{"id":23297,"date":"2019-06-07T22:43:31","date_gmt":"2019-06-08T05:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=23297"},"modified":"2019-06-07T22:43:31","modified_gmt":"2019-06-08T05:43:31","slug":"inspired-by-a-grizzly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/inspired-by-a-grizzly\/","title":{"rendered":"Inspired by a Grizzly"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As I was researching the writings of Martyn Percy I unearthed our very own Dr. Jason Clark\u2019s PhD thesis, Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A reparative account and diagnosis<\/em><\/p>\n

of pathogeneses in the relationship<\/em> and was excited to learn that Dr. Clark relied heavily on Martyn Percy\u2019s writings and methods for his thesis.\u00a0 In fact, Percy was referenced extensively in Dr. Clark\u2019s document (somewhere between 70 \u2013 100 times throughout his writings).\u00a0 I am convinced that Dr. Clark\u2019s brilliant thesis work (which actually brings together most of the topics we\u2019ve studied \u2013 social sciences (social theory), capitalism, and evangelicalism) will be published as a text and future LGP students will get the opportunity to read it!<\/p>\n

Dr. Clark also referenced Percy\u2019s writings about map-making.\u00a0 While in Hong Kong, Dr. Clark delivered an impactful presentation about map-making throughout our life and the journey of the Leadership and Global Perspectives program.\u00a0 Now I understand that Dr. Clark\u2019s inspiration for his teaching was connected to Percy (I\u2019m sure Percy was cited at the time but I didn\u2019t remember).<\/p>\n

The symbiotic alchemy of map-making that occurs in religious groups is produced from the delicate fusion of the social imaginary with a prevailing theological construction of reality. The worldview that emerges will, invariably, not only determine how a church or congregation sees itself within the world, but how they see the world around them. This exercise \u2013 or rather ongoing process \u2013 rarely produces an actual map. But it does produce a kind of inner map in the mind of the believers: places to avoid; places of plenty, and so forth. In some cases, it will produce actual maps.[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Percy\u2019s discussion and application of map making \u2013 and his belief that at its core maps integrate the theological construction of reality and the social imaginary which together shape current sight and future expectations[2]<\/a> \u2013 inspires me to tap into my research and deconstruct the typical \u201cmap\u201d or \u201cparadigm\u201d many Caucasian Americans have towards the history of our \u201cChristian\u201d nation \u2013 especially its response to immigrants and refugees through the years.\u00a0 Just like the grizzly bear (which by the way I came within feet of in Yellowstone yesterday) – which is misunderstood as an aggressive man-eater rather than a gentle and tolerant\u00a0animal who is affectionate and protective\u00a0with their young – America\u2019s history is often misunderstood.<\/p>\n

It is generally believed that the vast majority of early-generation, religion freedom seeking Americans were Christian, however the vicious conflicts between various Protestant sects and, more explosively, between Protestants and Catholics, present an unavoidable inconsistency to the widely held notion that America is a \u2018Christian nation.\u2019\u00a0 It\u2019s important to distinguish that the Pilgrim experience (coming to America aboard the\u00a0Mayflower\u00a0in search of religious freedom in 1620, followed by the Puritans) wasn\u2019t truly about freedom of religion \u2013 the Puritan founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony did not tolerate any religious views other than their own.\u00a0 The leaders disallowed any opposing views politically or religiously.\u00a0 The intent of the colony was actually to become an inclusive community – admonishing anyone who was different or an outsider. \u00a0In public law (town, city, and state government) only Christian or Catholic individuals were permitted to run for office (and of course inclusive to Caucasian men). Discriminatory practices existed by Christians towards anyone non-Christian.\u00a0 So, although the original colonies were built from communities of refugees \u2013 seeking freedom of religion, freedom from persecution, and freedom of economic opportunity – Christians persecuted and oppressed non-Christians from the colonies inception.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to 1776 when the United States became a nation\u2026a period of time that United States citizens speak proudly of in that the Declaration of Independence established independence from Great Britain and established goals and ideals of the new nation.\u00a0 Many Christians believe the formal establishment of the nation validates their perception that the country was founded on Christian principles and morals and operates thereof.\u00a0 A prime example of leadership with conflicting New Testament practice in this new \u201cChristian nation\u201d is the third president of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson.\u00a0 Although many Christians believe Jefferson was a devout Christian, he actually most connected spiritually with Deism, rational\u00a0religion, and Unitarianism.[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

As an intelligent, pragmatic man of reason, Thomas Jefferson struggled with his own feelings regarding Christianity and his responsibility to live under Biblical principles.\u00a0 In trying to resolve the teachings of Jesus with the ideals of the Enlightenment (a European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition),[4]<\/sup><\/a> his solution was to read and edit the Bible in the four languages familiar to him \u2013 English, French, Greek, and Latin.\u00a0 Thomas Jefferson carefully read through several copies of the New Testament. \u00a0He would cut out the sections that he agreed with and found important, and then glue them together in his own notebook.”[5]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0Jefferson created his own version of useful scripture from the New Testament and named it \u201cThe Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth.\u201d With his new narrative, Jefferson offered a New Testament he found preferable to the original.[6]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0Jefferson viewed Jesus as a teacher and moral example and saw himself as a follower of Jesus\u2019 morality.\u00a0 “He didn’t have any use for miracles or the supernatural, which he took to be additions added to the story later on.”[7]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 In Jefferson\u2019s New Testament he didn\u2019t even include the story of the resurrection.\u00a0 It simply ended with Jesus\u2019 death.<\/p>\n

Even as Thomas Jefferson was creating the Declaration of Independence with the idea of equality and morality (as defined by following Jesus\u2019 teaching), he lived a hypocritical life. One significant contradiction and struggle in Jefferson\u2019s life was the issue of slavery. He was a slave owner, and claimed to be an advocate for individual freedoms (even once promoted a plan for gradual emancipation of slaves in America). While he composed the Declaration of Independence\u00a0stating that all men are created equal, he believed African Americans were \u201cbiologically inferior to whites\u201d and could not co-exist peacefully in freedom.[8]<\/sup><\/a> Jefferson inherited approximately 175 slaves from his family and owned an estimated 600 slaves throughout his adulthood.\u00a0 He freed a small number of his slaves in his will; the majority were sold following his death.[9]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 As the developer of the Declaration of Independence (and Christian founder of our nation) which proclaims equality for all, Jefferson was actively oppressing and discriminating against vulnerable populations.\u00a0 He directly contradicted the very morals and principles this country claimed to have been built on. It would be interesting to learn if the New Testament verses of Matthew 25 and I Corinthians 12 were part of Jefferson\u2019s new Bible.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have unlimited word count to continue on this journey of deconstruction\u2026but do you have a new \u201cmap\u201d of American history?\u00a0 If so, do not be discouraged that it\u2019s all negative – there are some encouraging lessons from America\u2019s long experience with refugees (just not enough space to share here). The acceptance and resettlement of refugees reiterate what most believe to be fundamental American values and, indeed, the fundamental value of America. \u201cThere has been opposition to refugees, to their unexpected arrival in unpredictable numbers, their uncertain and chaotic origins, and their diversity since they often come from places and situations that are truly foreign to Americans. But there has also been great support, people who support refugees in both word and deed and who take their resettlement as a re-invocation of the best of what America can be.\u201d[10]<\/sup><\/a> After all, the stranger is Jesus in disguise. (Matthew 25: 31-40)<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> https:\/\/eprints.mdx.ac.uk\/25949\/1\/JClark%20thesis.pdf<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=zdSXCwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA33&dq=martyn%20percy%20and%20map%20making&pg=PA33#v=onepage&q=martyn%20percy%20and%20map%20making&f=false<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> https:\/\/www.monticello.org\/site\/research-and-collections\/jeffersons-religious-beliefs<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/06\/28\/534765046\/smithsonian-exhibit-explores-religious-diversitys-role-in-u-s-history<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/06\/28\/534765046\/smithsonian-exhibit-explores-religious-diversitys-role-in-u-s-history<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/06\/28\/534765046\/smithsonian-exhibit-explores-religious-diversitys-role-in-u-s-history<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/06\/28\/534765046\/smithsonian-exhibit-explores-religious-diversitys-role-in-u-s-history<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/us-presidents\/thomas-jefferson<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/us-presidents\/thomas-jefferson<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> https:\/\/www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org\/research\/refugee-experience-united-states<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  As I was researching the writings of Martyn Percy I unearthed our very own Dr. Jason Clark\u2019s PhD thesis, Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A reparative account and diagnosis of pathogeneses in the relationship and was excited to learn that Dr. Clark relied heavily on Martyn Percy\u2019s writings and methods for his thesis.\u00a0 In fact, Percy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1557],"class_list":["post-23297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-markham-and-daniel","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23299,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23297\/revisions\/23299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}