Category Archives: bonhoeffer

Pacifism and Violence: Two More Thoughts on Why I’m not a Pacifist

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Tim McGee

I’ve appreciated the feedback and conversations on my previous post on pacifism. Please keep them coming–as I said, I’m not settled where I am but more recognizing where I am not any more (or where I never was). I mentioned … Continue reading →

Posted in bonhoeffer, carter, colonialism, death, fanon, levinas, politics, violence | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Pacifism and Giving Death: Why I’m No Longer (or Never Was) a Pacifist

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Tim McGee

In society such as it functions one cannot live without killing, or at least without taking the preliminary steps for the death of someone. Consequently, the important question of the meaning of being is not: why is there something rather … Continue reading →

Posted in bonhoeffer, levinas, refugees, violence | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Brief Reflection on 4th of July: on enjoying complicated legacies

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Tim McGee

It’s difficult for me to identify and sort through the various contradictory feelings I have towards this holiday. A simple anti-patriotism is much easier to navigate, yet my work with international refugees resettling here in the U.S. and my reading … Continue reading →

Posted in bonhoeffer, family, politics, race | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Theology, Beauty, and Race (a couple thoughts)

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Tim McGee

I’m married to an artist, find myself in the company of various artists, and have a few friends studying theology and the arts. One of these friends recently posted a humble 9.5 theses on beauty–a mere tenth of Luther’s audacious … Continue reading →

Posted in art, bonhoeffer, colonialism, Cornel West, ecclesiology, Edward Said, fanon, milbank | 6 Comments

Writing, Not Blogging (still more on religion and death)

Posted on March 31, 2011 by Tim McGee

Why do we adore The Slaughtered Ox? Because without our knowing it or wanting it, it is our anonymous humanity. We are not Christ, never Christ…no I will not speak of this. –H. Cixous I have not been blogging but … Continue reading →

Posted in atheism, barth, bonhoeffer, Césaire, cixous, colonialism, ecclesiology, ethics, fanon, feminism, foucault, race, religion, secularity | 2 Comments

No More Transgressions: immigration and Christ’s invasion

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Tim McGee

“Subjectivity goes to the point of substitution for the Other…Subjectivity as such is initially hostage; it answers to the point of expiating for others.”  E. Levinas “Totality and Infinity pushes the respect for dissymmetry so far that it seems to … Continue reading →

Posted in barth, bonhoeffer, colonialism, Derrida, ethics, feminism, immigration, levinas, 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

Blasphemous Confessions

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Tim McGee

Such blasphemies, because they are violently extorted from men by the devil against their will, sometimes sound more pleasant in the ear of God than a hallelujah or some kind of hymn of praise (Luther, Lectures on Romans). A recent … Continue reading →

Posted in bonhoeffer, luther, race, religion | 2 Comments

Discipleship and Bourgeois Theology

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Tim McGee

It took me many years to free myself from I called in my memoirs the ‘bonds of my class.’  I know that even today there are many who accuse me of behavior instilled by the ‘bonds of class,’ especially some … Continue reading →

Posted in barth, beauvoir, bonhoeffer, class, discipleship, ethics, race | Leave a comment

Bonhoeffer and the Relative Importance of Life Together

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Tim McGee

I recently had a conversation with our priest about small groups in our church.  During the meeting, I made a brief remark that Bonhoeffer, in _Life Together_, begins his description of communal life by discounting the value of it.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in bonhoeffer | 6 Comments