Week 6: Comment on Joel’s Blog

In his discussion of Lamming’s piece on “Colonialism and the Caribbean Novel”, Joel, brings up the inherent effects of the plague-like spread of American capitalism, as manifested through the actions of Brazilian travel and buying patterns. In his statements, echoing those of Lamming, Joel attacks the American economic system, as well as crowning it the embodiment of all that is captilization and globalization. I think in this framework he is right on the unfortunate aspects of “the race to the bottom”, as well as the McDonaldizing effects of American capitalism, but to ascribe all blame on the American economic system is not only short-sighted, but it ignores several of the issues that continue to perpetuate the spread of capitalist globalization.
The issues that continue to be ignored are the lowering of standards, by countries such as Brazil, to try and generate not only American markets, but corporations and factories as well. The corporations realize the benefit to extending business where the restrictions are the lowest, ultimately resulting in a used up Brazilian economy and government forced to protect its people and landscape by eventually raising restrictions, only to discover there is another 2/3rds world ready to compete…for the bottom. Ultimately the problems are two-fold for these issues, America and the 1st world must examine debt allievation and regulations for multi-nationals, while the 2/3rds world must not sacrifice its people and its environment to attempt to generate multi-national business. Money is the plague…America is merely a warm body.

Week 6: “Survival and Invention” -Hulme (Castle)

In his piece on the creation of identity on the part of “native” Caribs, Hulme, discusses the definition of certain cultural identifiers, such as “texts”, and their role on the creation and subjugation of identity. The most interesting aspect of Hulme’s work was his discussion on the necessity of destroying the isolation that accompanies colonially-instutituted isolation, and that with the ability to experience and embrace other “races”, the Caribs, in a sense can embrace their own. Some thoughts that arise from this idea of isolation are: Can we understand our own identities in isolation? If not, in the creation of identity, why do we continue to necessitate “othering” people groups for our own self-definition and aggrandizment? These are some questions that are foundational before we can begin answering “who we are” as natives, immigrants, and even Americans.

Week 6: “Negotiating Caribbean Identities” -Hall (Castle)

In his article on the construction of Caribbean identity in light of their diasporic setting outside of their “African Mother”, Hall, gives insight into the proliferation of reclaiming African identity during the 1960s. Hall states that the renewed interest and desire for an African Identity comes from an inability to discover one’s identity in the circumstances and structures that the Caribbeans found themselves surrounded. Hall takes this a step further by positing that the Africa that so many of these individuals longed for was not Africa in actuality, but rather an idealized view of 17th century African culture that represented ancestors long lost, culture long lost, and religion long lost. Hall further claims that the influx of Rastafarianism in Jamaica during the 60s was also an expression of this longing for an African ideal. This is an interesting statment and I think it mirrors what we are longing for as Christians inside a system in which we feel the image and identity of the Church has been lost. We long for an idealized apostolic church that exists in the Ancient Near East, rooted in Judaism, and charismatic in nature, but not a Church actually bound by charisma today and embracing of Judaism. We long for the ideal…which leaves us a bit frustrated in reality.

Week 6: “Colonialism and the Caribbean Novel” -Lamming (Castle)

In his piece on the effect of Colonialism on National identity, and the role of Caribbean novel to speak to and against this identity, Lamming, brings up a very interesting point on, as he calls it, “the truest form of racism”. According to Lamming the most direct and foundational understanding of racism is to take that which was given by the Colonizer, internalize it, and project it outward after their “de-colonizing efforts”. This is an interesting thought to take that which was created to subjugate and separate and to further its spread through the efforts of those which it harms the most. This is a discussion that I believe could be applied to the use of several colonial slurs that have been “re-claimed” by African Americans and are now integral definitions within their culture. What would Lamming have to say about their use? Can they be reclaimed?

Week 6: Monday

In today’s class we spent the majority of time discussing the Missio Dei and the church’s incorporation of this idea as opposed to the earlier framework of the Missio Ecclesiae. The most interesting aspect of today’s session was the discussion of how the Church practically joins God in his already occuring mission, rather than inaugurating a mission and hoping that it is in line with “God’s will”. This discussion helps me as I begin to work through the values, ideas, and identity of a church that I would like to be a part of. Is it one who is missionally engaging the surrounding community? Is it reflective of its current context in makeup and identity? Are the resources of the staff being spent on the continuance of the iternal structure and its “sunday show” or are they being allocated toward joining God’s already ocurring mission in its current context? These are questions that any church today must seriously grapple with in order to determine its role and effectiveness in the Kingdom.

Week 6: “The Sign of Orpah” -Donaldson (Sugirtharajah)

In her piece on the exaltation of Ruth and the subsequent marginalization of Orpah, Donaldson, attempts to show that the only constant that one can posit in the area of biblical interpretation is context. Donaldson goes further to state that biblical figures, ideas, and situations are only translated in light of how they can be “owned and embodied” by those doing the translating. This is dangerous ground to tread upon. I can see the benefits of “reclaiming” biblical figures such as Orpah from undue marginalization and critique, but as one can see through a cursory glance at biblical interpretative history, that a personal, de-historicized, contextual reading of the bible led to both the support of slavery and the practice of marginality that Donaldson is arguing against. With no biblical historical basis or clear theological foundation, one can use the very same text that Donaldson used and argue the exact opposite point, thereby, in my opinion, nullifying either position. This text is one that follows a clear line of culturally, non-religiously motivated interpreters who are prostituting the biblical text for the very same reasons of those whom they are questioning, personal context and opinion.

Week 6: “Rahab Says Hello to Judith” -Dube (Sugirtharajah)

In his piece on the liberation overtones, and undertones, in the Book of Judith Dube brings up an interesting feature of Colonization, the dissolution of class in the face of an imperialising force. This point is brought home when Dube brings up the fact that once a “God-like” imperial force subjugates a land, not only are the poor, un-educated, lower class brought under submission, but the upper class, the elite are as well. It is only once liberation has been attained that a country or nation’s social structure will return to its former constraints. This idea is solidified further in Dube’s discussion on Judith’s forceful, and aggressive actions to liberate her people, and then, with a chance to further the cause of women and the dissolution of patriarchy, she returns to marginality and the shadow of her husband. This is interesting, especially in light of the nationalistic dissolution of the women’s question once it receives “liberation”.

Week 6: “Models of The Church: Emergence of a World Church” -Fuellenbach

In his chapter on the representation of the Church universal in Vatican II, Fuellenbach, brings up several interesting points. Notably, his discussion on the missional Church being in the 2/3rds World, but not being of/from the 2/3rds World. This discussion leads to further thought on our missional engagement as the Western Church. A further point by Fuellenbach was his statement that Church and culture need one another as a gatekeeper of sorts on who they are becoming as the Church seeks to represent the gospel more fully and in a way that is true to the message, not to its Western context. The Church also seeks to affirm aspects of culture where the gospel is already present, and to critique aspects of the culture that are contrary to the gospel as well as humanity. This idea stands in stark contrast to the sectarian aims of many evangelical churches today, maybe this is why they have become continually marginalized.

Week 5: Response to Terry Mak’s Blog

In his blog on Fuellenbach’s chapter on the Church and its role as or within the Kingdom of God, Terry states that the Kingdom of God should not be closely identified with the Church because of its “politics and corruption”. This is an unfortunate problem that the Church has been dealing with over the past few decades as we have seen increased attitudes of anger and skepticism regarding the Church and its role in society. To combat this epidemic, according to Terry, we must remove the idea of “Kingdom” from the idea of Church. I think this is an incorrect reading not only of Fuellenbach, but of Scripture as well. If we look back to the Old Testament we see that in God’s choosing of the Israelite nation as his “kingdom of priests” to reveal his invisible and innate qualities to the world, and we continue to see this promise acted out throughout the rest of scripture including the Jesus movement and the start of the Early Church. What we see is that God has always chosen to use broken and dirty people to reveal the message of who he is, and because of this people who are outside of God’s present reality can catch a glimpse of Him in the lives of those who look remarkably similar to them. Ultimately my main question goes back to this dissolving the link between Church and Kingdom because of the inabilities of people to be perfect. If we dissolve this link because we want people, who I might add have no idea or knowledge of this “eschatalogical Kingdom”, to look toward the true coming Kingdom of God what can we show them of this Kingdom now? What do we have to point to, aside from a book that they may, or may not ascribe authority to? The Church, even in its incomplete way, is God’s way of using people to reveal Himself to other people. If we dissolve this link, can we accomplish the will of Him who inaugurated it?

Week 5: Wednesday

In today’s class we discussed the deeply rooted and commonly misunderstood idea of race and its effects on the marginalization and othering of individuals both inside and outside the West. I had heard before in sociology classes that race has no biological basis, and that in the view of many sociologists should be dissolved. This idea and almost marginalization of the idea of race is continuing to contribute to its perpetuance, because sociologists are ignoring the constructs that are continuing its dominance. If we want to impact the way that people are viewed and treated then we must start on the societial level. We must begin to do battle with the words of our families and the jokes of our friends. We must continue to fight oppression, not in the far-off and in the conjectured discussions, but the oppression that exists in our words, our subdivisions, and the schools that our children attend. These are the only ways (if at all) that race and its effects can be challenged.