And so, what's the sound of black humanism, beyond the kind of popcorn quotes attributed to Cameron's black freethinkers? Say hello to Anthony Pinn, folks!
Pinn has been a forceful presence in black religious studies for a while, consistently representing a more critical edge relative to the mainstream. That, combined with his very open atheism--he has a penchant for doing interviews with atheist spokespersons and, in 2014, detailed his theist "de-conversion" in a book titled Writing God's Obituary (Ouch!)--makes him a provocative personality. But his ideas are difficult to simply disregard. One such idea is his belief in theology as a serviceable form of discourse for humanism.
In the above 2012 publication, Pinn argues that, while the "more damning trappings of theological legacy and assumptions" need to be "stripped away," "the basic structural arrangements and moral/ethical markers within theological discourse still have some utility" (4-5). So, as might already be clear, Pinn is a secular humanist who does theology, but as such his theology is without a god or gods, a savior for humanity, etc.
This video shows a little of how Pinn both connects with what seems like "theological thinking," e.g. rituals, and holds onto his humanism.
If you're a bit confused about why Pinn takes this course, I hear ya. Part of my report will focus on his perceived "utility" of theology. What is it exactly--Pinn isn't super clear about this in the intro--that makes theological discourse worth keeping. Considering that Pinn's favorable definition of theology describes it as a "method for critically engaging, articulating, and discussing the deep existential and ontological issues endemic to human life" (note the absence of supernatural elements), why not opt for philosophy as the chosen mode of discourse. I mean, that sounds like philosophy, right? This could have something to do with his affinity for the traditional structure of theological systems. His own system seems to follow that. It might also be that Pinn is personally and professional invested in a way that positions him closer to theology than philosophy. I'll try to explore that, too.
The other part of my report will try to give Pinn's humanist theology full stage. It's pretty robust, so I won't be exhaustive. It should be sufficient, I think, to show how one black humanist unifies their thoughts on fundamental subjects like human nature, community, and ethics.
Thoughts?
Weekly Total:
4/13 - commented on "Happy Advice from a Great Humanist," commented on "Humanism and the Shadow of Death," posted "A Humanist Take on Easter"
4/15 - commented on "How to Keep Your Green Vote from Turning Red," commented on "All in it Together?" posted "Congressional Freethought Caucus"
4/16 - commented on "Hello Out There," posted "Visitor from a Distant Place"
8 bases / 2 runs
Running total since COVID-19 - 8 runs
Interesting. If there's something distinctive about theological discourse beyond its focus on the nature of god(s) and religion, and something that philosophical discourse cannot replicate, it might be helpful to coin a new term for the secular/pseudo-theological version of that discourse. There are already branches of philosophy that speak to elements of what I suppose we're talking about, like axiology (study of value)... But is Pinn wanting to preserve something of the tone or style of theological discourse with which philosophy is unfamiliar? Do we need to anoint a new 'ology?
ReplyDeleteYes, that's what I'm wondering, too! We'll see....
DeleteVery interesting Jamil. I am looking forward to more. A couple of things stood out to me. One, which is relevant to in my final presentation, is the idea that one cannot be spiritual without believing in God. It seems like the religious have appropriated that word for themselves, and thus deny the validity and value of transcendental experience to all others. The other is the value of traditions. The beauty and power of the traditions of the high Episcopal church had a great deal to do with my positive experience as an Episcopalian; they had a transcendental quality. I recall telling the rector on leaving a rarely held late night Holy Saturday service (when I was not yet fully on-board with the whole church thing, and he knew it) that this was the best show in town, regardless of your belief. So Finn’s talking of traditions giving meaning made sense to me.
ReplyDeleteToo many secularists have ceded that word "spiritual" to supernaturalists, I really wish we could reclaim it as a naturalized concept implying awareness of oneself as a finite but aspirational being... and a respirational being, since the root of the word spirit is conjoined with "breath". As Fred Rogers sang, "it's a great feeling to know you're alive," etc.
DeleteYep, yep. Humanists, secularist, atheists--we need traditions; beautiful, spiritual, inspirational traditions. Let's not throw that baby out with the bathwater of theism.
Delete