Week 9 – Racial Discourse and Irish History – Luke Gibbons (Castle)

James Joyce’s writings have been harshly criticized in powerful contemporary critiques, because he is viewed as being identified with the colonial administration in his own country, and in “subjection to English society” (497).  This brings up a question for us as believers, regardless of the nation-state we live in:  Whose kingdom do we represent when there is a collision of values between the two:  our nation’s or God’s?

Week 9 – Inventing Ireland – Declan Kibert (Castle)

Yeats’ and Rushdie’s hybrids of man are “people who root themselves in ideas rather than places. . .people in whose deepest selves strange fusions occur, unprecedented unions between what they were and where they find themselves”.  Kibert describes their experiences as “one of becoming, identity not so much a possession as a way of being in the world” (480).

 

Using the same language metaphorically as believers, we can say:  When we give ourselves to Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to change us into who He intends us to be. We may hold our national and cultural ties loosely, but Kingdom living should be held tightly, because as Phil. 3:20 says:  [. . .]“Our citizenship is in heaven”.  Paul’s statement no doubt was much appreciated by the Philippians who were colonists living away from Rome, though citizens of Rome.  

Week 9 – Reading A Woman’s Death – Angela Bourke (Castle)

Bridget Cleary did not have a chance.  Even more unfortunate is that her story was used by the British as a valid illustration and characterization of all the Irish people whom they portrayed as being unable to rule themselves due to cultural/political backwardness or lack of intellectual capability and skills.  The British capitalized on this bizarre event to help justify their colonization, and their actions are reprehensible.

Week 8 – Response to Steve Holt

I think Steve’s assessment of “nationalism” is well said, and I agree with his claim that “abandoning the concept of nationalism simply because of its potential to do harm is counter to what Christ was doing by rejecting participation in community.” I am concerned with the way class exercises are allowed to be used by some to take political or personally held opinions and attempt to line them up with scripture to justify or discredit scriptural validity (i.e. definitions of the Kingdom of God).  In our analysis of the issues in class, it is not enough to recognize something is broken from a narrow prospective, but we must act from a position of spiritual power and integrity to help remedy the situations.  This can only be done when a broader and equal view is given to the problem.

 If we do not agree with the primary or commonly understood meaning of a word, we do not have the right to redefine it for our own purposes or personal agenda, just as the Maori chose to separate themselves from the Christianity of the missionaries because they incorrectly read into the Christology of scripture (Jn 5:23) a meaning that “resonated with colonial claims to superior power” (227). Further, the discussion in class about the Pledge of Allegiance, where the word “allegiance” was redefined, I believe is unjustifiable and incites students in a way that does not advocate a Biblical solution, and most certainly does not come from a place of love.  I was appalled to learn that a parent would support and take pride in his or her child’s decision to boycott the Pledge of Allegiance in school, given the child’s limited understanding as a minor of the gravity of the action.  The Pledge of Allegiance was created in 1892 by a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy to demonstrate and acknowledge  obedience to the state as a virtue (Dictionary.com).  Allegiance in this case applies to: 1) “a citizen’s duty to his country” i.e. pay his taxes, obey traffic laws; 2) loyalty:  faithfulness to commitments or obligations (Dictionary.com).  If I followed the example of the child, I would petition to have this course removed from Fuller’s schedule, because I am unable to endorse everything that is expressed in class.

Psalm 58 has something to say to all of us (Brandt 1974 Psalms Now/98)

My heart grieves, O Lord,

for the leaders of this world

who play god with the lives of men and women.

With the clever twisting of half-truths

they gather followers into their folds

and manipulate them

into carrying out their purposes.

They blind people to personal conscience

and responsibility

and enslave them to their immoral wishes

and sinful ambitions.

 

Then there are velvet-voiced mystics who assume

they are God‘s special gift to humankind

and who,

through devious tricks or inscrutable gifts,

create their cults of loyal disciples.

 

You shall have the last word, O God,

and those who take Your place,

or who stand in Your way

as You seek to draw people to Yourself,

will be subjected to Your judgments.

 

You are my God, Almighty and Eternal.

Forbid, O God, that I should ever turn from You

to follow the false shepherds of this world.

 

 

Week 8 – Maori “Jews” – Mary Huie-Jolly (Sugirtharajah)

This again is a sad discourse.  It is sad  for at least two reasons:  1) the Maori were exploited; and 2) the Maori were mistaken in  assuming that missionaries were in solidarity with the British colonialists who stole their land.  In their justified anger at the mistreatment they received, the Maori inappropriately adapted scripture to suit their particular social and religious concerns, and consequently identified themselves as “Jews,” in a defiant act of resistance to the overbearing claims of the empire.  Today, missionaries  must make it clear that their Christian faith and national identity are separate ideologies.

Week 8 – Tyranny, Boundary, and Might – Tat-siong Benny Liew (Sugirtharajah)

This discourse makes me sad.  For example, Liew views Jesus as yet another authority who wishes to establish another colonial structure. (213). His misconception revolves around his lack of recognition of Jesus as God.  Obviously, Liew did not perceive love and acceptance from the undoubtly well-meaning missionaries he encountered, and did not accept the gospel.  Couple their behavior with the oppression he endured under various colonial powers, and you can easily understand why he is not a  Believer. As Christians, we need to be prepared to honestly dialogue with people like this.

Week 8 – Adulteration and the Nation – David Lloyd (Castle)

Remembering the past is important to knowing who we are today. For Davis to condemn the bulk of Irish songs as being “very defective” and to describe the music of the colonial period as having “great gaps…to be filled up” on the grounds that the works’ nontraditional structure and lyrics have been contaminated by the oppressor and therefore, not true to the essential “genius” of the Irish nation, is to ignore reality and reject history.  Composers normally write lyrics from the core of their lives.  His logic suggests that Jews should discard scores of lament songs from the Psalms and Lamentations, for those too, were written during times of colonial oppression. In order to form a complete picture of the culture, all Irish song is to be respected and preserved. Missionaries can learn a lot about a people group from studying the lyrics of their musics.

Week 8 – Out of the Center – Ralph J. Crane (Castle)

I applaud the post-colonial writers of Australia and new Zealand who are “reclaiming the histories of the indigenous peoples and want to educate non-indigenous readers about Aboriginal and Maori cultures”.  It is good that the people on the periphery are finally able to foster the rebuilding of a healthy cultural identity.  In a way the process is akin to Christians reclaiming who they are in Christ from the enemy or non-believers viewing themselves through God’s eyes as a result of hearing or reading the Word.

Week 8 – The Body in the Library – Helen Tiffin (Castle)

A topic that is worthy of contempt in colonialism appears to be the education of the colonized which was used as a means of control by the settler-invader, and which  ultimately resulted in the peoples’ lose of cultural knowledge about themselves.  Missionaries today hopefully are more aware of the importance of language learning, enculturation, and contextualization of the gospel.

Week 8 – Two Models for the Future – Fuellenbach

I agree with Fuellenbach who asserts “The church as contrasting society is not a social action group but a community of those who want to follow the Lord and proclaim his kingdom. . .” (203). Unless we stay plugged in to the power source of God, we can easily forget why we’re doing what we’re doing, and fight the wrong battles for all the wrong reasons..  We are first of all a worshiping community.