Theopoetics in Color


Book Description

A collaborative book project centering the liberative theopoetics practiced by a new generation of scholars of color What is theopoetics? Once a field dominated by white liberals in the ivory tower, this embodied form of theology has flourished in the work of a new generation of scholars of color. In this groundbreaking book edited by Oluwatomisin Olayinka Oredein and Lakisha R. Lockhart-Rusch, a diverse team of theologians shows how theopoetics can be practiced “in color.” Featuring unconventional and artistic forms of religious reflection, this collection demonstrates how theology can become accessible when it reflects the embodied experiences of marginalized people and communities. These creative contributions defy the limitations of the white, Eurocentric academy, including such works as: • an explanation on the use of experimental theater to express theological theses • a guide to spiritual disciplines for metaphorical cyborgs seeking liberation • a meditation on the theological import of Filipino potlucks • a literary reflection on the meaning of religion to Black boys and men Diverse in scope and radical in perspective, this bold volume reclaims the liberative potential of theopoetics. Scholars and students of theology and the arts will discover inspiring new methodologies and fresh ideas in these pages. Contributors: Brian Bantum, Yara González-Justiniano, James Howard Hill Jr., Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros, Yohana Agra Junker, Peace Pyunghwa Lee, Lakisha R. Lockhart-Rusch, Oluwatomisin Olayinka Oredein, Patrick B. Reyes, Joyce del Rosario, Tiffany U. Trent, Tamisha A. Tyler, Lis Valle-Ruiz




Savoring God


Book Description

Savoring God is a comparative study that examines the creative interaction of poetry and theology in two mystical poems central to the Christian and the Hindu traditions, the sixteenth-century Spanish Cántico espiritual (Spiritual Canticle), by Saint John of the Cross, and the Sanskrit R=asa L=il=a (Dance of Love), which originated in the oral tradition. Alongside the poems, Gloria Maité Hernández examines theological commentaries on the texts: the Comentarios, written by Saint John of the Cross on his own poem, and the foundational commentary on the R=asa L=il=a by 'Sr=idhara Sv=ami as well as commentaries by the sixteenth-century theologian J=iva Gosv=ami, from the Gau.d=iya Vai.s.nava school, and other Gau.d=iya theologians. The phrase "savoring God" conveys the Spanish gustar a Dios (to savor God) and the Sanskrit madhura bhakti rasa (the sweet savor of divine love). In the Christian and Hindu commentaries these two concepts describe a way of approaching the poems that is simultaneously vulnerable to the emotions evoked by the poetical imagery and responsive to its theological demands. While "savoring" does not mean the precisely the same thing to the Christian and the Hindu theologians, Hernández demonstrates that both traditions interpret the term to suggest poetry's power in mediating an encounter with the divine.




Theopoetic


Book Description

In today's crucible of myths, theology has a special problem. Ancient scenarios provided by Scripture are especially vulnerable to the modern outlook. Amos Wilder, a distinguished scholar and critic, here relates the Christian faith, in depth, to the changes in modern man's sense of reality, and to the powerful new forms of spirituality that reflect these changes. The focus is upon the deeper dynamics of the religious situation--that is, upon its myths and dreams, symbols and arts--rather than upon its doctrines and social forms. A total vision requires a mythopoetic and not only isolated visions and epiphanies. The testimony of contemporary poets and believers demonstrates that world-old myths and sagas can still have living power. As Wilder writes, "Before the message, the vision; before the sermon, the hymn; before the prose, the poem. The discursive categories of theology as well as the traditional images of sermon and prayer require a theopoetic."




Theopoetics and Religious Difference


Book Description

"Why are interreligious encounters and relations both more troubling and more promising than typically assumed, and how can this be embraced? In engaging the contemporary theological discourse of "theopoetics," Marius van Hoogstraten offers a way of approaching religious difference that, while perhaps unusual to readers familiar with more conventional theology, may be especially fitting for this age."--Provided by publisher




Non-dualism in Eckhart, Julian of Norwich and Traherne


Book Description

The words 'me,' 'mine,' 'you,' 'yours,' can mislead us into feeling separate from other people. This book is an exhilarating contribution to the spirituality of non-duality or non-separation. Meister Eckhart, Mother Julian of Norwich and Thomas Traherne are interpreted as 'theopoets' of the body/soul who share a moderate non-dualism. Their work is brought within the ambit of non-dual Hinduism. Specifically, their passion for unitive spiritual experience is linked to construals of both 'the Self' and 'Awakening', as enunciated by Advaita Vedanta. Charlton draws on poetry, theology and philosophy to perceive fresh connections. A commonality of interest is proposed between the three Europeans and Ramana Maharshi. The concept of non-duality is basic to much of Asian religion. On the other hand, Christianity has usually ignored its own non-dual roots. This text contributes to a recovery, in the West, of the vital, unifying power of non-dual awareness and connectedness.




Theopoetics of the Word


Book Description

Gabriel Vahanian's final work, Theopoetics of the Word weaves together Christian theology, continental philosophy and cultural studies to present a new theology of language and technology for the 21st century.




George Eliot's Religious Imagination


Book Description

George Eliot's Religious Imagination addresses the much-discussed question of Eliot’s relation to Christianity in the wake of the sociocultural revolution triggered by the spread of theories of evolution. The standard view is that the author of Middlemarch and Silas Marner “lost her faith” at this time of religious crisis. Orr argues for a more nuanced understanding of the continuity of Eliot’s work, as one not shattered by science, but shaped by its influence. Orr’s wide-ranging and fascinating analysis situates George Eliot in the fertile intellectual landscape of the nineteenth century, among thinkers as diverse as Ludwig Feuerbach, David Strauss, and Søren Kierkegaard. She also argues for a connection between George Eliot and the twentieth-century evolutionary Christian thinker Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Her analysis draws on the work of contemporary philosopher Richard Kearney as well as writers on mysticism, particularly Karl Rahner. The book takes an original look at questions many believe settled, encouraging readers to revisit George Eliot’s work. Orr illuminates the creative tension that still exists between science and religion, a tension made fruitful through the exercise of the imagination. Through close readings of Eliot's writings, Orr demonstrates how deeply the novelist's religious imagination continued to operate in her fiction and poetry.




Songs from an Empty Cage


Book Description

"The author employs a theopoetic approach to engage ultimate questions while probing the intersections of poetry with Anabaptism, Mennonites, mystery, and peacemaking"--Provided by publisher.




Theopoetic Folds


Book Description

In complex philosophical ways, theology is, should, and can be a "theopoetics" of multiplicity. The ambivalent term theopoetics is associated with poetry and aesthetic theory; theology and literature; and repressed literary qualities, myths, and metaphorical theologies. On a more profound basis, it questions the establishment of the difference between philosophy and theology and resides in the dangerous realm of relativism. The chapters in this book explore how the term theopoetics contributes to cutting-edge work in theology, philosophy, literature, and sociology.




Hells and Holy Ghosts


Book Description

A reflection on the twin notions of Christ's descent into the underworld and on the belief in life after death. We may be amazed to discover how these seemingly obsolete notions, if understood metaphorically rather than literally, can illuminate and deep