A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Othering
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Professor Nadine Naber discusses how Orientalism operates during the current War on Terror. Produced for the Arab American National Museum's online exhibit, Reclaiming Identity: Dismantling Arab Stereotypes.
Edward Said discusses the concept of Orientalism as a tool for colonization.
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Ched Myers writes in his article A House for All Peoples, "All social groups establish boundaries—whether physical impediments, such as fences or borders, or symbolic and cultural lines, such as language or dietary laws. Such boundaries can be a good thing, especially when they help protect weaker people from domination by stronger people. More often, however, boundaries function in the opposite manner: to shore up the privileges of the strong against the needs of the weak."
Othering is a process of boundary setting which ultimately defines ones own self or group as superior and the "Others" as inferior. Othering is a means for dominant groups to rationalize the subjugation of the other. For instance, by portraying Native Americans as dangerous savages European settlers in the U.S. found justification for killing them and taking their land. By portraying African Americans as an inferior race, white people created a rationale to justify slavery and later segregation during the Jim Crow era. Similarly, Orientalism, (a particular kind of othering) provides the U.S.American empire with the necessary logic to initiate and maintain its aggression in the Middle East which is foundational to its own position as a global super power. One of the greatest impediments to practicing a social gospel is the disempowerment that is born from Christians' tendency to see non-Christians as others, unworthies, unclean, or enemies. The health of our church body politic depends upon our embrace of "outsiders." It is essential that we fight the mindset that leads us to establish these boundaries of inclusion and exclusion and work toward an all embracing politic of solidarity (especially with those on the margins of society). As Jesus' healing ministry was characterized by physically touching those who were considered "unclean," and thus making himself unclean in the eyes of society before healing took place (it is arguable that Jesus' healing ministry points to a healing of forms of alienation which are born from societal boundaries of inclusion and exclusion), so too must we push into areas of discomfort and embrace the other if we are to see Jesus' healing ministry continue in our midst. |
Baltasar, Hans Urs von. Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved (and A Short Discourse on Hell). Ignatius Press, 1988. Print
This is a book about heaven and hell from a Catholic theologian that caused controversy within the Catholic Church because it explores the possibility (assuming Catholic dogma in general is true) that no one is damned. There is a little-known tradition of universalism among Catholic mystics, and Balthasar summarizes several strains of it, while distinguishing his theology from apokatastasis, the ancient doctrine of universal reconciliation. He treats the outcome of salvation as an unknown, and the loss of even a single person to damnation as a failed outcome. And then he asks what it means to be certain that someone else (even an unknown person) is damned, whether Christians can take delight in God’s judgment (if it means damnation), and how this impacts their ability to love unreservedly.
While not particularly related to radical/Christian politics, this is a book that can be influential to folks in developing inclusive practices in church politics. One of the central problems of Christianity, including Christian anarchism, is the tension between tribalism (the belief that Christians possess a divine privilege that others don’t) and universalism (the belief that every person is worth the sacrifice of Christ and every person deserves social justice). For a conventional Christian to struggle uncompromisingly for social justice, doctrines of hell and scriptures about hell can present a serious challenge. Balthasar’s theology stays very close to conventional Christian theology (and Balthasar was orthodox enough to be appointed a cardinal by John Paul II), yet, it presents a view of soteriology that comes close to reconciling the tension. Even for people who don’t adopt traditional doctrines about hell, it presents an interesting way of thinking through theological paradoxes.
Beck, Richard. Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Morality. Wipf & Stock, March, 2011. Print
"I desire mercy, not sacrifice."" Echoing Hosea, Jesus defends his embrace of the ""unclean"" in the Gospel of Matthew, seeming to privilege the prophetic call to justice over the Levitical pursuit of purity. And yet, as missional faith communities are well aware, the tensions and conflicts between holiness and mercy are not so easily resolved. At every turn, it seems that the psychological pull of purity and holiness tempts the church into practices of social exclusion and a Gnostic flight from ""the world"" into a ""too spiritual"" spirituality. Moreover, the psychology of purity often lures the church into what psychologists call ""The Macbeth Effect,"" the psychological trap that tempts us into believing that ritual acts of cleansing can replace moral and missional engagement. Finally, time after time, wherever we see churches regulating their common life with the idiom of dirt, disgust, and defilement, we find a predictable wake of dysfunction: ruined self-images, social stigma, and communal conflict. In an unprecedented fusion of psychological science and theological scholarship, Richard Beck describes the pernicious (and largely unnoticed) effects of the psychology of purity upon the life and mission of the church. Endorsements: ""Theologians write endlessly about how Christian faith should affect our morality, our philosophy, and our spirituality. Richard Beck is the only one I know who asks what it has to do with what turns our stomachs. He writes bluntly and stunningly about the engagement of grace with our visceral dynamics of disgust and avoidance. Our complex, precognitive repulsions toward groups, behaviors, and persons stem from deep patterns in our nature. But, unredeemed, those patterns also block us from the gospel path. Beck combines biblical interpretation, theological wisdom, and dramatic psychological insights to give an earthy and exciting take on the Christian life."" --S. Mark Heim Samuel Abbot Professor of Christian Theology Andover Newton Theological School ""In his thoughtful, engaging, and even sometimes humorous style, Richard Beck tells the church that it is time to get dirty. With one leg hip-deep in theology and the other in psychological science, Beck persuasively argues that the church's obsession with purity is a costly pursuit, one fraught with serious psychological and sociological consequences. You may not always agree, but you will be challenged in new ways to think about the church's mission."" —Peter C. Hill Editor, Journal of Psychology and Christianity.
Fowler, James W. Stages of Faith. Harper One, 1981. Print
Written by a Methodist minister and a psychologist who interviewed hundreds of people of all ages about the meanings of their lives. He analyses them with a background of established stage theories within developmental psychology, and develops his own, incorporating how people grow in their faith (or develop their worldview, since he includes non-theistic people) from childhood through adulthood. I heard about this book when I was researching Mormonism (because I had moved to Utah), and I discovered that this book is widely cited and very meaningful to a subculture of Mormons, specifically those who have encountered often-traumatic revelations about the church they were raised in, leading to the demythologizing of their faith. Fowler proposes that this kind of demythologizing is a way of moving forward. He describes adult development in faith/ideology as a sort of transition from conformity within a small group of significant others to a more powerful, more deliberate, more universalist mode of encountering humanity/divinity/life.
This book can be useful for folks sorting out the connection between their faith and their politics because it focuses on the progress of an individual through life, and describes psychological theories of ideology that might be relevant to anyone trying to understand the workings of ideology in societies that suffer from the pervasive realities of patriarchy, racism, sexism, privilege, LGBTQI discrimination, and all the other forms of hegemonic control that are out there. Yet it doesn't describe the workings of these ideas in a way that creates enmity or disdain, but instead is very affirming and compassionate towards every interview participant cited. Ultimately I see parallels between radical spirituality and Fowler's ideas of the highest stages of faith, which he describes according to a "criteria of inclusiveness of community, of radical commitment to justice and love and selfless passion for a transformed world," listing Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" as an example. I doubt it's perfect, but I find it valuable as a road map and a way of thinking about people and better appreciating them.
Myers, Ched. "A House for All Peoples: A Bible Study on Welcoming the Outsider." Sojourners Magazine, April, 2006. Vol 34, No.4, pp 20-25.
This is a book about heaven and hell from a Catholic theologian that caused controversy within the Catholic Church because it explores the possibility (assuming Catholic dogma in general is true) that no one is damned. There is a little-known tradition of universalism among Catholic mystics, and Balthasar summarizes several strains of it, while distinguishing his theology from apokatastasis, the ancient doctrine of universal reconciliation. He treats the outcome of salvation as an unknown, and the loss of even a single person to damnation as a failed outcome. And then he asks what it means to be certain that someone else (even an unknown person) is damned, whether Christians can take delight in God’s judgment (if it means damnation), and how this impacts their ability to love unreservedly.
While not particularly related to radical/Christian politics, this is a book that can be influential to folks in developing inclusive practices in church politics. One of the central problems of Christianity, including Christian anarchism, is the tension between tribalism (the belief that Christians possess a divine privilege that others don’t) and universalism (the belief that every person is worth the sacrifice of Christ and every person deserves social justice). For a conventional Christian to struggle uncompromisingly for social justice, doctrines of hell and scriptures about hell can present a serious challenge. Balthasar’s theology stays very close to conventional Christian theology (and Balthasar was orthodox enough to be appointed a cardinal by John Paul II), yet, it presents a view of soteriology that comes close to reconciling the tension. Even for people who don’t adopt traditional doctrines about hell, it presents an interesting way of thinking through theological paradoxes.
Beck, Richard. Unclean: Meditations on Purity, Hospitality, and Morality. Wipf & Stock, March, 2011. Print
"I desire mercy, not sacrifice."" Echoing Hosea, Jesus defends his embrace of the ""unclean"" in the Gospel of Matthew, seeming to privilege the prophetic call to justice over the Levitical pursuit of purity. And yet, as missional faith communities are well aware, the tensions and conflicts between holiness and mercy are not so easily resolved. At every turn, it seems that the psychological pull of purity and holiness tempts the church into practices of social exclusion and a Gnostic flight from ""the world"" into a ""too spiritual"" spirituality. Moreover, the psychology of purity often lures the church into what psychologists call ""The Macbeth Effect,"" the psychological trap that tempts us into believing that ritual acts of cleansing can replace moral and missional engagement. Finally, time after time, wherever we see churches regulating their common life with the idiom of dirt, disgust, and defilement, we find a predictable wake of dysfunction: ruined self-images, social stigma, and communal conflict. In an unprecedented fusion of psychological science and theological scholarship, Richard Beck describes the pernicious (and largely unnoticed) effects of the psychology of purity upon the life and mission of the church. Endorsements: ""Theologians write endlessly about how Christian faith should affect our morality, our philosophy, and our spirituality. Richard Beck is the only one I know who asks what it has to do with what turns our stomachs. He writes bluntly and stunningly about the engagement of grace with our visceral dynamics of disgust and avoidance. Our complex, precognitive repulsions toward groups, behaviors, and persons stem from deep patterns in our nature. But, unredeemed, those patterns also block us from the gospel path. Beck combines biblical interpretation, theological wisdom, and dramatic psychological insights to give an earthy and exciting take on the Christian life."" --S. Mark Heim Samuel Abbot Professor of Christian Theology Andover Newton Theological School ""In his thoughtful, engaging, and even sometimes humorous style, Richard Beck tells the church that it is time to get dirty. With one leg hip-deep in theology and the other in psychological science, Beck persuasively argues that the church's obsession with purity is a costly pursuit, one fraught with serious psychological and sociological consequences. You may not always agree, but you will be challenged in new ways to think about the church's mission."" —Peter C. Hill Editor, Journal of Psychology and Christianity.
Fowler, James W. Stages of Faith. Harper One, 1981. Print
Written by a Methodist minister and a psychologist who interviewed hundreds of people of all ages about the meanings of their lives. He analyses them with a background of established stage theories within developmental psychology, and develops his own, incorporating how people grow in their faith (or develop their worldview, since he includes non-theistic people) from childhood through adulthood. I heard about this book when I was researching Mormonism (because I had moved to Utah), and I discovered that this book is widely cited and very meaningful to a subculture of Mormons, specifically those who have encountered often-traumatic revelations about the church they were raised in, leading to the demythologizing of their faith. Fowler proposes that this kind of demythologizing is a way of moving forward. He describes adult development in faith/ideology as a sort of transition from conformity within a small group of significant others to a more powerful, more deliberate, more universalist mode of encountering humanity/divinity/life.
This book can be useful for folks sorting out the connection between their faith and their politics because it focuses on the progress of an individual through life, and describes psychological theories of ideology that might be relevant to anyone trying to understand the workings of ideology in societies that suffer from the pervasive realities of patriarchy, racism, sexism, privilege, LGBTQI discrimination, and all the other forms of hegemonic control that are out there. Yet it doesn't describe the workings of these ideas in a way that creates enmity or disdain, but instead is very affirming and compassionate towards every interview participant cited. Ultimately I see parallels between radical spirituality and Fowler's ideas of the highest stages of faith, which he describes according to a "criteria of inclusiveness of community, of radical commitment to justice and love and selfless passion for a transformed world," listing Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" as an example. I doubt it's perfect, but I find it valuable as a road map and a way of thinking about people and better appreciating them.
Myers, Ched. "A House for All Peoples: A Bible Study on Welcoming the Outsider." Sojourners Magazine, April, 2006. Vol 34, No.4, pp 20-25.