Wading through the mess of the economy, TOGETHER.

Ethics April 9^th

Readings from The Occupy Handbook and Making a Way out of No Way – Monica Coleman

Monica Coleman presents in the later half of her book, a well presented framework for a post-modern womanist theology as an action seeking wholeness and healing.  In comparisons with process theology, Coleman ties strongly to Cobbs (and others) use of the concept “creative transformation” to address salvation as a process or a change.  Also essential to Coleman’s format is the previous chapters work on understanding the communal aspect of life, and also of sin.  Salvation then is as well communal.  This deep creative transformation Cobb finds as the central piece of his Christology.  While Coleman respects this, she does not require it in a theology of “making a way out of no way”.  Chapter 4 goes on to highlight the crucial connecting piece of ancestors and the past within a salvation of change.  “Rememory” and being in touch with ones ancestors are ways of keeping the past alive and not repeating the mistakes of history.  These concepts help one to be grounded in tradition as a way of working towards the future.  Coleman demonstrates the concepts of destructive transformation, creative transformation, ancestral immorality, saviors, and the challenge of salvation through an analysis of two pieces of black literature.  Alongside an excellent and detailed exploration into traditional African religion, Coleman presents a moving and dynamic theology of salvation through transformative change as “making a way out of no way.” 

The combination of articles in The Occupy Handbook for this week (pg 309-396) highlighted and offered solutions to the broken economic systems of capitalism around taxation, legislation, corporate personhood, and higher education costs.  The statistics and facts around each of these aspects of the current financial system and crisis are complex and overwhelming to many, including myself.  The concepts of corporate ethics and self-regulation have proven to be idealist and detrimental.  Solutions seem to be offered in every which direction, beginning with a basic understanding that financial crises will happen in free market economies (Martin Wolf).  Constitutional amendments seem to offer hope that self-regulation did not live up to, equal percentage taxation is not a reality and seems to be a more just option, and the concept of “smart loans” by Eliot Spitzer where student loans are not a flat rate but a percentage of income offers hope to many crumbled by debt.  Yet, as as Cowen and de Rugy remind us, the claims of the OWS movement are complex and perhaps should be reframed, opening up the concepts of income inequality from the 99% versus the 1% to a more multifaceted view of society. 

Many of the solutions offered echo Monica Colemans post-modern womanist theology are echoed in the solutions of so many of these authors.  Salvation and change are incredibly difficult, but necessary and must happen communally.  There is an important place for the past, however not as something to cling to.  The Occupy Movement has done amazing and difficult work around exposing the destructiveness of the modern free market capitalist economy.  There are not easy answers, and much of the situation is intertwined within systems that both provide order and oppression.  Conversations and knowledge must be the first place the community can turn to.  The creative transformation has to begin somewhere, perhaps with the Occupy Movement.  There is hope for authentic healing and wholeness yet, if we are willing to wade through the mess together.