The Madness is the Message Cognisant of the complexion of post modernity, we may be forgiven for thinking that we are not as comfortable as we once were with the idea that some experiences in life may bring revelation, awakening and profound and lasting change. Nevertheless, science, political ideology and the arts all provide us with spheres where we find claims of such profound encounters … Continue reading The Madness is the Message
A publishing phenomenon (ish) of recent years has been books listing things that are supposedly ‘crap’, or ‘shit’, or some other less than flattering term. The comedian Frankie Boyle even entitled his autobiography, as far as I am aware, ‘My Shit Life So Far’ (least said soonest mended). Indeed, you may have seen some of these titles on your bookshelf at home – Seditious Theology … Continue reading His shit life thus far…
I have been asked to share a little more about the imaginative process I employed to bring the subjects of punk and the life of Christ together. The following is a post dedicated to explaining just what I did. Imaginative Reidentification In his excellent book Discipleship and Imagination: Christian Tradition and Truth, David Brown explores how some biblical narratives have impacted our comprehension and practice … Continue reading An analogous case…
For those of you familiar with Seditious Theology, you will know that one of the core aims of the site is to take a fresh look at expressions to be found within the arts. This ‘look’ is done secure in the knowledge that no poem, painting, song, lyric or piece of music carries just one sole obvious meaning as dictated by the originator. They are all capable of being interpreted anew and … Continue reading ‘Movin’ on up’
Sticky post
Welcome to Seditious Theology! Over the past decade or so, I have slowly been fusing my interest in popular culture with my interest in theology. The driving force behind this has been to see quite how they relate to each other and whether, in turn, they may reveal fresh ways of looking at both. I confess that I have been lucky in that I have been able … Continue reading Welcome to Seditious Theology!
Morning everybody Interesting subject this week and one that brings us back to music and lyrics. I want us to revisit the song ‘I Am The Resurrection’ by The Stone Roses. As usual, I am not going to say too much other than it is a strange and, I suspect, rather knowing and deliberate use of the line ‘I am the resurrection and I am the life’. A … Continue reading ‘I Am The Resurrection’
Perhaps one of the most iconic scenes in British cinema during the 1990s was the opening to the film Trainspotting. For those who have not seen the segment, and as a reminder for those who have, we are shown a slightly built scruffy skinhead called Renton running, full pelt, down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile while being energetically pursued by two store detectives. The scene gains its … Continue reading Life Before Death?
Logos v. logos The 1970s was a fertile time for fresh expressions within youth sub cultures and alongside the more familiar names was spawned a group that did not simply become the most dominant, but ended up transcending them all as they became the mainstream itself. During the seventies, English football teams found themselves regularly playing in Europe and the fans who travelled with them … Continue reading Logos v. logos
With Easter here, I thought I would choose something a bit more topical. The post today is Patti Smith’s song, ‘Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)’ from her album Horses. ( If you do not have a copy I suggest you source one immediately – it’s that good, that important!) The only comment I shall pass is that the first line is: ‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not … Continue reading ‘Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)’
Having spent a disproportionate amount of my time at football matches during the 1980s (Chelsea, Millwall and Crystal Palace) and a disproportionate amount of time in churches during the 1990s (Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic) it has, over the years, dawned on me that while these social spaces and the practices found within could be described as the proverbial Chalk & Cheese, on further investigation they … Continue reading Confronting The Enemy
SEDITIOUS THEOLOGY 