Every so often I get an invitation to read and review a forthcoming book here at lifeasmission.  Ocassionally, I get really excited about the book I’m asked to take a look at.  That’s how I felt when I was contacted by Jason Derr (see some of his articles for the Huffington Post here) and asked to review his first book, Towards a Theopoetic of the Cross.

Most of that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no idea what a theopoetic of the cross was!  Jason has helped me with that.

After setting the stage for what he intends in the book, Jason turns his attention to describing theopoetics before he applies them to the cross and discipleship.

I love theology, but I am no poet.  Few would find this to be a problem, but as Derr notes,

There is no theology without poetry. (37)

Poetry, like no other kind of writing, has the potential to enliven our imaginations.  As the author points out,

The theopoet is never safe to have at dinner parties, he will turn the whole thing into a Eucharist, s/he will remind us of the spiritual possibilities of the 6 o’clock news. (42)

Derr also points out that theopoetry is a realm of discourse for the “differently wisdomed,” a moniker which seems immeasurably more helpful in speaking of the theological contributions which might be offered by those we think of as having “learning disabilities.”

We are reminded by the author that,

The cross announces embarrassment to the church and to the world, that the unholy is holy, that it is revelation and that faith is not wrapped up in our neat moralities, our safe pleasantries. (58)

In a footnote to this text Derr acknowledges that this reality can be pushed too far, but it nevertheless reminds us that the cross, despite its evolution as a symbol and icon, was, and always should be, seen as a scandalous event to regard.

The cross, the author would have us remember, is an affront to our inclinations toward positions of power, be they “Christian” or not.  This idea flows into his final section on discipleship.

As only a theopoet might, Derr encourages us to envision a praxiological kind of discipleship through the metaphor of meal:

Te eat a meal, to be in love with its tastes is to enter into discipleship to it, to be transformed by it, to be driven into the school of the kitchen and to learn at its pots and pans, at its dirty dishes, at its spices and seasonings. (93)

This brief overview hardly does justice to the book.  Derr engages with the work of theologians such as Jugern Moltmann, Gustavo Gutierrez, Douglas John Hall, Martin Luther, and others.  He talks often of the manner of our incarnational engagement with the poor and oppressed and offers his take on how the Church ought to think of the GLBTQ community.

For those interested in sustained theological reflection and argumentation, this book will probably leave you wanting.  But, for those, not unlike me, who have to work harder to appreciate the nuances of what poetic language and thinking can do for our vision of God, this book is worth your time.

A wise man once said that “godliness with contentment is great gain.” Sadly, we live in a culture which would rather have us understand contentment as a vice – something for the weak, disinterested, and apathetic. It is not.

If this picture strikes you, please check out this brother’s post.

I love questions – they have the potential to open up new worlds of possibilities every time they are asked.  Even more, I love supplanting the questions we almost mindlessly often ask with fresh, thought provoking ones.

I was reading today and came across this quote…

Instead of asking young people, ‘What are you going to do when you grow up?’ ask them, ‘Who are you becoming?’

Then, I came across this video which artfully points out what the difference in asking these questions might be.

For those who follow Jesus, we need to be incredibly intentional and subversive about the questions we are asking ourselves – much hangs in the balance.

I don’t consider myself particularly artistic. I do enjoy writing and I have tried my hand at songs and poetry on occasion, but the vast majority of my writing comes in prose form. I can’t draw, paint, sculpt, or sketch worth a darn, and the depth my insight into the work of those who can is lacking. At the same time, between the impact a few of my friends have had on me and my ever-growing appreciation for they way art can express and embody the Kingdom of God in a way mere words never could, I find myself longing for more and more artists to emerge who can do and be for the church what only they can do and be.

So, my aim here is not so much to spawn a discussion as it is to start a trend. I have offered a few of my reflections on art, I will offer something “artistic” that I have done, and I am going to tag 5 people who I think have tremendous artistic abilities and ask them to do the same. If you were tagged (or even if you weren’t and you still want to play, honestly I’d love to circulate this as broadly as possible), here’s what you do…

1. Briefly mention how you think of art.

2. Offer something artistic that you have done – a picture, a song, a poem, photography, a presentation of some sort, something which you believe conveys truth and beauty, something which you believe can serve as an inspiration to others.

3. Tag 5 other people whom you believe posses artistic ability, link to this post, and pass along these same instructions.

Here’s a short video of a PowerPoint Presentation I put together for a class I was helping with a couple weeks ago. It’s a series of images, quotes, Scripture verses, and some statistics set to Derek Webb‘s song, “This Too Shall Be Made Right.” You can download the video here and if you want the PowerPoint presentation itself, here ya go, but be forewarned, the likelihood of this presentation displaying the same way I put it together is slim and none. You’ll be better off if you’re using a mac I think, but even then you might have some trouble.

Here’s my 5…

Sean Savage

Alex Rozko

Josh Elek

Leanne Snavely

Jenelle D’Alessandro