This cat.
It's so. I mean. It's face. I can't. It's so cute.
Cutest cat on the internet.
Happy Caturday!
It's so. I mean. It's face. I can't. It's so cute.
Cutest cat on the internet.
Happy Caturday!
Happy Birthday, Ebenezer!
With all the hullabaloo around yesterday's post, I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate today's blog space to my sweet pug, Ebenezer. Yesterday was his first birthday!
He has grown so much and gotten so big! It's really unbelievable to watch a tiny puppy grow into an actual dog.
He has grown so much and gotten so big! It's really unbelievable to watch a tiny puppy grow into an actual dog.
Jesus Politics // In Defense of Christian Anarchism
Today I'm linking up with Zack Hunt at The American Jesus for his week-long Jesus Politics synchroblog. Today is "Why Christians Should Not Vote," with an awesome post by Tripp York. Head over there and check out all the great posts he's featured this week, and others who are linking up for some great conversation!
For me, 2012 has been the Year of Christian Anarchism. Prior to about April this year, I had no idea Christian anarchism was even a thing--and I have a feeling many of you are unaware of it too. I don't blame you, though. The idea isn't exactly mainstream evangelical rhetoric, although once you read into it, you may be surprised at how biblically sound it really is. It's often treated as a joke--like when those dear, sweet phone bank callers ring me during dinner, and I answer, "Sorry, I'm not registered to vote--I'm an anarchist." I don't think they realize I'm serious.
So now I'm on my own personal crusade to, if not convince people to become Christian anarchists, educate them about the viewpoint, and at least defend its validity.
Let me start with three things Christian anarchism is not:
For me, 2012 has been the Year of Christian Anarchism. Prior to about April this year, I had no idea Christian anarchism was even a thing--and I have a feeling many of you are unaware of it too. I don't blame you, though. The idea isn't exactly mainstream evangelical rhetoric, although once you read into it, you may be surprised at how biblically sound it really is. It's often treated as a joke--like when those dear, sweet phone bank callers ring me during dinner, and I answer, "Sorry, I'm not registered to vote--I'm an anarchist." I don't think they realize I'm serious.
So now I'm on my own personal crusade to, if not convince people to become Christian anarchists, educate them about the viewpoint, and at least defend its validity.
Let me start with three things Christian anarchism is not:
- Christian anarchism is not violent. Many people equate anarchism with graffiti and molotov cocktails. And while there may be a kernel of truth within that stereotype, most anarchists--and certainly Christian anarchists--are not proponents of violence. Christian anarchism is a branch of anarcho-pacifism, and a big reason why Christian anarchists do not approve of or take part in the state is because of its predilection for violence through war, capital punishment, and various kinds of police action.
- Christian anarchism is not about chaos. The idea of an-archy, or "no ruler," may imply a worship of chaos and fierce, every-man-for-himself individualism, however Christian anarchists do submit to the "authority" of God. The twist here is that God's power is manifested in love, as seen in the life of Jesus Christ.
- Christian anarchism is not disrespectful. Just because Christian anarchists do not wish to participate in the business of the state does not mean they are bent on its total destruction. Part of Christian anarchism is the understanding that the Kingdom of God--that "kingdom" based on love and care for the poor and the stranger--is simply different than the kingdom of this world. It is underpinned by the belief that following the way of Jesus calls Christians to be different--not to overtake or force the state into something it's not, but to live a life in a community that is altogether different.
In the name of parallelism, I should really balance this with three things that Christian anarchism is, but really, I don't think I could do it justice in such little space. And trust me, were I to write out all my thoughts on the subject, you'd still be reading this blog post well after the elections were over.
Instead, let me just get a little personal.
And since it's not really my style to mandate what all people should do, I submit to you three reasons why I choose not to vote:
- I am a pacifist. No matter which candidate you vote for (with the exception of Jill Stein. Maybe. Kind of.) you are voting for war. You are voting for the expansion of and the enslavement to the military-industrial complex. And not only that, but the government thrives on the disenfranchisement of women, people of color, the poor, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, and the environment--discrimination and oppression are types of violence.
- I refuse to believe that my vote is my voice. As I mentioned in my review of Electing Not to Vote, my voice is so much bigger than a "Yes" or a "No," or a check on a ballot. And I will not be limited in the ways I use it. The election process is itself coercive, tricking people into taking part in this nationalistic ritual, and holding it up as this shining privilege--when in reality there is no choice being made except the choices already deemed acceptable to be chosen (and if you still think "The American People" are in charge of this "democracy," ask yourself why only TWO of the FIVE presidential candidates are included in the nationally aired debates). Additionally, withdrawing my vote challenges me to think of more imaginative ways for me to live out my very political faith. Instead of "voting" for a government to feed the poor, I can go break bread with the homeless in my town on my own--no need for the state to do the dirty work that I'm called to.
- My life is not dictated by the government. No matter who is elected, I will continue to live my life in the way of Jesus. I will feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and love my enemies, regardless of who is in office, and were they to make doing such things illegal, I would continue to do them. The authority to which I submit is not the state, but the Church--the people to whom I am inexorably linked in the body and blood of Eucharist. And I'd rather spend my time and energy participating in the Table than in the voting booth.
Obviously, there is much more to be said. I can't cover all the ins and outs and challenges and rebuttals here, but if you are interested in learning more, check out the Jesus Radicals website or download Mark van Steenwyk's That Holy Anarchist--a really good, quick-read primer on Christian Anarchism, its biblical basis, and its historical background.
You can also leave a comment or shoot me an email--keegan@papercranelibrary.com-- or tweet--@keegzzz. I'd love to chat!
Caturday: Dubstep Sneezing Edition
Book Review: Electing Not to Vote
This week, I finished reading Electing Not to Vote, a collection of essays on abstaining from voting edited by Ted Lewis.
It was among my pile of Christian anarchist literature that I've been going through, but reading it now is especially timely with the presidential election looming.
I would absolutely recommend you read it in the next couple of weeks if you are a Christian wondering weather or not participating in public political life is an appropriate extension of your spiritual life. You can even read a portion of Andy Alexis-Baker's essay about the "Myth of the State As Savior and Elections as Confession of Faith" on Jesus Radicals--HERE.
I liked that each essay approaches the issue from a different perspective and offers different reasons for not voting--yet all are united in their goal of remaining faithful to following the way of Jesus and upholding the Church as a people set apart from the world. Part of the reason I liked this approach is that I have such a hard time cogently explaining my position on this question. There are so many reasons! And this book covers many of the best ones--in only 100 pages.
I especially appreciated Nekeisha Alexis-Baker's essay (although I wish she hadn't been the only female voice in the book) and how she tied not voting with a freedom to speak politically in other ways.
One quote I found to be particularly profound was this:
“Refusing to vote can liberate Christians from the American myth of voting-as-voice, can free us to speak in new ways, and can liberate us from seeing the ballot box as the most effective way to promote God’s shalom in the world.”
We often are told that voting is how we make our voice heard and "have our say" in government, but this is just not true. My voice and my opinion are far more nuanced than checking "Yes" or "No," and my beliefs never, ever line up exactly with any candidate. And there's no reason for me to restrict it to these methods simply because that is what is offered me by the state.
The overarching theme of the book is this: The Church is different. Its rules are not dictated by the state, but by God and God's incarnational love as seen in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And if this is true, then the way we act should look different, and challenge the structures and hierarchies of the world.
I'm planning to post more about abstaining from voting on the basis of Christianity next week, when Zack Hunt from American Jesus hosts a synchroblog--so look forward to that if you are interested in hearing more.
Theologian Thursday: Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)
Saint Anselm spent much of his young life cultivating a love of learning and discipline of piety with the help of his virtuous mother.
As a teenager, he applied to join a monastery and was denied, even after he prayed for an illness (which he thought would make the abbot have mercy on him) and became sick.
Once Anselm's mother died, he ran away from home because his dad--whose name was Gundulf. Seriously.--was a total jerk. After wandering the countryside, Anselm entered the Benedictine Order at a monastery in Normandy.
In 1093, Anselm was made Archbishop of Canterbury. He had many conflicts with the monarchy in England, Kings William and Henry I, who wished to have control over the church. As a result, Anselm was sent into exile at least twice. He even threatened to excommunicate King Henry.
Despite all of these political distractions, Anselm managed to continue studying and writing. His philosophy was that faith precedes reason, but that reason can indeed be valuable in the life of faith. It is from this place that he wrote the Prosologion, which includes his famous "ontological argument" for the proof of God--that God is "that than which nothing greater can be conceived," and so, since a thing existing in reality would be greater than a thing existing only in the mind, God must exist in reality.
What you should read:
As a teenager, he applied to join a monastery and was denied, even after he prayed for an illness (which he thought would make the abbot have mercy on him) and became sick.
Once Anselm's mother died, he ran away from home because his dad--whose name was Gundulf. Seriously.--was a total jerk. After wandering the countryside, Anselm entered the Benedictine Order at a monastery in Normandy.
In 1093, Anselm was made Archbishop of Canterbury. He had many conflicts with the monarchy in England, Kings William and Henry I, who wished to have control over the church. As a result, Anselm was sent into exile at least twice. He even threatened to excommunicate King Henry.
Despite all of these political distractions, Anselm managed to continue studying and writing. His philosophy was that faith precedes reason, but that reason can indeed be valuable in the life of faith. It is from this place that he wrote the Prosologion, which includes his famous "ontological argument" for the proof of God--that God is "that than which nothing greater can be conceived," and so, since a thing existing in reality would be greater than a thing existing only in the mind, God must exist in reality.
What you should read:
- Proslogion
- Why God Became Man (Cur Deus Homo)
Ratings:
(To read more about my Theologian Rating System, click HERE)
Gender Equality:
Apparently, in his correspondence as Archbishop, Anselm engaged frequently with laywomen, and in a positive way. He shows a surprising belief in a sort of spiritual equality--asserting that women can have the same individually fruitful spiritual life as men.
Environmental Sensibility:
The more Theologian Thursday posts I write, the more I realize that care for God's creation is a relatively new concern. Besides those nature-loving mystics, nobody really talked about concern for the environment.
Heretical Tendencies:
Anselm's beliefs were quite orthodox, and are considered so to this day. While he was often at odds with the English government, he remained faithful to the Church.
General Badassery:
Gender Equality:
Apparently, in his correspondence as Archbishop, Anselm engaged frequently with laywomen, and in a positive way. He shows a surprising belief in a sort of spiritual equality--asserting that women can have the same individually fruitful spiritual life as men.
Environmental Sensibility:
The more Theologian Thursday posts I write, the more I realize that care for God's creation is a relatively new concern. Besides those nature-loving mystics, nobody really talked about concern for the environment.
Heretical Tendencies:
Anselm's beliefs were quite orthodox, and are considered so to this day. While he was often at odds with the English government, he remained faithful to the Church.
General Badassery:
Anselm definitely deserves props for running away to join a monastery. Also for writing some of the best-known works in Church history.
Here is a prayer attributed to Saint Anselm:
Here is a prayer attributed to Saint Anselm:
O Lord my God.
Teach my heart this day
where and how to find you.
You have made me and re-made me,
and you have bestowed on me
all the good things I possess,
and still I do not know you.
I have not yet done
that for which I was made.
Teach me to seek you,
for I cannot seek you
unless you teach me,
or find you
unless you show yourself to me.
Let me seek you in my desire;
let me desire you in my seeking.
Let me find you by loving you;
let me love you when I find you.
Libraries and Pinterest
My library does not currently use Pinterest. I know lots of libraries do, especially larger and public libraries (like NYPL), and it's been a really great way to interact with patrons and get information out about programs and resources. Check out this article to see a bunch of neat applications.
NYPL's Pinterest boards include photos from their archives, infographics about the library, current reading lists, and, of course, pictures of cats.
It seems obvious that such a large and well-endowed library would have plenty to post about. They have such an interesting and extensive collection that having a glimpse into it, even virtually over social media, is exciting. Just check out their "Collections" board.
But I'm skeptical as to what value Pinterest would have for a small academic library such as my own.
The best ideas I can come up with are more for novelty's sake than anything--linking our catalog holdings with displays, or holidays, or current events. And even then it would require hunting for photos of book covers. Plus something like that might be interesting to look at, but has no viral value--not many people would be "repinning" such things. Unless perhaps they had a "To Read" type of board.
Or maybe it could be an interesting way to display books on Reserve--have a board for each course with pins for each text?
In any case, it seems like more work for little return on investment.
Have you seen valuable ways for libraries to use Pinterest? Does your library pin?
NYPL's Pinterest boards include photos from their archives, infographics about the library, current reading lists, and, of course, pictures of cats.
It seems obvious that such a large and well-endowed library would have plenty to post about. They have such an interesting and extensive collection that having a glimpse into it, even virtually over social media, is exciting. Just check out their "Collections" board.
But I'm skeptical as to what value Pinterest would have for a small academic library such as my own.
The best ideas I can come up with are more for novelty's sake than anything--linking our catalog holdings with displays, or holidays, or current events. And even then it would require hunting for photos of book covers. Plus something like that might be interesting to look at, but has no viral value--not many people would be "repinning" such things. Unless perhaps they had a "To Read" type of board.
Or maybe it could be an interesting way to display books on Reserve--have a board for each course with pins for each text?
In any case, it seems like more work for little return on investment.
Have you seen valuable ways for libraries to use Pinterest? Does your library pin?