left coast culture.

Doors.

2010-02-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning at work. And it's not at a church. My life's path is an interesting one... not one that has been planned, but a path where I seem to have been led to this place for a purpose. But what purpose? To teach? I believe that is where God has set for me to now go, but it is interesting how the door to leading a church has seemingly closed.

Doors open and close everyday. This job has been rewarding spiritually in that I have been able to affect kids truly in need. The lesson to be learned is discipline. Discipline in patience, listening, and reflection... all things reflected frequently in my writings.

Colossians 3:12-13
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Silence & Discipline.

2010-02-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

Silence frees us from the need to control others ... A frantic stream of words flows from us in an attempt to straighten others out. We want so desperately for them to agree with us, to see things our way. We evaluate people, judge people, condemn people. We devour people with our words. Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on that. - Richard Foster

The discipline of silence is closely tied to meditation and the art of listening. These related disciplines are something I have been attempting to master over the past two years, as I have tried to remain patient and calm during a time of stress with the ups and downs of the economy, employment, and ongoing family drama.

It is always interesting when silence does much better work in a situation than does language or words. See, I love words. I play Scrabble daily online with friends, daily learn a word of the day, while continually enjoying reading and writing in my spare time. [When Liverpool or the Mariners aren't playing, of course] Words give me joy. But so too does silence.

When someone feels comfortable enough to open up their pain and sorrows, joy and triumphs, it gives me great pleasure knowing that my role in their life played a small part. And if one does not allow for silence in waiting, there is no room to breathe, no room for grow to occur. One must discover for themselves to grow fully. Letting go of the control of words is a powerful tool. And it is a difficult discipline because it gives the other person in the conversation, relationship, or partnership, control. But in doing so, we can breathe new life.

Callings, Careers & Questions.

2009-12-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

"You must wait and listen for the sound of the genuine that is within you. When you hear it, that will be your voice and the Voice of God."

- Howard Thurman
American author, civil rights leader, and theologian (1899-1981)

Waiting sucks. I've always said that I'm the most patient with people, the least with everything else. And this past year, waiting for an answer on calling and career has been a difficult one. How does one stay sane when waiting and listening for the "Voice of God" when the answers come in coming in second for job after job in careers you thought were your calling.

I have believed that my calling was in ministry. Now through a series of disappointment in finding a position to utilize my skills at a church, I'm grasping for truth in the wreckage of a life of service. In a down economy, church jobs are few and far between. And my other field of expertise, technology, is littered with unemployed applicants with more recent job experience, albeit similiar to mine.

Left with a horrible paying, yet ultimately fulfilling, non-profit job at YouthCare as a Life Skills Coach and Youth Counselor, my hopes in finding a career are again in the balance, while many questions remain. Do I continue to search for positions in ministry or technology? Do I work and wait for a ministry opportunity to plant my own church down the line? Do I "settle" for the fact that my ministry is better served as a lay person with a Masters in Theology? Do I enroll in school to persue teaching?

Teaching is where my future could be. Others have mentioned they have seen the gift of teaching in me. Is that the Voice of God speaking through them? Have I ignored those pleas to teach long enough? My current position teaching Life Skills classes has ignited a spark towards the craft of teaching within. A lot of school in prerequesite classes and tests remain. The time of waiting and listening has almost come to an end. It's now time to act. Although I'm still listening.

"God, I abandon myself into your hands. Do with me whatever you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you. I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures. Into your hands I commend my spirit. I offer it to you with all the love that is in my heart. For I love you, Lord, and so want to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve and with boundless confidence. Amen."

- A prayer of Charles de Foucauld

The Blueprint

2009-11-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Galatians 5:13-14

The words above are citing an Old Testament text in Leviticus where God is telling Moses a huge laundry list of laws. You know, back when God spoke to those who believed in God. I'd be nice to have that open of communication with God in today's world, but we have iPod's, which is nice.

This law is more familiar because Jesus pimped it in the New Testament book of Matthew after he was asked by a religious leader which was the most important commandment. Jesus answered that loving God with everything you have was the most important, following that up with the gem above coming a close second.

I love these verses. It's like Jesus is giving us cliff notes to the Bible, it's laws and teachings, as well as a blueprint on how to live our lives. Humankind most often doesn't follow the cheat sheet laid out by God. But it's comforting to know that in the end, if you love God and those around you, you are following God's #1 and #2 laws. Not bad for something that is human nature to do. Love others. Your neighbor may be different, believe in different values, and have political differences. But God calls us to love that neighbor. Hugs not drugs, kids.

A prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

2009-11-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O God, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

"I will not fear."

2009-10-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end ... But I believe the desire to please you does in fact please you. I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you will never leave me to face my perils alone."
- Thomas Merton, from Thoughts in Solitude

Every day I pray that I will be used for God's will. This is a heavy concept to some, but I have faith that God placed me in the hear and now for a greater good. Every one gets lost, confused, and afraid. Merton's quote here reminds us that God is with us in the hard times.

This has been a difficult year for me and our family. But we are living through it. And we believe that we have lived through this weary road full of perils for a reason and will come out stronger because of it. Because in the end, I still have faith.

greenlake super group suggestions.

2009-09-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned in the intro email for our EastLake Group... I believe Revolutions Espresso & Bakery would be a ideal location to meet due to it's size and fact that we could get loud & crazy without the baristas caring. Revolutions is located in the bottom floor of The Greenlake Condo building.

Please start the discussion on where you'd like to meet and what book you'd like to study in the comments link below. And if you're shy, just reply to my original email and let me know your thoughts.

Dates:

Wednesday 14 October

Wednesday 21 October

Wednesday 28 October

Wednesday 04 November

Wednesday 11 November

Wednesday 18 November

OFF for Thanksgiving

Wednesday 02 December

Wednesday 09 December

Wednesday 16 December

back in black.

2009-09-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy past year and a half, with emotional highs and lows that I never thought I'd see. So I've decided to start writing again my thoughts in devotion and theology of life, love and faith. Today, we start with a simple verse.

Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate asked him, "What is truth?"

- John 18:37-38

The best part about the truth Jesus is speaking about is that God's Spirit of truth lives within us as the Holy Spirit (if you want to learn more, please read Acts 3:1-10). Jesus throughout his time as a human on earth was continually misunderstood, especially when Pilate and others were compelled to call him "king."

But the part that we take as comfort is that Jesus says here that "everyone who belongs to the truth" will hear God's voice if they listen. This means that if you have faith in God, that God will speak to you in that faith. God's voice can come through in our lives in many ways (which we won't get into now), but take hope in that the Spirit of God is with you. Are you listening?

Vote: November 4th

2008-11-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, we will elect the next President of the United States. The result will have great consequences for the nation. This election offers a choice between two men with dramatically different visions of the future. We have strong feelings about this choice. But we feel even more strongly that all Americans, regardless of political preference, have a stake in the outcome and should vote in this critical election.

This is likely to be a close election. Your vote matters. Please use it and make a difference.

If you do encounter long lines, here are some ways to have fun and ensure you can vote:

Go with friends and/or bring phones, iPods, lawn chairs, food, reading materials, proper clothing, etc.
Don't believe the polls if they say a candidate is winning or losing. They've been wrong before.
Ask for the day-off from work or class.
Verify your polling location BEFORE you head to the polls by calling 1-866-OUR-VOTE or contact your local County Election Office. Or, use the Google Maps Voter Info.
Help others stay in line. Share your food, drink, music, reading materials, election protection information. Remember: we're in this together.
Make sure to take this number with you so that if you encounter any problems, you can talk to nonpartisan election lawyers who can help: 1-866-OUR-VOTE or request a provisional ballot.
If you do run into any issues at the polls, Video The Vote and document election problems.

It Must Be About The Issues

2008-09-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting behind a one-way mirror in a conference room about to transcribe some meetings and am reading up on our American political candidates for the upcoming Presidential Election this Fall. While the system may be flawed in having only 2 parties represented in the Electoral College, this is the system we must choose the next President in, and it would be wise to understand each party ticket thoroughly.

To sum up this point, Sojourner Jim Wallis gives an amazing summary of how we should approach our choice in his blog this past week:

"All four of the political figures on their respective party tickets have been shown to have compelling personal stories. All four are "real people," as the slogan goes. But this election must not just be about personalities, or inspiring personal histories; it must be about the issues, the records, the leadership, and the facts. May God help us to stay focused on that. Last week belonged to the Democrats, this week to the Republicans. Now, after the showy conventions of the past two weeks, the real work of this election can begin."

Review: Into Great Silence

2008-06-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

The monastic life-style has always intrigued me. From the self-discipline of daily rituals to the stripping away of everything one owns, the faith and dedication a monk uses is noble and true. Or maybe the attraction lies in the fact that you get to dress like a Jedi. Whether I could have survived, is one question. Since most that enter such monasteries never last but a few years. But the more pertinent question is: Could I have survived psychologically? I would probably best the psychology… but definitely not the silence.

German filmmaker Philip Gröning apparently spent about six months living as a monk before attempting to capture their lives in film. And his patience and persistence paid off. Into Great Silence, the documentary about the Grande Chartreuse Monastery in the French Alps lived up to my expectations. The silence associated with the lives of these monks was captured by the endless silence (2:40 hours) of the film. That in itself is a story.

Apparently, the filmmaker went to the abbot to discuss his idea of a film about the monks. The abbot responded somewhat positively and said that he would get back to him. Reply he did… 16 years later! Time passing through an hourglass.

The filming was a study in time itself. Gröning captured light and darkness, color and shapes extraordinarily well. It was like watching an infinite number of slides merging one into the next effortlessly. As the viewer slows down and moves into the world of the monastery, the endless silence changes the sounds of the simple task into a chorus of movement and meditation.

The entire quarter moved towards being able to take the gift of transcendental film. Fridays have been an interesting ride and truly a gift perfectly placed at the end of a long week of studies. Being able to slow down and observe the world through new eyes of a filmmaker was not only a gift of transcendence, but a gift of transportation away from the hustle and bustle of a seminarian life and into a tranquility of quiet reflection.

Review: The Wind Will Carry Us

2008-06-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

Contrasting the simple beauty of life itself with the absurd intrusions and blinders of modern deadlines and technology, Abbas Kiarostami presents a film that is both compassionate and ironic. The Wind Will Carry Us follows a group of media professionals, identified early on as “engineers,” who travel to a small village in Iran.

We later discover that the “engineers” were really in town to document the archaic and brutal grieving rituals the local townspeople submit themselves at times of mourning. But along the way, the viewer is invited to experience the new world just as the town’s visitors do. The film is an investigation – a philosophical examination into the nature of man, existence and civilization.

The story of the engineer is counter-pointed against the lives of the people he encounters: a young boy who becomes his guide, a laborer who discusses the restrictive roles of women, a pregnant woman who shelters them, and the village elder, or teacher, who surmises the reason of their visit.

Kiarostami has a wonderful ability to take the rustic and mundane of everyday life in a normal rural Middle Eastern town – and show the mysterious and beautiful moments as poetry. The script frequently recites poetry throughout the film while the images display equally deeply poetic lines. And the continual play of the “engineer” having to drive to a mountain top to find a cellular signal is the perfect metaphor for the stories plot line of the modern age set against an old world where modern invention is not needed. The film is a beautiful tale of contrast that is translated by subtitles but not in need on translation of truth.

Review: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

2008-05-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

Kim Ki-Duk's Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring is a bold, beautiful and breathtaking glimpse at Buddhism. The director delivers stunning visuals full of artistic originality. Lessons learned are slow and patient and done with little or no dialogue.

The setting is a monastery that floats on a lake surrounded by mountains and the events take place over the course of about 50 years. The story is broken into five chapters, one for each season in the title. Not only do the chapters take place during those seasons, but they are also corresponding to times in one man’s life as he grows from small child to an old man. Every chapter starts with a title card of the season. Then ornate doors, which sit on the banks of the lake, open up to reveal a monk's monastery.

It's more a fable than a storyline, because it can applied to how Buddhists would describe the world, and what they would expect of it, what they wish to achieve. The symbolism is very heavy, but does not distract from the movie -- it's the kind of film symbolism that you pick apart after the film that grants greater appreciation and understanding, but does not require comprehension during (else it'd be pretentious).

I've never seen a film be so meditative in tone, so simple, yet still speak so universally. After we finished watching the film, I said to Craig that it was "perfect." After being reminded of the extremely unnecessary kung-fu still shots, I have to change my comment to "almost perfect."

Review: George Washington

2008-05-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

George Washington is a bold, beautiful and honest look at a rural ghetto Carolina town through the eyes of four pre-teen children. Growing up in poor conditions with little to no parental supervision, the kids are on their own. This freedom gives the kids opportunity to explore, create and dream – while it also prohibits healthy relationships, positive development and moral standards.

The David Gordon Green film follows the children through long summer days of independence. On their own, they confront hook-ups and break-ups with only themselves to talk them through. On their own, they talk about real-life questions of spirituality. And on their own, they are confronted with a life-and-death scenario that changes their lives.

This is where the film both makes and breaks itself. Each kid deals with the scenario in her/his own way. Some turn toward a negative path of looting and stealing. Others become onlookers, waiting as bystanders. And George takes the event and uses it as a launching pad towards a new life as a “hero” trying to save the world, starting with the simple act of directing traffic at the town traffic stop.

The transcendental nature of the narrative mirrors that of Terrence Malick’s A Thin Red Line and works towards a movement of meditative thought. The powerful imagery comes unhinged towards the end of the film though, as burning hats and frantic reporters act as barriers in the overall story arch rather than bridges towards something more. One could work towards meaningful metaphors in the chaos, but I felt that a more consistant and careful progression of sticking with the true observation of real-life that the rest of the film took would have cleaned up the confusion and made a more complete film experience.

Craig claimed during class that David Gordon Green’s George Washington is where the new generation of filmmakers is heading. Although the bold, creative and honest look at a slice of America is a forthright and telling vision of one director’s story – I do not believe the film industry will ever completely move towards a completely independent model of filmmaking.

Yes, making a film and distributing it is easier now thanks to YouTube.com, Apple Computers, and the World Wide Web. But the film industry continues to pump out rehashed storylines and family-friendly remakes geared towards what can make money, rather than quality and creativity that is born in the independent spirit of young filmmakers like David Gordon Green.

Review: Badlands

2008-05-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

Director Terrence Malick paints a pretty picture by taking his time to develop each shot, conversation, and character. You put them all together and you have Badlands, a beautiful motion picture of American sensationalism and ironic heroism created by a mass media whirlwind.

The setting is a Midwestern town, where Martin Sheen plays a malcontent 20-something garbage man named Kit who stumbles upon a teenage dreamer in Sissy Spacek starlet of Holly. The conversation starts innocent enough, but soon the young lovers turn into naïve dreamers caught up in a killing spree only a true story could produce.

Yes, the movie is based on a true story of the 1958 killings that left 11 people dead and the nation in an odd tension built between fear of the vigilante killers and the media darlings they had become.

Malick plays with this tension in the simple editing of the film. Long, sanguine shots show the gritty, dirty reality of the American skyline. These are intertwined with the matter-of-fact naivety of the young Holly’s innocent fairy-tale narration throughout the film. The stark contrast toys with your emotions as you watch the horrors of a torrent passion play unfold. And you see why the American public can become enamored with the characters, like old-school gunslingers evading modern-day peacekeepers.

The observation and patience that Malick displays in Badlands is the key to the film. The film is truly transcendental in that the film allows the viewer to live in the world of the characters on screen. It is an oddly enjoyable experience as we are allowed to ride along with the killers in a journey that cannot end well.

Quote

2008-05-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

"Anyone who wants to know the human psyche will learn next to nothing from experimental psychology. He would be better advised to abandon exact science, put away his scholar's gown, bid farewell to his study, and wander with human heart throughout the world. There in the horrors of prisons, lunatic asylums and hospitals, in drab suburban pubs, in brothels and gambling-hells, in the salons of the elegant, the Stock Exchanges, socialist meetings, churches, revivalist gatherings and ecstatic sects, through love and hate, through the experience of passion in every form in his own body, he would reap richer stores of knowledge than text-books a foot thick could give him, and he will know how to doctor the sick with a real knowledge of the human soul." ~ Carl Jung

Review: Light Sleeper

2008-05-09T00:58:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you mix Robert Bresson with Miami Vice and the Lost Boys Soundtrack? Apparently you get a movie by Paul Schrader. For an amazing screen writer that brought us transcendent films such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and The Last Temptation of Christ, we get a less-than-transcendent Light Sleeper.

The main issue is that the successful films listed above were placed in the hands of an exceptional director in Martin Scorsese. Paul Schrader is a phenomenal writer. But he is a poor director. Leave the filmmaking to the Scorsese's of the world, Schrader. Stick to the writing.

What is most confusing is the elements of the film seem like the right choices. Light Sleeper has an interesting main character in Willem Dafoe's drug dealing philosopher, an epic cityscape in New York City, and a life changing story line. Yet, the film falls flatter than a Ashley Simpson note.

And the blame is in the direction. The movie is dated beyond-belief. From the 80's dress, to the 80's music... the 80's haven't aged well. You can see the glimpses towards the transcendental filmmakers that Schrader idolizes, but they are over-the-top in every way. From obviously placed buddhas on empty walls, to lonely cross-shaped lamps in empty rooms... the film wants to introduce divine grace in a troubled world, but doesn't have the touch of grace needed to pull it off. I love lamp. I hate Schrader's direction.

Review: Performing Rites

2008-05-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Simon Frith, in his 1996 book Performing Rites, explores the theme of musical genres as social constructions. Frith explains the popular music listener’s judgment of authenticity as “a perceived quality of sincerity and commitment. It’s as if people expect music to mean what it says” (71).

Drawing as well upon the work of Franco Fabbri, Frith lays out a series of “genre rules” which he claims govern the way we listen to music. Asserting that “popular musical pleasures can only be understood as genre pleasures” [91], Frith writes that genre analysis is narrative analysis: “It must refer to an implied community, to an implied romance, to an implied plot” [90-91]. Genres are a way for audiences and performers to bond over the retelling of a (believed to be) common story. And when a story is told, Frith argues, certain rules come into play:

Such rules refer to the ways in which “meaning” is conveyed… How is “truth” or “sincerity” indicated musically? How do we know what music is “about”? Consider, for example, how different genres (opera, folk, rock, punk) read singers: as the protagonists of their songs? As revealing themselves? Rules here, in other words, concern musical expressivity and emotion; they determine the significance of the lyrics—different genres, for example, having quite different conventions of lyrical realism: soul versus country, the singer/songwriter versus the disco diva. [91]

In other words, one could take the lyrics from a country song and present them to an audience in a “punk” style (musical interpretation or delivery), and this simple act of reinterpretation could drastically change those words’ meaning. This is especially relevant when considering the “I” in popular music lyrics: does it refer to a personal experience or a collective one? For instance, when Johnny Cash sings, “Well, I woke up Sunday morning / With no way to hold my head that didn't hurt” in his song “Sunday Morning Coming Down” is he speaking as himself, or as the voicing of a regional experience of a hangover? The answer seems to change somewhat depending on the genre in question.

A second Johnny Cash song, his Nine Inch Nails cover of “Hurt” is another strong example of the how a genre can change the meaning of lyrics. When Cash sings, “What have I become, my sweetest friend? Everyone I know, goes away in the end” the lyrics can be interpreted as a reflection at the end of a long life. But the original meaning of Trent Reznor’s lyrics changed from a place of despair to reflection. Reznor later lamented that when producer Rick Rubin first asked if Cash could cover his song, he was “flattered” but worried that “the idea sounded a bit gimmicky.” Reznor became a fan of Cash’s version, however, once he saw the music video:

I pop the video in, and wow… Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps… Wow. I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn’t mine anymore… It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form. I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. (Somehow) that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning — different, but every bit as pure. [Alternative Press #194. September 2004]

Frith argues that listening itself is a performance, both social gesture and bodily response. From how they are made to how they are received, popular songs shape our understanding of what all music means. But the listener’s experience determines the “meaning” – making it an aesthetic matter and highly personal. I love the way Frith brings the conversation about musical genre and interpretation into the realm of sociology. The “popular” in popular music demands a further analysis. And Frith does it well.

Review: Andrei Rublev

2008-05-02T01:38:00.000-07:00

For a film widely recognized as a cinematic masterpiece, Andrei Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev failed to live up to its lofty expectations. The film follows the 15th century Russian monk and icon painter Andrei Rublev as he faces violence, political persecution and, eventually, a crisis of faith after leaving the monastery to paint a gothic cathedral's interior.

The violence, political persecution, and crisis of faith are evident throughout – but the movement from realism to transcendence was not so clear. In fact, besides the wonderful dialogue between the painter monk and other characters throughout the 3:25 minutes, coupled with striking cinematic photography, I fail to see where the divine can enter the conversation. Yes, the realism and human experience fits the transcendental definition outlined by Schrader, but the random execution and brutality of darkness fail to reach the divine and instead bathe in the depravity of human nature.

From Dreyer we were forced to understand human emotion encountering the divine. From Ozu we learned that sitting and breathing in the world around us can bring us into a reality we miss in our busy lives. And from Bresson we struggled with our freedom and learned to except what is given instead of taking what is desired. But what did we learn from Tarkovsky? I learned that sometimes long shots don’t bring transcendence, that a when a main character is missing from the story for too long it removes the element of continuity, and that violence sometimes is just violence.

I was praying for a Bresson montage during the violent scenes. Even Rocky had a montage! This may come to a surprise for those that know my favorites movies include Full Metal Jacket, The Killer, The Shining, and The Silence of the Lambs. But the long takes of death and pillage of war in Andrei Rublev was too much to bear at times. What was the point? War is evil? Okay, I get it. Thanks for opening my eyes, Tarkovsky. If this is what you choose to do with Bazin’s evolution of the image, I’d rather go visit Rublev’s iconography and find meaning in the stillness. Sweet, sweet stillness.

Divine Questions

2008-04-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

Below are thoughts gathered from a discussion in a theology class led by Barry Taylor...

What is theology?
The ultimate purpose of theology is to approach and encounter the divine. We live and articulate our experience of God. Mystery is a word that one is allowed to use in religion, where uncertainty is not. Love delights in truth.

In the case of Derrida, "non-philosophy" takes the form of infinite proliferation beyond comprehension. "To risk meaning nothing is to start to play, and first enter into the play of difference..."

What is the purpose of theology?
Everything falls short of recreating God. We need to worship God beyond our best words. Everything we say should be said with a degree of humility and openendedness. When we put God and thoughts of the divine into words, to a degree they no longer become divine but something else.

"Through the use of language we write God into existence. It is a blanket we throw onto the invisible to give it shape and form." ~ Nick Cave

We live in interesting times. In the 20th century, when one mentioned "theology" people assumed that the term meant Christian theology. In today's culture, people view the term as reasoning about God, but not necessarily a Christian God.

The theological grid of "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by me” [John 14:6-7] is a modern concept derived out of the modern church admitting there were other religions beyond Christianity. We have to look forward, not back. We cannot answer today's quetsions with previous thought. We have to answer them with the now.

Review: Pickpocket

2008-04-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

“The supernatural in film is only the real rendered more precise,” Bresson says. “Real things close up.” Schrader reminds us that Bresson’s viewpoint of the everyday reality consists of elimination rather than addition or assimilation; a reminder that is clearly seen in the renowned classic film Pickpocket.

Pickpocket is not a classic because of phenomenal acting performances or jam-packed action sequences, but rather the film is a classic because of the film as a whole, with an extremely well written script, and an exceptionally complex and layered lead character. And in the end, I agree with Joshua Lim’s connection that the “story is crucial” to Bresson’s achievement in Pickpocket.

One might be taken aback at the non-acting or static mundane shots of life. But they are life, the scenarios, dialogue, struggle and reality of life. Bresson draws the viewer into the film by removing the acting and action, only to have the story remain, in its skillfully crafted simplicity. The stark remainder makes the high points in the story higher, the low points lower, and the pivotal scenes breathtaking.

The moral journey in the film also grasps the transcendental style better than the films we have previously viewed in class. The pickpocket believes his worldview of bettering others with guile and skill brings balance and serves an ultimate good in the world. His belief is a selfish outlook that only sees his power and task at hand, rather than gaining a higher perspective where a love is waiting and a motive of sacrifice for others could be a goal greater than the ultimate lift.

The nature of a pickpocket is one of a taker. I loved that the story neatly unfolds that once the pickpocket learns to accept what is given and give of himself, he is finally free. Ironically behind bars, only able to clumsily smear his nose on his true love’s forehead.

Review: Tokyo Story

2008-04-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

It is amazing that when watching a film, how much your state of mind can effect the experience of the film. About two years ago, I was in a different place with my life, working 50+ hours a week, rushing from place to place, a busy body in a big city. During that time, I attempted to watch Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story, and fell flat on my face. I couldn't make it through an hour without fast-forwarding or losing my concentration on the cinematic moments carefully portrayed within Ozu's classic film.

Now, two years later, I have learned how to slow down, I have learned that meditation can improve one's life, I have learned how to appreciate the mundane or real-life scenario. That is the beauty of transcendental style of film that Schrader believes the "Asian culture" of Zen thinking fits almost perfectly. The pairing makes sense when observing how the characters of Tokyo Story react to both the living of life and the movement of death. The children in the film were caught up in the Western industrial mindset of schedules, time, and work. They could not appreciate the nuances of life and enjoy the subtle joy of the living of that life. This is in stark contrast to the parents world of a Zen mindset, which is one of slowing down to think and meditate. They in turn do appreciate the little things like breathing or family.

When death finally came to a member of the family, the parents were prepared to deal with the finality of the end of a life exponentially more than the children were able to. I believe this is because of the pace of life each of them chose to live life. The children were shocked to find a life ending, even if it was lived long and well. Where the father knows that death is inevitable and simply says, "So this is how it ends." The understanding of the moment is evident and the beauty of the perspective is wonderfully captivating.

Review: The Passion of Joan of Arc

2008-04-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

While watching Carl Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc, I was taken into the agony, confusion and struggle of Joan’s world. With deft camera work, Dreyer placed me into the room with the judges, viewing every detail and expression in both Joan and the judges condemning her. It was a journey of heart, one where the emotions of death and the divine were heavy after the experience.

Even before discussing the pros and cons of the added “soundtrack” to the silent film production, I felt the music was not needed to understand each and every nuance of dialogue, feeling or performance. The direction did that work for us. With quick cuts, extreme close-ups, and perfectly framed characters, the message that the filmmaker was attempting to express was as clear as day. Although moving in itself, the music was not needed for a powerful film experience.

In his book, Transcendental Style in Film, Paul Schrader believes that Dreyer’s Passion in the end is not a transcendental film, but rather in the realm of “expressionist and psychological cinema” [126]. I would tend to agree with his assessment, as the viewer is constantly reminded of Joan’s humanity with a constant barrage of tears and facial expressions. Yes, there is an occasional glance towards a heavenly divine presence – but that glance is always coupled with a cut back to a spiteful judge or concerned priest. Schrader drives home the point that Dreyer “by premeditating the Transcendent on emotional empathy deprives himself of the spiritually elevating effect of transcendental style” [126]. Although this may be true, the life and death of Joan of Arc is seen in all of its gritty humanity. And for this the film is worth seeing for an experience that is transcendent, even if the film may not fit exactly the transcendental style itself.

Review: Carolyn Osiek "Beyond Anger"

2008-04-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

[Below is a review of Carolyn Osiek’s book Beyond Anger: On Being a Feminist in the Church that I wrote for a David Scholer's class "Women, the Bible, and the Church" I am taking in my final quarter at Fuller. Whoohoo!]

Carolyn Osiek’s book Beyond Anger: On Being a Feminist in the Church, is a powerful message of concern and courage to women who are called to positions of leadership within the church. Osiek draws from personal experience and other women’s stories to give an account of women dealing with the anger and frustration of the church’s gender-bias and patriarchal oppression. According to Osiek, women “sell ourselves short in order not to offend” [10], especially in relation to the powerful Christian symbol of the cross. Osiek explains:

"Women are to imitate the victim Christ while at the same time they are denied any possibility of fully identifying with him. Doomed to be like him in suffering and humiliation, they are equally doomed to be unlike him in power, authority, or exaltation." [10]

Osiek continues in the first chapter to encourage women that they need not give up their faith because of its abuse by those in power. She uses the language of fear, danger, and enslavement and asks women to move into language of courage, light, and liberation. Instead of being devastated by a self-perception of “the myth of male superiority” [10], women can recognize their repression and realize the emptiness of the myth. The newfound awareness and realization of the reality of a male dominated society leads women to anger, which Osiek believes is a “useful emotion” [13]. But women may choose not to appropriately express that it, and the built-up repressed anger can lead to depression and sadness with the angry women being “forced to find her support predominantly among other angry women” [14]. Although “anger is a completely appropriate response to the awareness of oppression” [16], Osiek warns that “depression, emptiness and joylessness are symptomatic of the experience of impasse” [23] which she believes is not a final resting place for the anger.

In the second chapter, Osiek explains different definitions of possible “feminism” and considers the different ways she perceives women as coping. The “marginalist” remains an angry person “whose anger festers and goes only in destructive directions because her energies have no creative outlet” [28]. The “loyalist” raises questions from within the church, but does so “quietly and loyally” [30]. The “symbolist” concentrates her attention on the feminine characteristics of God, but is in danger of advocating superiority of the feminine over the masculine. The “revisionist” believes that “the patriarchal cast of the Judeo-Christian tradition is due more to historical and cultural causes than theological ones” [38]. Finally the “liberationist” is defined as one who believes in the conversion of society, but picks and chooses Biblical text that is relevant to the society in which we live. Osiek does not present one coping response or method above another, but believes that women have “the responsibility to consciously choose our ways of dealing with the consequences. To let them be chosen for us is to fail to assume responsibility for our own destiny” [43].

The third chapter of the book explains that an “impasse” is reached by each of these coping responses or methods. In order to breakthrough the impasse, women must move towards a “conversion” that discovers of new perspective where the “previously acceptable is so no longer” [45]. Osiek explains the individual spiritual conversion that each woman must accept, and also outlines the institutional conversion of the church that must take place. The institutional conversion hopes for a future where power can be “gradually and willingly shared” [57-58]. Both conversions are interrelated in that “just as there is no structural conversion without personal conversion, so there is no structural transformation without personal transformation” [61]. I believe this is where Osiek is prophetic in her alliteration of the feminist struggle. For true transformation of the institution must come from individual transformation, a transformation from within the institution. This transformation does not come without a price. “There is a price to be paid for human growth – soul-searching honesty required to follow through on insight” [63], Osiek explains. Power and gender roles must be “recovered, reclaimed, and reappropriated into a new context where it will no longer aide the cause of oppression and passivity” [65].

Osiek’s last chapter reflects on the paradox and “contradiction” of the “cross” [74]. Osiek explains that through the pain of the cross comes life. And furthermore, that through the ability to “freely surrender” [79] comes a true sense of self and liberation. The message is not to lie down and take it:

"It is not forgive and forget, as if nothing wrong had ever happened, but forgive and go forward, building on the mistakes of the past and the energy generated by reconciliation to create a new future." [76]

This is a message of hope springing from the repressed anger of injustice and oppression. Osiek believes there is “no transformation of a person or society without suffering” and that “only the suffering will devote themselves to alleviating suffering” [83]. This is where the power struggle comes full circle towards a message of empowerment through the anger and suffering subjected by an oppressive patriarchal society. Through the experience of pain comes an awareness that “leaves ignorance behind and arrives at the illuminating knowledge of full feminist consciousness” [84].

Osiek concludes with practical strategies to women who are in the struggle towards equality. She reiterates the exclamation that women must choose their own beliefs and strategies and not let “them to be chosen for you” [87]. Osiek appropriately ends with a reminder that, “the Church of the present and the future is counting on you” [87].

My initial response to the book is two-fold. It is clear that although Osiek was venting her frustrations of living out her calling in an oppressive patriarchal society, she did so by treading lightly around the subject of oppression and women’s suffrage. Dr. Scholer explained that Osiek has later admitted that, “We sell ourselves short in order not to offend.” And her lament that women must “have the strength to be weak” [87] demonstrates this tiptoeing around the subject in order not to condemn the oppressors of women: men. But an attack on the men that besiege women isn’t the goal of the book. Rather, Osiek presents a text designed to help women deal with the oppression of “male superiority” that the Church culture still presents.
My own views on women in leadership have been shaped by my family upbringing upholding the value of women as equal in every way, my studies as a seminarian at Fuller Theological Seminary and by my personal ministry in the Emerging Church movement for the past 6 years. Most of that time, I was single. And now in the past few years, I have been married to a supportive Christian layperson, a self-proclaimed feminist quite willing to take on any oppressor. As I studied the scriptures, my views strengthened the support of women in leadership that, in order to be true to the whole of scripture, I had to support the notion that women, who were so gifted and called by God should exercise responsible leadership in both society and the church. In addition, I am proud to say that I am part of the online Facebook group: Real Men are Feminists.

If I had to chose which of Osiek’s outlined coping methods I fall into, I would definitely say that the “liberationist” view a “hermeneutic of suspicion” [41] best defines my viewpoint and role in the feminist movement. It is easy to focus on the anger and repression of the story Osiek details. But I naturally migrate towards the positive affirmation and encouragement Osiek reflects. Her statement that, “There is more than one way to read history, and that we have been traditionally locked into only one perspective: the patriarchal one” [38], is a wise reflection on the historical place of the oppression of women and has an underlying message of hope for the future. It is a brilliant tactic. The briefly mentioned reminder of the book is that, “the challenge and the goal is reform” [38]. Unfortunately, I think Osiek’s concluding strategies of surviving and thriving in the culture are not a message of reform, but one of coping and dealing with the anger of a society that cannot change.

Even as a man reading about women struggling in a oppressive culture, the hope of “transformation of human society through conversion” [41] resonates within my soul. I am admittedly saddened by the stories of struggle towards equality in the Church that women are forced to deal with, while at the same time encouraged and fired up about the thought of women and men choosing a destiny of equality of a history of traditional patriarchal structures. Osiek’s belief that we can discover a “new perspective from which what was previously acceptable is so no longer” [45], is one that both men and women can hold. The price must be paid from both sexes to bury oppression in a final resting place of history, and to reclaim a present reality of true equality.

Spring Training Report

2008-03-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Scott Chamberlain and I met in Arizona for Spring Training earlier this week to catch a couple of games in the sun. It was a little over a 5 hour trip out to the desert from LA. It is my Spring Break this week, so I took full advantage of the close vicinity to Spring Baseball and made the journey out.

Monday afternoon we saw the Cubs edge out Texas in Mesa 7-6 as Dempster looked horrible starting for Chicago. DeRosa, Lee and Ramirez all handled the bat really well for the Cubbies, but Japanese newcomer Fukudome didn't play. My boy Josh Hamilton went 1-3 with an RBI... he hit the ball hard in all 3 AB's though. He's oing to hit 35 HR this year.

Tuesday afternoon we drove up to Maryville, AZ to the Brewers Spring Training facilities and caught their game versus the "visiting" Dodgers. I use quotes because there were as many Dodgers fans out from LA-LA land as there were Brewers fans. Scott and I both got a little burn while laying out on the grass in the outfield. The game ended in a 3-3 tie. Penny looked decent only giving up 1 run on 1 hit in 5 innings, but he walked 5. Furcal, Loney and Ethier handled the bat well for the Dodgers, and Juan Pierre looked old. Pierre did have a bunt infield hit in the 8th though. Andruw Jones looked like he was at least 20 pounds overweight. Scott labeled him "chubby". That's all Scott said all day... so you know Jones looked fat.

The Brew Crew looked like a solid lineup, although they only have 1 LH bat in Prince Fielder in their lineup, which isn't much balance. Weeks looked really good though leading off. Prince looked about 280 lbs and 5'10" tall, about the same height as Weeks. He's going to hit 40+ this year though. Good player in person. Braun lost a fly-ball to left in the sun in the 3rd (which they didn't give him an error), but then redeemed himself and made a nice running catch a few innings later. He should be fine in his transition from 3B.

I'll be back next week with an update from my first week of classes for my last quarter at Fuller.

Paper: Re-Revised Outline

2008-03-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

I. The Christian & The Homosexual: Can These Communities Co-Exist?

Introduction focusing on the "issue" of homosexuality within the Church community. The Christian community must rethink its views towards homosexuality. Thesis: Within this paper, I will demonstrate that the Christian community has used rhetoric & social stigma to ignore, marginalize and ostracize the homosexual community. Furthermore, I will attempt to use the countercultural model of contextual theology to bridge the communication gap and express the Gospel message between the Christian and homosexual communities.

My experience with the gay community. How personal relationships change ones understanding of homosexuality.

Public discussion of the subject of homosexuality has been controlled mostly by ideological extremes: the extreme gay left and the extreme antigay right.

II. Models of Contextual Theology by Stephen B. Bevans: Countercultural Model

Define countercultural model.

A place of centrality is given to the Gospel within this model.

The core of the Gospel, according to Jesus, is “love”.

III. What are some ways the Christians community can address the issue in a progressive and practical ways?

Jay Bakker & Sundance Channel’s One Punk Under God documentary series.

Communities like these are a practical embodiment of the countercultural model of contextual theology discussed earlier.

Conclusion: “Brokenness” is indeed a hidden virtue. The Church needs to embrace and support this group of people, not despite scripture and tradition, but in light of scripture and tradition. Is the church welcoming the uninvited?

Reflection: Week 10 [Wednesday]

2008-03-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

Fan and participatory culture is a fascinating evolution of entertainment and popular culture. When Trekkies and Star Wars junkies start recycling and creating their own stories, films and characters out of the original canon of material, a phenomenon is born and a cyclical relationship to the medium is generated.

When reflecting on this class overall, I believe understanding historical and contemporary culture is vital to understanding the individual, youth and contributors to our popular culture and world.

The church cannot remain in a bubble and ignore how the world has and is working. Too often, I believe the church tries to create Christian alternatives to culture, rather than embracing popular culture. And more often than not, the Christian product is crap. Christian media tries to package the crap to make it look and sound the same, but in the end it's still crap. You can't polish a turd.

Response: Denise's Blog [Week 10]

2008-03-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

Denise Bogard brings it in her critique of Bevans Chapter 9 and how Bevans: "...errs in its tendency to centralize 'community' over and above the gospel itself. (This is not to belittle community as a central part of the Christian life, but only to assert that it is a rightful outflowing of the gospel, rather than its source or its equivalent)."

Denise, since you've sat behind me the entire quarter and have been a great small group partner in conversation and presentation, I feel obligated to chime in on a blog of yours before the quarter wraps. In regards to Bevans, I would wholeheartedly agree that community should flow out of the "gospel" rather than visa-versa.

But I believe this is where the Church has gotten it wrong [for the most part], and the new "Emerging Church" has gotten it right. The Emerging Church emphasizes the biblical principles behind mission, church planting, outreach and community endeavor. Critics of the emergent movement believe that many modern church initiatives lack true biblical grounding, choosing community over gospel truth, whilst traditional churches often lack both and that their way is the middle way. And like Denise, I believe God's story in the Gospel message is a powerful one.

That being said, I tend to fall on the side of something new rather than something old... even if this fuzzy image of community over truth is part of the package. It all comes down to the old not resonating with people who have been "burned" by the Church. And because sometimes the doors are closed by the elements of our fallen world, I'll side with community and believe that God's story can be seen through the lives and love of God's people.

Reflection: Week 10 [Monday]

2008-03-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

As we continue to watch Merchants Of Cool, I am reminded of Amy Kaherl's guest lecture about "body image" during Barry Taylor's Pop Culture class... specifically, body-image issues women deal with every day. Being married to a feminist, I have discussed these issues previous to our class sessions, previously viewed the aforementioned film on target marketing, and continue to see everyday evidence of a culture of perfection promoted by today’s corporate culture and mass-media outlets.

We are still in the middle of a women’s rights movement within the Church. And representation of women in leadership is still not universally accepted. Whereas, a hot button issue like segregation has moved from universally accepted, to cultural taboo, and finally to unacceptable within the past 200 years – women's leadership in the Church is still not to that point. There are many denominations that still are not accepting of women in pastoral leadership roles, carefully "allowing" women to lead ministries within the church without "allowing" women in lead pastor roles. We still have a long way to go. And seeing women in leadership positions in all areas of culture is a step that will help young women who see body image as supreme, to view being a woman as something more than a pretty face.

Response: Annie's Blog [Week 9]

2008-03-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

In response to Annie McLaren's response to Emmet's blog post on young women's identity as sexual objects the Merchants Of Cool video labeled "midriff" in the investigative piece we have been watching in class, I would like to echo Annie's thoughts and add another avenue where the Church can communicate to this youth going down a typically plastic path.

I would propose focusing on each person's talent and beauty as an individual. Last week, I attended the screening of the video documentary Soul Searching: A Movie about Teenagers and God, shown in Fuller's own Travis Auditorium. The film, based on research and a book by Christian Smith, offered a survey of the ways teenagers perceive God and religion. One of the main themes that emerged from the footage was societies obsession with performance and how today's teenagers are depressed about how they stack up to this performance driven culture and are increasingly turning to suicide as a final answer.

It is a scary correlation to the same epidemic we have been discussing. By focusing on each person's self worth and talent, teenagers can find their passion their gifts, and more importantly passion for life. I believe everyone has a passion and purpose for their beautifully created unique self just waiting to be discovered and unleashed. As concerned citizens of the Church and the Earth, we must find alternative means of finding and cultivating these passions in our youth.

Reading: Cobb [Life Everlasting]

2008-03-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Cobb mentions the "communion of saints", found in the Apostles' Creed, during his prose on life everlasting. When I hear the phrase "life everlasting", I immediately think of the creed.

I loved the show Six Feet Under and was ecstatic that Cobb included the daring, dark & smart show in his diatribe. You can't beat it when death, homosexuality, drugs & family issues are all thrown into a weekly script and come out as an eloquent timepiece that reflects both hope and fear in life's beautiful struggle.

If you haven't seen the HBO creation, I implore you to give it a go. You will not be disappointed. Well, unless you can't take the swearing. If that's the case, stick to your American Idol or whatever else you people watch.

Reading: Bevans [Conclusion]

2008-03-06T23:53:00.000-08:00

Is one model better than the other? Bevans has broken down five different models of contextual theology, each with both it's pros and cons. He also reminds us that each example of the individual models do not stay exclusively true to their model but borrow a little from other models as they apply their personal influence on the particular community they evangelizing to.

Bevans ends his book appropriately by mentioning that "within today's world of radical plurality and ambiguity, the best answer to the question can only be: 'It depends on the context.'" The context of this comic book illustration becomes funny due to it being out of context. Context, context, context. A text without a context is a pretext. The context of scripture, of course, but also the contemporary context—the Bible in one hand, the broadsheet in the other. The clash of two worlds: scriptura probat mundum.

Reflection: Week 9 [Wednesday]

2008-03-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

The Merchants of Cool has been previously discussed here on the blog earlier in the quarter. By tapping into the youth market through market research targeting youth trends and belief systems, retrieving information to adapt and stay ahead of the curve. It is a commercial corporate mindset that is highly influential yet still remarkably unseen to the common person.

The "mook" and the "midriff" still permeate our culture in highly influential ways. And even though Britney Spears has moved from singing "Crazy" with bare midriff to literally being crazy, the midriff is still going strong. Amy brought up the fact that women today are dealing with body image at unseen levels. Check out her cause Beauty From Within if you'd like to read more about the issue.

Paper: Revised Outline

2008-03-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

1. The topic that I will write about is on homosexuality and how this subculture is ignored marginalized, or ostracized by the Church as a whole.

Discuss the gay, lesbian, and transgender community

The gay community as a culture
The gay community in culture
The gay community spiritually

Discuss the church community

The church views historically towards other marginalized subcultures
The church views historically towards the gay community
Discuss homosexuality as it relates currently to the church community

Questions of inclusion and exclusion
Issues of the power
Separation in the church

2. Discuss the few diverse church communities that are including the gay community through the “Countercultural Model” as presented by Bevans would be the best model to present the Gospel.

The Bible needs to be looked at in context
Church should cross all cultures not condemning a culture of a certain sexual orientation

Stress the insufficiency of all humanity
Gospel is to for all people

Church would be accepting of all sexual orientations and promote community awareness and integration
Church would promote diversity in the leadership including age diversity
Encourage participation in cross cultural events

Reflection: Week 9 [Monday]

2008-03-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

Carnivalesque is significant, for Bakhtin offers a legitimate, state sanctioned space for otherness of "world upside-down" in which the rules are broken, alternative truths are visualized and difference is embraced. It is in this space that the marginalized community disrupts the stable silence of official lives and identities.

The small group that I started in Seattle was called "outkast" and based our identity on similar thoughts. Moreover the Church doesn't appeal to the outcasts in society and many young people in their 20's and 30's feel on the outside looking in most of the time. The Emerging Church movement is keying on some of the marginalized people, but the Church as a whole has a long way to go.

Paper: Outline

2008-03-01T23:46:00.000-08:00

The topic that I will write about is on homosexuality and how this subculture is ignored marginalized, or ostracized by the Church as a whole. I will discuss the gay, lesbian, and transgender community and how the church community has viewed the gay community historically, discussing questions of inclusion and exclusion. A few diverse church communities that are including the gay community will be mentioned. I think I'll use the “Countercultural Model” as presented by Bevans as it seems to be the best model to bridge the message of JC between the Church and the gay community. I will outline how the Bible needs to be looked at in context, the Church should cross all cultures not condemning a culture of a certain sexual orientation<, further stressing the insufficiency of all humanity, Jesus' message is for all people, the Church should be accepting of all sexual orientations and promote community awareness and integration, and the Church should promote diversity in the leadership including age diversity, encouraging participation in cross cultural events.

Response: Simon's Blog [Week 8]

2008-03-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

Simon Castagna mentioned in his post on Bevans breakdown of the transcendental model of contextual theology that, "I think God reveals himself to people who genuinely search for him, but in my opinion we can't rely only on subjectivity." In the end, I tend to agree with his analysis that, "We have sinful natures and our subjectivity is flawed."

But Simon's comments got me thinking that, if you drill down further, one could argue that the power of the Word of God transforming people that search is bigger than subjectivity itself. And when Paul describes this dramatic change in our hearts and minds as Jesus Christ living within us, we "put off the old man with his deeds" and "put on the new man" and we are "renewed" in knowledge and in the spirit of our minds (Colossians 3:9-10). Of course, the creation of righteous character is a two-way process. God gives us the knowledge and all the power we need. But we supply the choice to live righteously.

Reading: Cobb [Salvation]

2008-02-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

Although their titles are probably too literal for Cobb's liking, there were two works of art in popular culture that I was surprised were not mentioned when breaking down popular cultures variety of conceptions of salvation.

The first is the film Saved. The plot follows Mary, a devout senior at a Christian high school, who after accidentally getting pregnant, starts to see her peers and her faith in a whole new way. This dark comedy/coming-of-age story premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and was produced by R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe. Saved refreshingly argues that Jesus would have embraced the cast-outs and the misfits, and might have leaned toward situational ethics instead of rigid morality.

The second piece is the song "Save Me" by Aimie Mann, featured in the epic film Magnolia. The movie is an interlocking series of episodes that take place during a single 24-hour period, using the interconnected tales of its nine protagonists (acted by John C. Reilly, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall and Philip Seymour Hoffman and others including Tom Cruise) to form a frenzied slice of our life and times. Each character is searching for happiness, having trouble making human connections, and, more specifically, trying to come to terms with what's come before. In the end, all of these threads converge, in one way or another, upon an event there is no way for the audience to anticipate. Mann's song highlights the aforementioned divine ending sequence with each character attempting to come to grasp with their past and hope of future salvation.

Reading: Bevans [Transcendental]

2008-02-28T23:23:00.000-08:00

Bevans summarizes that the transcendental model of contextual theology points to a new way of doing theology. The model highlights the active, never-ending aspect of Anselm's definition of theology as faith seeking understanding.

The main critique of the theory is that if subjective authenticity is how one approaches the authentic theology the transcendental model promotes, then how can true objectivity move out of theory into true action.

Although the argument is logical in its construction, the critique doesn't hold much weight when you consider that overall every theory is just that, a theory, until put in action. As a wise Jedi once said: "No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try!"

Reflection: Week 8 [Wednesday]

2008-02-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

The theme of justice has been on my mind for most of the quarter. Each new contextual theological theory reminds me of social injustice within the world we live. Christian faith and the gay community are seemingly incompatible concepts, with the religious right fomenting bigotry and spreading fear, using the Bible and the pulpit as weapons to marginalize gays and lesbians. In For the Bible Tells Me So, filmmaker Daniel Karslake examines this faith-based issue both though the personal stories of five Christian families, all of whom struggled to reconcile their faith with loving their gay children, and the observations of well-respected religious figures about how biblical scripture is interpreted and misinterpreted.

Justice within the context of today lecture on deconstruction, the principle of hospitality moves to the forefront. Is the church welcoming the uninvited? Most people believe what many other gay people believe — that conservative Christians are hating, bigoted people. But in reality, they have very simply been misled by their own leaders — their ministers and their priests. When push came to shove, you need to open up the Bible to read it for yourself, then transformation can occur and you can realize that what it all comes down to is love. Gay, Lesbian and Transgender individuals are people too, created as beautiful loving creatures.

Reflection: Week 8 [Monday]

2008-02-25T15:16:00.000-08:00

Looking at the popular cultural artistic images can create both instant denotative meaning as well as underlying connotative meaning of a mythic quality.

The photographic images that we viewed today observing cultural myths reminded me of the TED presentation by artist Alison Jackson. We watched the clip in Barry Taylor's Theology, Pop Culture, and the Emerging Church class and it was a surprising look at her provocative explorations of celebrity culture and did not disappoint. She creates obscured photos and films of celebrity look-alikes in surprising, shocking or strange situations, portraying them, as she has described it, "depicting our suspicions."

Personally, I think the popular celebrity culture magazines like US Weekly should be reserved for time spent on the loo. But my wife thinks differently, and thus our family is not just readers, but subscribers.

Response: Chris' Blog [Week 7]

2008-02-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

Oh, it's on, Chris! Now you've gone and started a conversation. Oh, wait, that's probably the goal of this whole internets exercise. Okay, then touche, Bolger. Touche.

Of course, I agree that the Great Commission without a solid foundation in faith is not an ideal situation. The Great Commission should be paired with the Great Commandment in ever step of ones spiritual journey. The great commandment is loving God with everything that belongs to us-the heart, soul, and mind. Furthermore, the great commandment of loving God with your heart, soul, and mind therefore reduces to the great commission term, "go". The obedience of the command "go" depends on the love you have for God; just as Jesus said written, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15).

Along the same lines, we must be sure to prepare ourselves for mission in prayer. Whatever mission we are called to or find ourselves in, from working hard at our job to flying to Africa to help kids, prayer can aid our efforts. Like a spiritual tag team, the Holy Spirit is ready to tag in into the match. And now, like me, you'll picture the Spirit as Mr. T to my Hulk Hogan.

Reading: Cobb [Sin]

2008-02-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Focusing on the Gothic that is evident throughout literature, movies, journalism, fashion and music, Cobb draws on key elements of the previous chapters human nature. Our culture's media landscape also reveals societies obsession with sin and moral transgression. We love to see someone fail as much as we enjoy seeing them succeed. Watching a video of someone getting hit in the nuts is always funny. Well, unless the video is you. I'm sure Adam & Eve would have thought twice about eating those apples if they knew there was a possibility of a hidden camera [e.g. God's omnipresence].

Reading: Bevans [Synthetic]

2008-02-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

The synthetic model of contextual theology basically is a hybrid of the translation model of translating faith into cultural contexts and an engagement of culture based on the traditions of a faith dialogue. It was interesting to learn about the Filipino Christian movement and how it looks to a number of possible translations of traditional theology in dialogue with contemporary western scholarship and dynamic human experience.

Reflection: Week 7 [Wednesday]

2008-02-20T15:07:00.000-08:00

The praxis model is essential when discussing a church plant or outreach structure. If we take seriously the Great Commission that Jesus threw down like a gauntlet to his followers, the praxis model's belief of action towards social change falls directly in line with change within a community a church plant or outreach structure is moving towards. I said it better last week. But you get the gist.

Reading: Barker [Politics]

2008-02-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

Tony Bennett's call for cultural studies to engage more productively in cultural policy formation and implementation is spot on when looking at practical ways a seminarian can apply her/his knowledge learning in cultural studies to an applicable theology in the real world. It continues the discussion of the praxis model of contextual theology that we have read in Bevans.

Jim Wallis visit to Fuller a few weeks ago again comes into the conversation [mentioned in the same blog post linked above]. His current platform discusses how the silent majority of religious Americans who don't feel represented by the religious right's agenda can first take comfort in their sheer numbers and then take action in their communities to fight poverty, clean up the environment and eradicate disease. Moving from theory into practice. I like where this discussion and textbooks are finally leading to. Some action instead of heady theory.

Reading: Barker [Youth]

2008-02-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

When I think of the youth scene, two things come to mind immediately. First, the social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace that the youth culture is drawn to for community both inside and outside their current personal relationship structures. Why are youth attracted to online communities in the massive numbers they are? Is there a emotional, relational or spiritual void that these sites feed towards youth that the church can/should tab into? The second phenomenon in youth culture today is text messaging. Texting has immersed itself into the youth culture so much that schools have been forced to bad cell phone use on school grounds.

The study of resistance within cultural studies brings to mind the 'punk' movement, as Barker mentions within Chapter 13. But there is a resistance within the punk counterculture called the straight edge punks that stand up against punk ideals. A resistance against a resistance, if you will.

And I will. Straight edge punks resist against many of the cultural ideals within the hardcore punk subculture whose adherents abstain from alcohol, smoking, and other recreational drug use. The letter "X" is the most prevalent symbol of straight edge. Commonly it is worn as a marking, symbol or tattoo on the back of one or both hands, though it can be displayed on other body parts as well. Although a definitive subculture apart from the punk scene, the punk scene shares music as the dominant media source for tenets of the straightedge subculture.

Reflection: Week 7 [Monday]

2008-02-18T15:26:00.000-08:00

As we continue to discuss culture, I am reminded how dependent today's culture is on technology; and as it changes, so does our culture. It is fascinating to think that only 10-15 years ago, cell phones were as big as a textbook and computers were pretty much only in large tower desktop form.

Our culture has grown dependent on technology, to the point where a fictional scenario like the script to Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard of a group of terrorists plotting to systematically shutting down the United States computer infrastructure is a legitimate fear and real possibility.

This past weekend, my dependence on technology came full circle. After finishing shooting footage for a short documentary film, I proceeded to download the footage to my Apple laptop… an hour later, my computer died. Turns out the hard drive had crashed, was dead and gone and the data not recoverable. Admittedly, the experience is a large pain in the ars. And ironically, the situation could have been avoided if I would have used the technology available at my home to diligently back up my data onto my external hard drive. Irony. You cruel beast, you.

Reading: Cobb [Nature]

2008-02-16T23:51:00.000-08:00

Cobb investigates human nature as well as the nature of human expression, not only describing the human as a "pleasure seeking bricoleur" but confronting the tension between our fascination and "sheer delight in the simulacra that now compose the world" which can temporarily satisfy, with our awareness that acquisitions are, in the end, not enough.

Our desire for spiritual transcendence outside the realm of institutional religion becomes, in fact, the motivation behind our various simulations and creative inventions. We need first-hand experience. We want a reality that goes below the surface, beyond simulacra. And yet in order to touch the invisible we attempt to manufacture tangible facsimiles. Skin and clothes seem inseparable.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX!?! I love how Cobb brings up the films of Nolan and Minghella and how they reflect human nature, but a curiously absent was the counter argument and viewpoint of how human nature is inherently sinful after sin was introduced into the world after the Garden. The "pleasure seeking bricoleur" is of an inherently sinful human nature is perfectly emulated in David Fincher's Se7en. As I continued to read, I kept waiting for Cobb to bring up the flick as a negative point of view of human nature. But it never came.

Reading: Bevans [Praxis]

2008-02-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

Bevans has moved from the translation model of contextual theology focusing on Christian identity within a particular culture to an anthropological model focusing on the cultural identity of Christians and their unique way of articulating faith. In Chapter 6, the praxis model is unveiled, focusing on the identity of Christians within a culture as that culture is understood in terms of social change. Movement from knowledge to action is the backbone of the model, founded on liberation theology, known as a practical way of thinking that directly effects everyday life.

What is most interesting about the praxis model to me is how it has inspired social change in subcultures challenging social injustices like racism and women's suffrage. Jim Wallis came and spoke at Fuller a few weeks back, reminding us that while the Church has been all over the map in conflicts since the beginning of history, faith has also provided the vanguard in the great ethical crusades of our nation's past... from abolition, to worker's rights, to civil rights, people of faith marched and preached, and agitated. Putting faith into action. The praxis model is clearly one of the most influential contextual theological methods of modern culture.

Reading: Barker [Space]

2008-02-14T23:16:00.000-08:00

Space. Not the final frontier. But space and place within cities in particular is what Barker explores in Chapter 12. It cannot be denied the emergence of global cities have reorganized the world economy. And within the past few years, we have seen the world economy leave the falling US dollar in the dust.

Trends of postmodern urbanization are discussed in detail. Upon reflection, one can see that the urban landscape has changed into a corporate economy where employment has driven the suburban neighborhood and subsequent daily commute as a reality of city development and a continued reliance upon the capitalistic machine.

Reading: Barker [Media]

2008-02-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

Barker claims in his 2003 volume of Cultural Studies that, "no other medium can match television for the volume of popular cultural texts it produces and the sheer size of its audiences." Perhaps Barker didn't own his own Apple computer and had a dial-up internet connection when he first published his text at the turn of the century, but a little less than a decade after Barker was typing his original manuscript on his Commodore 64, the internet that Al Gore invented is now the cultural medium of choice that drives popular culture.

From MySpace to Facebook, YouTube to IMDb, Google to Yahoo!, the World Wide Web is the medium the current information age and popular culture as a whole has turned to for the majority of their entertainment. I'm sure Barker's next edition will remove this chapter completely and replace it with musings about how the internet is now the most important cultural medium, but until then, there are three reasons that I will use to prove my point.

First, the recent Writer's Strike. The WGA holding out for a new contract demanding higher returns on DVD sales & gross sales were significant, but not as much as their demands for a percentage of internet viewing, distribution and advertising sales. People watch television shows online now more than ever, so much that to combat Tivo and DVR nearly every network [except, of course, a predictably slow CBS] has their shows and content available for viewing on the internet minutes after airing [an example of a video from SNL is embedded at the bottom of this post].

Admittedly, cable and satellite providers are more infused than ever into households across the globe... but online communities like MySpace and Facebook are where young people spend the majority of their social networking browsing for countless hours each day. YouTube can spark overnight pop culture sensations with uploaded videos ranging from both the extremely talented to the lowly pathetic. And "google" is now a word in the dictionary.

Finally, the world is now wireless. Technology is driving down the information superhighway faster than tech companies can produce new toys for consumer demand. More of my friends watch the seemingly quarterly Apple keynote address that Steve Jobs gives online than I know watched the SuperBowl. We are living in a digital world. I just hope the Master Control Program from TRON never becomes a reality.

Reflection: Week 6 [Wednesday]

2008-02-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

Zygmunt Bauman’s theory of homogeneity is spot on. You cannot deny that the structure and nationalist belief that order and rationalization in modern culture led up until the point in modernity where Communism and the Holocaust could be held as a common belief to the powers that be. These examples are products of the modern mindset and is a brilliant argument by Zygmunt Bauman [pictured here] that the Holocaust, contrary to being history's best example of barbaric regression into amorality, was in fact confluent with modern principles and deployed many tenets of modern rationalism of which, in other spheres, Western society is unequivocally proud.

Response: Todd's Blog [Week 6]

2008-02-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, I discussed my second disagreement in response to a classmates blog. This week, I'll bust out my third and final critique of a fellow Fuller seminarian to complete the required amount in the syllabus and get back to happiness and fellowship of responding freely without requirement or restriction.

Todd Blackham's reflection on Monday's class session focused on the group work. He believes that the corporate learning process isn't helpful because it doesn't give us time to critique the contextual models in a group setting. I disagree with this reaction on a few levels.

First, the group work is a different learning process that may or may not be a better way of learning for one person over another. Changing up the teaching medium is a proven tactic to absorb information in teaching. In addition, by personalizing each contextual model, in this case the anthropological method, the group members have a better understanding of each model and thus a stronger base to critique the same models. Finally, Todd mentioned that the group work "provides a great experience," but furthermore, by learning to apply the cultural and theological theories into a real world setting, we are applying the knowledge in a practical exercise. And for most, learning in doing. Otherwise, most of the time you can feel like you are alone on an island.

Reflection: Week 6 [Monday]

2008-02-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

How do you bridge the witness, worship, and formation of Christianity to a subculture using the anthropological method of contextual theology? Our small group today focused on the naturalist subculture, while other groups discussed the coffee-shop subculture and a highly irreverent and equally awesome Touchdown Jesus Notre Dame subculture.

Breaking it down further... as a witness, you can join the naturalist conversation where they are and ask questions to connect to the movement, questions like: What do they see in nature? Where does pollution come from? Why isn’t “being green” a priority to the majority? And lastly, you can bridge the shared beliefs of the naturalists and share stories of spiritual encounters while in nature, preserve the environment, and be actively involved in nature.

Worship can be connected through meditation, hiking, and enjoying nature together.

Finally, an anthropological method of formation focusing on the creation story [Genesis], debunk myths: Finding a common bond between Christianity and Environmentalism, transformation of “New Earth” [Revelation 21:1], and bring Jesus into the conversation: Symbol of care of other people, animals and the Earth.

Reading: Cobb [Images]

2008-02-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

Images of God is always a compelling subject that has been given new life in todays postmodern and media saturated age. Cobb nails many memorable images of God, including great examples like Zorba the Greek, Augustine's Confessions [a great site of the Adventures of Confessions of Saint Augustine Bear is linked here if you have to time to get deep with Augustine's thoughts in hairy cartoon bear form], Fight Club, and Tori Amos.

My favorite image Cobb cites is Wim Wenders phenomenal film Wings of Desire. I think Cobb's analysis of God in the film as an unseen or heard God is incorrect. Rather, I believe God is seen in the film through God's creation in both humanity and angels. God has set creation on Earth in motion, and just like us on film, is watching for the drama to unfold.

Reading: Bevans [Anthropological]

2008-02-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Bevans busts out his spin on the anthropological model of contextual theology in Chapter 5 of his MP520 opus. Even before I learned about the details and theories like the anthropological model in my studies here at Fuller, I had an understanding that I was a unique creation of God's with my own path on Earth. Maybe I didn't understand that the method involved terms like "human nature" or "human culture." And I certainly didn't [and probably still don't] know what it meant to be "fully human." That being said, one could look at the war, hate, and ugliness on the Earth and claim the goodness of humanity is damned. Of course, on the flip side, another could argue there is goodness in love, faith, hope, and progress made each day. Is your glass half full or half empty?

Response: Chris' Blog [Week 5]

2008-02-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

We are supposed to disagree with at least 3 posts according to the syllabus for MP520. A difficult task since we are all reading the same material and listening to the same class lectures. That, coupled with the fact that most students blogs just summarize each reading or lecture and raise a few questions without giving any opinions of there own... people are sticking close to the vest. Hey, I'm not sayin' people aren't being truthful, but I'd just like to see a provocateur bust one lose here or there. I'm just sayin'...

Last week I disagreed with what Aaron said, so one disagreement is down. Here goes #2. We'll see who #2 works for... Chris posted last week about how Barker believes we are defined by our culture and he feels that strategic essentialism can be valuable "for the improvement of the human condition" (Barker 2003, 244). Chris lamented that "progress in this direction seems unlikely if we are to take Barker seriously in that no one truly knows the essential nature of the human. Who is to define what improvement is?"

I think we can define what improvement to the human condition is by looking at the social injustice around the world and calculating whether or not it is increasing of decreasing. Currently, injustice in the form of war, famine, disease, and oppression happen daily. Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, AIDS, and civil wars clearly show that the human condition isn't perfect. But if one looks back on only the 20th Century, one would see enormous strides in the civil rights movement, womens suffrage, and the fall of communism... all which would point towards the improvement of the human condition. As I have already mentioned, there are still atrocities that occur every day worldwide. That being said, if we are to be defined by our culture, from a historical perspective, we have made progress.

Reflection: Week 5 [Wednesday]

2008-02-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

Christ was a great revolutionary… Karl Marx would have subscribed to the Sermon on the Mount. – Fidel Castro

The details of the sermon Jesus gave were to uphold the rights of the “little people” and poor, so I can see where Castro would pair revolution and the Sermon on the Mount together. Although it is more of a social justice speech than a socialistic one, with references to the poor, meek, merciful, and peacemakers throughout the Beatitudes.

Karl Marx believed that religion is the "opiate of the masses" and was against faith towards a higher power. Jesus said he came not to overthrow the law, but to fulfill it. The definition of a revolution does fit Jesus and his words, faith, and actions on Earth, so the first part of Castro's quote is correct. Although it was not as a political revolutionary, but as an agent of change in the cosmic struggle.

Reading: Barker [Sex]

2008-02-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Sex. Now we're talking. Ah, but it's the feminism kind and not the "naughty" kind... you dirty dog, you. I've already wrote a bit about gender inclusive language in response to Harmony's post a couple of weeks back, but the subject bears repeating.

If within cultural studies, sex and gender are held to be social constructions intrinsically implicated in matters of representation, then it is possible the same gender exclusive language within many Christian church denominations have formed their beliefs from matters of culture rather than of of nature.

My beef with churches that exclude women from positions of leadership based on gender comes down to the simple concept of 'calling'. How can one person judge the call of a woman into ministry as not as authentic as the call of a man? Due to Scripture? But then one could also argue that that specific Scripture was meant for a specific context of who it was written for.

Basically, bottom line is that I admit I am a finite being that has limited capacity to judge another and their call into ministry. In other words, I got your back, women. You go, girl...s!

Reading: Barker [Race]

2008-02-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

It is interesting when looking at the history of race and ethnicity how the different simple definitions of terms can range so broadly. Moving from Darwinism's concept of race referring to the alleged biological and physical characteristics, to the argument that ethnicity, race and nationality are contingent cultural categories rather than universal biological 'facts'.

Regardless of where and how it is formed, speaking as an American, a culture of racism is very much still active in today's American culture. With Barack Obama running for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 Presidential Election, America will be tested at the polls.

As Syon Bhanot so eloquently wrote over a year ago about Obama's campaign, "It is easy to think that we live in a society without race, where hands the colors of the rainbow join to sing, dance, and play. But this is not the case. America still has a dirty little secret – an enduring culture of racism that looms large in every aspect of national policy, from mandatory minimums in drug cases to a foreign policy that devalues the life of people based on their melanin count. And the only way we are going to move past this is by breaking the silence and talking about race openly and honestly, something that is often suggested but rarely done. As Martin Luther King, who would have been 78 years old last week, said many years ago, 'Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.'"

Reflection: Week 5 [Monday]

2008-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Moving deeper into application of the translation model... How does one take the “truth” of the gospel and translate it to a culture that is foreign from ones own? It could be argued that the truth of the Bible is love, a concept that could be communicated to another culture through word or picture stories with various possibilities. And if you believe the key concept of the Bible is the life of Jesus, the same strategy of word or picture stories is an avenue that could move throughout typical language and cultural barriers different than your own.

It was very interesting to have Randy Mah in our group and hear his experiences trying to bridge the gap between the Chinese culture his parents and grandparents experience, himself being a third-generation Chinese-American. The strategy of breaking down the roots of certain Chinese characters and how they can help translate the message of Genesis and the Gospel was fascinating. Randy's story of using the symbol for "come" to share Jesus dying on the cross with his mother was especially moving. It was a blessing being a part of it today. That, and our powerpoint rocked.

Response: Aaron's Blog [Week 4]

2008-02-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

Although it is true that it is grossly unrealistic to expect people to be transformed into the character of Christ at the rate of one hour a week. I have to disagree with Aaron's overall assessment and point out that the majority of churches, including mega-churches aren't shaping their Sunday services to engage today's postmodern culture well enough to create experiences where the church goer can commune, experience, and meet with God.

Personally, I have created Sunday services that were full of visual, auditory, and experiential elements that require the attendee to engage their faith. With well thought out live painting, expressive original music, and prayer stations an [extra]ordinary Sunday service can move from the routine to a personal and powerful faith experience. Yes, discipleship, small groups and missions are powerful tools in their own right. But a well thought out Sunday service can move from a ritualistic, mundane, and traditional nature into an [extra]traditional transformational tool.

Reading: Cobb [Tools]

2008-02-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

Cobb continues to hone in on Tillich's cultural theory by focusing on his concept of "ultimate concern." The most interesting and easily used, from a practical perspective, is the language of religious symbols. Cobb explains that, according to Tillich, it is our divinely given capacity for ultimate concern that craves symbols.

In a contemporary cultural setting, the symbol of the cross, a priest's robe, and even the Bible are seen as symbols of the Christian faith from both inside and outside our culture, for better or worse. Better when the symbols epitomize good, faith and truth. Worse when they symbolize the greed, capitalism and democracy-spreading of a twisted American "Conservative Christian" ideal.

Reading: Bevans [Translation]

2008-01-31T19:03:00.000-08:00

When I first think of the word translation, in response to the translation model of contextual theology as explained by Bevans, personally think of the Greek and Hebrew translations of the Bible. Also know as, the primary reason I am in the MAT program instead of a MDiv student. I'll be honest, larning new languages scare me a little. I barely passed German in High School and didn't have to take a language during my undergrad over 10 years ago because I was able to test out of some math classes.

So when Bevans speaks of the translation method, I can relate from my experiences coordinating Sunday services where I took biblical text and created new and experiential ways the church goer could experience and understand the text, but beyond that not much in the way of languages. Basically, I can translate the English text to a current cultural setting better than most. But if you asked me the Greek root of eschatology, I'd be lost.

Reflection: Week 4 [Wednesday]

2008-01-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

Marxism by nature being an anti-capitalistic movement is interesting when reflecting on my previous post relating to Radiohead taking on the music industry. After hearing more about Marxism in today's class, Radiohead's move against the music industry is more of a reworking of the old call to the workers of the world to unite and reclaim the means of production, which is definitely a contemporary Marxist idea.

Reading: Barker [Identity]

2008-01-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that ones identity is formed by a self-realization in subjectivity. I guess you have to make a term for everything, but "subjectivity" is a term that seems to be a waste of space since one can find their identity in their talents, community, or actions. A soldier returning from war may not view themselves as a "hero" per say, but to many that is exactly what they are. The individual may not experience themselves this way, but the reality is that from an outside perspective is objective rather than subjective.

So maybe it is a matter of perspective rather than experience. Either way, personally I have found my identity within myself. One of my favorite lyrics is by Sting, who sings, "Be yourself, no matter what they say." Whoever yourself may be, and however you find yourself, be true to yourself. Unless you'd rather live a lie. In that case, you are just a tool. The truth hurts.

Reading: Barker [Postmodernism]

2008-01-29T14:05:00.000-08:00

We live in a postmodern world. Models continually are born out of this current age of information and knowledge, just as postmodernism emerged from modernity. With so many avenues of media coming in, the individual in today's society can easily forever become lost in an endless sea of aesthetic commercial culture, devoid of meaning behind a collage of symbols.

The danger is that faith and belief in something greater can fall to the wayside of interaction. One of the easiest examples we see is in the newer adolescent and teenage generations growing up who would rather play video games all day then play outside and... BAM! We now have fat kids [not] running around.

Reflection: Week 4 [Monday]

2008-01-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

The Emerging Church is something that I have been a part of for the past 7 years from helping start a church plant in West Seattle that grew to about 150 attendees to seeing the limitations of the model evolve out of a lingering postmodern mindset.

The church I had a pleasure of being involved in was called Doxa Church and we had a church building that was given to a group of a couple dozen of us that were meeting in the basement at the very beginning. From that group, Doxa Church grew out of an emerging church model embracing the arts and music while continuing to root itself into the DNA of the community of West Seattle. [Pictured here is the coffee shop that later was created in the same basement Doxa grew out of]

In the Spring of 2006, the Elders decided to merge into the larger Mars Hill Church congregation and share the [admittedly generous space] large facilities with 500+ of their members that were commuting from West Seattle about 20-30 minutes to Ballard [a section of Seattle just Northwest of Downtown]. This caused many of the attendees to leave, included my family and small group of about 20+ individuals. In retrospect, the decision is a good one for God in allowing 500+ believers to worship in a building directly in their community where they live. But the differences of beliefs of Mars Hill versus Doxa were extreme for most [the biggest three differences being the archaic role of women in the family, aversion against women in ministry, and aggression towards gays & lesbians] and the events still harbor deep wounds for many, including myself, that may never fully heal.

The healing continues in my life. And I pray to continue to learn from my experiences. In the past months, I have felt called to write about peoples lives and how the Church has wounded them through doctrine, traditions, and beliefs that alienate people instead of loving them for their differences.

So if anyone has story they'd like to share, please let me know. I'd love to talk about it over a hot cocoa or cold soda.

Response: Harmony's Blog [Week 3]

2008-01-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

Harmony made a strong point this week when she noticed that Bevans made a point to state that God is not necessarily a male but in the church people tend to use the metaphor “father.” She continued in observation that some Fuller faculty fail to use gender inclusive language when speaking in class. I have seen the same behavior and applaud Harmony for calling out those responsible. Some may say its a small thing and doesn't really matter. But each little step towards gender equality is important, especially in a field like the Church where many still hold onto archaic doctrine formed out of cultural bias.

I started my Fuller experience up at the Northwest campus and found the faculty there to follow the gender inclusive line fairly well overall, to the point where some professors would mention when your paper had a "father" or "mankind" that needed to be fixed.

Although the models theory that Bevans is presenting here does go into detail about how individuals can be shaped by there past and further emphasizes the need to study our models of theology and philosophical underpinnings. So basically the particular faculty guilty of not following rules are just following what they have learned.

Reading: Cobb [Theology]

2008-01-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

It's interesting that Cobb focuses on Tillich in his study of theology and culture. The first research paper that I wrote as a student at Fuller 8 years ago was on Paul Tillich. Professor Charlie Scalise turned me onto Tillich since his views on popular culture and embracing the objects of popular culture were near my own interests in forming a new way to look at church, ala the emerging church model.

Paul Tillich had an interesting take of systematic theology that uses different language to observe the physical world around him. Words like "being," "ultimate concern," "self-alienation" are not the typical conventional religious language, and for me it was a breath of fresh air into the long-winded musings of other theologians.

It does take a while to get your head around his thinking, but once you do, the genius of Tillich’s method is that it creates meaning. Everything becomes relevant. The system is based on experience. It is not the product of cool reflection; it is about getting involved in the world and in the revelation. Through Tillich, theology is a way of life, not a body of information. There are no limits whatsoever to what theology can be or what can be theology.

Reading: Bevans [Models]

2008-01-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

Bevans' main point in Chapter 3 is the importance of models are metaphors and they often only make sense when another model is used. It is interesting to look back on your education and growth in and around the Church and realize how my personal beliefs and faith has risen like a phoenix out of the ashes of the model or denomination I was brought up in.

But that is as far as I'd like to go on the subject, whereas Bevans apparently would like to drive the point home until I fall asleep reading. Very well, Bevans. I shall accept your chal... Zzzzzz...

Reflection: Week 3 [Wednesday]

2008-01-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

Fuellenbach's idea of believers being agents of transformation is a superb one. What do you believe in? "Oh, I'm an agent of change." Watch out, now! Love it. I always wanted to be a secret agent. Jason Bourne style... except without guns... unless you are a president with a Machiavellian agenda in the Middle East. [Sigh.] Too bad a vote for Hillary really isn't a vote for Bill to get back in White House as the President instead of First Gentleman.

Reading: Barker [New World]

2008-01-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

It's ironic that on a day where the US Government cut interest rates 75 points that we come to the chapter in Barker about capitalism and the rise of the western economy. With our country headed towards a likely recession [thanks to the Bush administrations overall fiscal irresponsibility], we are reminded of a post-industrial society that lead to shifts in the economy and culture towards postmodern consumption and accelerated globalization. Todays move by the US Federal Reserve was the largest single cut since August 1982.

And on an even sadder note, I'd like to lower the Left Coast Culture flag to half-mast today as actor Heath Ledger was found dead today from an apparent overdose [Ed: as of the writing of this post, an autopsy has not been completed]. It's disappointing to see anyone die young, but Ledger passing away is especially disturbing after seeing his career turn a corner from barely-watchable chick and teen flicks to heady drama and more challenging roles.

Death has been on my mind the past couple of months for a variety of personal reasons. Last night I was watching old clips on YouTube and came across Jimmy V on the ESPY Awards in 1993, speaking just before his death and delivering one of the greatest speeches ever. Cancer is such an ugly disease and he brought much needed attention to the importance of research.

Reading: Barker [Biology]

2008-01-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

My favorite quote of the chapter is on page 123 where Barker claims, "Reductionism is a dirty word in cultural studies." Not a well placed F-bomb or ars... but reductionism. Hilarious. I didn't think I'd laugh reading this book. But you got me, Barker. You got me.

Reflecting on biology and evolution is pretty easy this quarter since one of my other classes is exploring the nature of humanity. Joel Green is teaching the class, NS589: The Human Person in New Testament Perspective, and we are focusing on the multivalent witness of the New Testament, understood theologically within its literary and cultural worlds and in relation to contemporary science. By identifying thoughtful ways in which the natural sciences contribute to our theological understanding of the human person, it has been a challenging journey into the study of science and faith. You could say most of the material covered in NS589 is over most of our heads, but studying the physiology of the mind, body and soul is incredibly interesting nonetheless. Personally, I never knew a corpus callosum could be so enthralling.

Reflection: Martin Luther King Jr.

2008-01-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who knew it takes time for attitudes to change, would not have been surprised that nearly two decades after his death were required to make his birthday a legal holiday. His birthday, Jan. 15, is a national holiday, celebrated on the third Monday of January, created in 1985. "It doesn't really matter with me now," he declared the night before his assassination, "because I've been to the mountaintop ... and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land."

I love MLK day; a day for embracing the change of our nation and the civil rights movement. If you have a minute, take time to listen to the famous speech delivered in 1963 to more than 200,000 civil-rights marchers at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. If you don't want to listen to those two excerpts from his most memorable soliloquy, you can view it in PDF format here. Every year I listen to at least one speech from Dr. King just to keep the dream alive. Even if it's only in my mind.

It was nice to have the day off of school today to celebrate the life and freedom of a people and culture that was ignored and taken advantage of for centuries. That being said, our country and civil rights has come a long way. It's hard to believe that less than 40 years ago, America had separate drinking fountains for whites and blacks and "colored balconies" in movie theaters. So as we remember the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., let us recognize the full depth of his faith and vision — not just the antiseptic version that has now become part of our official culture.

Response: Brian's Blog [Week 2]

2008-01-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

Brian's thoughts this past week on whether or not Jesus would be involved in culture in the highly visible media outlet or a counter culture setting is an very interesting one. Personally, when I think about how Jesus would act in today's culture, I always think of the Jesus who lives in South Park. For better or worse. Okay, it's definitely worse with South Park most of the time.

The South Park Jesus has a cable access show and every one in a while takes on characters the likes of Satan or Santa in some episodes. Okay, maybe it's not the "artfully done iconic rebellion" Brian was thinking of in his blog post, but you have to admit it's rebellious in it's own shape and form. But regardless of the medium, I tend to agree that Jesus wouldn't stay close to the vest, appear on Leno, or do things by the book. Besides... in my mind, Jesus is more of a Letterman guy anyways.

Reading: Cobb [Studies]

2008-01-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

Antonio Gramsci's twist on Marxism called "hegemony" is a refreshing turn in the history of cultural studies we have been reading up to this point. I agree that the dominant groups in society do have persuasive influences, and further side with Gramsci that the working class does have a choice in the matter. John Storey's example of Bob Marley's is a perfect one, with the Rastafarian's music standing against the same capitalist moneymakers in the music industry, while the same industry, labels, and promoters are profiting from the continued sales of Marley's albums.

We might have seen a significant hallmark in the music industry just this past year, with Radiohead's groundbreaking self-release via the World Wide Web this past Fall. Radiohead provided a download and asked the user to make her/his own price for the "purchase" of their entire new release. What is interesting is that 60% of people who downloaded the album, downloaded it for free. That being said, the album was then released on January 1st through TBD Records, a sublabel of ATO Records, and opened No. 1 on the week's music charts with sales of 122,000 copies. It's a start. But in the future, it'll take more artists with additional innovations to stick it to The Man and make a noticeable dent in the formidable force of the record industry.

Reflection: Week 2 [Wednesday: Bonus]

2008-01-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

In regards to question posed in class of how Jesus would respond to the the good versus bad in relation to culture, the most important thing is how industrialization and the emergence of technology has made the world a much smaller place than during JC's day. The fact that most everyone in the world knows who Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson is points towards the machine that industrialization has turned into. Entertainment is king. And it's that low culture that is not necessarily the best humanity has to offer, but it's the most popular. Literally, culture is the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Reflection: Week 2 [Wednesday]

2008-01-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

Ryan mentioned the Merchants of Cool during his lecture today. It's a great little documentary that shows how the corporate culture has now become a corporate vulture. You can watch it at the link above in small streaming segments from the filmmakers website, or watch the entire film at this link here.

How do you become an expert in contemporary culture, society or culture in general? How do these guys like Arnold, Leavis, Hogart, Williams and Hall rise to a point where people are looking to them for the definition of what part of culture is good and what part is bad? An overview of where culture has moved to and from in industrialization, working-class culture, and mass-produced culture is interesting -- but it further begs the question of why I should listen to these guys?

The idea that anything mass-produced destroys local cultures is the most solid one that seems to come from a objective context that is looking at the outcomes and statistics of particular cultures, versus a the anthropologists and sociologists listed above who seemingly study from a subjective standpoint.

Reading: Barker [Language]

2008-01-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

The relationship between language and culture seems very basic on the surface and how societies communicate and find meaning in things. But when one looks at the social connotations of "dress codes," for example, it is fascinating to break down that what is socially acceptable in one context is completely unacceptable in another. And that meaning is derived from the cultural practices of different sects and subgroups within individual societies. For example, one could blend in as "normal" in suspenders, overalls, and boots in a farming community, while wearing the same clothes in a downtown nightclub just wouldn't fly... and wouldn't get you past the doorman.

Reading: Barker [Ideology]

2008-01-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

The definition of culture... you rear your ugly head again. From the Brits Williams, Hogart, and Hall, to the haters in Leavis and Arnold, who attempt to distinguish between the good and the bad, the high and low. High brow, anyone? Sound like "tea time" for cultural snobs to me. Or more like the Fox News of the modern era. By pinning distinctions around a certain opinion of what has aesthetic quality and what does not, the judgments of few become objective cultural criticism for the many.

Of course, if we leave the meaning of culture to the masses, the consumer driven capitalist corporate animal of popular culture emerges, as previously mentioned within this here blog. And in popular culture, Kenny G is considered a jazz great. So it turns out I might be an elitist after all.

Reading: Bevans [Issues]

2008-01-14T21:12:00.000-08:00

Bevans' last point was the most interesting to me in his admittance that the word contextualization is the best way of describing aspects of context such as social location and particular experience, including the history, innuendo, and realities of older terminology of the same ilk including inculturation, indigenization, or incarnation of the gospel. That words can have a depth of history, both positive and negative, that may influence ones reaction towards a term is a significant element we cannot ignore.

Main Entry: cor·po·rate
Pronunciation: \ˈkor-p(ə-)rət\
Function: adjective

Formed into a corporation; incorporated: the corporate companies of industrial America.
Of or relating to a corporation: corporate assets; corporate culture.
United or combined into one body; collective: made a corporate effort to finish the job.
Of or relating to a corporative government or political system.

Personally, the word corporate is a popular term being thrown about in today's postmodern and/or emerging church. The church today uses the term corporate according to third definition of a "united or combined into one body; collective"... but for someone like me who worked in the industrial business section climbing the "corporate ladder," the word carries an unwanted weight. Now obviously we can't go around tiptoeing around wrods all day. But it bears repeating. Wait... unless that someone you are speaking to survived a bear attack...

Reflection: Week 2 [Monday]

2008-01-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to brag... but our small group's definition of culture was clearly the best. Or maybe it's my perception that it was the best definition. [Eh, Group #4? Ya, I'm talking to you!] Nevertheless, our group [Denise, Harmony, Michael, Randy, and myself] came up with Culture: "A conscious or unconscious fluid dynamic of art, behavior, ideology, and signs developing organically within and characterizing a given society or subgroup."

It is interesting when thinking about the universal aesthetics of a current cultural canon and what would be considered the best and brightest pieces of art of our times. I'm afraid that popular culture would proclaim American Idol, MTV's Real World, or The Apprentice as the most influential media reflection of current cultural society. Personally, I'd lean towards the iPhone, U2 & the World Wide Web as greater cultural signposts. But people love to hear Simon bitch out a horrible singer and hear the Donald mutter, "You're fired!" [Sigh... I hate America.]

Response: Michael Huang's Blog [Week 1]

2008-01-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

You had me at Pedro. Michael Huang's observation on his January 9th blog post caught my eye for more reasons than the Pedro The Lion reference. Yes, I find myself at time like one of the Bob's on Office Space saying, "I celebrate his entire collection," about Pedro's music. But I too echo Michael's questions about "witnessing" and believe that your life is the best witness you can have rather than preaching the Good News to your friends and family. Sometimes just following the wise words of Matthew McConaughey's Wooderson [McConaughey's best and most famous role, probably due to the distinct possibility that he's not acting and just playing himself in the film] in Dazed and Confused is a much nobler path:

"The older you get the more rules they are going to try and get you to follow. You just gotta keep on livin man! L-I-V-I-N!"

The reason I am drawn to Pedro The Lion is because David Bazan is a Christian believer that stays out of the Christian music scene, instead choosing to play his music to the popular culture at large. It's a testament both to his struggle with the institutional systems of church and his believe that his faith is better served in song outside the corporate structure of Christian labels. I've had the blessing of being able to commune with David and other Seattle musicians through old roommates in the local Seattle music "scene." The musicians that choose to be musicians in popular music over the Christian music scene have my utmost respect, for they are in effect "witnessing" through their lives to many more people than you or I can on a daily basis. From David Bazan to Rosie Thomas to Sufjan Stevens to The Pale Pacific, musicians of faith struggling with the same life questions that we struggle with in lyrical harmony is a wonderful thing.

Reading: Cobb [Popular]

2008-01-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

Kelton Cobb takes a wonderful angle in the introduction and first chapter of The Blackwell Guide to Theology and Popular Culture. Within the book, Cobb observes culture through the artists, thinkers and writers of our time. From Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club to M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, Cobb beautifully blends current cultural phenomenons in poignant and critical analysis.

What is interesting is that each creative piece being observed, whether it be film or literature, is examining life, faith and the soul. Each is attempting to finding the "Why?" behind our human existence. If you have ever taken care of a adolescent child you have experience the seemingly echoing "Why?" questions about everything from why dogs can't talk to why the sky is blue. After reading the beginning of Cobb, I am reminded we apparently never stop questioning.

Reading: Bevans [Contextual]

2008-01-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

Bevans believes that Evangelii Nuntiandi, Paul VI sums up contextual theology the best when he says that evangelism must speak to every aspect of human life. I'd agree with them to a degree, since when viewing the human experience today in all of it's glory and trouble, can be both a edifying and harrowing experience. If we study the theology in relation to history and it's particular context to why it was written, we place our own human experience into Scripture. It's human nature to reflect oneself into what one is involved in.

Revelation plays a huge part in this concept of theology. I do believe the Spirit is involved in translating the Word of God into a living Word, something that can speak into individual lives and meet them where they are and for what they need. We cannot limit the power of God or the Spirit at work in our lives and in Scripture. To say that one understands how God or the Spirit works is a huge stretch and a dangerous path to take. Read Job again and you see the cosmic struggle that is bigger than anything the human mind can imagine.

Reading: Barker [Problems]

2008-01-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

Barker continues in Chapter 2 by exploring the central problems of cultural studies and introducing a "therapeutic redefinition" tactic used to dissolve problems with a "new way of seeing." For example, the potential problems of language can be dissolved by viewing them as "truth[s]," that are, "culturally and historically specific and changeable." An amazing piece of wordplay... but couldn't one use this tactic towards any truth and skew it towards her/his advantage?

That being said, I do agree that studying culture is important. Furthermore, we must embrace our culture and it's idiosyncrasies, in order to be able to engage both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission outlined in the Word of God. So when Barker elaborates that cultural studies engages in the rhetoric of populism, it's an important thought, not only because the populous is who we are called to be disciples to, but it's important to understand the people in an information age that still values a postmodern thought where we both have and require multiple viewpoints or truths by which to interpret a complex heterogeneous human existence.

Basically, we need to listen, interpret, and teach truth in new ways by engaging today's cultural values and lifestyles. Now who's the wordsmith.

Reflection: Week 1 [Wednesday]

2008-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday. Really. Just wanted to mention it in case someone wanted to buy me a soda or something. Alright... let's move on.

Something that Professor Bolger mentioned during Monday's class stuck with me until today. He quoted a teacher of his who claimed [I'm paraphrasing] that sports have replaced faith in today's culture. In one group of friends back home in Seattle, this thought is spot on.

We have each sworn allegiance to an NFL franchise, adopted a Barclay's English Premier League club, gather weekly to play video games of various sports and even have fantasy leagues to feed our sports addictions now. As if real sports weren't enough. Of course, I'm not without guilt myself, sporting a Seahawks jersey on Sunday's, an admitted scouse aligned with Liverpool FC, and multiple time fantasy league champion in fantasy baseball, basketball and football.

It is both fitting and scandalous that Sundays are now seen as most people's favorite day of the week. Not because they have an opportunity to worship God in a community of believers... but because of the weekly match-ups in modern cathedrals called stadiums.

Reading: Barker [Intro]

2008-01-08T23:22:00.000-08:00

The definition of culture cited in Barker's Cultural Studies: Theory & Practice is "the actual grounded terrain of practices, representations, languages and customs of any specific society." Obviously the central theme of Barker's theory is analyzing culture of the developed world and not one revolved around an agricultural third-world ancient society.

But when thinking about culture and progress and where society has come in comparison to a culture that doesn't know about the concepts of capitalism, feminism and materialism explained here -- it's a wonder how we've come to this point. We've moved past the modern age, through the postmodern age, and into the information age all within the last few centuries.

But have we "developed" all that much in our thinking about epistemology? With the dawning of the new information age that is changing daily in our midst, I believe it's crucial that our generation develop it's own voices of authority to guide us in a time of change & movement towards a smaller world. Furthermore, it's my hope that we as seminarians can develop our own original answers to questions of truth & knowledge and continue our assault on higher learning even further beyond the truth & knowledge regurgitated, copied and reshaped countless times since a true original like that of Augustine. Either that, or we regress into a gifted student ignoring the signs right in front of us. Your choice.

Reflection: Week 1 [Monday]

2008-01-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

How do you blog on a class where a syllabus was read and the class introduced? Do you regurgitate the course description or do you wax poetic about your love for God and his infinite power to meet others in today's cultural context? How about neither.

Professor Bolger mentioned Lesslie Newbigin as an example of a modern day missionary who sought to clarify the key issues of faith against his experiences in India. I have previously read Newbigin's The Gospel in a Pluralist Society and can say that later watching a video of Newbigin speak was more powerful and provided more depth of knowledge to me than the 250 pages of literature. Don't get me wrong, Newbigin's book is very well written. But this example further speaks to the postmodern medium of film and how sometimes has a greater reach in today's culture.