-
Theologizing Tim Tebow
Faith and religion within the
public sphere has an interesting personality. A personality which has race and
culture at the center fueling its character. Therefore, with the recent rise in
fame of Denver Broncos’ quarterback Tim Tebow, I find it interesting how his
faith and spiritual notions are being played out in the public arena. Allow me
to first say that I have no problem with him “performing” his faith in a public
manner. Yet, the frenzied imposition of meaning
on the power of his “religious convictions” (e.g. the Broncos are winning as a
result of his prayers) includes, but transcends what Wade Clark Roof refers to as
civil religious rhetoric in his article American
Presidential Rhetoric from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush: Another Look at
Civil Religion. This type of religio-political rhetoric tends to create
myths and fantasy within the public arena, which in turn create meaning, cultural
mores, and social reality for the people who believe it. Myths...
-
Film Review: Thunder Soul
Mentoring is messy. There is no
other way to say it. If you are doing it right, then it is very mess. Moreover,
the time it takes to be involved in a person’s life while they live out their
own drama can sap all of your energy. Yet, every once in a while we find a
person like Conrad Johnson who embellishes all of the finesse of a great mentor yet is
able to instill the rigors of real life into his mentees like a drill sergeant
does with their cadets. Someone who is able to live with the person, in their
drama, yet pushes them not just through it, but beyond it; that was Conrad
Johnson.
If you are not familiar with whom
Conrad Johnson is, then you must see the new film directed by Mark Landsman (Skylab 2005; Peace Of Mind 1999), and produced in help from Jaime Foxx, titled...
-
Troy Davis & The New Jim Crow: It Could've Been Me
As I sit here stunned and a bit silenced, I’m befounded by the decision to murder a man with no physical evidence, witnesses who recant their testimony, another shooter identified, and a pile of evidence pointing to doubt in the murder of an off duty police officer, Mark MacPhail. If you are unfamiliar with what has been happening here, then simply type in Troy Davis into any search engine and read up on the facts. Kevin Powell, Lisa Guerrero have written some amazing pieces and Jasiri X has had an amazing push for the stay of execution for Troy Davis that you can read as well.
My problem here is twofold: 1) the lack of justice for African Americans—in particular—in this country (this is a historical problem; if you are new to this...
-
10 Years Later: An Essay on Post 9/11 America
We now have 10 years between us and the events which re-shaped the U.S. forever. 10 years have passed and much has happened in between those years. The landscape and cultural structure of the U.S. has changed forever. Those events which scarred many Americans gave us a real life glimpse into the face of evil. Many lost loved ones, friends, family members, co-workers, and witnessed horrific sites of people jumping to their deaths and explosions in buildings where the implied reason made you conclude more deaths were occurring; contrast that with narrative of heroic acts aboard United Flight 93, people carrying the disabled down flights of stairs, brave firepersons giving their lives up for the masses, and the countless law enforcement officers who risked their lives to save people trapped below the rubble. Yes, lives and families were changed on that day 10 years ago. In a flash, it...
-
Amy Winehouse: Toward A Theology of Suffering
Almost every great artist/ performer over the last 50 years has struggled with their demons. But their struggle has given us some of the best art, music, dance, poetry, books, and even theology. One of my favorite quotes is in the DVD extras of the film Bruce Almighty when Bruce is having a conversation with God (Morgan Freeman) and asking him why he didn’t save this young man when he was brutally picked on as a kid. God simply answers and says that if the kid had not gone through that pain and hurt, the poetry and literature he wrote about, which inspired many later in his life, would have never come to fruition.
Most of us have a theology which takes us far from pain and suffering. We have tended to label being “Blessed” with affluence and wellbeing. We tend to see those who suffer as being “lost”...
-
Armageddon & Bull Sh*t Theologies
One week ago (Saturday May 21, 2011) we should have all been blown to cosmic dust, or raptured up into the Heavens, or put into purgatory, or…what is it about the end times that gets us all in a query of frenzy? What is it about mass death in the name of God that has a lot of religious pious individuals smiling from cheek to cheek and actually being overwhelmed with happiness? A lot of this has to do with the belief in something that is obviously bigger than us and brings us immense self-identity, self-worth, and a false sense of self-righteousness; the same concept happens with, say, health freaks, environmental zealots, and anyone who has found the “Gospel” in a “religious” type context. Sociologist J. Paul Williams depicts this religious process as 1) the secret level—which a person keeps to their self and does not discuss or divulge...
-
Death & The Neo-Politics of Bad Guys in Post 9/11 America
So, what do we celebrate when a social villain is killed? I got the news on my phone while I was running around Chuck E Cheese (A local video/ mini-amusement restaurant) with my four year old: Osama Bin Laden Dead; Killed by U.S. Forces. My initial reaction was nothing. What could I feel? A man, who had allegedly done all these horrific things to our country, was now killed. What did that mean to me? Not a damn thing. During the Vietnam war era, hundreds of African Americans carried signs that stated: No Vietnamese Ever Called Me A Nigger!” I have to, in context, say the same thing in regards to Bin Laden: What did he do to me? The nine police officers that brutally murdered friends of mine during the late 80’s are still alive—and well I might add. The police officers that shot and killed a bi-polar elderly...
-
Cornel West on Remembering Legacy
As Black History Month concludes, I thought it be good to let Dr. Cornel West shine some light on remembering the legacy of struggle and strife within the African American community and where we currently are and headed. Dr. Cornel West is one of the most prolific voices in the African American community today and brings to the table a social praxis which engages not only the academy but also the day to day person.
Check out what Dr. West has to say as we reflect on the struggles and accomplishments of African Americans this month...
-
Continuing The Legacy of Dr. King in Post 9/11 America
These days it is difficult to fully embrace the idea that we live in a “post-racial society” when we in the Black community still see our young people shot down at the hands of police officers (click here. This young man was from one of my home towns on the Central Coast of Ca. where I did Young Life for many years). It is difficult to imagine a society where “race” and the “color” of our skin are not looked upon as the measure of a person/ people group. It is challenging to see through a lot of the subtle, overt, and venomous racism that swirls in our media, political rhetoric, and societal structures almost every day.
What sticks out to me the most during this Holiday season are two things: 1) Dr. King has become an institutionalized figure who has lost a lot of...
-
Engaging the Hip Hop Culture
This is the third and final segment in my interview with Bobby Duran on The Soul of Hip Hop. Here we talk about engaging an unreached people group that is more spiritual and global than you might think.
Daniel Hodge Part 3 - "Engaging the Hip Hop Culture" from ConversantLife on Vimeo.
|