Every time I drive to Atlanta, I encounter the succinct encapsulation of the ways that some have merged patriotism and Christianity into Christian fascism, a worldview that puts nation and individual above one’s call to lover God with their while being and their neighbor as themselves. As I speed down the highway, I gaze ahead, and on my right, I see a 3,200 square … Read More The Complicity in Ignorance and Silence
I live in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, so we get some cold weather every now and then. A few years ago, we had a few extremely cold days, with temperatures remaining below freezing. At that time, some business owners I knew wanted to see about providing a warming center for unhoused individuals, but when they approached churches and other organizations in the … Read More My First Night Serving at a Warming Center Highlighted an Inspiring Vision of Society
Inevitably, when some tragedy occurs, numerous voices rise up to proclaim, “This ain’t us! I can’t believe it — fill in the blank — happened here.” This line of thought requires blinders that work to shield individuals from the realities of the communities they inhabit. They see tragedies as happening elsewhere, outside of their own space. No matter what the tragedy, it’s always a … Read More “This ain’t us! We’re better than that!”: Denying Reality in S.A. Cosby’s “All the Sinners Bleed”
A couple of years ago, I walked through the library looking for a book to read during the winter break. I kept seeing S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed, and as I passed it, I thought, “Now is the time to give it a read since I’ll be able to read during the break.” I devoured the book on the way to Louisiana to visit … Read More “The devil can quote the Good Book”: Religious Bigotry in S.A. Cosby’s “All the Sinner’s Bleed”
+ christian fascism, christian nationalism, christianity, fascism, Gerald L K Smith, James Luther Adams, lillian e smith, religion, strange fruit
I have been sitting on this essay for a couple of years. It is an essay that Emma Williams and I co-wrote in my Lillian E. Smith and Christian Nationalism course two years ago. During that class, we wrote “Christian Nationalism Hurts the Children It Clams to Protect” in Religion Dispatches, and this essay arose, partly, out of that article. Initially, we wanted to submit this essay … Read More “Flashes of lightning to quicken our steps”: Lillian E. Smith and Christian Fascism
Interminable Rambling 