Activist Theology

Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, Roberto Che Espinoza

• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781506424644
• eBook ISBN: 9781506424651
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

In this searing and personal book, intellectual activist and theologian Robyn Henderson-Espinoza bridges the gap between academia and activism, bringing the wisdom of the streets to the work of scholarship, all for the sake of political liberation and social change for marginalized communities. This is an invitation--a powerful and provocative call-to-action--to academic theologians to the work of social activism through movement building. Activist Theology summons all to take up radical acts of labor that uses scholarship and contemplation to build bridges with difference and make connections of solidarity, rooted in collective action. Featuring poetry by Britt¡ni "Ree Belle" Gray, this rich and interdisciplinary work draws on continental philosophy, queer theology, and critical class theory in accessible and artful ways, using story, personal narratives, and sharp cultural analysis to bring clarity to the methods, sources, and objectives of activist theology. This is a key step forward in the contemporary conversation about theology and social action and will be essential reading for all those who want to see theology and ethics break new ground in the work of justice, hope, and liberation for all.

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Coda: Poetry by Ree Belle

I initially went to college on a music scholarship, and the language of music and composition continues to compel me. I write to music and oftentimes sit and meditate to music. A coda comes at the end of a musical piece; it is a distinction in the piece of music, noting something in particular. These poems are a distinct end for this book, not a break or a pause. I thought it was important to illustrate activist theology with something more than my story and my theologizing. Prose is powerful, but leaning into the poetic imagination that helps us make activism visible is also important. I am inspired by how Gloria Anzaldúa concluded Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza with poetry that she had written. Instead of writing poetry myself, I asked a trusted comrade to collaborate with me and include her brilliance in this book!

The following poetry is from a dear comrade, Ree Belle. I first met Ree in 2015 after I had finished my PhD. She is an on-the-ground activist in St. Louis, Missouri. Her poetry strangely warmed my heart and evoked my imagination. I knew her poetry was a part of activist theology. As soon as I heard her poetry at the Sojourners Summit for Change in Washington, DC, I knew that the book I was writing needed to include her poetry. I didn’t really have an imagination of how the poetry would fit into this book; I just knew that this book needed to include the work of the people—the work that is happening on the ground and the people’s lament, grief, joy, and struggle, as well as the courage for which we all long. I am profoundly grateful for Ree Belle and her work. I am especially grateful for her permission to use some of her poetry in this book as an example and fold of activist theology.

Poetry is labor intensive, and I was not going to include poetry in this book without also compensating the poet, because art as a form and method of social change should be considered one of the diverse tools we use to move the movement. On a hot summer day in Nashville, my film guy, as I affectionately call Ben Saunders, and I gathered in downtown Nashville and filmed a video to use to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to pay for the poetry. The campaign was funded in thirty days and exceeded my goal. The money went to pay for the poetry, the Kickstarter video, and the labor involved in writing this book. I am so grateful that the community supported this project, and I am excited to share this original poetry with you all. Ree Belle is a one-of-a-kind poet and human. She is close to my heart and is the kind of human I am hoping to become. She is fierce; she is honest; she is a prophetic witness; and she is my friend and comrade.

Music continues to have a special place in my heart, but I have discovered that poetry does, too. Spoken word and poetry, especially by queer and trans people of color, moves me in deep ways. Poetry helps us have the necessary imagination to muster the moral courage to make change in our world. We need poetry and other forms of art to shift mind-set and culture.

The following poems are an invitation to change and an invitation to lean into the sharp end of the point. What follows is the poetry of the movement. Lean into t...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Epigraphs
• Table Of Contents
• Foreword: So What?
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: The What and Why of Activist Theology
• The Darkness of Holy Saturday: Rupturing Complacency and Becoming Transformation
• Turning Tables in the Temple: Disruption
• The Struggle Is Real
• The Psalmist Sings: The Poetry of Protest
• Following the Ways of Jesus: Enacting Radical Social Change
• Old Wine in New Wineskins: Reframing Theology as Activism
• Economic Supremacy: When Class Ascendency Doesn’t Work in Your Favor
• Activist Theology’s Resilience: A Year after Charlottesville
• Coda: Poetry by Ree Belle
• Further Reading