“The Presence of Truth: On the Logic and Nature of Pure Reason and Reasonable Faith”
I still believe one can be a good person of faith, in my case, a Christian, and a good and critical scholar. While pure reason makes room for intellectual curiosity, a reasonable faith should welcome the rigorous process of intellectual adventure and experimentation.
Faith can seek understanding in the academic world (the life of the mind) and the academic world can benefit greatly from the life of faith. One does not have to compromise his or faith in the academia in order to gain status or reputation. Comparatively, one should not kill reason to redeem faith or rehabilitate religious piety.
The life of the mind can be nourished from multiple and not only from one source of truth and understanding. It is against pure reason to continue to sustain the notion that the academia is the only venue that fosters a rigorous human intellect and leads to a revolution of the mind. The life of the mind should not be devoid of passion and the intersectionality of knowledge.
Similarly, the life of faith, grounded on an ethics of liberation and human flourishing in all aspects of life, possesses inherent attributes to revolutionize human relations and make us more human and compassionate toward one another. A reasonable faith can be construed as a habit of the mind that forges a strong rapport between two realms: faith and reason. Both must depend on each other to make us more reasonable, logical, relational, interpersonal, and more compassionate. The life of faith should not be devoid of reason and the interdisciplinary nature of human piety.
A faith that is strong is a faith that aims to find truth in all places of wisdom even when the discovered truth challenges one’s beliefs and brings a level of discomfortability to the life of faith. Reason is not the sole sphere of knowledge nor is it the only source of wisdom. One should seek knowledge and understanding in all credible repositories even if it that journey may lead to a radical reorientation of one’s intellect and a revolutionary reinvention of the self.
Truth should be the catalyst to bind the life of the mind and the life of faith.
In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, good news is still a possibility associated with joy. Hence, I am pleased to announce the publication of two new books with #wipfandstock publishers:
“Theologizing in Black: On Africana Theological Ethics and Anthropology” (April 15, 2020)
***The sequel to this book is tentatively titled “The Being of God in Africana Theological and Philosophical Tradition.” I’m excited about this new terrain of research and writing.
and
“Revolutionary Change and Democratic Religion:
Christianity, Vodou, and Secularism” (April 15, 2020)
Both texts can be ordered online.
***I would like to thank those who have written endorsements for both texts. I appreciate your rigor, encouraging words, & constructive feedback.
Happy reading!
#theologizinginblack
#revolutionarychangeanddemocraticreligion
Click on the link below to order your copy
***The sequel to this book is tentatively titled “The Being of God in Africana Theological and Philosophical Tradition.” I’m excited about this new terrain of research and writing.
“The Problem of the ‘Christian unity’ language in Christian (Evangelical) Culture”
Christian unity does not guarantee cosmic peace, political stability, and earthly comfort. Why do some Christians in this culture like to talk about unity in Christ and harmony in the body of Christ, but refuse to discuss the pressing issues that lead to disunity and disharmony in the Church and society? What are the contributing factors associated with this mental state of fear and Christian disengagement with these urgent matters?
Arguably, unity is a costly adventure and humble attitude. Like unity, harmony is sacrificial and an intentional doing. Unity will not come until Christians actively get engaged in genuine and honest conversations, such as the social, class, political, economic, cultural, racial, gender, sexual, ideological, etc. issues that have divided the body of Christ, dehumanized delinquent children and single mothers, and marginalized the poor, the needy, the racialized populations, the undocumented immigrant populations in this country, etc.
Christian unity is not a smoke screen for Christians to hide their dangerous political ideologies and choices, theological tribalism, and moral superiority. We should not think of Christian harmony as a safety net to cover up the sin of racism and xenophobia, and prejudice toward the undocumented immigrant and the religious other. Rather, it predicates upon the willingness to be changed and the openness to be challenged.
Harmony requires the discipline of listening to other’s pain and suffering, as well as their stories and their histories. The concepts of unity and harmony in the church and in society are associated with the biblical concept of justice and Christian discipleship. This is an overwhelming issue in the Gospels, the letters of Paul, especially in the Prophets.
For example, Jesus, the founder of Christianity and the spiritual head of the Christian church, was a controversial figure. Regularly, he would engage in verbal fights and heated arguments with the people in the church (i.e. the temple), the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and other individuals in society that had both religious and political influence in the culture—over pressing social, political, and religious issues that bore tremendous effects on people’s living conditions and future—especially the marginalized groups, the vulnerable, and the poor populations. Jesus actively preached and taught on both spiritual and societal matters. He did not say, “Folks: we are all Jews, let’s get along. We are all children of Abraham and let us just worship the God of Israel, our common Father and Creator.” He made sure his audience and those who did not want to listen to him know that social and political issues mattered to God; the triumph of the Kingdom of God and justice in society mattered to God; and the spiritual life and salvation of all people were also vital concerns to God. While Jesus gave priority to the reign and justice of God in the world, he was equally attentive to how problems of (moral and ethical) injustice and inequity, systems and structures, and unequal distribution of wealth were affecting the poor and the disadvantaged in his own society. Followers of Christ are called to imitate him, to love people like him, to act like him, and to have the mind and spirit of Christ. Jesus defended the weak and the poor in society; correspondingly, he has called his followers to do likewise.
Second, Paul, the most influential religious figure in the Jesus Movement and the second most controversial figure in the history of early Christianity after Jesus, was attentive to moral, ethical, and spiritual matters. For example, in his letters to the Christian churches in Galatia and Corinth, he directly addressed some of the major concerns of his culture, and the urgent factors that were affecting the church and human flourishing and the common good in society; they included the problems of poverty and hunger, sexual morality, gender ethics, political issues and ideologies, cultural differences and ideologies, ethnic pride and privilege, racial tribalism and preference, equality and equity in society, divorce, marriage, death, war, etc. Like Jesus, Paul did not just say to the Galatian and Corinthian Christians: “Folks, we are just ‘one in Christ.’ Let’s just focus on saving the soul of the lost, and forget about existential problems in society.”
Finally, it is important to note that both Jesus and Paul were also preaching and teaching about unity in the church and harmony among the people of God. Correspondingly, both religious figures were calling both men and women, and boys and girls to get right with God and to live justly before God and in harmony with their neighbor. Yet both of them understood clearly that some earthly forces in addition to spiritual matters were affecting the human experience and flourishing in the world—contributing to a history of pain and suffering, a catalogue of alienation and dehumanization, and a life of despair and bankruptcy.
The question that lies before the individual Christian and the American church is as follows:
What is God calling you to do? What is Christ calling the American church to do?
As a follower of Christ, Christians are morally responsible to inquire about the contemporary societal forces—public policies, state laws, county laws, etc.—that are detrimental to the welfare of their neighbor and other political decisions and choices that are impacting the living conditions of the marginalized, the homeless, the needy, the racialized, the politically-alienated, and the economically-disadvantaged populations in their community, city, and country. If the individual Christian keeps avoiding these complex issues, perhaps, he or she does not understand the transforming power of the Gospel in politics, society, and in the public sphere. If the Christian church in America is silent on those crucial matters, she is probably not imitating Christ and walking in his footsteps.
Christian unity is an active force in society that could potentially contribute to both holistic transformation and spiritual renewal of the people in culture. It is a discipline that requires the process of nurturing and reinvention; it makes a clarion call upon us for moral redirection and a christocentric orientation toward God and one’s neighbor. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned us, “There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared, it is itself the great venture and cuan never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security.” In the same line of thought, unity in the body of Christ or harmony among the people of God in society is not a project that seeks to preserve individual safety, status, privilege, and national pride. Christian unity calls for the urgent death of Christian nationalism, American exceptionalism, and ethnocentrism. It renounces all the external forces and privileges that become a hindrance to be committed totally to King Jesus and to serve in compassion and act in justice toward one’s neighbor. It is a call to self-denial and total obedience for the sake of imitating and following Jesus in this life. Christian unity does not guarantee cosmic peace, worldly treasures, and earthly comfort; nonetheless, like Christian compassion, it does seek the best interest of one’s neighbor and empowers individuals to act in a manner that promotes the dignity of the most vulnerable and to care for the marginalized groups in society.
“What Germany and Haiti Have in Common: The Christian Church in Germany and Haiti, and The Great Moral Paradox of the Christian West”
From the late 1930 to 1940s, in Germany, many German churches and theologians supported Nazism and Hitler faithfully, leading to the annihilation of thousands of Jews. Comparatively, from the 1950s to 1970s, in Haiti, the Christian church, both Protestant and Catholic expressions, supported the Duvalier Regime relentlessly and many members of the clergy were in fact macoutes (boogeyman), leading to the execution of thousands of Haitians. (During the heyday of Hitler, many Jews traveled to Haiti to escape Nazism and were welcomed with Haitian citizenship.)
Interestingly, one of the great moral paradoxes in Church history in the West is that Christians have been supporters of dictators, totalitarian leaders, fascist leaders, slave masters, slave traffickers, and individuals who have committed horrendous crimes against humanity. In fact, some of them are/were christian dictators, christian totalitarian leaders, christian fascists, christian slave masters, christian slave traffickers, etc.
Jesus was correct when he warned his disciples,
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21).
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).
He even denounced the evil practices of “church leaders” and the “theologians of the church” by declaring:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:27-28).
“Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely” (Luke 20:46-47).
*** Do not follow Jesus at a distance; rather be a faithful imitator of Christ, have the mind of Christ, and let the spirit of Christ dwell in you!
“The Ethics of Social Media Posting and Offering Feedback”
Show civility ( i.e. respect, friendship) and care when you leave a comment on someone else’s post.
Do not attack the person’s character; address the idea being discussed in a respectful and dignified manner.
Choose your word carefully and gently; the power of death is in the tongue, and it will destroy friendship and bankrupt relationships.
Use your post to uplift people, cultivate and strengthen friendship and relationships, encourage your audience toward resilience and self-care, and to strengthen our individual and collective striving toward human flourishing and the common good.
Posts or comments that do not build up individuals or the social media community should not be written at all; they may hinder the possibility to foster good and sustaining relationship and friendship.
Before offering a feedback on a post, make sure you read the intent of the post responsibly, think critically, and read it with care and understanding.
If you’re not sure about the intent of a post, ask the writer for clarification and enlightenment; do not make false assumptions and voice accusations.
Before offering a comment on a post, control your emotions such as anger, frustration, verbal abuse, etc.
Do not use the social media space to spread hatred, racism, xenophobia, sexism, and any form of verbal or intellectual violence toward an individual, an ethnic or racial group, or a particular community; in all things, acknowledge the dignity of all people by recognizing they are image bearers of God.
Do not verbally abuse your audience and friends through careless and irresponsible rhetoric or language.
It is important to know through the social media sphere, people, who may not know you personally or intimately, are allowing you in their world and space; take it as an unmerited invitation and an undeserving privilege, but as an opportunity to know each other, to make the (social media) world a better place for all, and to build better human relationships and stronger social networks.
Remember it is not an obligation for you to offer a comment or a feedback on every topic and even on a subject of interest.
Do not police your friends, especially individuals you just met via a social media platform, through social interactions and virtual interplays.
Do not expect for your friends and social media associates to offer a response on your most original and innovated post or feedback; some of us are still introverts and prefer to message you in private.
Be kind and considerate to one another when posting on a social media platform and offering feedback on a topic of interest.
“5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
— Matthew 28:5-6
#HeIsRisen
#ResurrectionSunday
Haitian Art: “Jesus 2018 Acrylic on Canvas” by Frantz Zephirin
“Shame Him and Make Him Go Away: An Easter Poem” by Celucien L. Joseph
They put him on an unfair trial–the greatest trial that shakes the earth;
The jury misjudged him and fabricated lies about him; the people mischaracterized and cheated him; the leaders chastised and shamed him; and they all found him guilty for a crime he did not commit–lies that are forgiven and guilt that is forgotten;
They whipped him until his body bore bruises, his soul abuses, and his heart humanity’s challenges–the body that bears the world’s pain and gives new birth;
They made him carry a cross they fashioned for his destiny–the cross of pain, of sorrow, of humanity’s hope;
They hang him on a tree to be lynched– a tree that gives passion, redemption, satisfaction, and resurrection;
They handed him over to the soldiers to be oppressed–yet he is their hope and Savior too;
While still hanging on the lynching tree, they mocked him; they insulted him; they gave him sour wine mingled with gall to drink; and they spat on his face in shame–the Savior’s saliva that brings the abusers’ sweet healing and the oppressors’ restoration;
They crucified him so he could die–the death that fuels new life and salvation too;
After he breathed his last breath in shame, he was declared dead at last–he is the breath of life and resurrection of life;
They put him in the tomb and buried him in shame–the tomb of despair and of glory too;
They sealed the tomb of shame with a rock so he will not go away–the seal of humanity’s destiny and their stone of safety.
Hold on, Sir! Hold on, Madame! Wait, boys and girls! Don’t move, children! Tarry, young people! Don’t go away, citizens of the world!
Wait until the morning hour; the new Sunday for the seal to be broken;
“On Haitian History Books” or “Books on Haitian History”
This dude on Facebook wants all of his friends to take photos of all the History books they own about Haiti. At first, I was reluctant to do so because it would take me a long time to take pictures. Oh well, I like my friends, and they’re good to me.
Hence, I decided to showcase a selection. The represented History books on Haiti do not include the ones in my garage, my office library at work, and other books I loaned to friends.
They put him on an unfair trial–the greatest trial that shakes the earth;
The jury misjudged him and fabricated lies about him; the people mischaracterized and cheated him; the leaders chastised and shamed him; and they all found him guilty for a crime he did not commit–lies that are forgiven and guilt that is forgotten;
They whipped him until his body bore bruises, his soul abuses, and his heart humanity’s challenges–the body that bears the world’s pain and gives new birth;
They made him carry a cross they fashioned for his destiny–the cross of pain, of sorrow, of humanity’s hope;
They hang him on a tree to be lynched– a tree that gives passion, redemption, satisfaction, and resurrection;
They handed him over to the soldiers to be oppressed–yet he is their hope and Savior too;
While still hanging on the lynching tree, they mocked him; they insulted him; they gave him sour wine mingled with gall to drink; and they spat on his face in shame–the Savior’s saliva that brings the abusers’ sweet healing and the oppressors’ restoration;
They crucified him so he could die–the death that fuels new life and salvation too;
After he breathed his last breath in shame, he was declared dead at last–he is the breath of life and resurrection of life;
They put him in the tomb and buried him in shame–the tomb of despair and of glory too;
They sealed the tomb of shame with a rock so he will not go away–the seal of humanity’s destiny and their stone of safety.
Hold on, Sir! Hold on, Madame! Wait, boys and girls! Don’t move, children! Tarry, young people! Don’t go away, citizens of the world!
Wait until the morning hour; the new Sunday for the seal to be broken;
Some two thousand years ago, it was a Friday like this one that Jesus was put on trial before a ruthless juror, consisted of both religious leaders and politicians, that found him guilty for a crime he did not commit. As reported in the Gospels, the common people, both Jews and Gentiles, actively participated in Jesus’ unfair trial. He appeared before Pontius Pilate, the powerful political figure and state agent, who determined his fate, not his future.
Further, historians tell us that the judgment and the final verdict leading to the death penalty, burial, and annihilation of Jesus happened on a Friday– what is commonly called the “Good Friday” or “Holy Friday” in the Christian sacred/liturgical calendar. Arguably, the death of Jesus was a state-sponsored violent death and ruthless execution. The death of Jesus is a demonstration of the problem of justice in society and the bankruptcy of the legal system in the world. By implications, it invites us to think responsibly and ethically, for example, about the problem of mass incarceration of black males in the United States. Like Jesus, many of the prisoners and felons currently serving a sentence (some a “life sentence”) are wrongly accused of a crime they did not commit.
Yet while Jesus was still hanging on a cross made up of old and rugged wood, somewhat analogous and parallel to the America’s terrorized lynching tree in which many thousands of falsely-accused blacks breathed their last breath in the American society, he spoke seven powerful and beautiful words that narrate an intricate rapport between God and humanity, human vulnerability and strength, despair and hope, grace and forgiveness, inclusion and acceptance, redemption and justice, love and hospitality, etc.
On this “Good Friday,” as we continue to remember Jesus, I invite you to reflect upon the meaning and implications of the seven last sayings of Christ:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46).
The first saying of Jesus establishes the paradoxical rapport between the good and holy God and the problem of divine justice upon the bearer of sin. In Christianity, it is believed that Jesus is the bearer of everybody’s punishment from God because everyone sins; sin is a transgression against a holy and righteous God, the Creator and Redeemer of all people. When someone sins, he or she becomes an instant violator of God’s moral law and ethical virtues, and everyone falls in this category.
Hence, the saying by Jesus, while being lynched on the wooden-cross, indicates the following threefold message: (1) sin creates alienation between God and human beings, but it is never too deep to stop the divine love and grace; (2) sin creates alienation and distance between individuals in society, but it does create the possibility for reconciliation and to do life together again; and (3) sin does not have the final word and does not determine one’s future and final destiny. Rather, it is one’s personal attitude and response to the death of Christ that determines the nature of one’s relationship to God the Creator. In other words, the death of Christ calls for a decision from every individual, and this decision is personal and existential, and it also involves Jesus the Christ and Jesus the Savior of all people.
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Forgiveness is always a human possibility and a wonderful gift of reconnection and readjustment, between God and individuals, individuals from the same clan or people from different communities.
Forgiveness is not only about human relationships and interplays; it may engage two nations or governments that were once in enmity with one another. Forgiveness fosters the possibility for global peace and mutual collaboration between the nations and leaders of the world.
Every individual has an opportunity to start life again once being forgiven and reconciled with one another. Every nation has the capacity to forge strong links of friendship and hospitality, and to perform intentional acts of kindness toward one another–once forgiveness is achieved.
Forgiveness is an active attitude and a human force that compel us to seek reconciliation and peace; it welcomes friendship and defers exclusion, and teaches us vulnerability, teamwork, and humility.
The triumph of humanity in this world does not rest upon a blossomed capitalist market nor does it entail forces of competition toward greatness and status; rather, the success of humanity in this age lies in our willingness to forgive and map out a new path together. Forgiveness changes our attitude from being a master to be a servant.
Consequently, in this saying from the lips of Jesus, Jesus extends the gift of forgiveness to his abusers, exploiters, oppressors, and even to those who have planned his death. That’s the example that marks the Christ-event on the cross, and this is how the cross speaks to humanity and to each individual. This is what it means to follow Jesus in proximity and to be a friend of God. In this way, ever person is called urgently to imitate Christ and to pursue the mind of Christ in all things.
“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
The gift of paradise is not a place in another world or a metaphysical residence. It is a conferred status upon receiving divine grace and favor and having been interrupted radically by divine love and kindness. Paradise means divine presence and interpenetration, and christocentric unity and indwelling.
Paradise is an invitation to participate in Christ and to be one with him in this world and the one to come. In the third saying, Jesus the Christ begins with and thus invites one individual, who was a decisive and condemned thief by the Roman Empire and a stranger to Jesus, to be in paradise with him; that individual stands for every human being in the world and the beneficiary of every subsequent invitation offered by Jesus–inclusively to every boy and girl, man and woman, male and female, homosexual and lesbian, transgender and cisgender, and every individual fashioned in the image of God. This invitation id inclusive for it crosses class, ethnic, racial, political, ideological, and geo-political lines and borders. Yet it comes with a measure of substantial responsibility and radical transformation, what Jesus himself called “the new birth.” Everyone who is invited to Christ’s paradise must be “born again.”
“Dear Woman, here is your son!” and “Here is your mother!” When Jesus recognized His mother standing near the cross with the Apostle John, He entrusted His mother’s well-being to John’s responsibility. (John 19:26-27).
In this fourth declaration by Christ, he directly validates the dignity and humanity of women, and concurrently, he establishes the intimate bond and relationship between a mother and a son. In the same vein, “The Christ” affirms that life is a gift that generates from women; yet its ultimate origin is divine and mysterious.
Life as a gift from both God and women, correspondingly, requires the urgency to be part of a community and the pressing existential need to live and walk together in connection with one another; indiscriminate human hospitality is connected with the good life and successful human existence. Thus, Jesus could entrust the welfare of his dear mother to John’s sacred task or responsibility.
“I am thirsty” (John 19:28).
The fifth statement of “The Christ” indicates his vulnerability as a person and as an individual who can relate to human (our) suffering, pain, and sorrows. The underlying message of this statement signals that the person of Christ is relatable and relational, and that he is no stranger to time and space, and to humanity. He is severely touched by human fragility and weakness, and radically subject to human nature and the spontaneity of life.
“It is finished!” (John 19:30).
The sixth claim of “The Christ” is the most powerful human speech ever uttered to God, the Maker of heavens and earth, and the Redeemer of human beings and the cosmos. “It is finished” gives a clear indication of a (divine) commission that was now executed and fulfilled by the messenger. At this point in the conversation, Jesus once again affirms his divine appointment as the final messenger of the immortal and gracious God.
This rhetoric of affirmation and attainment is not only associated with Jesus’ redemptive task; by implication or inference, this saying is intimately linked to the divine origin and identity of “The Christ.” This is the basis for human salvation and redemption, achieved through divine love in the Son of God, who died sacrificially for the world–as biblical writers unapologetically attest.
Finally, this claim by Jesus, like his sacrificial death, has become the most transformative cosmic event in human history that ensures restoration and friendship, reconciliation and peace with God. It also paves the way and potentially guarantees the possibility for human reconciliation and peace, with one another.
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46).
Because every life has its origin in God, the spirit of every person and every animate thing likewise has its source in God our Maker. To commit one’s life to God is not a decision that should be postponed for the future, or in the next life to come, or even at the point of one’s death. Commitment here means an instantaneous decision and existential responsibility. Ultimately, it affirms that our life is not our own; it belongs to God, the great steward of (human) life and existence.
Haitian art: Benoit Rigaud, “Healing of the Sick” Source: Patrick Bellegarde-Smith
drcelucienjoseph, "Thinking and Meditating" 