The Women of Iran, Devocation, and the Protoinsurrection
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hi everyone,
We know many of you remember the powerful conversation we had on Shake the Dust with Rev. Dr. Mika Edmondson (whose wife coincidentally appears below in Jonathan’s recommendations). Dr. Edmondson’s church just became independent from its planting congregation in order to serve its predominantly Black neighborhood with more agility and cultural competence. Please consider clicking here to give them a donation as they strike out on their own organizationally and financially. Let this congregation know there are people who have their back as they do what is typically underappreciated work.
And now, let’s get to this week’s highlights.
Jonathan’s recommendations:
The first time that White, Christian Nationalists organized, armed themselves, and plotted to overthrow the government was not on January 6, 2021. It happened in 1940 when prominent American Catholic leaders who supported Hitler proposed a theo-fascist regime in the USA for which elected officials and a radicalized national militia network were ready to fight. Before their plan could kick off, the FBI arrested those involved. But the men were set free because of the gush of public support for the insurrectionists. This eight-part podcast series lays out how the theology that pulpits and seminaries espouse to this day lays the amoral foundation for an anti-Christian revolution that pretends to be grounded in Jesus. But only the false Christ of White American Folk Religion buttresses these movements. The church in the United States must reckon with its history or it will continue to repeat it.
We featured Brandi Miller in our anthology in 2020 and her podcast Reclaiming My Theology is one that should be in your feed if it’s not already. This summer she had an episode with the women of the also fantastic Truth’s Table podcast highlighting their book, Truth’s Table: Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation. Ekemini Uwan, Dr. Christina Edmondson, and Michelle Higgins offered an overview of their book and covered a variety of topics, including but not limited to whole-life discipleship. Rarely do our White, patriarchal, class-segregated religious communities center the voices of Black women. When they do, code switching is often necessary for those voices to stay centered. This podcast is discipleship and formation without the translation for dominant culture; and it is a gift. For those of us desiring to leave colonized faith, we must sit under the teaching of those at the bottom of our society’s toxic, exploitative hierarchies. This podcast and book are opportunities to do just that.
Sy’s recommendations:
Penn religious and Africana studies professor Anthea Butler had a great article this week on the scandal surrounding the Republican senatorial nominee in Georgia, Herschel Walker. A woman alleges that the pro-life Walker paid for her to get one abortion, and later encouraged her to abort their now 10-year-old son. But Walker, a Christian and former University of Georgia football star, has tremendous support from Georgia’s evangelicals. Dr. Butler makes the point that, as with President Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape, this incident highlights a consistent historical pattern among evangelicals; when it comes to the politics of morality, they crave power to force morality on others while believing that their own moral failings should have no consequences. “Judgment for others and forgiveness for me” is a common corruption of the gospel that results from idolizing power, and we always need to be on the lookout for it.
Rose J. Percy is one of the authors from our list of recommended publications on Substack. Recently, she wrote this excellent reflection on affirmations and the idea of a “devocation,” which is something that calls you away from your calling. Percy intentionally ministers to both herself and other Black women through her words by creating spaces for softness and gentleness. So one important devocation she says she must resist is the expectations surrounding the stereotype of the strong Black woman. Her reflection, as usual, weaves together poetry and quotes from other authors as she helps readers learn to affirm themselves and their calling into belovedness. She reminds us of the importance of finding security in the fact that we are loved if we want to do as Jesus did and let tomorrow worry about itself.
Suzie’s recommendations:
On September 13, Iranian morality police arrested 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for not wearing her hijab properly. She died three days later in custody. On September 20, 17-year-old Nika Shahkarami went missing after protesting Amini’s death. Her family found her dead body in a detention center morgue. This recent article from The Guardian is one of many that highlights the courageous leadership of the women and teenage girls spearheading the current political ferment in Iran. However, far-right leaders like Italy’s newly elected neo-fascist leader Giorgia Meloni were among those quick to praise the uprising, seizing the trope of the “oppressed Muslim woman” to support the narrative of white Christian supremacy. We should stand in solidarity with our sisters in Iran and simultaneously recognize the ways that those with Islamophobic agendas often weaponize the liberation of Muslim women. Let us not allow the courageous struggle of these Iranian women to be a far-right talking point.
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is an organization geared specifically towards equipping white folks to do effective anti-racist work in their own communities, while supporting and submitting to BIPOC leadership like the BLM movement. As Rev. Anne Dunlap, the Faith Coordinator for the group explains, sometimes this means intentionally organizing in a way that shields BIPOC leaders from having to devote time and energy to “unhelpful white people.” While the organization does not have any direct religious affiliation, Rev. Dunlap will be launching a new online cohort this evening at 8pm EST/ 5pm PT “for Christians focused on faith-based anti-racist organizing and ministry in small town, rural, poor, and white working class communities.” Those of you interested in checking it out can still register on their site here. And regardless, you can consider joining the mailing list for your regional SURJ chapter to stay in the loop on future actions and training opportunities.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team