Places of Redemption: Theology for a Worldly Church

by Mary McClintock Fulkerson

The primary aim of this book is to explore the contradiction between widely shared beliefs in the USA about racial inclusiveness and equal opportunity for all and the fact that most churches are racially homogeneous and do not include people with disabilities. To address the problem Mary McClintock Fulkerson explores the practices of an interracial church (United Methodist) that includes people with disabilities. The analysis focuses on those activities which create opportunities for people to experience those who are `different' as equal in ways that diminish both obliviousness to the other and fear of the other. In contrast with theology's typical focus on the beliefs of Christians, this project offers a theory of practices and place that foregrounds the instinctual reactions and communications that shape all groups. The effect is to broaden the academic field of theology through the benefits of ethnographic research and postmodern place theory.

Genres: Theology

268 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fulkerson uses postmodern place theory to analyze an interracial church in Durham, NC and offers theological reflections from her ethnographic research. The book opens with two theory-heavy chapters followed by a series of "thick descriptions" of the church's worship practices, Bible studies, and home-making activities. Fulkerson closes with a chapter of overtly theological assessment which was, for me, the best part of the book. Not an easy read, but worth working through for those interested in the structures of racism that exist outside of our individual wills or in theological treatments of disability.

[Yasmine Flodin-Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story telling.

[Joseph Sverker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting project that McClintock Fulkerson lets us look into. She is close to the ground and the congregation here and it is inspiring to see how the church worked with diversity. It is also sobering to see how challenging it is to be diverse and strive to be a community. The method of a postmodern theory of place does less for med perhaps. It is also sobering to see how difficult it is to make theology out of empirical research. I think that the systematic theological insights could be developed more.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ethnographic study never sets out to be a how to. It explores from multiple lenses the challenges and gifts of multiracial and multiabled congregations. The theory is a little heavy handed. The story telling is meaningful. The result of absorption is disappointing.

[Eric Ledermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an amazing topic: studying a truly multicultural United Methodist congregation. But the language and writing style: an academic TRYING to sound academic, to the point that it's difficult to understand. I have to read sentences and paragraphs and pages over and over again in order to get the tiniest glimpse of what the hell the author is TRYING to say.

If I didn't have to read this for a D.Min. class, I wouldn't be reading it. Which is sad, because I think what she is trying to say needs to be heard, and theories she shares and reviews are worth sharing and reviewing. But this book is so inaccessible that its message is lost. Sad.