Icarus Invictus: Recent Episodes
Adam Gonnerman
Theology, biblical studies, social commentary, and more from the perspective of a post-theistic Unitarian Universalist seminarian and former evangelical minister/missionary.
A slight shift in direction for the new season, and a bit about my history as a preacher.
"...theology is not isolated from political, economic, and social realities. Context matters. Witnesses close to events have motives in telling their stories and can be unreliable reporters. The powerful write history. Texts are expressions of the experience of the person or community who wrote them. Evidence is tampered with, documents are destroyed, and arguments of opponents are falsified to prove a point."—Diana Butler Bass, Rescuing Jesus, p 198
"Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, 'Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!'"—Mark 11:8-10 NRSV
"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."—Psalm 51:7 NRSV
"Cleanliness is next to godliness" is nowhere to be found in the Bible, but the laundry detergent ads would have us think it should be.
We're told never to judge a book by its cover. Oftentimes a person who appears to be one way will turn out to be something entirely different. Susan Boyle is a prime example. Her fame began with the third series of Britain's Got Talent, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. Her homely appearance had the judges and audience expecting her to sound like gears grinding, and instead the beauty of her voice left them stunned and amazed. Then again, there are times when people are exactly what they appear, because of what their misplaced allegiances and crimes are doing to them.
If ever anyone wondered what they would have done during the Civil Rights Era in the United States, they should have their answer by now.
"Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost." — The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri : Inferno
In a course entitled 'Critical New Testament' that I'm taking in seminary we recently covered Luke and Acts. I was struck by how the writer of these texts was concerned more with theology than historical accuracy. His aim was ultimately theological. In particular, I see two primary and interrelated theological themes at work: fulfillment of scripture, and ever-widening inclusion. This is less evident in Luke, but plainly obvious in Acts. The earliest believers in Jesus didn't have the luxury of quiet reflection about the full implications of their faith. Instead, as the message about Jesus and the kingdom of God went out, the issues were forced on them directly. One of the keenest points was that of inclusion, and it's instructive to see how Luke portrayed them as managing the seismic shifts required of their worldviews.
“Always it is easier to pay homage to prophets than to heed the direction of their vision.” — Clinton Lee Scott, Singing the Living Tradition #565
Arius and Origen are probably more appropriate for modern-day Unitarian Universalists to identify with than they were for the Unitarians and Universalist of the 18th and 19th centuries. The trinitarianism of Arius and the universal redemption of Origen don’t fit well with the historic theologies of Unitarians and Universalists in the United States, but their heterodoxy certainly would find a welcome place in UU congregations today. Still, contemporary Unitarian Universalist congregations might not be as interested in this type of theology as anything other than a historic curiosity. The thing is, the views of Arius and Origen suffered the development of what became 'orthodox' Christianity.
A little about a new non-profit organization that some friends and I have been working on. Check out the website and follow us on Twitter.
There are a few different concepts of what makes for 'immortality.' I really don't buy into any of them.
If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, please call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to be connected to a trained counselor at a suicide crisis center nearest you.
Could there be a Zoidberg Jesus? Some thoughts on the implications of extraterrestrial life for traditional Christian theology.
Can beliefs alone qualify someone as virtuous? The title has the short answer. Take a listen if you want the long version!
The New Testament says some things about how churches 'should' be organized. Not that most Christians care (or agree). Good thing it really doesn't matter!
In 2015, David Bentley Hart wrote a blog post entitled 'Traditio Deformis,' in which the 'deformed tradition' is Calvinism. About a year later, Pete Enns blogged his piece in response to Hart's post, expressing fundamental agreement. Here's my synthesis of highlights from those two posts, together with my own perspective on the text of Romans.
If you're going to base your life on something, there are far better options than the Bible. Here's why.
How a Lutheran denomination is welcoming in Hispanics with Roman Catholic popular culture.
The different ways that people understand change and stagnation in their religious traditions is something that often attracts my attention. Being a former Catholic and evangelical, and now a Unitarian Universalist, I've had a range of experiences myself with the topic. Some time back I stumbled across an example involving a denomination that I've rarely thought about, that being the Church of the Nazarene.
Earlier this year I learned that the North American Christian Convention, the largest gathering of the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, is no more. Here's what I think about it.
There's something I find strange about the Northeast Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Made up of congregations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, it covers a lot of ground it an extremely populous region of the country. Some time back I took a look at the congregations in my immediate area and discovered that they are very diverse, and most have names that indicate they weren't founded in the Disciples tradition to start with. I know why.
Having read The Disciples: A Struggle for Reformation by D.Duane Cummins, I feel like I have a better idea of how the members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) understand their history and polity.
Mark W. Harris made for some illuminating and at times uncomfortable reading with his Elite: Uncovering Classism in Unitarian Universalist History." Here's what I'm thinking about it.
Most religious traditions work to preserve their specific viewpoint over time. Unitarian Universalism calls for adherents to question and revise our Principles from time to time.
This year the Unitarian Universalist Association's annual General Assembly was entirely virtual, conducted via Zoom. It was a good experience, all things considered, but that's a topic for a different post. Today I'd like to talk about the unstated theme of GA 2020: anti-racism. It's particularly significant in light of what happened last year.
Evangelical Christianity is known for 'purity culture.' It's a matter of shame and repression around sexuality that hurts girls and women in particular, although it's harmful generally. There are healthy alternatives in the religious sphere, and one of them can be found in a jointly-created curriculum of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ.
The 2020 report from the Commission on Institutional Change got me thinking. What is 'Unitarian Universalist theology,' and how can it be opened up beyond a predominantly white formulation?
My thoughts in response to Rev. Jonalu Johnstone's book, "Scripture Unbound: A Unitarian Universalist Approach.
To respond to our calling faithfully, Unitarian Universalists must be willing to take on enormous risk and set aside our fear of failing.