Imagen del autor

Barbara A. Holmes

Autor de Joy Unspeakable

7+ Obras 161 Miembros 2 Reseñas

Sobre El Autor

Barbara A. Holmes is Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Memphis Theological Seminary, as well as Professor of Ethics and African American Religious Studies there
Créditos de la imagen: United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

Obras de Barbara A. Holmes

Obras relacionadas

Etiquetado

Conocimiento común

Miembros

Reseñas

Barbara A. Holmes' Walking with Our Ancestors: Contemplation and Activism is a wonderful piece of reflection. Holmes reminds us that even contemplatives need to be in the world, that the stillness contemplatives seek can be used as a tool for change-making. Holmes' prose is clear and welcoming. I would gladly have continued reading her thoughts on this topic for hours and hours, and pages and pages, more—but I'm deeply grateful for what she has provided.

Holmes focuses on the Civil Rights Movement, exploring the ways in which non-violent civil disobedience is made possible through individuals coming together in a spirit of contemplation to challenge injustices that are too big for a single individual to address. She reminds us of the prayer meetings that often preceded these acts of protest and of the kind of centeredness that is required to remain non-violent in situations in which violence, even death, is a possibility.

Holmes acknowledges the role of the church in the Civil Rights Movement, but sees it as a movement of individuals, not of the capital-C Church, and a movement that embraces (and needs) individuals from other faiths and individuals who may have no faith beyond a determination to seek a more just world.

I read Walking with Our Ancestors at the same time I read Ours, a soon-to-be-released novel that uses a blend of history and magical realism to depict a community of the newly free learning what that freedom will mean for each of them and the extent of that freedom. I mention this because I think Walking with Our Ancestors worked well as a companion to that novel and would work well as a companion to any novel that raises issues of Black history and spirituality. Walking with Our Ancestors is a title that could be effectively paired with The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, The Prophets, Conjure Women and/or My Government Means to Kill Me. I'm sure readers will be able to come up with other such fruitful pairings.

Walking with Our Ancestors provides the kind of quiet, gently paced energy that is essential to contemplation. It speaks to the mind and to the heart.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
… (más)
 
Denunciada
Sarah-Hope | Jan 27, 2024 |
An exploration into many of the practices of the Black church and culture and how they relate to the contemplative tradition.

The author sets out from the beginning with the recognition that Africana contemplative traditions do not look like the quiet meditative discipline which is normally associated with the term. She makes compelling arguments that even though the Africana traditions may involve dance and ecstatic experiences, it remains very much in the same vein as the contemplative tradition, and can be considered part of the contemplative tradition.

She explores the legacy of contemplation from West African societies and how they would have provided a foundation for those brought over to North America; she considered the "inner life" of those enslaved; she considered how many of the traditions of the Black church have a contemplative side or are their own forms of contemplation; she investigated the way such themes are expressed in Biblical interpretation in the Black community; she explored how the contemplative traditions were practiced and informed activism for civil rights, and even how more "secular" forms of entertainment, the blues and jazz, etc., were expressions of the contemplative tradition in many ways. She sees a way forward for song, dance, and ritual to bring people together, and for the Black church to become the home for its people it ought to be.

This is a very helpful book to expand one's view of what the contemplative tradition ought to look like, even if one has not been acculturated into such different perspectives and would find many of the practices foreign.
… (más)
 
Denunciada
deusvitae | Mar 3, 2021 |

También Puede Gustarte

Autores relacionados

Estadísticas

Obras
7
También por
1
Miembros
161
Popularidad
#131,051
Valoración
½ 3.5
Reseñas
2
ISBNs
11

Tablas y Gráficos