Chanting with Christ

   On Tuesday, we discussed how different religions have rituals that require those who practice it to go into a "trance" or other state of consciousness (Chapter 4). In the discussion, we compared the methods for "curing" (like we talked about for an "illness" defined by Crossan) a person who was believed to be possessed by a demon. If you are a person that does not believe in practices, such as an exorcism, it is still advised to be understanding of the practices of a religion that would require a ritual for casting out demons. So, a doctor who is called on to cure a patient of a possession by an evil spirit may conduct a traditional exorcism (if that is what the culture calls for) in addition to using medical or scientific practices that they find appropriate.

  The play that my high school performed in the 2012 Massachusetts Drama Festival, Alchemy of Desire: Dead Man's Blues, included an exorcism scene. The play takes place in the Bayou, where Simone, a newlywed bride, has lost her husband.  After the burial services, Simone has still not "cleaned" her house of the spirits lingering there. Her four superstitious neighbors eventually take it upon themselves to "sweep" out the evil spirits to prevent her house from becoming a "spook house." The exorcism uses the following chant :

"Chili pepper, Cornbread, Ice Water, Alligator, Spirit fly away!

Oh, Lord!

Father, can you hear me?

Oh, Lord! Hey ya!

Oh, Lord! Save this house from falling!

 Spirit, don't you come 'round this house no more!" 

   Because of this play and the research that I did as Dramaturge, I better understand the psychological and social repercussions that can occur if traditional exorcism rituals are not followed by someone immersed in a culture that strongly believes in them.

Jesus Ch. 3 & 4

Communion & Commensality

                        That Awkward Moment . . .

   I really enjoyed the sub-section of Chapter 4 titled "Open Commensality." I believe I have heard the story of the 'Open Dinner Party' before, so what Crossan explains and references made a lot of sense. I like how he explores the social parameters of different social classes, genders, ethical backgrounds, etc. coming together for a meal. I think about it now and how "Tradition," as Tevye says, is deeply rooted in every culture. It is a crime today for someone to sit at a different table in the high school cafeteria. In a microcosmic way, that is what Jesus was suggesting, only bigger! Imagine representatives from every clique table in the cafeteria having to sit . . . together! I can hear Regina George saying it now: "For-get about sitting with beggars, prostitutes, and (ugh) tax collectors! It would be social suicide."
   I find it interesting that part of the reason for this being such a big deal to people is the same reason that actually brings people to the dinner or lunch table together. I have heard it best said by Thomas C. Foster in his book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor.

". . . whenever people eat or drink together, it's communion. . . . Christianity [does not] have a lock on the practice. Nearly every religion has some liturgical or social ritual involving the coming together . . . to share sustenance. . . . not all communions are holy. . . . Generally, eating with another is a way of saying, 'I'm with you, I like you, we form a community together.' And that is a form of communion." (Foster 8)

   This concept of communion at the table is for one thing, ironic because Jesus is the narrator of this story, but, it also makes a good point. Eating at the dinner table and the norms associated with that practice are so engrained in our cultures that when changes are made to them, people do not know how to react. It is not just the social aspect of eating; it is the practice itself and the fact that we normally eat with people we are comfortable with. Eating "together is an act of sharing and peace" (Foster 8). And, this with the social expectations are what make a dinner of noblemen, tax collectors, peasants, prostitutes, beggars, and carpenters so, well, awkward.

Jesus: Prologue, Ch 1 & 2

Miriam, Isaiah, and Pagans?

Who is Miriam? (15)

When Crossan references Isaiah, what is he referencing? And what is it in relation to the New or Old Testaments? ("A Virgin Shall Conceive,"18)

I don't really know what pagans' religious beliefs are, and -probably because of that - I wonder why pagans are always mentioned. I know that paganism is an old religion, so was it more popular than it is today? (Ch. 1)

Jesus : Prologue, Chapters 1& 2

Questions Unanswered from Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossan

I Forgot to Ask in Class . . .

   In the Prologue, Crossan discusses "Gospel or Good News" (XVII). I am not sure what he means by this, but it is a recurring term. What does "Good News" mean? And why is it capitalized?

After Discussion in Class on Tuesday . . .

   . . . I thought I understood this, or at least I thought the re-reading would help. But I'm still confused.

   In "Chapter 1: A Tale of Two Gods," Crossan has a section where he details the similarities between Moses & Jesus.  I did not understand how he connects Jesus' story to Moses. I understand that the stories mirrored each other at times, but I am confused with why those exact parallels were significant.
   It is strange: I understand the ending of this section when Crossan says that Moses and Jesus "save[d]" (17) their people and that Jesus is the 'Moses 2.0', but I don't understand his references when he switches between texts.

Today & Tomorrow

Today & Tomorrow

Today's Class Discussion

   In the discussion today, I made the connection between Sri Krishna giving Arjuna advice and a scene in the play, Our Town by Thorton Wilder. We had discussed that young people tend to get a lot of advice thrown their way- mostly because they are young and are believed to not know as much as those who have had more life experience. And in some ways, this is true. However, I stand by the passage below that I recalled in class. Hope you like it as much as I do!

"Mr. Webb: George, I was remembering the other night the advice my father gave me when I got married. Yes, he said: “Charles,” he said: “start right off showin’ who’s boss. Best thing to do is to give an order about something, even if it don’t make sense, just so she’ll learn to obey,” he said. Then he said: “It anything about her irritates you, her conversation or anything, get right up and leave the house; that’ll make it clear to her.” And, oh, yes, he said: “Never let your wife know about how much money you have, never.”
 

George: Well, I couldn’t exactly-

Mr. Webb: So I took the opposite of his advice and I’ve been happy ever since. So let that be a lesson to you never to ask advice of anybody on personal matters."

-Act II

"Keep Moving Forward"

   If any of you have seen the movie Meet the Robinsons, then you know that Walt Disney said this. Like Walt Disney, we are moving on to another religion's "story."
   Although I identify as Catholic (and Christian), I am not very religious. My sister and I stopped going to Sunday School after we received Communion. However, I do have some strong Christian beliefs, which became especially important to me after my grandmother, who was religious, passed away in 2012. For example, my sister and I had been very close to her, and when she passed, my mother told us that she had joined our grandfather, who we had never gotten the chance to meet in person, in Heaven.
   I know at least some of the class does not identify as Christian, so I have two hopes: 1.) that I am able to put my beliefs aside and analyze the text for the theology and culture that is expressed in it and 2.) that we can all agree to keep in mind that this text may go against some of the beliefs of other students in the class. (I speak not for myself but to remind myself that there are most likely much more religious people in the class than me. I would hate for anyone in the class to feel uncomfortable from anything discussed in class.)