Q&A: Michael Rhodes shares about life in NZ and his new book on Biblical politics

Over five years on staff, Michael Rhodes contributed immensely to Advance Memphis. A Bible scholar and longtime South Memphis resident, Rhodes helped shape Advance into what it is today with his infectious joy and passion for this neighborhood.

We recently got to catch up with Michael about his new book, Reimagining Biblical Politics: What Scripture Says About Public Life and Why It Matters, and his time in New Zealand.

The conversation below has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Advance Memphis: What’s the short version of what you’re doing with Urban Neighbours of Hope?
Michael: We continue to walk the Advance Memphis path as best we can. Our family lives in South Auckland, which is so different from South Memphis in that it’s one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the world. Dozens of languages are spoken in my kids’ public school classrooms. But it’s like South Memphis in that it has beautiful people and has been marginalized economically in a variety of ways. 

We’re part of a community of Christians that’s trying to be good neighbors. The broader organization does some very Advance Memphis-like stuff. For instance, we have some social enterprises that provide employment. But most of what our family is involved with is a Monday evening Bible study that has about eight adults and 30 kids, many of whom have never been to church of any kind. My wife Rebecca has also started a couple of soccer teams and is providing some reading intervention support at our neighborhood school. She’s supporting girls academically and in their relationships with God.

What about at Carey Baptist College?
At the college, my work is really responsible for equipping pastors and Christian leaders here in New Zealand, which is a culture where the Christian faith is in decline by the numbers. I get to teach the Old Testament classes to undergrads, which is really exciting. It’s amazing to see how the Bible continues to transform people's lives if they'll give real time to it. I get a front row seat to that every week.

This year, I also got to give two Easter weekend talks to something like 4,500 teenagers. And, as a guy with a job at a school, I get to write. This summer, I have a new book called Reimagining Biblical Politics: What Scripture Says About Public Life and Why It Matters.

What’s the book about?
Christians are deeply divided about politics and angry at one another, and we are arguably not behaving well in public because of our partisan division and confusion. But we haven't spent very much time looking at what the Bible actually says. When I was living in South Memphis and running into slumlords and violence, I didn’t feel prepared politically as a Christian. This book was a result of my trying to think better about what the Bible says about politics.

So what does the Bible say about politics?
The reality is that the Bible gives a wild, strange, startling chorus of voices that all give us guidance on how to live in relationship with the broader world. That includes Paul’s word on getting along with the authorities, but also the midwives who lie to Pharaoh to save lives. It includes Daniel going to work in Babylon, and also John in Revelation saying God’s people need to get out of “Babylon” so they won’t be punished alongside her. Christians have spent very little time listening to these diverse perspectives. 

The book doesn’t cover any American politics. It’s all politics in the Bible. It gives Christians the opportunity to spend time there and, from that place, try to discern, “What should we do now?”

I can’t wait to read it. How can we be praying for you?
When you are close to people, you bear each other’s burdens, and there are a lot of sad things in the world. This month, our family has been grieved by some hard things happening here among friends, and we’ve also had two friends from South Memphis die in the last month. We’re figuring out how to carry the grief that comes from being in community when there’s pain and suffering. 

We’ll be praying. Thank you for updating us and for your ministry.