Book: Lincoln and the Politics of Christian Love

Grant N. Havers, "Lincoln and the Politics of Christian Love" (University of Missouri Press, November 2009):

http://press.umsystem.edu/fall2009/havers.htm

From the publisher's description: "Abraham Lincoln extolled the merit of 'loving thy neighbor as thyself,' especially as a critique of the hypocrisy of slavery, but a discussion of Christian love is noticeably absent from today's debates about religion and democracy. In this provocative book, Grant Havers argues that charity is a central tenet of what Lincoln once called America's 'political religion.' He explores the implications of making Christian love the highest moral standard for American democracy, showing how Lincoln's legacy demands that a true democracy be charitable toward all – and that only a people who lived according to such ideals could succeed in building democracy as Lincoln understood it. [...] This carefully argued work defends Lincoln's understanding of charity as essential to democracy while emphasizing the difficulty of fusing this ethic with the desire to spread democracy to people who do not share America's Christian heritage. In considering the prospect of America's leaders rediscovering a moral foreign policy based on charity rather than the costly idolization of democracy, Lincoln and the Politics of Christian Love makes a timely contribution to the wider debate over both the meaning of religion in American politics and the mission of America in the world – and opens a new window on Lincoln's lasting legacy."

Excerpts: "Despite my discussion of political philosophy in the pages to follow, I am inclined to classify this work as political theology. Most secular academics tend to separate the two fields: political philosophy studies the human understanding of politics, while political theology reflects God's revelation. My contention is that, at least since Lincoln, this separation has never been successful in American political thought, although there have been many procrustean attempts to impose an artificial separation. The fact is that religion and politics have always been mutually dependent in American history [...]. Whereas [the founding fathers] Jay, Hamilton, and Madison are describing the meaning and process of government in profoundly secular terms (they rarely mention Christianity), Lincoln's speeches resonate with theological themes. Whereas The Federalist presents a new 'science of politics,' Lincoln offers a political theology. [...] Lincoln expected charity alone to be the primary foundation of a new political theology."

Grant N. Havers is Professor of Philosophy and Political Studies at Trinity Western University, Canada.

Book: Black Theology, Slavery and Contemporary Christianity

Just published: "Black Theology, Slavery and Contemporary Christianity: 200 Years and No Apology", edited by Anthony G. Reddie (Ashgate, August 2010):

www.ashgate.com/default.aspx?page=637&calcTitle=1&title_id=9106&edition_id=11894

Publisher's description: "Black Theology, Slavery and Contemporary Christianity explores the legacy of slavery in Black theological terms. Challenging the dominant approaches to the history and legacy of slavery in the British Empire, the contributors show that although the 1807 act abolished the slave trade, it did not end racism, notions of White supremacy, or the demonization of Blackness, Black people and Africa. This interdisciplinary study draws on biblical studies, history, missiology and Black theological reflection, exploring the strengths and limitations of faith as the framework for abolitionist rhetoric and action. This Black theological approach to the phenomenon of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the institution of slavery draws on contributions from Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Europe."

Endorsements: "An important interpretation of black liberation theology." (James H. Cone, Union Theological Seminary)

"This is the first intellectually formidable book on the Atlantic slave phenomenon from the perspective of Black Theology. The interdisciplinary scholarship and the cast of scholars and practitioner contributors to this text are unprecedented." (Dwight N. Hopkins, University of Chicago)

"Not always easy or comfortable, the essays force the reader to confront vital moral and theological problems, not merely of the historical past, but of the contemporary world. They tease out the anomalies (of Christianity's role both in supporting, and then in ending slavery) and the challenges faced by Christians when studying the painful story of enslavement in the Atlantic world." (Jim Walvin, University of York)

Anthony G. Reddie is a Research Fellow at the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in Birmingham.

Book: Liberation Theologies in the United States: An Introduction

Just published: "Liberation Theologies in the United States: An Introduction", edited by Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas and Anthony B. Pinn (New York University Press, March 2010):

www.nyupress.org/books/Liberation_Theologies_in_the_United_States-products_id-11250.html

Publisher's description: "In the nascent United States, religion often functioned as a justifier of oppression. Yet while religious discourse buttressed such oppressive activities as slavery and the destruction of native populations, oppressed communities have also made use of religion to critique and challenge this abuse. As Liberation Theologies in the United States demonstrates, this critical use of religion has often taken the form of liberation theologies, which use primarily Christian principles to address questions of social justice, including racism, poverty, and other types of oppression. Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas and Anthony B. Pinn have brought together a stellar group of liberation theology scholars to provide a synthetic introduction to the historical development, context, theory, and goals of a range of U.S.-born liberation theologies. Chapters cover Black Theology, Womanist Theology, Latino/Hispanic Theology, Latina Theology, Asian American Theology, Asian American Feminist Theology, Native American Theology, Native Feminist Theology, Gay and Lesbian Theology, and Feminist Theology."

Endorsements: "An extraordinary resource for understanding the vitality of liberation theologies and their relation to social transformation in the changing U.S. context. Written in an accessible and engaged way, this powerful and informative text will inspire beginners and scholars alike. I highly recommend it." (Kwok Pui-lan, Episcopal Divinity School)

"To acknowledge the limits and gifts of our theological past, to mourn and rage the depth of oppression, to gratefully accept our place in a lineage of struggle and hope, such is the blessing provided by the authors of Liberation Theologies in the United States. May their work be a catalyst for further acts of daring, compassion, and insight." (Sharon D. Welch, Meadville Lombard Theological School; here and above, italics originally bold)

Apparently, the book is also available as paperback (although I can't find it on the NYU Press website).

Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas is Associate Professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.

Anthony B. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University.

CONF: Sam Sharpe and the Quest for Liberation

Conference "Sam Sharpe and the Quest for Liberation: Context, Theology and Legacy for Today" of the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Jamaica Baptist Union, and BMS World Mission, at the University of Oxford, Regent's Park College, England, 13-16 April 2010

The conference takes as its centrepiece the story of Sam Sharpe, the Baptist deacon and enslaved person who played an important role in the "Great Jamaican Slave Revolt" of 1831. One of the leaders of a group of enslaved persons who took part in a "sit-down strike" against slavery, he was executed together with more than 500 others. Nevertheless, their revolt is recognized by historians and theologians as having a powerful influence on the process leading to the abolition of slavery, and Sam Sharpe is honoured as a national hero in Jamaica. The story is of a Baptist Christian whose actions were clearly motivated by his faith and by his reading of scripture; he is reported to have said, "In reading my Bible, I found that the white man had no more right to make a slave of me than I have to make a slave of the white man". He remains a witness to the principle of "liberation from below": that is, true liberation comes when those who are oppressed or marginalized participate in making their own freedom and justice, rather than simply having it granted to them by those who have power and authority. This is what the conference identifies as the "legacy" of Sam Sharpe today.

The conference aims to explore this story with regards to its context (making a scholarly examination of the characters, events, and social institutions of the time), theology (offering a theological reflection on the enslaved revolt, as a contribution to liberation theology), and legacy (asking what light the story might shed on present-day concerns of oppressed or minority groups, and exploring its global impact).

In particular, the conference will explore the relevance of the Sam Sharpe story for the West African experience of slavery. It will also offer a theological framework for the process among UK Baptist churches ("the Journey") which has followed the apology for slavery by the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and will draw upon the experience of churches of both the Caribbean and the African diasporas in the UK and the USA.

The conference marks the publication of a book centred on Sam Sharpe, called "Burning for Freedom: A Theology of the Black Atlantic Struggle for Liberation" (Kingston: Ian Randle, 2010), authored by Delroy A. Reid-Salmon (Oxford).

Invited speakers include: Cawley Bolt (Jamaica Baptist Union); Neville Callum (Baptist World Alliance); Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed (London Baptist Association); Paul Fiddes (Oxford); Dwight Hopkins (University of Chicago); Wale Hudson-Roberts (Baptist Union of Great Britain); David Muir (Evangelical Alliance); Lynette Mullings (Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education); Delroy A. Reid-Salmon (Oxford); Horace Russell (Palmer Theological Seminary); David Shosanya (London Baptist Association); Burchell Taylor (Kingston, Jamaica); Mary Turner (School of Advanced Study, University of London)

To give a paper, contact Nicholas Wood (Oxford): nicholas.wood@regents.ox.ac.uk

To attend, contact Louise Nelstrop (Oxford): louise.nelstrop@regents.ox.ac.uk