Embracing Present Challenges Nancy J. Ramsay February 10, 2012

Inclusion and Difference Academy Clinic Congregation Status of our Fields

Shift in Guiding Metaphors Individual Living Human Documents Anton Boisen Ecological Living Human Web Archie Smith, Jr. Bonnie Miller McLemore

Ecological Framework Intersecting Dynamics in Web of Care Political Systemic Economic Cultural Historical

Public Theology: Political Dimensions of Care Embodied Differences Treated Oppressively: Gender Race Class Sexuality Religion

Postmodernity Epistemological Shift Authority Master Narratives outhuman subjects in Social location Social identity

Critical Postmodernity Universal Human Rights Priority for Justice Ethic of Love

Complex Social Identities Formative Insinuated by power Evolving Contextual

New Conversation Partners Critical Theory Race Gender Sexuality Class Sociology Economics

Theological Developments Difference as Gift A human community with no one on the margins Difference as revelatory of Gods imagination

Theological Developments Radical Hospitality Each is host and guest Community not uniformity Love rather than tolerance

Theological Developments Relational Justice An ethical framework for the practice of Care Justice in the service of Love Power as a theological category Solidarity as allies in the work of justice

Theological Developments Oppression as Sin Structural and systemic analysis Apt metaphors: lie negation of relation Sin as Privilege: interlocking systems of advantage reproducing oppression

Theological Developments Religious Plurality To see what is sacred in each life To value the distinctive contributions of each Tradition To find common ground for the work of healing

Theological Proposal Embodiment Embodied human experience as a primary lens for theological understanding Social memory and particular experience Intersecting multiplicity of social identities Particularity of embodied experience

Embodiment and Justice Resisting Embodied Oppression We must begin with ourselves E. Townes …we are in a world we have helped make. Working as allies to dismantle oppression

Embodiment and Oppression Oppression as institutional, systematic processes imposed often unwittingly through practices and norms Impacting various social identity groups Systematic injustice as consequence for whole groups of persons who share a social identity

Five Faces of Oppression Exploitation Marginalization Cultural Imperialism Powerlessness Violence Iris Marion Young, Justice and the Politics of Difference

Exploitation The transfer of the results of the labor of one social group to the benefit of another Enacts an inequitable structural relation between social groups

Marginalization Whole groups of persons: expelled from useful participation in society Subject to serious deprivation Not allowed to work Loss of freedom, dignity, self-respect

Powerlessness In relation to Professionals: Lack authority, status, sense of self Take orders rather than give them Not treated with respect

Cultural Imperialism The imposition of dominance Symbolic control Construction of the other Rendered invisible Marked

Violence Directed toward particular social identity groups as dangerous or hated other Systematic and irrational, Tolerated if not encouraged

Five Faces of Oppression and Spiritual Care Disclosing intersecting experiences of oppression and privilege Weighing cumulative experience of oppression Disclosing practices of scaling bodies Externalizing stigma and privilege

Oppression and Beauty Who can tell me what beauty is? Fanon The perception of another is never innocent, ahistorical, or unaffected by power Tutoring eyes and hearts to see

Beauty, Healing, and Justice Beauty is consonant with human performance, with habit or virtue, with authentic ethics: Beauty is living up to and living out the love and summons of creation in all our particularity and specificity as Gods human creatures, made in Gods own image and likeness. Shawn Copeland, Enfleshing Freedom

Theological Imagination and Embodiment The particularity of embodied theology James Nelson, Embodiment Embodied experience contributes to our imagination about God Imagination about God shapes experiences of our embodied life

Embracing Present Challenges Translating new knowledge into ACTION Fluency with new conversation partners Second order change Organizational alignment

Embracing Present Challenges Fostering Liberative Spaces for healing Sustaining the work of dismantling evil in embodied oppression