Heather Warren to Study “Protestant Hour” Radio Show

Warren will examine U.S. southern ministers who appeared on radio program

During the mid-1950s and early 1960s, ministers of northern white mainline Protestant churches found in existentialist theology a suitable way to address Americans’ political and private concerns over communism, nuclear war, and the effects of mass culture. Radio programs regularly featured broadcasts of these ministers’ sermons. Was this also the case in the American South where the movement for racial equality was a more pressing public concern?

As a research fellow for the Project on Lived Theology, Heather Warren plans to explore this question by focusing on the southern-centered, Atlanta-based Protestant Hour radio show. Warren will specifically study the years 1953 through 1963, beginning with Americans’ fears over the Soviet Union’s first H-bomb test and ending with the March on Washington.

“Thanks to the Project on Lived Theology, I can now turn my hand to a project that first caught my attention several years ago,” said Warren. “I am excited to mine sources that have barely been touched and to bring these preachers’ messages to our ears so that we can better understand how they lived their faith in complex political and social times. I hope we can learn from these preachers, pitfalls to avoid and practices to appreciate.”

Warren has also authored an essay on Father John A. Ryan for the PLT book Can I Get a Witness? (2019). She also serves as an associate professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia, where she specializes in the history of American religious life and thought from the late-nineteenth century to the present. Her research has also carried her into the field of American religious autobiography.

Warren hopes to write an essay for a double-blind peer-reviewed journal on her Protestant Hour radio show research and to present her findings at a conference with two other scholars working on Protestantism and radio in the twentieth century.

The Project on Lived Theology at the University of Virginia is a research initiative, whose mission is to study the social consequences of theological ideas for the sake of a more just and compassionate world.

On the Lived Theology Reading List: Life After Privacy

Life after Privacy: Reclaiming Democracy in a Surveillance Society, by Firmin DeBrabanderReclaiming Democracy in a Surveillance Society

Life After Privacy, by Firmin DeBrabander, sets out to discuss privacy during the digital age in a new and innovative way. It is no secret that privacy is in jeopardy, and we, the digital citizens, are its principal threat, willingly surrendering it to gain access to new technology, and granting the government and corporations immense power over us. But what if we can protect our freedom without privacy?

Here, DeBrabander makes that case that privacy is actually a fairly new value that has not often been enjoyed throughout history. He contends that privacy is actually a poor foundation for democracy, that it is constantly persecuted, and it is politically and philosophically suspect. He argues that currently, the more important thing to focus on is the vitality of the public realm, something that is equally at risk during the digital age.

Reviews and endorsements of the publication include:

Life After Privacy: Reclaiming Democracy in a Surveillance Society is an eloquent, compelling call for us to rethink our commitment to privacy by understanding its history and uses. Rather than attempting to double down on a possibly doomed principle, DeBrabander argues that what is really needed is more democracy, and specifically a newly energized commitment to a public sphere that requires open, transparent, and meaningful debate. An indispensable book for our times that does what great political philosophy needs to do – make us question what we mean by our most basic concepts.”William Egginton, author of The Splintering of the American Mind

“In 2020, more so than in 1984, the Big Brother is watching you. But does this really matter? – asks Firmin DeBrabander’s pungent new book. Ranging from intellectual history to contemporary economics, from Big Data to Big Politics, from confession to contestation, Life After Privacy argues that we should finally begin caring for the public realm, rather than obsessing about intrusions into the private domain, which is something of a political fiction. If there is a work with the potential to reframe the very terms of the current debate on privacy, it is the one you are now holding in your hands!”Michael Marder, author of Political Categories: Thinking Beyond Concepts

“This book makes accessible a counter-intuitive (perhaps even seemingly-contrarian) argument about privacy that deserves a hearing. Not all readers will agree with DeBrabander’s conclusion that privacy is pretty much dead. But this is a view murmured often enough in Silicon Valley to warrant serious attention. DeBrabander understands our skepticisms but skillfully argues that we are inexorably drawn to this conclusion nonetheless. Those who care deeply about privacy, as well as those who look forward to the transparent society, will learn much from this book’s subtle arguments. And remember: the best philosophy books are the ones that strike you as implausible by their title but leave you convinced after you’ve read them.”Colin Koopman, author of How We Became Our Data

 

For more information on the publication, click here.

Firmin DeBrabander is professor of philosophy at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

For more of “On the Lived Theology Reading List,” click here. To engage in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter, @LivedTheology, please use #LivedTheologyReads. For more recommended resources from our fellow travelers, click here, #PLTfellowtravelers. To sign up for the Lived Theology monthly newsletter, click here.

“That All Shall Be Saved” by Religion Scholar David Bentley Hart

Author photo by Nicole Waldron

Hart’s book reexamines one of the essential tenets of Christian belief: universal salvation

The great fourth-century church father Basil of Caesarea once observed that, in his time, most Christians believed that hell was not everlasting and that all would eventually attain salvation. But today, this view is no longer prevalent within Christian communities.

In his most recent book, That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation (Yale University Press), David Bentley Hart makes the case that nearly two millennia of dogmatic tradition have misled readers on the crucial matter of universal salvation. On the basis of the earliest Christian writings, theological tradition, scripture, and logic, Hart argues that if God is the good creator of all, he is the savior of all, without fail. And if he is not the savior of all, the Kingdom is only a dream, and creation something considerably worse than a nightmare. But it is not so. There is no such thing as eternal damnation; all will be saved. With great rhetorical power, wit, and emotional range, Hart offers a new perspective on one of Christianity’s most important themes.

David Bentley Hart is an Eastern Orthodox scholar of religion, and a philosopher, writer, and cultural commentator. His books include The Experience of God and The New Testament.


Advance Praise for That All Shall Be Saved

 “[A] provocative, informative treatise…[Hart’s] resounding challenge to orthodox Christian views on hell and his defense of God’s ultimate goodness will prove convincing and inspiring to the open-minded.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“David Bentley Hart, the most eminent living anglophone theologian, asks the fundamental question: Is it possible that anyone is damned? Hart’s answer is no, and that negative is gorgeously elaborated in this book, with unmatched force and brio.” Paul Griffiths, author of Christian Flesh

“If everything and everyone are not finally restored, then God is not God. This is the simple core of Hart’s unanswerable argument, masterfully developed. He calls us back to real orthodoxy, perhaps just in time.” John Milbank, University of Nottingham

“David Bentley Hart never disappoints. Three years ago, he published a translation of the New Testament; now comes a ‘companion’ to take up a question that vexes many Christians. Does the New Testament teach that hell is everlasting? Hart is convinced, having wrestled with the language of the New Testament and plumbed early Christian thought, that it does not. In this original and lively book, Hart shows why most Christian thinking about eternal damnation is unbiblical.” Robert Louis Wilken, author of Liberty in the Things of God

“At last! A brilliant treatment—exegetically, theologically, and philosophically—of the promise that, in the end, all will indeed be saved, and exposing the inadequacy—above all moral—of claims to the contrary.” John Behr, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary

“Hart shows with great clarity why the idea that our ultimate freedom lies in accepting or rejecting God as one option amongst others is profoundly mistaken. This is some of the most exacting, perspicuous, and powerful theological writing I have read in recent years.” Simon Oliver, Durham University

The Project on Lived Theology at the University of Virginia is a research initiative, whose mission is to study the social consequences of theological ideas for the sake of a more just and compassionate world.

On the Lived Theology Reading List: Jesus and John Wayne

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, by Kristin Kobes Du MezHow White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation

Jesus and John Wayne, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez, is an in-depth look into why white evangelicals overwhelming voted for Donald Trump in 2016, despite his obvious lack of knowledge of the Christian faith. In a comprehensive history of the evangelical movement in America, Du Mez challenges the commonly held assumption that the “moral majority” backed Trump for purely pragmatic reasons, and reveals that he in fact represents the fulfillment, rather than the betrayal, of white evangelicals’ most deeply held values.

While many people focus only on the religious of aspect of white evangelicals, Du Mez argues that one must understand the role of culture in modern American evangelicalism. They have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism, and they have been helped along by the heroes of evangelical pop culture: Oliver North, Ronald Reagan, Mel Gibson, and, chiefly, John Wayne. All white men who tell it like it is and assert white masculine power in defense of “Christian America,” much like what many evangelicals consider Trump to be doing now.

The hateful values at the heart of white evangelicalism today are likely to persist long after Trump leaves office, but even after their strongman has no more power, their support of him and their twisting of Christian views will have lasting consequences for us all.

Reviews and endorsements of the publication include:

Jesus and John Wayne demolishes the myth that Christian nationalists simply held their noses to form a pragmatic alliance with Donald Trump. With brilliant analysis and detailed scholarship, Kristin Kobes Du Mez shows how conservative evangelical leaders have promoted the authoritarian, patriarchal values that have achieved their finest representative in Trump. A stunning exploration of the relationship between modern evangelicalism, militarism, and American masculinity.” – Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism

“Wielding supreme command of evangelical theology, popular culture, history and politics, as well as rare skill with the pen, Kristin Kobes Du Mez explodes the myth that evangelicals voted for Donald Trump in spite of his crude machismo. It turns out that the opposite is true: for generations, white male evangelical leaders and their supportive wives have been building a movement of brazen masculinity and patriarchal authority, with hopes of finding a warrior who could extend their power to the White House. In Trump they found their man. This is a searing and sobering book, one that should be read by anyone who wants to grasp our political moment and the religious movement that helped get us here.” – Darren Dochuk, author of Anointed With Oil: How Christianity and Crude Made Modern America

“I endorse Kristin Du Mez’s lively and readable account of evangelical political history, having personally seen it from the inside during nearly three decades with the National Association of Evangelicals. Those who legitimately ask “How can evangelicals support Donald Trump?” need to read this book to understand why. An extraordinary work.” – Reverend Richard Cizik, President of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good

For more information on the publication, click here.

Fellow travelers are scholars, activists, and practitioners that embody the ideals and commitments of the Project on Lived Theology. We admire their work and are grateful to be walking alongside them in the development and dissemination of Lived Theology.

For more of “On the Lived Theology Reading List,” click here. To engage in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter, @LivedTheology, please use #LivedTheologyReads. For more recommended resources from our fellow travelers, click here, #PLTfellowtravelers. To sign up for the Lived Theology monthly newsletter, click here.

Where Do We Go From Here?

12 Civil Rights Movement Resources for the Present Age

The Project on Lived Theology is exploring how the civil rights movement provides us with lessons from history as we face the seemingly insurmountable challenges of today, from living during a pandemic to coming to terms with white supremacy and racial injustice. Below is just a sample of some of the video, audio, and text found on our website. If you’d like to receive email from us with content and announcements like this resources list, sign up here.

John Lewis, “1993 Interview with Charles Marsh, Part 1″
In November 1993, Charles Marsh, director of The Project on Lived Theology, interviewed the legendary civil rights hero John Lewis. During the conversation, Lewis touched on many topics, including his religious upbringing; the first time he heard Martin Luther King, Jr. speak; and Freedom Summer of 1964.
Read the interview here.

Nathan Walton, “Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Witness of the Black Freedom Church”
How did Martin Luther King, Jr. become Martin Luther King, Jr.? How should we understand him in terms of history and today’s conversations around social justice? Nathan Walton, executive director of Abundant Life Ministries, explored these questions and more during a Zoom discussion, on Sept. 16, with University of Virginia students.
Watch the video here.
Listen to the audio here.

Victoria Gray Adams and Bob Moses, “Civil Rights as Theological Drama”
Adams shares her personal story and experience during the civil rights movement and the role her faith played. Moses reads a story he wrote about some of the people he knew in the movement, including Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer.
Watch the video here.
Read the transcript here.

Mrs. Johnnie Carr and Fred Gray, “Montgomery Bus Boycott”
Carr and Gray focus on their recollections of the events surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Carr succeeded Martin Luther King, Jr. as president of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) in 1967. Gray is the attorney who defended Rosa Parks and the MIA.
Watch the video here.

Nichole M. Flores, “We Who Believe in Freedom: Ella Baker’s Creed”
Flores shares her research and reflections on Ella Baker, a civil rights activist and organizer whose work in the civil rights movement focused on empowering the poor and the young. Flores discusses how Baker’s work paved the way for Black Lives Matter and the broader movement for black lives.
Listen to the Can I Get a Witness podcast episode here.
Learn more about Can I Get a Witness here

Larycia Hawkins, “Bearing the Cross in the Age of Donald J. Trump”
Utilizing the prophetic guidance of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. to address the politics of Trump’s America, Hawkins breaks down the prerequisites of cross bearing to body work, soul work, and foot work, calling us all to embodied solidarity and the civil courage to pursue a committed activism.
Listen to the audio here.

Ed King, “A White Southerner in the Civil Rights Movement”
A young adult amidst the tumultuous events of the civil rights movement, King reflects on his personal experiences with faith and politics in the fight for racial equality.
Watch the video here.

Peter Slade, “Open Friendship in a Closed Society: Racial Reconciliation in Mississippi after the Civil Rights Movement”
Slade delves into the responses of white Protestant churches to issues of race and the churches’ support of white supremacy.
Watch the video here.
Listen to the audio here.

Soong-Chan Rah, “Whatever Happened to Racial Reconciliation? The Future of a White Evangelical Obsession”
Rah takes issue with the way in which “white” and “evangelical” have become synonymous. He attempts to redefine “evangelical” and explore what it means for racial reconciliation.
Listen to the audio here.

John M. Perkins, “Has the Dream Become a Nightmare? Prospects for Reconciliation in the Wake of the New Racism”
Perkins emphasizes that Christians need to realize that they have been given a Biblical reconciliation in which racism has no place. Peacebuilding comes from having conversations together to understand the implications of this truth.
Watch the video here.

Donyelle McCray, “Solomon’s Son: The Wise Tenderness of Howard Thurman”
McCray discusses Howard Thurman, civil rights leader, preacher, writer, mystic, and thinker, who was a mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the founder of the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples. McCray focuses on Thurman’s tenderness: how his mother and grandmother contributed to that tenderness, how Thurman himself cultivated it, and how his tenderness enabled his compassionate, connected ministry in the world.
Listen to the Can I Get a Witness podcast episode here.
Learn more about Can I Get a Witness here

Charles Marsh, “’Better than Church’: The Civil Rights Movement and Religionless Christianity”
As part of the 2018 William Porcher DeBose Lecture Series, Marsh explores the theology of the civil rights movement, drawing on stories of Fannie Lou Hamer; Martin Luther King, Jr.; members of SNCC; and other pivotal figures.
Watch the video here.

The Project on Lived Theology at the University of Virginia is a research initiative, whose mission is to study the social consequences of theological ideas for the sake of a more just and compassionate world.

Theological Horizons Board of Directors Announces the 2020 Louise & Richard Goodwin Prizes for Excellence in Theological Writing

goodwinprizeA $2,500 prize has been awarded to Jimmy Myers (Duke Divinity School) for the essay, “Give Gifts to the Evildoer: A Rereading of Matthew 5:38-42.”

Abstract: What does Jesus teach his followers to practice in Matthew 5:38–42? That is the question that this paper answers, seeking to provide the church a more faithful way of reading, living, and imagining Jesus’s command than has been done in the past. I contend that our collective imaginations as a Christian tradition have been constrained by readings of this passage that have failed to discern its unity and positive character, a character which gives birth to a repeated pattern of gift-giving in response to evildoing that the church––who lives in the “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4) yet follows a God who gives grace to evildoers (us)––has the opportunity to embody in order to bring about something positive, active, and beautiful into God’s creation––loving it, with God, into a new creation.

A $1,000 prize has been awarded to Abraham Wu (Regent College, Vancouver) for the essay, “In Loving Memory: Applying a Theological Anthropology of Trinitarian Personhood to the Problem of Memory Loss.”

Abstract: How should we understand the implications that memory loss has for human personhood? If memory is wholly constitutive for personhood, then human personhood seems imperiled for those suffering from diseases such as dementia. This paper will argue that while memory is indeed constitutive of personhood, it is not wholly constitutive. Instead, this paper will put forward a theological anthropology that seeks to humbly understand human personhood by viewing the human reality from the perspective of an understanding of God. This paper starts from the imago Dei and imago trinitatis in order to understand human beings as “persons-in-relation.” This means that one is not merely self-constructed by memory but is also constituted by their relationships with others and—ultimately—in relationship to the God who does not forget (Is. 49:15).

A $500 prize has been awarded to Rachael K. Griggs (University of Dayton) for the essay, “Becoming Pro-Mysterion: Embracing a Future of Mercy for All in Romans 11.”

Abstract: This essay presents an exegesis of Paul’s allegory of the olive tree (Romans 11) within the framework of present-day tragedies caused by antisemitism. While Paul exhorts gentile believers to express humility regarding their newfound position within God’s family, supersessionism has placed the Jewish and Christian faiths in a dichotomous relationship. Greek word studies and models of religious pluralism in this essay demonstrate that supersessionism is a poisonous root from which antisemitism grows. Paul’s revelation of God’s cosmic plan of salvation asks Jesus’s followers—in any era—to become pro-mysterion: to embrace in faith God’s redemptive plan for all.

A $500 prize has been awarded to Timothy Shriver (University of Virginia) for the essay, “Fannie Lou Hamer: Smiling at Satan’s Rage.”

Abstract: This essay seeks to understand and spell out the underappreciated theological insights of the former sharecropper and front-line Civil Rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer. Using her songs, speeches and the unexpected parallel of Julian of Norwich, the essay argues that Hamer’s informal but robust theological training in the black church gave her a unique capacity to syncretize seemingly contradictory notions of defeat and victory, pain and joy, death and rebirth. The essay concludes that Hamer’s unique syncretic theology and spiritual expression demand that she be placed among the revered ranks of the great contemplatives and mystics of Christian history.

For more information, please visit https://www.theologicalhorizons.org/goodwin-prize.

We are deeply encouraged to see young scholars of such promise and commitment, and we offer our warm congratulations to all who participated in this year’s competition.

On the Lived Theology Reading List: Freedom Faith

Freedom Faith: The Womanist Vision of Prathia Hall, by Courtney PaceThe Womanist Vision of Prathia Hall

Freedom Faith, by Courtney Pace, examines the life and philosophy of Rev. Dr. Prathia Laura Ann Hall, an undersung leader in both the civil rights movement and African American theology. Pace chooses to focus mainly on her her civil rights activism, her teaching career, and her ministry as a womanist preacher, all while examining the most central concept of Hall’s theology: Freedom Faith, the belief that God created humans to be free and assists and equips those who work for freedom.

Although Hall is relatively unknown today, she was a pioneer in activism and ministry, fusing womanist thought with Christian ethics and visions of social justice. She influenced figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and was one of the first women ordained in the American Baptist Churches. Later in life she joined the faculty at the Boston University School of Theology as the Martin Luther King Chair in Social Ethics, where she continued to preach her visionary doctrine.

For more information on the publication, click here.

Fellow travelers are scholars, activists, and practitioners that embody the ideals and commitments of the Project on Lived Theology. We admire their work and are grateful to be walking alongside them in the development and dissemination of Lived Theology.

For more of “On the Lived Theology Reading List,” click here. To engage in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter, @LivedTheology, please use #LivedTheologyReads. For more recommended resources from our fellow travelers, click here, #PLTfellowtravelers. To sign up for the Lived Theology monthly newsletter, click here.

On the Lived Theology Reading List: A Course in Desert Spirituality

A Course in Desert Spirituality, by Thomas MertonFifteen Sessions with the Famous Trappist Monk

Thomas Merton had many roles he filled in his lifetime — monk, writer, social activist — but one of his main passions was explorations of interfaith understanding. He explored different religions and their relation to the human experience, as well as examining some of the Catholic traditions he had learned about in his studies. A Course in Desert Spirituality, edited by Jon Sweeney, is a collection of some of Merton’s lectures which showcase his teachings and personal thoughts about the concept of desert spirituality.

Although Merton was a monk, and was later ordained, he believed that there was immense value in learning about other religions and their view of the world. In the same way, he believed that all people would benefit from monastic wisdom and spirituality. This book exemplifies his approach to religion and to life itself.

Reviews and endorsements of the publication include:

“This well-paced discourse on desert spirituality hosts just enough of an overview to be a course and just enough depth to be a dramatically impactful read. The work, followed by options for further reflection and discussion, makes for an inspiring personal or group engagement. Any reader of A Course in Desert Spirituality will undoubtably come away with new insights on both desert spirituality and one’s own spirituality.” —Cassidy Hall, Author of Notes on Silence and director of Day of a Stranger

“As with many of Merton’s writings, there are several ways of reading it. One could take a genetic approach, seeking to uncover vestiges of Merton’s biography. The text could also be read as a short history of monastic practice or a snapshot of the novitiate under Merton’s tutelage in the 1950s before the drastic changes of Vatican II. It could also be read, and this is the way Sweeney intends for us to read it, in a lectio divina fashion—that is, as a spiritual discipline to mature our souls and draw us nearer to God. At its best, this book is a primer on the mystical tradition which offers guidance on whom to read, what to look for, what to watch out for, and how to approach the tradition.”—Reading Religion

“A Course in Desert Spirituality offers keen insight into the wisdom of early Christian mystics like St. Gregory of Nyssa, John Cassian, and Evagrius Ponticus. It makes the Desert Mothers and Fathers come alive. But it also reveals much about the spiritual heart of Thomas Merton himself.”—Carl McColman, author of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism and The Unteachable Lessons

 

For more information on the publication, click here.

Fellow travelers are scholars, activists, and practitioners that embody the ideals and commitments of the Project on Lived Theology. We admire their work and are grateful to be walking alongside them in the development and dissemination of Lived Theology.

For more of “On the Lived Theology Reading List,” click here. To engage in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter, @LivedTheology, please use #LivedTheologyReads. For more recommended resources from our fellow travelers, click here, #PLTfellowtravelers. To sign up for the Lived Theology monthly newsletter, click here.

On the Lived Theology Reading List: Religion is Raced

Religion Is Raced: Understanding American Religion in the Twenty-First Century, by Grace Yukich and Penny EdgellUnderstanding American Religion in the Twenty-First Century

When white people of faith act in a specific way, it is often attributed to their religious commitments. But when religious people of color act in specific way, it almost exclusively attributed to their racial positioning. In Religion is Raced, authors Grace Yukich and Penny Edgell argue that all religion must be acknowledged as a raced phenomenon, even though America tends to look at religion only through the lens of white Christians.

This book offers a new model for thinking about religion, one that emphasizes how racial dynamics interact with religious identity, and attempts to bring the discussion of race and religion into the mainstream. It draws from a variety of religious traditions, including Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Protestantism, and even atheism, in order to better demonstrate the roles that religion and whiteness play in politics and everyday life. Yukich and Edgell argue that when we overlook the role race plays in religious belief and action, it also causes us to overlook the way race might influence religiously motivated political and public action.

Reviews and endorsements of the publication include:

Challenges the unspoken narrative of whiteness that has shaped studies of US religion. Writing from various disciplinary perspectives, the authors collectively chart a more productive way forward, one that begins with very different (and more empirically accurate) assumptions. A state-of-the-art work and a shot across the bow.” Paul Harvey, author of Christianity and Race in the American South: A History

“An important collective endeavor that will leave its mark as an essential resource for understanding contemporary American religion. Yukich and Edgell bring together several of the best scholars in the sociology of religion in order to shed new light on neglected racial (but also religious, ethnic and gendered) aspects of religion as it is lived in the United States today. This is a crucial and overdue corrective and a significant achievement.” Michèle Lamont, Harvard University

“An incredibly rich, important and timely book. Yukich and Edgell, along with their powerhouse group of contributing authors, highlight crucial racial underpinnings and underlying organizing principals of contemporary religion and the consequences for social divisions, politics and identities. This book is a cornerstone, one that will shape scholarly work and public conversations for generations.” Vincent J. Roscigno, Ohio State University

For more information on the publication, click here.

Fellow travelers are scholars, activists, and practitioners that embody the ideals and commitments of the Project on Lived Theology. We admire their work and are grateful to be walking alongside them in the development and dissemination of Lived Theology.

For more of “On the Lived Theology Reading List,” click here. To engage in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter, @LivedTheology, please use #LivedTheologyReads. For more recommended resources from our fellow travelers, click here, #PLTfellowtravelers. To sign up for the Lived Theology monthly newsletter, click here.

On the Lived Theology Reading List: Jesus Saved an Ex-Con

Jesus Saved an Ex-Con: Political Activism and Redemption after Incarceration, by Edward Orozco FloresPolitical Activism and Redemption after Incarceration

The use of religion to rehabilitate and redeem formerly incarcerated individuals has been around for many years, but it typically places an emphasis on private spirituality, with efforts focused on repentance, conversion, and restorative justice. In Jesus Saved an Ex-Con, author Edward Orozco Flores examines two faith-based organizations that utilize the public arena to expand the social and political rights of former inmates.

Most work on prisoner reentry has focused on how the behavior of those with records may be changed through interventions, rather than considering how those with records may change the society that receives them. Community Renewal Society and LA Voice reject this narrative, and instead focus on expanding the rights of people with records through community organizing campaigns. Flores explores how the formerly incarcerated use redemption scripts to participate in civic engagement, to remove the felony conviction question from employment applications and to restrict the use of criminal background checks in housing and employment. He shows that people with records can redeem themselves, but we must also challenge the way society receives them.

Reviews and endorsements of the publication include:

“In this book, Edward Orozco Flores contributes to the growing debate on criminal justice reform by showing how ex-prisoners now ‘returning citizens’ are giving back to American communities. They give back not only by sharing their personal stories of moral redemption, but also by reclaiming forms of civic life and political empowerment against the grain of elite manipulation. Drawing on scholarly work in the sociology of religion, social movements, and civic life, Flores argues that ‘prophetic redemption’ may not only redeem ex-offenders own stories but also redeem the full promise of American democracy against the imposters that claim to speak in its name.”—Richard L. Wood, author of A Shared Future: Faith-Based Organizing for Racial Equity and Ethical Democracy

“In this powerful work, Flores challenges the top-down bias of criminal justice reform … Flores’s concepts of pastoral and insurgent prophetic redemption will be useful to scholars studying religious social movements, and the book’s broad themes make it valuable for diverse sociological audiences. A welcome addition to criminal justice literature as well as to the literature on the sociology of religion and social movements.”—Choice

For more information on the publication, click here.

Fellow travelers are scholars, activists, and practitioners that embody the ideals and commitments of the Project on Lived Theology. We admire their work and are grateful to be walking alongside them in the development and dissemination of Lived Theology.

For more of “On the Lived Theology Reading List,” click here. To engage in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter, @LivedTheology, please use #LivedTheologyReads. For more recommended resources from our fellow travelers, click here, #PLTfellowtravelers. To sign up for the Lived Theology monthly newsletter, click here.