Category Archives: Atonement

Christ the Slave and Occupy Wall Street, or Why OWS Should Matter to Christians

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Tim McGee

Occupy Wall Street went global yesterday–and remember, it started globally too–but I wonder how many of our churches think it matters (and for a whole variety of reasons). I want to make an argument that OWS does matter, for us … Continue reading →

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On Suicide Bombing: Asad on Suicidal Civilization

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Tim McGee

In short, in Christian civilization, the gift of life for humanity is possible only through a suicidal death; redemption is dependent on cruelty or at least on the sin of disregarding human life. Talal Asad, On Suicide Bombing For Asad, … Continue reading →

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Barth and the Death Contract

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Tim McGee

In His dying, the dying which awaits us in the near or distant future was already comprehended and completed, so that we can no longer die to ourselves (Rom. 14:2f.), in our own strength and at our own risk, but … Continue reading →

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Trinity Sunday: a brief reflection (God is free to be God far away from God)

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Tim McGee

It’s Trinity Sunday, and for those of you who might wonder why Christians believe in the Trinity, and who won’t be satisfied with the explanation that it’s traditional, orthodox, or taught by Scripture, here is a brief explanation of one … Continue reading →

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Native Son and The Christological Determination of Death

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Tim McGee

The third part of Native Son begins with Bigger in jail (for the murder and alleged rape of a white woman), in a trance that was “not so much a stupor…[as] a deep physiological resolution not to react to anything.” This … Continue reading →

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The Theological Contours of Rihanna’s “Man Down”: pulling the trigger on rape culture

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Tim McGee

Rihanna’s video “Man Down” not only draws out the dire consequences facing us in a culture of rape, it also exposes the theological contours of the problem. In my previous post, I suggested that Rihanna’s character faces a kind of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atonement, barth, death, feminism, identity, politics, race, religion, Richard Wright, violence | 1 Comment

Richard Wright, Life and the Threat of Death

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Tim McGee

To be a slave is to exist under the threat of death, where the master determines when, if, and how one might die. In this situation, the desire to live sustains the bondage. The looming threat of actual death transforms … Continue reading →

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