Ashish Varma | Wheaton College (original) (raw)
Articles by Ashish Varma
God Here and Now, 2024
The 2024 US election carried high emotions with it: despair for some and elation for others. It w... more The 2024 US election carried high emotions with it: despair for some and elation for others. It was an election full of superlatives, with both sides positing national doom, should their side fail. Yet for voters, should either side expect their greatest hopes to be realized in the election of the President of the US? Is something deeper at play for both polarities that shortchanges hope, peace, and freedom? Is there another imagination to consider? I reflect on these questions in my post-Election theological essay.
Center for Asian American Christianity Online Magazine, 2024
Halloween and Election Day sit merely days apart. Which is scarier? Meanwhile, the Indian festiva... more Halloween and Election Day sit merely days apart. Which is scarier? Meanwhile, the Indian festival of Diwali is nestled in between, offering a different tone to the season. I reflect upon the fright and light of the season in my latest article with the Center for Asian American Christianity. https://caacptsem.substack.com/p/haunted-by-election-day-this-hindu
God Here and Now, Center for Barth Studies, 2024
"Part 2.5 (an Interlude)" of my series on divine Providence is borne of the realization that Part... more "Part 2.5 (an Interlude)" of my series on divine Providence is borne of the realization that Part 3 (forthcoming) needed a bigger setup from a position of reflection that does not assume that "Providence"="control." In this interlude, I reflect upon the nature of love, which resists easy reduction to a "feeling." Rather, love is a disposition that let's go of the self for the beloved. Love is a being-for another, which means Providence based upon love will be a capacity to let go and to work precisely by relinquishing control. Relinquishing control is not the same as relinquishing power, for Providence that resists control is even more powerful than its alternative.
God Here and Now, Center for Barth Studies, 2024
What is the provenance of providence? That is, where does it belong theologically? The debate usu... more What is the provenance of providence? That is, where does it belong theologically? The debate usually considers the relationship of divine providence to creation: is creation a finished thing or an ongoing event, ever unfinished and always unfolding? Karl Barth takes the side of anchoring providence to creation while distinguishing the two. God rested from creation, yet God continually sustains creation and works to bring about God’s purposes. Put differently, creation is a stage full of performers—including Godself—and props. In the words of John Calvin, creation is the theater of God’s glory. From the vantage point of this metaphor, providence pertains to all that God accomplishes upon the stage of creation.
God Here and Now, Center for Barth Studies, 2024
Have you ever heard a politician, a preacher, or a cultural commentator refer to the US as "A Cit... more Have you ever heard a politician, a preacher, or a cultural commentator refer to the US as "A City on a Hill" or refer to the US's duty to the world to protect democracy and/or civilization? While a lot of history is at play in these loaded ways of speaking, their root lies in a Christian theology of providence. Not all theologies of providence are made the same, though. In the coming weeks, through Princeton Theological Seminary's Center for Barth Studies, I will be releasing 3-part series on divine providence. Part 1 is more deconstructive, while the following parts aim to be constructive.
Center for Asian American Christianity, 2023
For the occasion of Diwali 2023, I offered these practical theological reflections. This piece al... more For the occasion of Diwali 2023, I offered these practical theological reflections. This piece also appeared in the God Here and Now online magazine for Princeton Theological Seminary's Center for Barth Studies: https://barthcenter.substack.com/p/even-in-the-dark.
Center for Barth Studies' God Here and Now online magazine, 2023
In his Pascalian Meditations, the late French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu finds himself in a defe... more In his Pascalian Meditations, the late French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu finds himself in a defensive posture. His antagonists are Western philosophers, whom he cites as perpetual critics of his own guild of sociologists. For Bourdieu, the stakes are high, for he sees the basic nature of the critique as one of proximity and distance. To modern philosophy, distance is a value. The way we know is by shaking off the constraints of our material lives, together with its emotional attachments that hinder our objectivity. Sociology—so the modernist argument goes—inherently violates the inviolable rule of distance, for it enters into places in order to understand peoples and communities from within local structures and in accordance with local ways of being. Of course, postmodern philosophy has long critiqued the general modern posture, but for Bourdieu, the issue specifically boils down the senses: Western philosophy, he argues, thrives through its centering of the senses of distance—namely, seeing and hearing. In contrast, Bourdieu believes that true understanding needs to center the senses of proximity—namely, touch, smell, and taste. This puts him—and sociologists—at odds with the program of Western philosophy but in better position to understand the world.
For better of for worse, Western Christian theology attached itself early in its life to the Platonic—and, later, Aristotelian—philosophies that were precursors to the Modern philosophies of distance. Not surprisingly, in many centers of Christian theology today, theologies that wrestle with questions of proximity are held in suspicion. When we turn to the Gospels, we certainly find an affirmation of seeing and hearing, but we also find a Messiah who appeals to taste and touch (and by extension, one could argue for smell). What might it mean for theology to take a cue from Bourdieu and sociology rather than exclusively philosophy? In this essay, I hope to explore the gains of a theology of proximity. (https://barthcenter.substack.com/p/resisting-a-pure-theology?fbclid=IwAR2ASQttdJVwjMuyLWh9nNiVDepn4QYuslevwWimhad1ns00w2nUWnxMf5A)
Interfaith America Magazine, 2023
Despite the neat lines by which we often seek to identify ourselves, the interwovenness of our li... more Despite the neat lines by which we often seek to identify ourselves, the interwovenness of our lives with peoples and places is complicated. This interwoven-ness can be beautiful, for we bear our deepest bonds wherever we go and long after, those bonds expire. Reflection upon the penetrating nature of our webs helps us hold on to precious people and places in the present.
At present, I wish to dwell on the unknown weavings that can prove treacherous. As people of faith, it is easy to imagine some pure, ideal form of religious affections, whether in doctrines, traditions, sacred texts, or holy places and artifacts. These religious icons seem to exist outside of ourselves, so we hold on to them as anchors of faith.
https://www.interfaithamerica.org/double-consciousness-racial-faith/
This essay was a contribution (upon request) to the capstone project of a senior Communications m... more This essay was a contribution (upon request) to the capstone project of a senior Communications major at Moody Bible Institute. In it, I move from theological analysis of Tolkien's creational theology in his Middle Earth corpus to systematic reflections in Christian theology. The aim is to sketch a theological anthropology that reestablishes the importance of the biblical portrayal of humanity as creatures made both from the dust of the ground and in the image of God.
World Outspoken, 2024
Structural racial inequity harms people. There is nothing novel about such a claim. But how about... more Structural racial inequity harms people. There is nothing novel about such a claim. But how about the earth? I argue here that racialization is a problem that effects the entire earth, creating an environment of inequity that brings about a degradation of the earth. In other words, whiteness and ecological crisis are actually deeply interwoven. I also call for theology to overcome its own role in both crises and to reengage with people and the earth to bring about healing through an attention to both.
BHG, 2022
In her landmark book on beauty, Elaine Scarry argues that recognition of true beauty creates the ... more In her landmark book on beauty, Elaine Scarry argues that recognition of true beauty creates the impulse toward wide-scale justice. She is quite aware of the way that beauty has been coopted by a social and corporate landscape to entrap people in ways that undermine justice. For Scarry, true beauty brings justice because it decenters everyone. In my essay, I seek to expand upon her observations, arguing that beauty not only decenters but also joins. Recognition of beauty brings people together by rewarding the vulnerability of decentering.
A Praying People, 2023
Christians are called to be a praying people. However, prayer is not free from the distortions of... more Christians are called to be a praying people. However, prayer is not free from the distortions of the praying people. In fact, prayer can unwittingly reinforce structural and environmental problems to the degree that it takes for granted violent structures. Yet these structures are often invisible to the one prayer. In this essay, I highlight the theological significance of humanity's connection to the earth in order to demonstrate the distortions at play when we take for granted invisible violent structures even as we pray for good things. I call for greater attention to the structures and a more thoroughly engaged prayer from among the trees. https://wipfandstock.com/9781666765694/a-praying-people/
BHG, 2021
Race and Religion are woven together into the American spirit. In this short essay, I sketch some... more Race and Religion are woven together into the American spirit. In this short essay, I sketch some of the markers of that interweaving, highlighting problems of perception that it creates. I compare the differences in naming between First Nations peoples and Americans to demonstrate the way that racialization in embedded in the American imagination. I show, too, the way that the same racialized American imagination is itself rooted in religiosity. The three have been woven together from the beginning and continue to reinforce each other.
The second half of the 20th century witnessed a renewed interest in virtue, stemming especially f... more The second half of the 20th century witnessed a renewed interest in virtue, stemming especially from the prominent essay by G. E. M. Anscombe. The parallel work that returned Christian virtue to the foreground was the influential book by Alasdair MacIntyre. The aftermath of these excellent works set the stage for discussion on the theological import of Christian virtue and the inseparability of doctrine and ethics. Yet little work has actually been done to join specific doctrines to the life of virtue. In the present essay, I sketch a dogmatic account of Christian virtue in Christ in the triune economy of holiness. The desire to remain close to Scripture informs the essay's on and off dialogue with Colossians 3, where particular virtues are commended to Christians in light of their union with Christ.
"In recent years there has been a renewed discussion of virtue in theological perspective. Attemp... more "In recent years there has been a renewed discussion of virtue in theological perspective. Attempting to capture the classical conception of virtue as an all-encompassing, teleology-centered pursuit, theologians have looked to Augustine and Aquinas to reinvigorate contemporary theological presentations of virtue. Not surprisingly these treatments generally align with a traditional Roman Catholic emphasis on a nature/grace metaphysic. The present undertaking considers virtue within a traditional Reformation-based paradigm.
My intent is to offer a dogmatic location for theological virtue in the realm of a Protestant understanding of sanctification. This venture provides a theological description of virtue as dependent upon union with Christ, a theme of which Calvin was especially fond. This inevitably sets the scene for an explication of theological virtue within the triune economy articulated in distinctly Protestant terms. Union with Christ must be the center of this paradigm, for it provides the basis for discussing the Spirit's work in leading believers to theological virtuousness through the cultivation of Christian wisdom. Based upon the objective work of Christ, the Spirit develops a divine wisdom in those whom he unites to Christ. Thus, I wish to demonstrate that the dynamic life of wisdom that subsists specifically in a Reformed understanding of the triune God and his dealings with humanity offers the best theological rendering of virtue."
Talks by Ashish Varma
Interfaith America Innovation Fellow Workshop, 2024
Stories are everywhere. We consume them on TV and at the movies. We scroll through them on social... more Stories are everywhere. We consume them on TV and at the movies. We scroll through them on social media. The mainstream media and late night comedians weave them for us. Religious traditions all capitalize on stories. We even spend our nights conjuring more stories after we go to sleep. As Jonathan Gottschall argued, we are "storytelling animals." Some of these stories evade our consciousness, as they form systemic cultural and creational narratives that form our being in the earth, for better or (more often) worse. Many of these systemic stories are violent, as are some of the cultural-religious stories that animate us. So, what do we do with the "idea" of story? Do we leave it as a form of entertainment while denouncing its epochal character? In this presentation, I argue that stories have another side: a redemptive force that can draw people together without destroying our distinctive characters. I aim to avoid the violent stories that bind us by exposing them while encouraging the resourcing of stories that promote a pluralistic common good.
Center for Asian American Christianity podcast, 2022
“Can we be Indian and Christian? What are the challenges that Asian American Christians face to b... more “Can we be Indian and Christian? What are the challenges that Asian American Christians face to become who they are? What do we need to unlearn and learn? Join our conversation with Dr. Ashish Varma and what it means for him to become an Indian American Christian.”
God Here and Now, 2024
The 2024 US election carried high emotions with it: despair for some and elation for others. It w... more The 2024 US election carried high emotions with it: despair for some and elation for others. It was an election full of superlatives, with both sides positing national doom, should their side fail. Yet for voters, should either side expect their greatest hopes to be realized in the election of the President of the US? Is something deeper at play for both polarities that shortchanges hope, peace, and freedom? Is there another imagination to consider? I reflect on these questions in my post-Election theological essay.
Center for Asian American Christianity Online Magazine, 2024
Halloween and Election Day sit merely days apart. Which is scarier? Meanwhile, the Indian festiva... more Halloween and Election Day sit merely days apart. Which is scarier? Meanwhile, the Indian festival of Diwali is nestled in between, offering a different tone to the season. I reflect upon the fright and light of the season in my latest article with the Center for Asian American Christianity. https://caacptsem.substack.com/p/haunted-by-election-day-this-hindu
God Here and Now, Center for Barth Studies, 2024
"Part 2.5 (an Interlude)" of my series on divine Providence is borne of the realization that Part... more "Part 2.5 (an Interlude)" of my series on divine Providence is borne of the realization that Part 3 (forthcoming) needed a bigger setup from a position of reflection that does not assume that "Providence"="control." In this interlude, I reflect upon the nature of love, which resists easy reduction to a "feeling." Rather, love is a disposition that let's go of the self for the beloved. Love is a being-for another, which means Providence based upon love will be a capacity to let go and to work precisely by relinquishing control. Relinquishing control is not the same as relinquishing power, for Providence that resists control is even more powerful than its alternative.
God Here and Now, Center for Barth Studies, 2024
What is the provenance of providence? That is, where does it belong theologically? The debate usu... more What is the provenance of providence? That is, where does it belong theologically? The debate usually considers the relationship of divine providence to creation: is creation a finished thing or an ongoing event, ever unfinished and always unfolding? Karl Barth takes the side of anchoring providence to creation while distinguishing the two. God rested from creation, yet God continually sustains creation and works to bring about God’s purposes. Put differently, creation is a stage full of performers—including Godself—and props. In the words of John Calvin, creation is the theater of God’s glory. From the vantage point of this metaphor, providence pertains to all that God accomplishes upon the stage of creation.
God Here and Now, Center for Barth Studies, 2024
Have you ever heard a politician, a preacher, or a cultural commentator refer to the US as "A Cit... more Have you ever heard a politician, a preacher, or a cultural commentator refer to the US as "A City on a Hill" or refer to the US's duty to the world to protect democracy and/or civilization? While a lot of history is at play in these loaded ways of speaking, their root lies in a Christian theology of providence. Not all theologies of providence are made the same, though. In the coming weeks, through Princeton Theological Seminary's Center for Barth Studies, I will be releasing 3-part series on divine providence. Part 1 is more deconstructive, while the following parts aim to be constructive.
Center for Asian American Christianity, 2023
For the occasion of Diwali 2023, I offered these practical theological reflections. This piece al... more For the occasion of Diwali 2023, I offered these practical theological reflections. This piece also appeared in the God Here and Now online magazine for Princeton Theological Seminary's Center for Barth Studies: https://barthcenter.substack.com/p/even-in-the-dark.
Center for Barth Studies' God Here and Now online magazine, 2023
In his Pascalian Meditations, the late French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu finds himself in a defe... more In his Pascalian Meditations, the late French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu finds himself in a defensive posture. His antagonists are Western philosophers, whom he cites as perpetual critics of his own guild of sociologists. For Bourdieu, the stakes are high, for he sees the basic nature of the critique as one of proximity and distance. To modern philosophy, distance is a value. The way we know is by shaking off the constraints of our material lives, together with its emotional attachments that hinder our objectivity. Sociology—so the modernist argument goes—inherently violates the inviolable rule of distance, for it enters into places in order to understand peoples and communities from within local structures and in accordance with local ways of being. Of course, postmodern philosophy has long critiqued the general modern posture, but for Bourdieu, the issue specifically boils down the senses: Western philosophy, he argues, thrives through its centering of the senses of distance—namely, seeing and hearing. In contrast, Bourdieu believes that true understanding needs to center the senses of proximity—namely, touch, smell, and taste. This puts him—and sociologists—at odds with the program of Western philosophy but in better position to understand the world.
For better of for worse, Western Christian theology attached itself early in its life to the Platonic—and, later, Aristotelian—philosophies that were precursors to the Modern philosophies of distance. Not surprisingly, in many centers of Christian theology today, theologies that wrestle with questions of proximity are held in suspicion. When we turn to the Gospels, we certainly find an affirmation of seeing and hearing, but we also find a Messiah who appeals to taste and touch (and by extension, one could argue for smell). What might it mean for theology to take a cue from Bourdieu and sociology rather than exclusively philosophy? In this essay, I hope to explore the gains of a theology of proximity. (https://barthcenter.substack.com/p/resisting-a-pure-theology?fbclid=IwAR2ASQttdJVwjMuyLWh9nNiVDepn4QYuslevwWimhad1ns00w2nUWnxMf5A)
Interfaith America Magazine, 2023
Despite the neat lines by which we often seek to identify ourselves, the interwovenness of our li... more Despite the neat lines by which we often seek to identify ourselves, the interwovenness of our lives with peoples and places is complicated. This interwoven-ness can be beautiful, for we bear our deepest bonds wherever we go and long after, those bonds expire. Reflection upon the penetrating nature of our webs helps us hold on to precious people and places in the present.
At present, I wish to dwell on the unknown weavings that can prove treacherous. As people of faith, it is easy to imagine some pure, ideal form of religious affections, whether in doctrines, traditions, sacred texts, or holy places and artifacts. These religious icons seem to exist outside of ourselves, so we hold on to them as anchors of faith.
https://www.interfaithamerica.org/double-consciousness-racial-faith/
This essay was a contribution (upon request) to the capstone project of a senior Communications m... more This essay was a contribution (upon request) to the capstone project of a senior Communications major at Moody Bible Institute. In it, I move from theological analysis of Tolkien's creational theology in his Middle Earth corpus to systematic reflections in Christian theology. The aim is to sketch a theological anthropology that reestablishes the importance of the biblical portrayal of humanity as creatures made both from the dust of the ground and in the image of God.
World Outspoken, 2024
Structural racial inequity harms people. There is nothing novel about such a claim. But how about... more Structural racial inequity harms people. There is nothing novel about such a claim. But how about the earth? I argue here that racialization is a problem that effects the entire earth, creating an environment of inequity that brings about a degradation of the earth. In other words, whiteness and ecological crisis are actually deeply interwoven. I also call for theology to overcome its own role in both crises and to reengage with people and the earth to bring about healing through an attention to both.
BHG, 2022
In her landmark book on beauty, Elaine Scarry argues that recognition of true beauty creates the ... more In her landmark book on beauty, Elaine Scarry argues that recognition of true beauty creates the impulse toward wide-scale justice. She is quite aware of the way that beauty has been coopted by a social and corporate landscape to entrap people in ways that undermine justice. For Scarry, true beauty brings justice because it decenters everyone. In my essay, I seek to expand upon her observations, arguing that beauty not only decenters but also joins. Recognition of beauty brings people together by rewarding the vulnerability of decentering.
A Praying People, 2023
Christians are called to be a praying people. However, prayer is not free from the distortions of... more Christians are called to be a praying people. However, prayer is not free from the distortions of the praying people. In fact, prayer can unwittingly reinforce structural and environmental problems to the degree that it takes for granted violent structures. Yet these structures are often invisible to the one prayer. In this essay, I highlight the theological significance of humanity's connection to the earth in order to demonstrate the distortions at play when we take for granted invisible violent structures even as we pray for good things. I call for greater attention to the structures and a more thoroughly engaged prayer from among the trees. https://wipfandstock.com/9781666765694/a-praying-people/
BHG, 2021
Race and Religion are woven together into the American spirit. In this short essay, I sketch some... more Race and Religion are woven together into the American spirit. In this short essay, I sketch some of the markers of that interweaving, highlighting problems of perception that it creates. I compare the differences in naming between First Nations peoples and Americans to demonstrate the way that racialization in embedded in the American imagination. I show, too, the way that the same racialized American imagination is itself rooted in religiosity. The three have been woven together from the beginning and continue to reinforce each other.
The second half of the 20th century witnessed a renewed interest in virtue, stemming especially f... more The second half of the 20th century witnessed a renewed interest in virtue, stemming especially from the prominent essay by G. E. M. Anscombe. The parallel work that returned Christian virtue to the foreground was the influential book by Alasdair MacIntyre. The aftermath of these excellent works set the stage for discussion on the theological import of Christian virtue and the inseparability of doctrine and ethics. Yet little work has actually been done to join specific doctrines to the life of virtue. In the present essay, I sketch a dogmatic account of Christian virtue in Christ in the triune economy of holiness. The desire to remain close to Scripture informs the essay's on and off dialogue with Colossians 3, where particular virtues are commended to Christians in light of their union with Christ.
"In recent years there has been a renewed discussion of virtue in theological perspective. Attemp... more "In recent years there has been a renewed discussion of virtue in theological perspective. Attempting to capture the classical conception of virtue as an all-encompassing, teleology-centered pursuit, theologians have looked to Augustine and Aquinas to reinvigorate contemporary theological presentations of virtue. Not surprisingly these treatments generally align with a traditional Roman Catholic emphasis on a nature/grace metaphysic. The present undertaking considers virtue within a traditional Reformation-based paradigm.
My intent is to offer a dogmatic location for theological virtue in the realm of a Protestant understanding of sanctification. This venture provides a theological description of virtue as dependent upon union with Christ, a theme of which Calvin was especially fond. This inevitably sets the scene for an explication of theological virtue within the triune economy articulated in distinctly Protestant terms. Union with Christ must be the center of this paradigm, for it provides the basis for discussing the Spirit's work in leading believers to theological virtuousness through the cultivation of Christian wisdom. Based upon the objective work of Christ, the Spirit develops a divine wisdom in those whom he unites to Christ. Thus, I wish to demonstrate that the dynamic life of wisdom that subsists specifically in a Reformed understanding of the triune God and his dealings with humanity offers the best theological rendering of virtue."
Interfaith America Innovation Fellow Workshop, 2024
Stories are everywhere. We consume them on TV and at the movies. We scroll through them on social... more Stories are everywhere. We consume them on TV and at the movies. We scroll through them on social media. The mainstream media and late night comedians weave them for us. Religious traditions all capitalize on stories. We even spend our nights conjuring more stories after we go to sleep. As Jonathan Gottschall argued, we are "storytelling animals." Some of these stories evade our consciousness, as they form systemic cultural and creational narratives that form our being in the earth, for better or (more often) worse. Many of these systemic stories are violent, as are some of the cultural-religious stories that animate us. So, what do we do with the "idea" of story? Do we leave it as a form of entertainment while denouncing its epochal character? In this presentation, I argue that stories have another side: a redemptive force that can draw people together without destroying our distinctive characters. I aim to avoid the violent stories that bind us by exposing them while encouraging the resourcing of stories that promote a pluralistic common good.
Center for Asian American Christianity podcast, 2022
“Can we be Indian and Christian? What are the challenges that Asian American Christians face to b... more “Can we be Indian and Christian? What are the challenges that Asian American Christians face to become who they are? What do we need to unlearn and learn? Join our conversation with Dr. Ashish Varma and what it means for him to become an Indian American Christian.”
Center for Emerging Christian Leaders, 2022
Though "myth" often falls to the unreal or fanciful side of the modern dichotomy between fact and... more Though "myth" often falls to the unreal or fanciful side of the modern dichotomy between fact and fiction, many scholars and creatives have increasingly and persuasively argued for myth as the dynamic, storied construct that shapes all of our imaginations. Furthermore, "myth" does not neatly honor the fact-fiction dichotomy but rather describes perception, formation, and hermeneutical horizons. Thus, twentieth century giants such as J. R. R. Tolkien could refer to the biblical story culminating in Christ as the "true myth." In this paper, I argue that an implicit narrative horizon—or myth—implicitly directs formation of white American evangelical subculture. That myth is a political theology that represents a racial vision borne—in part—out of a deformed theology of death that actually moves against the grain of historic Christian reflection on death.
Spurgeon College (London, UK) Postgraduate Seminar, 2022
Many excellent scholars have done admirable work exposing the soil from which whiteness grows, th... more Many excellent scholars have done admirable work exposing the soil from which whiteness grows, theologically, philosophically, and historically. Others have helpfully analyzed the phenomenological manifestation of whiteness as a systematic construal that habituates the ways that various people inhabit spaces differently yet in a coherent unity of imagination. I will provide a theological sketch that joins the two, clarifying theologically just what whiteness is by way of clarifying what, strictly, it is not. Along the way, a goal is to expose idealism, not to reject ideas but rather to reaffirm the provisionality of ideas in order to celebrate their locality. I wish to render visible what has often been rendered invisible so as to expose whiteness as a destructive program of formation that lives in the roots of global and personal formation—that is, as a false theology that forms all into racialized vision of normalcy and maturity precisely through the invisible dynamics of idealism. If we can reestablish the soil in which ideas grow and the visibility of those whose feet and toes are borne by the soil, the result will not be to discard the ideas as useless and, finally, impure. Rather, the result will be to reestablish theologically the need to recast the soil in the redemptive narrative and covenants of Jews and Gentiles together in Christ. Provisionality is a blessing so long as it is embraced as a means by which and from which to encounter Jesus Christ in all his particularity. Therein, we may celebrate the possibilities of growth precisely through difference, and we may recover the beauty of difference.
Student Justice Coalition (Moody Bible Institute), 2021
(*Expanded from written version*) Structural racial inequity harms people. There is nothing novel... more (*Expanded from written version*) Structural racial inequity harms people. There is nothing novel about such a claim. But how about the earth? I argue here that racialization is a problem that effects the entire earth, creating an environment of inequity that brings about a degradation of the earth. In other words, whiteness and ecological crisis are actually deeply interwoven. I also call for theology to overcome its own role in both crises and to reengage with people and the earth to bring about healing through an attention to both.
Evangelical Theological Society (Midwest Region, Chicago, IL), 2012
Evangelical Theological Society (Baltimore, MD), 2013
Presentation for Student Theological Society (Moody Bible Institute), 2018
Global box office returns for more than a decade have demonstrated the power that DC and Marvel c... more Global box office returns for more than a decade have demonstrated the power that DC and Marvel comics have held over the entire world in the twenty-first century. A colleague presented upon the Marvel Cinematic Universe while I tackled the DC Extended Universe. But what does theology have to do with the "DC Trinity," as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are often called? The theme of God and gods and images of Jesus abound through the tales woven on the big screen by Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder. In this presentation, I analyzed some of these narrative and visual themes.
Presentation at the Biblical Justice Conference (Chicago), 2019
In this presentation, I trace two stories of justice: one through the account of creation in the ... more In this presentation, I trace two stories of justice: one through the account of creation in the Hebrew Scriptures and the other through Western modernity. The former culminates in the calling of Abraham, through whom all of the nations are to be blessed, while the latter has spilt much ink in theorizing justice only to birth widespread racialization/"whiteness." What separates the two stories? I explore the possibilities of hope, healing, and renewal in recovering the theological anthropology of the Hebrew creation account and the justice that it affirms for all.
Presentation for Kesher and the Art Society, Moody Bible Institute, 2020
In his landmark work *The Christian Imagination*, theologian Willie Jennings argues that two sign... more In his landmark work *The Christian Imagination*, theologian Willie Jennings argues that two significant distortions in Western theology give rise to the tragedy of the global problem of "whiteness." One of these theological problems is supersessionism, signaling the church's displacement of biblical Israel as the "first readers" and fulfillers of the Hebrew Scriptures and covenant. Meanwhile, the late twentieth century Jewish theologian and author Chaim Potok authored two marvelous novels about an outcaste Hassidic Jewish artist named Asher Lev. Why was he outcaste? He had the audacity to dishonor his Jewish community by painting the Gentile Jesus. Yet therein is the rub: Jesus was not a Gentile but rather a Jewish man. In this presentation I analyze the case of Asher Lev and the arts to dig to the bottom of the theological problem of supersessionism in order to show how the Jesus of Western tradition lost his Jewishness, and how this loss created problems of racialization.
American Philosophical Association, Central Region, 2021
Why are American evangelicals so resistant to studies and analyses of the deep structural dynamic... more Why are American evangelicals so resistant to studies and analyses of the deep structural dynamics of racialization and "whiteness" in America and even throughout the world? Alongside sociological and philosophical attempts to wrestle with this question, I offer a theological analysis stemming from a fear of death.
A Praying People (Wipf & Stock), 2023
This collection of essays on prayer features a variety of scholars writing from their expertise i... more This collection of essays on prayer features a variety of scholars writing from their expertise in history, theology, biblical studies, and ethics. My own essay on prayer, anthropology, and ecology features among the collection. https://wipfandstock.com/9781666765694/a-praying-people/