Romans Disarmed :: A Salon Discussion

So we’ve been running a series on Romans over here at empire.remixed. Did you know? Many of the pieces published here on the blog were originally delivered in sermon format throughout last year at Wine Before Breakfast.

WBB is a eucharistic community that meets weekly on Tuesday mornings at 7.30 am during the school year in Wycliffe College’s chapel, and sponsored by the CRC Campus Ministry.

Some of our favourite posts from that series include We’re All in This Together on Romans 3, Creation’s Groan on Romans 8, To Hell With Romans 13 on (you guessed it) Romans 13  and Letters From the Future on Romans 14.

And now, we’re happy to announce our second in a series of Salon Discussions, this time featuring two prominent biblical scholars with expertise in Pauline Theology and the book of Romans. Behold:

Neo-Con Economics and the Injustice of Rape

On Monday November 26th, twenty people joined us for an engaging discussion of Naomi Klein’s newest book. We met together over wine and cheese to discuss Klein’s observations of what she terms “The Shock Doctrine,” watched the short film, and listened to two different responses to the book.

The following attachments are the presentations by Ericka Stephens-Rennie and Brian J. Walsh.

Ericka Steptens-Rennie’s presentation is entitled “Plots, Pressures and Penetration: Neo-Conservative Economics and the Injustice of Rape.” In it, she draws disturbing parallels between the biblical rape of Tamar, and the Chicago School of Economics’ treatment of Less Developed Countries. Definitely worth a read.

Plots, Pressures and Penetration: Neo-Conservative Economics and the Injustice of Rape

Brian J Walsh’s presentation, Entitled “From Shock and Awe to Shock and Grace” provides an analysis of Klein’s work, and pushes towards a liberated imagination that is not merely shock-resistent, but rather, shock-resilient.

From Shock and Awe to Shock and Grace

Upcoming Event

Shock and Awe :: Milton Friedman, Naomi Klein and Jesus: A Salon Discussion

In The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, Naomi Klein tells the story of the relationship between electroshock therapy, free market capitalism, and the suppression of democracy.

But what can protect disaster-shocked victims from the exploitation of shock and awe tactics? Klein suggests that we need an alternative story to orient us in the face of disastrous disorientation.

And so, with the prompting of this text, we will seek to tell an alternative story, with an alternative imagination, for an alternative Kingdom.

Placing Klein’s text in dialogue with political theory and theological reflection, we seek to retell the story, with eyes and ears open, as we ask one another the question:

What’s your story?

Location
Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Ave.
Monday, November 26, 2007
7.30pm

Schedule
Viewing “The Shock Doctrine Short Film”
Responses by
Ericka Stephens-Rennie, MA student in Political Science
Brian Walsh, campus chaplain and theology professor

Wine & Cheese to be served. Suggested donation: $5.00