I comprehend the words of Jesus to mean when He talks about the Kingdom of God on earth.
As a Christian guy of 41 years old, I am trying to experience more fullness in my walk with God. I want more than personal holiness and a list of do’s and do not’s. I want to understand and live out the societal implications of Jesus’ ministry as they are told through the pages of scripture. This book is helping me to do that and I hope that you will join me in the dialogue.
Please come along with me in the journey,
scott
January 29, 2009 at 8:39 am
It has been a couple of years since I read this book and I am still affected by the stirings and dis-content caused in me through this read.
I have just re-read the prologue and my quick observation is that I am reminded how much this book messed with my politics especially in an economic sort of way.
pg 13 “In simplest terms, the theory underlying corporate-led economic globalization posits that human progress is best advanced by deregulating markets and eliminnating economic borders to let unrestrained market forces determine econmic priorities, allocate resources, and drive economic growth.” — this was my way of thinking as a red-blooded, white, American; waiving the republican party flag.
I don’t think that the alternative is as simple as becoming a red-blooded, white, guilt ridden, American; waiving the democrat party flag.
The alternative is becoming something much more. something fundamentally different than either of the above options. I find myself drawn to something far more revolutionary, something far more radical, and something far more Biblical than either the republicans or democrats are offering me…i think.
Read this book with an eye on the page and an ear toward the words of Jesus in the Gospels, especially as they relate to the Kingdom of God on earth.
I will venture on to chapter 1 this weekend.
scott
January 29, 2009 at 8:41 am
No doubt that this book is a direct shot at how I was raised and have traditionally believed. The idea of Empire is something that has been an underlying principle that has determined my path through my life and certainly leads to a ethical dilemma from time to time.
The thing that jumped out at me in the prologue is the need for an authentic community and authentic relationships to help you experience life to its fullest. This is certainly the driving principle in Jesus’ teachings and life. It is an interesting contrast between what Jesus taught (not that Korten has mentioned Jesus once so far, but rather the lense through which I am reading) and what we are raised in as red blooded Americans. My first thought is that there has to be some sort of compromise or middle ground where you can have an authentic experience in an Empire society… or maybe that is my hope b/c I don’t see any real changes in our society in my lifetime, yet long for the authentic experience.
I just finished the first chapter and there were several things I underlined and took note of:
P. 35 speaking to the Social Pathology of Empire – It creates “incentive to win by any means and exert a strong downward pressure on ethical standards”. This is particularly disconcerting to me b/c even in my small company I can see how I am a part of an Empire model. Though I may not want to be and make an effort not practice those things in my day to day activities and interactions, I still do. I wonder how and if the alternative is possible in this environment and if I can be successful (measured by promotion, etc) while trying to go my own way and employ earth community principles in my interactions.
P. 36 he speaks about those kings who were mature and sensible would actually lose to those less mature and power hungry due to their desire to live in Earth Community. This would indicate that my previous question is answered in the negative.
p. 38-39 he begins to talk about how man is the “architecht of our own nature” and how we determine what our existence will be. This reminds me a little of the matrix and something I would like to delve into deeper. The principle is simple enough but it seems there may be more to this, beyond controlling your emotions and deciding how to respond to a given situation, etc.
Sorry for the sporadic thoughts and lack of cohesion, but I wanted to get something back to you to begin the conversation.
Let me know what you think.
-drew
January 29, 2009 at 8:47 am
Drew,
Thanks for the thoughts. I too long for authentic community; defined and measured in terms of mutually uplifting and satisfying relationships over the power based relationships. I also feel your dismay that, in my lifetime, significant global change will not be evident. There is a sense of hope however, that maybe in some small way, guys like you and I can plant a seed of difference for the next generation.
Let me comment on your comments at this point and I hope to fuel the fire with new thoughts later today.
p 35 Social pathology of empire: It seems to me that the very foundation of our American way is indeed the way of empire. It is all we know as a people and products of the empire. We are taught to be individualistic, to be self-starters who get all we can get, keep all we can get, and spend as much as we can to get the stuff we want. We tend to achieve all we can achieve, and to measure success primarily in monetary terms, but mostly for our individualistic lives and not for the good of the community.
In reality there is little done in the way of community based relationships as part of the Empire. Most of our relationships in empire are based upon grouping people together in sub-groups of some kind (usually racial, religious, or economic subgroups) and hanging with the people most like us who can help us get to the next step of success according to the emperial scoreboard. We have very little if any sense of communitarian responsiblity or guilt. I wonder what it would take for our society to come to a place where we could truly ask forgiveness for “Our sins.” “Our sins”…the collective missing of God’s intended best for us as a people nation?
p36 the idea of mature sensible kings being defeated by ruthless power-hungry kings: I want to talk about this more later, but for now the most troubling conclusion in my mind is that we must, as a nation, be willing to be defeated in order to lead by example in the Jesus Way Kingdom. Jesus did not have to lose His life on the cross. He could have called an army of angels and smote them all in the fury of God.…but he did not, instead He stood in active defiance of empire (forgive them for they know not what they do) with the full hope of eventual victory through peace and a better Way.
Thanks for the conversation. I know that you are busy and I know that this conversation is probably way too big and theory based to be of any actual/practical use at this point in our lives. But someday soon, i hope that through this type of dialogue we will become even more mature and even more useful in the Kingdom even in day to day practical ways.
scott