A Native American Theology

by Clara Sue Kidwell, Homer Noley, George E Tinker

Overview

This collaborative work represents a pathbreaking exercise in Native American theology. While observing traditional categories of Christian systematic theology (Creation, Deity, Christology, etc.), each of these is reimagined consistent with Native experience, values, and worldview. At the same time the authors introduce new categories from Native thought-worlds, such as the Trickster (eraser of boundaries, symbol of ambiguity), and Land. Finally, the authors address issues facing Native Americans today, including racism, poverty, stereotyping, cultural appropriation, and religious freedom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570753619
Publisher:	Orbis Books
Publication date:	05/23/2001
Pages:	204
Sales rank:	644,561
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
	Introduction	1
	Our Purpose	1
	Indian Theology and the Dream of Freedom	4
	Knowing Our History	5
	Indians and Christians	8
	The Question of Conversion	10
	Religion and Culture	11
	Space, Time, and Place	13
	The Value of Community	15
	Gender	16
	Ethical Values and the Concept of Sin	18
1.	Hermeneutics: Origin of Belief	21
	Differing Bases for Interpretation of the Bible	22
	Native Hermeneutics	28
	Seeking a Biblical Base for Interpretation	29
2.	Creation: Balancing the World for Seven Generations	32
	Creation	34
	Beginnings	36
	Human Beginnings	37
	Human Privilege and Communities of Respect	38
	Balancing the World for Life	40
	Reciprocity: A Foundation for Balance	41
	Spatiality: Place and Time	44
	The Circle and Mitakuye Oyasin	48
3.	Deity: The Creative Power in the World	52
	Diverse Cultural Views of God and Gods	53
	Wakonda: An Indian Deity	56
4.	Christology: Who Do You Say That I Am?	62
	The Gift of Vicarious Suffering	63
	American Indians and Jesus	65
	Language and Lordship: Jesus as Conqueror	67
	Lordship and the Shaping of the Amer-European Experience	68
	No Other Name: Colonizer's Claim to Universal Truth	70
	Christ, Logos, Pre-existence and Corn Mother	76
	Corn Mother as Christ	79
	Conclusion	83
5.	Theological Anthropology: Is the Windingo Real?	85
	A Brief History of Anthropology	86
	The Concept of Personhood	88
	The Nature of Power	89
	Sacred Clowns	91
	Myth and Sacred Text	92
	Sacred Time and Sacred Space	94
	Models of Cultural Change	95
	Indian Anthropologists	98
6.	Sin and Ethics: The Notion of Sin	100
	Will and Power	101
	Sin and Sexuality	103
	Death and Afterlife	105
	Sin and Law	106
	Sin and Sickness	107
	Ethical Values and the Concept of Sin	108
	The Sin of Pride	111
7.	Trickster: The Sacred Fool	113
	The Reversal of the Ordinary	114
	Jesus as Trickster	121
8.	Land: We Sing the Land into Existence	126
	The Howling Wilderness	130
	A Problematic Historical Context	131
	Culture and Conversion	133
	Legal Constructs of Indian Land	134
	"Let Him Begin without Lands"	136
	Contemporary Issues with Regard to Land	140
	Redefining Land	141
	Christian Attitudes Toward Native Spirituality	146
	Native Americans and Environmental Concerns	146
9.	Eschatology: End, Salvation, Rebirth	149
	The World Wears Out	151
	Pre- and Post-Contact Eschatological Traditions	152
	Messianic Traditions	155
	Who Do You Say That I Am?	161
	Afterword	166
	Racism	167
	Land Claims	169
	Stereotyping	170
	Wannabes	171
	Mascots, Brand Names, and Cultural Appropriation	173
	Freedom of Religion and Its Violation	175
	Native Americans and the Church	176
	Poverty and Other Issues	178
	Conclusion	180
	Notes	181
	Index	197