As I seek to identify, interrogate, and ultimately unravel the various strands of dysfunctional Christian theology that were used to justify European expansion and colonization, I need to start with the biggest, baddest narrative of them all: the Doctrine of Discovery. I would argue that no idea has had as profound consequences for the world … Continue reading Setting our Stories Straight: Doctrine of Discovery
One of the great lessons of postmodernism and postcolonialism has been that there is no such thing as an objective philosophy or theology. All theology is contextual theology. And so, before I begin this project of dismantling the bad Christian theology that supported European imperialism and colonization, I need to situate myself within my own … Continue reading Setting our Stories Straight: My Own Settler Story
I remember when I was about eight years old desperately wanting a skateboard, and not just any skateboard, but a banana board, a style that was all the rage among second grade taste-makers in Whitehorse at the time. I wasn't particularly agile or stable on my feet, and I got around just fine on my … Continue reading Give us a King: A Reflection on 1 Samuel 8.4-20
A few months ago, I quite unintentionally began a deep-dive in reading Indigenous writers. Around the same time, a good friend and I started talking about the 94 Calls to Action from the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and how slow our government (and a lesser degree our church) seemed to be in … Continue reading Setting Our Stories Straight: Dismantling Settler Theology
I began this series with a personal reflection on the need for an approach to Christianity that is "big enough to encompass all of my own experiences, but also the highs and lows, successes and failures, and future potential of the Christian tradition." Over the past few posts, I have introduced the basic elements of … Continue reading Integral Basics, Part 7: Integrating the Basics
Matthew Root 