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Found an interesting link via buddy Clement Wen on Prez Obama’s “favorite philosopher”, Reinhold Niebuhr (h/t cnn.com). The article does a good job summarizing Niebuhr’s practical theology, sometimes called “Christian Realism”, w/o divulging too much of the controversial qualities (alleged Marxism, social gospel – ha! I just did it). But there was one thing I really appreciate about Niebuhr’s approach; as a pastor among Detroit auto factory workers, he wrestled with a religion that was fast becoming bourgeois; that is to say, the intellectual religion of the upper and middle classes. He sought a reversal that was uncommon for his time, re-interpreting the faith for the blue-collar class, for the average midWesterner. He was ascending the commoner; he was the original advocate of “main street”, and while an intellectual, he kept it real. Now the question is, has Obama done the same?

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When I started at Regent I had two interests. One was theology, the other was sociology. The two didn’t get along well and I found (in some circles) that my use of the word “social” could get me branded a heretic. It was in the Trinity that I began to find a marrying of the two, that had really launched my imagination and hopefully more thoughtful application to come. So what do I see in the Trinity? I see a community that is perfect in being, relation and participation.

On a diff note enjoy some Trinitarian humor: http://twitter.com/GodtheFather

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she is beholden to the human man

Wow; what a visually powerful and stimulating movie. The plot however, left me unimpressed: (spoiler alert)

It exuded what some call “white man’s guilt fantasy” pertaining to issues of imperialism / dominance – often bemoaning guilt over treatment of natives, American Indians. As such it was entirely unoriginal in it’s portrayal of the same lead character thus freeing and liberating the natives; why must it always be as such? As if the Last Samurai was not Japanese at all, but a white man who somehow learned the mastery of Japanese swordsmanship in one year. Or Dances With Wolves, he who gains entrance into the tribe, gains an Indian name and becomes the hero at the end. Or Gran Turino, where the embittered war vet somehow saves the day in the end, becoming a true ethnic native; which leads me to ask the question that surreptitiously and predictably pops up in these movies; “what is it that you hate about your own race so much?” which is the question that comes up in Avatar as well as Last Samurai.

I don’t mean to be offensive but find offensive already these cliched themes which if indeed James Cameron is so enlightened, perhaps he would have picked up on these but no; he followed the cliches, hook-line- and stinker. Sure it’s a political movie; no doubt – what bothered me was that it wasn’t socio-political enough; it wasn’t critical enough; it wasn’t thoughtful enough; it just pushed the self-accusatory envelope just far enough to give audiences the junk food they want and then to leave happy that complex social issues were solved because the white man became a native and wins the war for us in the end.

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Whatever happened to “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”?

In light of this, somebody pls deconstruct this (from the NYTimes):

America has a message for the millions of Haitians left homeless and destitute by last week’s earthquake: Do not try to come to the United States.

Every day, a United States Air Force cargo plane specially equipped with radio transmitters flies for five hours over the devastated country, broadcasting news and a recorded message from Raymond Joseph, Haiti’s ambassador in Washington.

“Listen, don’t rush on boats to leave the country,” Mr. Joseph says in Creole, according to a transcript released by the Pentagon. “If you do that, we’ll all have even worse problems. Because, I’ll be honest with you: If you think you will reach the U.S. and all the doors will be wide open to you, that’s not at all the case. And they will intercept you right on the water and send you back home where you came from.”

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In the same vein of the recent post on Haiti, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be charitable without unknowingly oppressively charitable. I’ve had the privilege of meeting Glenn Schwartz, and his entire work seems to be the critique of this oppressive charity that cripples, and I think he’s on to something. My recent musings on the nature of Christ echoes some of these concerns, that sometimes downward mobility does nothing to lift the “downward” up. So I’m hoping he’ll contribute his thoughts on Haiti and developmentalism; nonetheless it seems he’s already made his contribution: “WHAT IS THE DEPENDENCY SYNDROME? It results from doing for other people what they can and should do for themselves. WMA promotes SELF-RELIANCE and use of local resources, development of local leadership, local funding, local decision-making and missionary outreach. WMA teaches avoidance of practices that generate DEPENDENCY among churches and other Christian institutions worldwide.”

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As per David Brooks’ article in the New York Times. I’m not sure I resonate w/ the underlying tone, “What’s Wrong With Haiti?” and I would respond “What’s Wrong With Us?” – the point being that we have contributed to the problem. The recent disaster not only shows up flaws in the Haitian infrastructure but the complicity of the powers in shaping the nation-to-be. Still; Brooks presents interesting thoughts on this problem  (and I do mean problem) of “developmentalism”: Read more…

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The recent hoopla over Reid’s remarks about Obama: “light-skinned… with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one” are being met with an interesting response from Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele, who is himself, African-American. The question is if there is a double-standard; why are Dems let off the hook relatively easily, when Republicans aren’t? I think the answer lies in track record, and in the case of Harry Reid I think his precedes him; Reid is no racist. And to me this drama stinks of political maneuvering; but still the question begs us: where do we draw the line over “political correctness”? Why are some crucified over racist remarks and others let-off relatively easy? Is political correctness the issue here?

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I’ve been having a stimulating convo about the Trinity w/ a colleague from school and it’s only been getting deeper and better. Clement Wen is doing his Masters thesis on the theme / doctrine of deification which is not far from some thoughts I’ve been formulating on a theology of ascension. So we’re contemplating taking it to the next level and videoconferencing some thoughts especially pertaining to social implications of the Trinity. The latest development at this point in the convo is: implications of the Trinity for women. While a technical discussion ensues, our tokbox convo will likely be more down-to-earth. We’re still scheduling a time.

Here’s the most recent convo: Read more…

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At the risk of sounding narcissistic, I’m posting my philosophy of ministry, kind of a watered-down self-evaluation I’ve been (begrudgingly) required to write over the break for class. So it doesn’t totally go to waste, I’ll also use it as a blog post. Incidentally I think it has helped to congeal some of my nascent thoughts on how I will “minister” when I’m done with school. Here it is (in snippets): Read more…

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Accompanied by one question I’d ask each. Apologies; yes I know this is yet another top-ten for the new decade ahead, but for me it helps as trajectory-setting. Also; networking / relationship is a life-long work-in-progress and so likewise I feel no compulsion to finish this post, nor the pressing questions I would ask. All I know is that I have been influenced, and hope to continue to be, by these folks. Alphabetized, by last name: Read more…

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