Report Back: Gathering Around the Unhewn Stone



Unhewn StoneAlthough Ched was billed as the featured speaker, the workshop presenters were no less provocative. For example, listening to women from various indigenous backgrounds share their profound movement toward decolonized identities was deeply revolutionary for me as a Black woman whose lineage likely includes indigenous colonized people, slaves and maybe even oppressors. Listening to Lily Mendoza’s experience as a Filipino living and learning under an occupying U.S. regime, to the history of Jenn LeBlanc’s Mi’kmaq people and her reclamation of her indigenous language and to Andrea Ferich’s journey of discovering and incorporating Native Indian theology and the divine feminine into her Christian faith was deeply meaningful to me as I work toward my own increased liberation.

While most of the gathering was devoted to understanding the crisis of civilization, uncovering roots of resistance in the Christian tradition and sharing individual and communal experiments in alternative living, it was the “family conversation” on the final day that prompted the group to think critically about ourselves as Christians and anti-civ anarchists. Together, Ched, “elders” — co-workers in struggle from his generation — and peers of those present affirmed and our strengths and named our weaknesses. Again, there are not enough words to describe the wisdom that was shared in this closing session or the powerful emotions it raised for me and others, but hopefully this small sample provides an adequate glimpse. To paraphrase:

  • Those who eagerly await “the collapse” with joyful anticipation should realize that civilization probably won’t end in our lifetime. For this reason, we need to practice what Ched called “insomniac faith and revolutionary patience” on one hand, and love and grace on the other. We don’t know the time civilization will fall and we can’t begin to imagine how devastating “the collapse” will be particularly for those people whose necks are already under its heels. For there reasons alone we ought to check ourselves.
  • We need to build this anti-civ movement on more than doomsday predictions about the end as we know it. Many groups before us have arisen based on a solid critique of civilization only to disappear when the expected collapse didn’t come when they wanted it to. The analysis that civilization is self-destructive is demonstrated in history as well as in our Biblical text and faith tradition. Anti-civ theology based on so-called “final countdowns” instead of faithful thought and practice will only distract, undermine and disappoint.
  • We need to be in solidarity with others who are struggling against the oppressive affects of civilization even if they don’t share every aspect of our outlook. This begins with listening and learning from those who have been resisting longer than we have.
  • Don’t confuse enlightenment and exodus with escape. Although we understand civilization’s failures and are doing what we can to break out of some of its hold, we are all caught “in the system” — a truth that should make us generous givers of grace.
  • Unconsciousness and lack of action around white privilege sexism and patriarchy, heterosexism and other kinds of oppression within and outside of the Christian and anarcho-primitivist movement is not only inexcusable — it is also a surefire way to alienate potential allies, repeat the ills of civilization and undercut the very liberation we seek.

Much more could be said about all I learned and experienced over the three day event, but I’ll close by thanking all the presenters for their amazing work and by expressing my deepest gratitude to the organizers at Circle of Hope for the thoughtfulness they showed in their planning and hosting of the gathering. May your work to facilitate this conversation continue to bear good fruit.

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