God Loves Diversity and Justice: Progressive Scholars Speak about Faith, Politics, and the World

249 Pages·2013·4.042 MB·English

by  Susanne Scholz (editor)

God Loves Diversity and Justice

God Loves Diversity and Justice
Progressive Scholars Speak about Faith,
Politics, and the World
Edited by Susanne Scholz
LEXINGTONBOOKS
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Godlovesdiversityandjustice:progressivescholarsspeakaboutfaith,politics,andtheworld/
editedbySusanneScholz.
pagescm
Includesindex.
ISBN978-0-7391-7318-3(cloth:alk.paper)—ISBN978-0-7391-7319-0(electronic)
1.Religionandjustice.I.Scholz,Susanne,1966–
BL65.J87G632013
201'.7—dc23
2013005254
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(1927–1994)

Contents
Introduction:FromProgressiveTheologicalDiscourseto
ChangingtheWorld 1
SusanneScholz
PartI:AboutGod 11
1 GodIsDiversityandJustice:AFeministSikhPerspective 13
Nikky-GuninderKaurSingh
2 AsLongasYouAreDoingSomething:ASecularFeminist
PerspectivefromCanada 33
PamelaMilne
3 IAM,WhoLovestheProphets,LovesYou:Meditationson
theProgressive/PropheticattheEndofJewishHistory 57
MarcH.Ellis
PartII:AboutLove 71
4 AWorldwithoutTags:AProgressivePalestinianMuslim
ScholarSpeaks 73
IsamShihada
5 ClassMattersinanAgeofEmpire:AWhiteFeminist
Working-ClassAmericanSpeaks 89
SusanneJohnson
PartIII:AboutDiversity 113
6 CelebratingDiversityIsNotWhatIt’sAllAbout:A
ProgressiveWhiteMaleGermanAmericanTheologian
Speaks 115
JoergRieger
7 DoesGodReallyLoveDiversity?:AChineseAmerican
NewTestamentScholarSpeaks 129
Sze-karWan
PartIV:AboutJustice 145
8 Diversity,Justice,andtheBibleforGrown-Ups:AJewish
Russian-Israeli-AmericanHebrewBibleScholarSpeaks 147
SergeFrolov
vii
viii Contents
9 TheExiledNative:TheParadoxoftheBlackScholar 161
MariaDixon
10 JusticeIsattheCore:Law,Justice,andGenderEqualityin
IslamicFeminism 179
QudsiaMirza
11 TransgenderSpirituality:FindingJusticethroughActivism
andLove 197
GordeneMacKenzieandNancyNangeroni
PartV:TwoResponses 217
12 Reflectionson“GodLovesDiversityandJustice”:A
(Modern)HumanRightsPerspective 219
PatriciaH.Davis
13 ShouldGodRemain?:AResponsefromthePerspectiveof
PeaceandConflictStudies 227
VictoriaFontan
Index 235
AbouttheContributors 237
Introduction
From Progressive Theological Discourse to
Changing the World
Susanne Scholz
Godloves diversityandjustice.Thiscatchytheologicalstatement makes
a normative claim. It asserts to know something about God and God’s
relationship to diversity and justice. It assumes there is a god—in fact,
one God—and that this one God loves diversity and justice. The state-
mentopenlyacknowledgesconvictioninitstheologicalposition.Accord-
ingtosomeofmymostlyChristianstudents,thisisjustwhatprogressive
religious discourse lacks:simpleandclearslogansthatarticulateatheo-
politically progressive perspective. In their view, progressively inclined
professorsmakethingstoocomplicatedwhentheyanalyze,deconstruct,
or historicize Christian theological discourse, sources, and doctrines. In-
stead, my students yearn for theological language that helps them to
think theologically in simple and clear terminologies, as they prepare to
serve as ministers and teachers in theo-politically conservative contexts.
They recognize that the Christian Right’s discourse shapes the minds,
hearts, and lives of people in many Christian congregations. Thus, they
finditdifficult,ifnotimpossible,tostartwithcomplextheologicalexpla-
nations. What they want are substantive but unencumbered statements
about progressive faith perspectives for their sermons, Sunday school
lessons, and conversations with parishioners. These statements ought to
be memorable so they can be recited in moments of opposition and de-
bate.
Admittedly, I felt surprised about this complaint, but then I thought
about it and wondered: Are there not already many theologically pro-
gressive slogans out there? And isn’t complicated theological discourse
exactly what we need in our days of the pervasive either-with-us-or-
against-usmindset?
Yes and yes. But then I also thought that concise theological state-
mentsarecertainlyvaluablebecausetheyarticulateinacondensedfash-
ion what must then be parsed from all kinds of perspectives and direc-
tions. This book is the result of my effort to take seriously my students’
observation.Itaimstoofferwhattheysaidtheyneed:aconcisetheologi-
1