Monthly Archives: December 2010

Politics and Presidential Passion

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Tim McGee

James K.A. Smith recently blogged about Mark Lilla’  NYT article regarding Obama’s overly intellectualized engagement with the world.  As Smith summarizes, Obama and others “lapse into the rationalist whine about people being governed by their passions and keep hoping they’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in fanon, obama, politics, race | Leave a comment

Silencing Speech, Speaking in Tongues: Bonhoeffer and the Beginning of Theology

Posted on December 16, 2010 by Tim McGee

“Teaching about Christ begins in silence.”  D. Bonhoeffer Bonhoeffer begins his lectures–transcribed and formed into the book Christ the Center–with these words on the silent beginning of theology.  It’s a complicated opening. The silence that precedes “teaching about Christ” cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in bonhoeffer, possibility of theology, silence, speaking in tongues | 9 Comments

The Promise and Failure of "the Secular"

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Tim McGee

One of the strange features in the Milbank article discussed in my previous post was his mention of the necessity to physically defend “the physical space” of the church “in the name of secular justice.”  This surprising endorsement of “the … Continue reading →

Posted in colonialism, milbank, missions, religion, secularity | 1 Comment