1. Business leaders have a mantra that has yet to be overturned by global-ization-location, location, location. Pick several stories from the gospels that mention a specific location. Find that location on a map. How might the loca¬tion play a part in the story? You might do the same with one of Paul's letters to a community in a city or with the opening section of Revelation. What does a map teach you in each of these cases?
2. The coming of the Roman Empire is the genesis for many stories of power gone wrong. For instance, the Star Wars saga has many affinities with the rise of the Roman Empire. How does Star Wars offer an anti-imperial perspective? Paul seems to do something similar with his letter to the Philippians. How might a Roman official react to that work?
3. Jewish people in Judea and Galilee lived under Roman occupation either directly or indirectly during the days of Jesus. How did Jesus, as a religious leader, react to this occupation? For a comparison, discuss the religious and nationalistic reaction to the entrance into Iraq by U.S. forces.
4. How would you compare the diversity of global Christianity today to the diversity present in the Jewish religious world in the Second Temple period? What characteristics are similar? Which are different? What are the implica-tions of this comparison?
5. Does it matter in what political or cultural context a story is told or a teaching is given? Why do you say so? What difference might the context make?