In Praise of Holy Folly

The Fifth Element - Notes on the Besson Film

2010-06-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

Just letting people know that my notes on the movie The Fifth Element (Luc Besson, 1997) were posted a while back on the Pop Theology website run among other by GTU Ph.D. Student Ryan Parker. See link.

Churches in the Current Recession - Some Audio

2009-08-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

I am new to live radio interviews, but here is my first one. On churches and parishioners coping with fewer funds coming in.

The Perfect Start

2009-07-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

I'm back writing my blog, after almost two years. Still figuring out what makes a good blog, but lately I have gotten some good ideas from some blogging colleagues, so i'm trying it again, branching out a bit, including more topics.

Writing is one of those things I didn't quite realize I signed up for when I became and academic. I was more into it for the wisdom and knowledge, of exploration, stretching and opening up new vistas. Writing became part of the job, but I am still far from feeling like it comes easy. Having taken enough writing classes to appreciate the necessity of being willing to write "shitty first drafts", I am able to work my way through a piece of writing in ways that are less painful than some earlier work. Reading a lot would seem to present one with a great object lesson in good and bad writing, and what makes for either kind. And it does.
Very rarely an academic book, however, pulls me right in, from the first sentence. Usually it takes at least the first page or paragraph. Today, however, I started reading a book whose first sentence seems to be a handy nutshell, or at least a great opening into the subject of the book. It is found in Robert Bartlett's The Making of Europe: Conquest, Colonization, and Cultural Change, 950-1350. Here it is:
"Europe is both a region and an idea." I strive to write sentences like that. It opens up, rather than shutting down. It acknowledges and invites the contemplation of multiplicity.

What Would Jesus Buy?

2007-12-04T17:40:00.001-08:00

You may have heard about Morgan Spurlock's (Supersize Me!) newest Documentary, entitled WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY?, this time about Reverend Billy, a New Yorker who dresses up as a preacher and travels the countries Walmart, Target, and other bigbox retailers parking lot with his 'Stop Shopping Gospel Choir.' The documentary follows him and his choir around the United States, engaging in sometimes shocking, often
ridiculous acts of exposure. I became aware of his work a few years ago in regards to my research on tricksters confronting globalization within our contemporary society, and did a brief write up on him in my book, "Of Divine Economy." I had sent him the book and a card thanking him for the inspiration he provided me in thinking about tricksters unveiling the fallacies of consumerism and the quasi-religious acts of worship involved in consumption. He emailed me back, thanked me, and a few months later I was able to meet Rev Billy, Bill Talen one summer in New York a few years ago.
As it turned out, Bill Talen is an engaged lay Episcopalian. At the time I met him, he was the Senior Warden of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in downtown NYC. After the sunday service we sat down in front of the front steps of that same church and chatted about his particular form of living the baptismal covenant and the form of activism he engages in as part of his call as a Christian. His actual faith commitment came a bit as a surprise to me, as he is hardly ever out of character when in front of the camera or in his writing. http://www.revbilly.com/ I simply never saw it coming, but I was excited to see that this, too, can be a way engaged faith looks like. I was able to be present at one of the choir rehearsals and walk the streets with him, whereupon multiple members of the 'congregation' of the 'Church of Stopshopping' greeted him and offered his support. (A casual observer might have been rather surprised by hearing Bill call a garden variety of twentysomething punk, goth, tattooed bodies part of this particular church body. A new ministry???) Whether you agree with the particular expression of his performances and activism or not, I recommend seeing this film, as it challenges so many unquestioned assumptions and idolatries exactly by hyperbole and poking fun at our own obsessions. Watch one of the most compelling coyote/tricksters of our time in action.

Trickster's Greetings!

Nag Hammadi Fictions...

2007-09-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

A very engaging novel that weaves the circumstances surrounding the unlikely discovery of the Nag Hammadi texts in 1948 together with humans recovering from the trauma of WWII air attacks, the loss of limbs, set in the scenario of ominously increasing hostilities between Jews, Arabs, and British expats in Egypt, is "Resurrection" by Tucker Malarkey. It combines a good, engaging story of lost souls yearning for connection with their search for a more open, encompassing, wholistic expression of Christianity that may have gotten lost with the suppression of texts only recovered in the 20th Century. Dump Dan Brown's tome for this one, a 'thinking person's Davinci Code'! Encouraging to see novels that understand that our quest for love, truth and the sacred are intricately entwined. Though the novel's characters may overestimate the revolutionary quality of the texts (just as Dan Brown's writings), the questions are right on: What did happen to women's presence in the early church? Were there female apostles? Thankfully, we also have evidence from elsewhere to suggest this, not only in gnosticizing documents. See for example some new scholarly texts on this topic: Patricia Cox Miller's Women in Early Christianity, Kevin Madigan and Carolyn Osiek eds. The Ordination of Women in the Early Church or A Woman's Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity, with Margaret MacDonald and Janet Tulloch.

Rethinking Our Places and Times

2007-09-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

“If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?” Rabbi Hillel's oft-quoted appeal to pay attention to the here, now, seems especially poignant as we aim to craft a faithful response to the degradation of the earth "our island home." If we can't do it here, in institutions of commitment to learning and transformation, how do we expect people in local churches, diocese, parishes to participate? In order to integrate theological, ecological, and spiritual approaches to address the crisis we are all facing together, my seminary has started to take "little steps" against our own destructiveness by
pooling ideas and efforts using among other, a 'greeningcdsp' blog, communally written and resourced. Please visit, enjoy, contribute, ponder how we can move from talking the talk to walking the walk!

Back on the West Coast...

2007-06-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed if you followed the news about the G-8 Summit in Heiligendamm there was too much upheaval going on for me to feel a need to go there. Instead I extended my stay at the Kirchentag, which was just as well, since some of the same people spoke here and there (Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Vandana Shiva, Mohammed Yunus, Hermann Scheer, to name some). Both events were very much connected as the church raised its voice to push for the government to exert all possible pressure on the club of the wealthy to open up their circle of privilege to pay attention to the rest of the world. And there were even some successes, arguably, given the extremely negative attitude the US Delegation brought with it. Absolutely the most moving moments for me was when Tutu thanked the German Protestant church for boycotting South Africa during Apartheid. "Because of you, we are free today." I couldn't believe my ears! As a young person, I remember standing in a supermarket wondering whether it made really a difference on whether I bought fruit from South Africa or not. I proudly chose to boycott, as my church then had invited me to do, but never really thought it amounted to much. Tutu had an entire audience of several thousands of German church people give standing ovations as loudly and excitedly as they possibly could, and then said: "This applause is for you." I could not hold back the tears. How can I ever again doubt that what I do does not make a difference? It may not be a boycott, but there is SOMETHING we can do. Even if it feels immaterial, just to know how supported sisters and brothers in South Africa felt when we did this little scrawny act of solidarity is worth it many times over! Just in case I can't believe he said that there is the german simultaneous translation transcript to remind me. Bottom picture: some of the audience present, outside the Cologne Cathedral

My Travels This Summer

2007-06-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

I am presently in Germany, for a visit at home in Fellbach with friends and family, and to visit two public events close to my heart. The German Church's Biannual 'Church Day' in Cologne (June 6-10), and on my way there, I will spend a day at the alternative G-8 Summit in Rostock, near Heiligendamm, where the G-8 meet from June 6-8. Check out their websites and pray that for the beauty of the earth these leaders will be moved to advance and enact a common agenda to slow and lessen the impact of the global climate change that is already occurring, and at a faster rate than we hoped. Pray for Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, for strength at the negotiation table, and all other leaders that they find a common ground from which to act NOW! Also, check out the Cologne Cathedral Website.

Green Inspirations...

2007-04-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

By popular demand: Here are a few tips on green resources: Start where you are and measure your ecological footprint, consider what you are already doing, get inspired by stories of what people are doing where they stand in ODE, Plenty, and Yes! Magazines, share a car, ride a bike in city and around the bay, use public transportation when you can. Support your local farmers market or CSA (community supported agriculture). Next, perhaps a green makeover for your body, wallet, household, house, campus, congregation? Stay close to home. If you do have to travel, try ecotourism resources. For your investments, you might consider switching to SRCs (socially responsible investments). Or, consider a microlending investment. Lobby and make your voice heard: Protestants for the Common Good, Episcopal Public Policy Network, Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation. Empower people around you working in businesses and investment. I could go on and on... Just some examples...

All too aware...

2007-04-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am aware that I have not posted anything yet regarding the trip to South Africa. My apology? Still digesting and sifting, not sure quite yet what to make of it. Stay tuned. It will happen... At least I have access to the pictures now, which was a problem for a while. And yes, here's a first one, some alums who were able to come along. From left to right: me, Will Hocker, Amber Stancliffe Evans, Bishop Marc Andrus (not an alum, however) and Dorothy Lau.
Supplement:
Here's a picture of the awesome Keiskamma Altarpiece, from South Africa, that was hosted by Grace Cathedral SF, in the months after our visit.

A List of 'Ten Movies to Watch' for Thinking Christians

2007-04-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

During a hallway conversation today, I spoke about a fledgling list I had in mind on 10 movies a thinking Christian should have to see as they prepare and equip themselves for ministry in the context of our common, globalized cultural setting. Well, actually, perhaps we need several categories: inspiring rolemodels, convicting cultural critiques, parables and stories about journeys of faith, etc.
OK, let start to gather:

Great portraits of Christ:

Jesus of Montreal

Breaking the Waves

Jesus, Portrait of a Radical

Inspiring Rolemodels:
Luther
Amazing Grace
Sophie Scholl - The Last Days
Freedom Writers

Convicting Cultural Critiques:
Inconvenient Truth
Life and Debt
The Corporation
Red Dust
Bamboozled

The Apostle

Children of Men

Dogville

Rabbit-proof Fence

Amazing Grace:

Tender Mercies

Wings of Desire

The Decalogue

Three Colors

Stories of Journeys:

The Crime of Padre Amaro
Nicholas Nickleby
The Lives of Others
The Last King of Scotland

Intrareligious Dialogue:

Apu Trilogy (also good under story of journeys)

Devi

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring

Documentaries/Mockumentaries:
Jesus Camp
Hell House

Comedy:
Saved
Dogma

I am sure you have more to add... let me know.

TEAM - And Pilgrims for Peace

2007-02-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

On March 5, I will join a group of 'pilgrims for peace' in traveling to the TEAM (Towards Effective Anglican Mission) Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. My fellow travelers include a group from the Diocese of California, Long Island, and Alabama (I think). This conference provides an opportunity to focus on important issues such as the Millennium Development Goals and HIV/AIDS and responses to the crises of destitute poverty and pandemic from all places in the Anglican/Episcopal church networks. Hopefully, this will provide a counterweight of the most recent Primates Meeting in Tanzania. Prayers are invited for this event to allow us to focus on matters of life and death that affect so many of our sisters and brothers across the world.

Thumb Your Nose at the Daily Madness ... Pre/Lenten Disciplines

2007-02-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

Does the craziness of institutions tug at your sanity? Ah, fool them back! Here are a few more hints at how: Ride your bike to work - a Lenten practice that can relate you anew to your mortality - and to the place where you live. A Trinity Wall Street staff member tried it. Trinity also had its first Clown's Eucharist, which we hail in giddy excitement, hoping to see more of them all over soon. Pictures from both can be found here.

Signs of the Times....

2007-02-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

This semester I am teaching a class called Signs of the Times, reflecting on a variety of key moments in the history of Christianity when God's people had to reflect long and hard to discern appropriately God's presence, will, and their own positions and actions within a complicated, changing world. I begin the class with a session on how we might read the signs of the times, and then start our historical overview with that profound shift that came with the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the beginning of the formation of the communities known today as Judaism and Christianity. The class ends with a 'sign of the times' that holy fools and others are confronted with more urgently every day: Unprecedented, catastrophic and irreversible climate change.

Here are some more recents reports from scientists from a UN outfit (IPCC) and elsewhere, and the lately happily ubiquitous wonderful Bill McKibben, among many things a Methodist sunday school teacher, who fronts Step It Up, an invitation to help stop or lessen the intensity of climate change. I also recommend his delightful "The Comforting Whirlwind: God, Job, and the Scale of Creation" (esp. for church audiences) reminding us of our place in creation and inviting us to wonder and recognition of interconnection at every turn.

Another way of entering into changing our relations to creation is to support the preservation of the rainforests that are the lung of the earth and the habitat for so many. Pachamama is an organization supporting indigenous leaders in their fight to preserve their forests in Ecuador.

Should you find yourself desiring a way of entering into prayer as you participate in these efforts, I recommend a recently discovered freely available podcast (no need to own an ipod, you can just listen to it online, on a juicer, a free podcast software or on any mp3 player): Pray-as-you-go. It features a daily podcast of between 5 and 7 minutes that begins with often awesomely beautiful music, a reading from scripture, some questions that invite reflection on the reading, more music, and a final prayer.

In time for the season of Lent to begin, here is an Episcopal site on greening Lent. At CDSP, we are currently contemplating how foolish it would be to replace some of our water-sucking lawns with food producing small yards.

We have this truth in Earthen Vessels - Trashy bags and the Glory of God

2006-12-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Further foolishness has been detected around the recent resurgence in do-it-yourself and refashioning. Focusing mostly on the 'reuse' part of the reduce-reduce-recycle triad, people are rediscovering creativity at a small scale and subverting the throw-away culture by repurposing stuff that others would classify as trash: A symbol of this trend to me are these bags made out of used bicycle innertubes, and it speaks to me volumes about glimpses of glory when people enact joyful and creative forms of not only rethinking but reusing the unexpected. Foolish, some might say, oh but we might see within it a holy folly! Want some more inspiration? Check out ReadyMade's blog, or Plenty (somebody there has helpfully figured out a splendid way to subscribe to this magazine online only, with a download option).

Things and People that Give me Hope These Days

2006-12-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is important to get inspired by others when we feel we don't know if our work makes a difference. I am privileged to have met and come across many people who do amazing things, and want to honor some of them here. There are many more and I will keep adding links and stories in the future, but right now, here are some of the things that give me hope: Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, whose poise, calm, and character and tremendous unflappability are great sources of inspiration for some of us patience- and gentleness -challenged fools.

Oceanic Currents, Conveyors, Arctic Peoples

2006-07-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Now looking closer into the science of climate change. Arctic Peoples have noticed climate change for decades now, and have formed alliances to get others around the world to notice and to act for change. Some NASA scientists are more confused, as they feel they only have limited data to use. Another NASA webpage however shows clearly the possibility of climate change, and what could happen should the arctic ice melt and ocean currents bring on new ice ages. Just as a reminder, from Sonia Shah's Crude: The Story of Oil: "Human civilizations had arisen during an unusually stable period in the planet's climate, which the earth had enjoyed since the end of the last nice age ten thousand years ago. Before, brutally rapid changes in the climate, probably triggered by the switching on and off of ocean currents, had most likely been a merciless constant in Earth's long history. That period of climatic stability, it appeared, was coming to a close." (Shah, Crude, 115)

On the Millennium Development Goals

2006-06-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

I have been inspired by the renewed and strong commitment of the Episcopal Church and especially Presiding Bishop-Elect Katharine Jefferts Schori's outspoken commitment to mission as grounded in the effort to alleviate poverty, economic exploitation and environmental degradation. Read about the UN Millennium Project to get some sense of what this is all about. Jeffrey Sachs was one of the main think tankers on this one, the book of his to read is An End to Poverty: Economic Possibilitites for Our Time. That book is on my summer reading list, esp. since it finally came out as paperback. But there are many other free online pdfs out there, as well as about the deeply related Millennium Ecosystem Assessment efforts.

Alaska's Indigenous Episcopalians Revisited

2006-06-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

One of my summer projects will be to finish the essay I started on Alaska's Gwich'in people, the caribous and ecosystems they struggle to continue to subsist on, the Episcopal Church in Alaska and our greed for oil. As I scour the internet to get up to date on developments in Alaska oil and gas industries, the role of the unapologetically colonialist Alaska government, and the compromised role of the Alaska Native Corporations who were tied into the capitalist for-profit model in the the early seventies, and the rising and falling of the legal fate of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, my mood darkens. The complexity of the issues, the ambiguity of so many groups and people involved in these issues seems impossible to cut through to come to some clarity. Here is a summary of the Status of Alaska Natives from the University of Alaska, Anchorage (2004. 20pp PRF exec. summary).
So it comes in handy that my current gym reading (while treading away on the elliptical trainer) is Jon Kabat-Zinn's Coming to Our Senses, a helpful reframing of mediation and mindfulness (i.e. finally getting it our power to affect change is primarily located in changing ourselves and not other people, organizations, churches, religions, governments, God, etcetc...). A reminder of the limits of our own agency. I suppose remembering this might help us not to go crazy as we watch and experience that we have the tools and technologies to stop global warming, the political will is missing, partly also because we ourselves are way too invested in keeping things the way they are... The latter being basically my summary version of the gist of Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Oh, and yes, in case you were wondering, Kabat-Zinn seems to be related, somehow, to Howard Zinn, he lists him in his acknowledgements.
Anyways, thanks to a grant from the Wabash Center, I will be able to visit Episcopalians and Gwich'in this summer for ca. a week to help me finish the essay I am writing. The picture above shows me and Alaska EpiscopalBishop Mark MacDonald during a trip to Arctic Village in Summer 2004. We joined villagers on the lookout for the migrating caribou. They were late that summer, and as the climate change most immediately affects the arctic, their lives may be changed drastically. Just last sunday, the LA Times reported how dramatically the Greenland Ice Sheet is melting, a fact that could change Atlantic currents and seasons for the adjacent countries dramatically. Stories and evidence from the Arctic in Alaska only adds to the evidence. A few months after I visited Bishop Mark and his family in their home the house was so irreparably warped due to melting of the permafrost that they had to abandon their house and move into the diocesan headquarters.
As a theologian it seems a huge task to consider such an enormous drastic change in history as we fear will occur. The apocalyptic scenarios just keep piling up, not divinely ordained, but human-made... What does this mean for how we understand divine agency and our own? Stay tuned...

Voluntary Asceticism: Foolish??? All the better

2006-03-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

I recently heard on Air America's Ecotalk about a San Francisco group of affluent enough professionals (See Compact website) that have followed in the footsteps of Duane Elgin's Voluntary Asceticism and started a blog and worldwide community for living more simply, beyond recycling, to compacting, reducing one's ties to consumer products as much as possible.
It should be mentioned that of course many people are forced to live an 'ascetic' life without having much of a choice. Voluntary asceticism is generally an option more affluent people choose (who indeed have the choice) to show their concern with overconsumption. It is not, as anything suggested or talked about on this website, a silver bullet, or quick fix, but it is a start for many to think more deeply about what prosperty and wealth mean (meanings that are NOT synonymous with monetary riches, but rather with quality of life on a healthy planet) and to begin acting in transformative ways, bit by bit...
How might this be spelled out in theology, sermons and our lives inside and outside of church?

Responding to Erosion of Forests and Desertification in Africa

2006-02-28T15:17:00.000-08:00

Check out the Green Belt Movement of Africa for a local rural responses to deforestation and desertification. Wangari Maathai's efforts in involving local communities resulted in her being awarded the Nobel Piece Price in 2004. The Kenyan established the pan-African Greenbelt network in 1986, resulting in many efforts in Kenya and subsequently across Africa to plant trees to restore previously logged communities. Maathai is currently Kenya's Assistant Minister for Environment and a member of the parliament representing the Nyeri district in central Kenya.
From the mission statement on the above website:
"the Green Belt Movement addresses the underlying social, political, and economic causes of poverty and environmental degradation at the grassroots level. Its empowerment seminars help people make critical linkages between the environment, governance, and their quality of life. Participants develop a deep desire to better their own lives and communities. As they gain economic security, they are willing to protect shared resources such as forests, public parks, and rivers. The GBM started by addressing a serious problem with a simple solution: getting communities to plant trees as a symbol of their commitment. Today, this approach is taking root worldwide."

Greening Communities, Churches and Congregations

2006-02-06T22:34:00.000-08:00

Last sunday night some ten people met at CDSP and watched the documentary Oil on Ice, discussing the issues at stake in the fight to preserve the Arctic Wildlife Refuge for future animal and human generations. During the discussion afterwards, we thought about what people in church and seminary communities could do for the 'greening' of congregations and seminaries. Here at the GTU, we have TREES, a student-led resource and activist group around environmental issues. Others pointed to Earth Ministries' Greening Congregations Handbook, which can be ordered online. Green Faith is another organization that comes to mind. Another wonderful resource from the SF Bay Area is Redefining Progress, a non-profit organization that has done a marvelous job on integrating issues of race, class and environment in our communities. Featured in the docu was also a local organization called Don't be Fueled, Soccermoms for fuel efficient cars.

Remembering Dietrich Bonhoeffer

2006-02-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

We are remembering Dietrich Bonhoeffer these days at the 100th Anniversary of his birthday on February 4. Bonhoeffer has loomed large in my life, and he returns often to my mind these days and years. A saint for these times perhaps especially. There are plenty of places where we can find PBS documentaries, a podcasts by American Public Media, and a lecture by Anglican Archbihsop Rowan Williams for the opening of the Bonhoeffer Congress in Wroclav, Poland. Also, visit the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Society. Religion & Ethics Newsweekly has a feature on DB, as well.

Recent Book on Black Episcopalians

2006-01-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

A new book by Craig Townsend on African American Episcopalians. Faith In their Color: Black Episcopalians in Antebellum New York is a new resource to be added to the few and far between historical accounts of ethnic minorities in the Episcopal Church and as such very welcome. I have not yet read it, but am excited to know of it and on the next opportunity will acquire it. Anything we can learn about this particular history will be a gain for all Episcopalians.

Responding to Religion & Ethics Newsweekly story on Evangelicals and the Environment

2006-01-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

Great story! EXCELLENT JOB on it! But:
But, as sadly that all the interviewed are white men??? What about ecofeminist theology? The connection of women to the environment? This report made it seem as if decades of feminist, ecofeminist and ecotheology hadn't happened. A trend one can observe among many contemporary journalists: they suffer, like many of their contemporaries, of historical amnesia.
Especially when it takes very little for anybody to see that what evangelicals are now 'discovering' is ecotheology pioneered decades ago by John Cobb, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Sallie McFague and others. I realize that many evangelicals need to feel like they adopt the concerns of feminist theology and ecotheology on their own terms, and be able to present them as something that is core to their faith and moral values. I realize that many evangelicals are very courageous in stemming the tide of their own traditions, and I applaud them for it, but sometimes it would be great if there was an acknowledgement that progressive Christianity has been preaching this stuff for decades with increasing effect (among mainline churches at least) but little publicity beyond. I suppose just being able to push the center somewhat, even if it is without recognition of our work should be satisfying to us, but still, in terms of the historical record it would make sense to trace the origins of this seemingly new phenomenon. It helps to point out history, i know americans don't like to acknowledge history, but your program is so way beyond the standard media that it would be great if you could also pay a little more attention to what is going on in academic theology. Even if progressive christians at this point are a numeric minority. but as this story shows, that numeric minority has quite a bit of influence, even if it is decades delayed...