Tensegrities

I’m in the middle of writing a book review of the most stunning new book — Jolyon Mitchell’s Media Violence and Christian Ethics. At one point he is talking about a sermon that Jeremiah Wright preached (the sermon which includes the now famous soundbite about “chickens coming home to roost”), as well as some other sermons preached around the time of 9/11 (93):

In this context, the prophetic reframing found in many sermons provides alternative reads of what was not articulated initially in the mainstream media. This could be described more technically as transgressive interpretations in local alternative public settings.

I can’t help being struck by how accurate Mitchell’s own words were, given how quickly the MSM moved to identify the transgressive nature of that speech when it reached beyond the “local” and “alternative” location where it was sourced.

Here’s a fun lay commentary on the Hebrew bible, by a columnist at Slate.com. From his introduction to the Song of Songs, for instance:

The Bible is like my grandmother’s basement, which is a magnificent hodgepodge of everything from jam jars to 83-year-old report cards to failed perpetual motion machines. The Bible, too, has everything under the sun. A creation story? Check. Law books? Yup. Genealogical tables, prophecies, history books, ritual instructions, self-help manuals—they are all in there. And now, right after the grimness of Job—we get … erotica!

Thanks to Tony for this link, an example of a Catholic bishop with integrity.

Check out this excellent short video introduction to social media. Then share it with your friends, and introduce them to Feautor!

Here’s a nifty idea: a site dedicated to helping films find audiences, and audiences find filmmakers and funding: indiegogo.com

A new music video/ad.

Here’s an interesting exercise in helping students work with biblical texts in ways that go beyond the standard textual exegesis.

Well, the Vatican has made it explicit and official: ordaining women automatically excommunicates those who do the ordaining, as well as the women being ordained. The first batch of women who were ordained — my mother-in-law amongst them — were excommunicated formally under the seal of the Vatican. Since then, however, many of the women being ordained received no such notice and I suppose there was some sense that the Vatican did not want to call attention to these illicit ordinations. Clearly that is no longer the case.

I just got back from picking up three books at the library. I’ve been trying to do a better job of checking out books from a library, instead of just buying them from Amazon.com. But of course it’s so EASY to buy them, when all you need to do is go to the website and type in the name of the book, and then a few clicks later it’s on the way.

I’m afraid that my passion for reading books, however, is far outreaching my ability to make money to buy them, hence the need for a good library. But here’s the thing: our local library system is quite wonderful. And there, just like Amazon, you can go to their website, type in the name of the book, and via a few clicks, request it. Actually, not only request it, but ask that it be held at the closest branch to you. We have two branches within walking distance, so it’s really easy to pick up books. And what’s wonderful is that the library HAS the books.

The three I just picked up I learned about through blogs, and one of them in particular I didn’t expect to find in a non-academic library. But there it was! And now I have all three handy to read.

So… I LOVE the St. Paul Public Library!

Lately music is prayer for me far more often than words, particularly the endless words of pundits, newscasters and others. I try to pray with the news, but I need music. Thanks to TheCorner for this piece by Linkin Park.