Thank you for the invitation to join in this conversation.
We've interacted a bit on twitter (where I post as @magpiemixture). I'm intrigued by your project, but also wondering what I can bring to this conversation: a man in my late 50s, a lawyer with no theological training (but a chronic interest in theology nevertheless), a cradle Catholic turned Quaker, and with very limited knowledge of continental philosophy.
I'm interested in the contrast you draw between linear and associative modes of tninking. I've noticed this to some extent (but not universally) in men and women as conversation partners. Take my friends J and A, both academics. Conversation with J (a male economist) is Socratic, agonistic. Conversation with A (a woman who works on 17th century literature and religion) is like a co-operative game, encouraging each other to insights that we wouldn't have reached on our own. I would not want to give up either mode.
Of your "wise seers and holy fools", the only one I can claim to know much about is Simone Weil. There's a lovely discussion in Daphne Hampson's "After Christianity" of Weil's focus on attention - Hampson points out that the thinkers who have picked this up and worked with it are all women. I don't know why this is so, but the focus on attention is a gift I take from Weil and from those who have worked with her insights. Is this part of your project too?
'The word ‘liminal’ is over-used today, but we are creatures of liminality, inhabiting the borderlands of matter and spirit, haunted by a sense of homelessness and alienation, by a yearning for the fullness of love and belonging that eludes us, even though we are animals with characteristics, instincts, and needs in common with all other living creatures.' I especially love this, as (per usual) I've been struggling with my place in the Catholic Church. Stay, Go? For the moment I ended up on the threshold, where I often end up, and this reminds me why. Delighted you're turning to Cixous and engaging us in your reading/writing process! Exciting and inspiring. Jennifer
'Unless theology acknowledges its own transgressive nature, it is nothing other than a dangerous ideology – dangerous because it uses the name ‘God’ to validate its own authority and power, laying claim to a knowledge it lacks to mask its lack of mastery.' This was the sentence that grabbed me the most out of all the captivating thoughts you shared. How do we stay connected to God and learn the wisdom of the ages without remaining trapped by oppressive ideologies - or worse, creating some new ones of our own? I look forward to reading your thoughts on this and much more. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this.
Thank you Tina for sharing your exploration of these big themes with us. It is most generous of you to do so and I know it will help stimulate and inform my thinking. I look forward to reading your posts.
Thank you for doing this, Tina. Now I’m retired and no longer feel bound to theologise in relation to my work I’m hoping that following, and maybe even contributing to, your journey may be a way back in to theological thought for me. I look forward to attempting to attend to your texts…
Oops, there’s that “premature return” we all suffer from occasionally!😏 Let me try that again: “Perhaps at this stage, I can say I’m attempting a form of écriture féminine, in setting myself up as a feminised partner in dialogue with Francis’s theology, but open to many other voices and influences.” As you know from another context, I have become acutely aware of my family’s competitive style of communication, and I see that style predominate in too much of church and academia communications. My personal prayer has become simply lLet me be collaborative, not competitive.” That one sentence of yours has given me much to ponder in regards to my own approach to (and willingness to) engage with very passionate young women about opposition to “the patriarchy.” I am reminded of a graduate student many years ago who, when I asked her to think about her “target audience” responded, “But nothing good ever happens to a target. Can we find another word?” Since then I have used “intended audience.” Blessings
I have signed up, Tina, because I am very interested in “following along” but already I feel way out of my depth, so I think this will be a learning experience rather than a commenting experience for me. Thank you for this brave approach. Also because Jennifer Reek’s book was incredibly challenging but also beautiful and - I’m not sure i’d the right word to use here. I was going to write “thought provoking” but that is not quite right. Often I felt out of my depth, but just as often I find a gem to treasure, a gem whose facets reflected new lights of faith back to me. But not so much through linear thought as through an “A-AH” moment. Such a moment for me came this morning in this sentence you wrote, “
Thank you for the invitation to join in this conversation.
We've interacted a bit on twitter (where I post as @magpiemixture). I'm intrigued by your project, but also wondering what I can bring to this conversation: a man in my late 50s, a lawyer with no theological training (but a chronic interest in theology nevertheless), a cradle Catholic turned Quaker, and with very limited knowledge of continental philosophy.
I'm interested in the contrast you draw between linear and associative modes of tninking. I've noticed this to some extent (but not universally) in men and women as conversation partners. Take my friends J and A, both academics. Conversation with J (a male economist) is Socratic, agonistic. Conversation with A (a woman who works on 17th century literature and religion) is like a co-operative game, encouraging each other to insights that we wouldn't have reached on our own. I would not want to give up either mode.
Of your "wise seers and holy fools", the only one I can claim to know much about is Simone Weil. There's a lovely discussion in Daphne Hampson's "After Christianity" of Weil's focus on attention - Hampson points out that the thinkers who have picked this up and worked with it are all women. I don't know why this is so, but the focus on attention is a gift I take from Weil and from those who have worked with her insights. Is this part of your project too?
Thanks for inviting me to join this adventure. Not sure how I might contribute, but always keen to explore unmapped territory ...
'The word ‘liminal’ is over-used today, but we are creatures of liminality, inhabiting the borderlands of matter and spirit, haunted by a sense of homelessness and alienation, by a yearning for the fullness of love and belonging that eludes us, even though we are animals with characteristics, instincts, and needs in common with all other living creatures.' I especially love this, as (per usual) I've been struggling with my place in the Catholic Church. Stay, Go? For the moment I ended up on the threshold, where I often end up, and this reminds me why. Delighted you're turning to Cixous and engaging us in your reading/writing process! Exciting and inspiring. Jennifer
'Unless theology acknowledges its own transgressive nature, it is nothing other than a dangerous ideology – dangerous because it uses the name ‘God’ to validate its own authority and power, laying claim to a knowledge it lacks to mask its lack of mastery.' This was the sentence that grabbed me the most out of all the captivating thoughts you shared. How do we stay connected to God and learn the wisdom of the ages without remaining trapped by oppressive ideologies - or worse, creating some new ones of our own? I look forward to reading your thoughts on this and much more. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this.
This seems to be a stimulating process. I look forward to future posts
Thank you Tina for sharing your exploration of these big themes with us. It is most generous of you to do so and I know it will help stimulate and inform my thinking. I look forward to reading your posts.
Thank you for doing this, Tina. Now I’m retired and no longer feel bound to theologise in relation to my work I’m hoping that following, and maybe even contributing to, your journey may be a way back in to theological thought for me. I look forward to attempting to attend to your texts…
Oops, there’s that “premature return” we all suffer from occasionally!😏 Let me try that again: “Perhaps at this stage, I can say I’m attempting a form of écriture féminine, in setting myself up as a feminised partner in dialogue with Francis’s theology, but open to many other voices and influences.” As you know from another context, I have become acutely aware of my family’s competitive style of communication, and I see that style predominate in too much of church and academia communications. My personal prayer has become simply lLet me be collaborative, not competitive.” That one sentence of yours has given me much to ponder in regards to my own approach to (and willingness to) engage with very passionate young women about opposition to “the patriarchy.” I am reminded of a graduate student many years ago who, when I asked her to think about her “target audience” responded, “But nothing good ever happens to a target. Can we find another word?” Since then I have used “intended audience.” Blessings
I have signed up, Tina, because I am very interested in “following along” but already I feel way out of my depth, so I think this will be a learning experience rather than a commenting experience for me. Thank you for this brave approach. Also because Jennifer Reek’s book was incredibly challenging but also beautiful and - I’m not sure i’d the right word to use here. I was going to write “thought provoking” but that is not quite right. Often I felt out of my depth, but just as often I find a gem to treasure, a gem whose facets reflected new lights of faith back to me. But not so much through linear thought as through an “A-AH” moment. Such a moment for me came this morning in this sentence you wrote, “