Synopses & Reviews
The idea of reclaiming prophetic dimensions of the Christian heritage arises from the fact that God calls us to think and act in relation to all spheres of human experience - social, political, economic, and religious. Religio-Political Narratives in America situates Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jeremiah Wright within a larger tradition of the American jeremiad - which uses rhetoric in calling the nation to account - and black church traditions as a framework that informs a socio-contextual assessment of veracity, patriotism, and prophetic proclamation. The authors examine ways in which the deep roots of the prophetic Christian heritage point to hope and justice as key themes throughout history, and serve as a resource to assess intersections of politics and religion today in the United States. Of utmost concern for the authors is how normative representations are processed through racial discourse as a means to shape and influence public opinion.
Review
"The authors provide an invaluable resource for those who seek to reclaim prophetic dimensions of the Christian heritage. Exploring social, political, economic, and religious facets of our lives, the authors invite us to do candid self-evaluation as we also seek to disrupt and eradicate injustice by leaning into God's transformative love for all in creation. A must read."
Emilie M. Townes, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of Womanist Ethics and Society, Vanderbilt University, USA.
Synopsis
Accepting the notion of racialized language as a given, this volume seeks to answer two questions: “What is at stake in maintaining or challenging the religio-political narrative in America?” and “What is the role of patriotic or prophetic discourse in the United States after September 11, 2001?” The authors select sermons by Martin Luther King Jr. and Jeremiah Wright to as a framework to examine the meaning of God in America as part of the formational religio-political narrative of the country.
Synopsis
The authors select sermons by Martin Luther King Jr. and Jeremiah Wright to as a framework to examine the meaning of God in America as part of the formational religio-political narrative of the country.
About the Author
Angela D. Sims is Associate Professor of Ethics and Black Church Studies at Saint Paul School of Theology, USA. She is principal investigator of 'Remembering Lynching: Strategies of Resistance and Visions of Justice' (an oral history project) and author of Ethical Complications of Lynching: Ida B. Wells's Interrogation of American Terror.
F. Douglas Powe, Jr. is the James C. Logan Professor of Evangelism and Professor of Urban Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary., USA. He is the author of New Wine, New Wineskins an d Just Us or Justice.
Johnny Bernard Hill is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Claflin University, USA. He is the author of The First Black President: Barack Obama, Race, Politics and the American Dream.
Table of Contents
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Not God Bless America, God Damn America: When Hatred is disguised as Patriotism
Color of Fear/Fear of Color: Language and the Shaping of Public Opinion: An Analysis of Social Constructions and the 2008 Presidential Campaign
When Black is not Black
Reclaiming the Prophetic: Toward a Theology of Hope and Justice in a Fragmented World
The World House: The Beloved Community As a New Global Vision for Peace and Justice