Doomsday

Some Fundamentalist Thoughts on the End is a documentary produced, filmed and edited by Jahneille Edwards. It is the result of spending five months of intense discussion, research and learning about the makings of apocalyptic theory and the application of such theory in everyday life. After being immersed in the language of theory I wanted to test in a sense the waters and pry into the thought processes of those that adhered to certain theories. Having entered the course with an uncertain definition of the “apocalypse” I have now gained a clearer understanding eschatological thought in its traditional, modern and post-modern sense and was eager to embark upon my own research. Continue Reading »

Last week I read the entire book because I thought that we were assigned the entire book. I unfortunately do not have any new insights on the novel (because I read it over a week ago), but I plan on commenting on everyone’s posts for inspiration and discussion…so everyone post please!

Albertine was an exciting read with Byzantines twists and a strange familiarity to the Book of Revelation. I loved  the parallels between Kevin’s “calling”/assignment and John’s calling to record a prophetic revelation. Of course there are some stark differences: Kevin was called by a drug lord with an abusive past, he consumes  harmful addictive substances and  focuses largely upon memories and the distant past. John on the other hand was summoned by God(a moral authority not the only authority as presented  by the character of  Cortez) and looks towards a “bright” future. Whether or not he was experiencing a drug induced vision, its not for me to judge but both men have other worldly experiences. Their assignments were very different but very similar on a fundamental level- a quest for truth.

On a side note the portrayal of women is also quite similar to that of Revelation. The image of the whore/prostitute,  Jezebel/deceiver appears in this seemingly secular rendition of the Apocalypse in New York City. I wonder if this was a result of the author’s prior social conditioning to the apocalyptic culture of the United States  and their protrayal of women? Or was this intentional on his part? I know we are not supposed to analyze literature based upon what the author might have intended but it would make a difference if he did this for example deliberately as opposed to occurring simply by accident.

I realized that my original version of my project proposal was located on my old laptop which is being serviced so this version is somewhat different from the original.

I aim to film a 8-10 minute documentary on current  Apocalyptic theory and understanding in the Afro- Caribbean church. After reading Strozier’s interviews on evangelicals in the twentieth century, I will be adapting the questions he posed to the people I will include in the documentary. Ultimately, I would like to know has the apocalyptic sentiment changed for the twenty-first  century for parishioners and  how this is molded in the wider context of life in America as an immigrant or person of color etc. I will be interviewing Dr. Richard F. Christie, President of the Manhattan Bible Institute and Dr. Steve Jagdeo, Pastor of Global Christian Network along with others.  At the end I might be able to draw some parallels between what Strozier may have discovered and hopefully add some more insight in terms of race, class and international thought. I have had some experience with making a documentary because I worked on one this past summer with the National Park Service. However, I will certainly need help with editing and creating release forms because I am somewhat unfamiliar with those things. Below are a few sample questions. During interviews I work best extemporaneously so the final content will be much more in depth than what these question portray.

Sample Interview Questions:

What is the Apocalypse? Please define this term.

Do you believe that “the end” is near? If so please explain why?

How might one prepare for the end?

How will these apocalyptic events play out? Please describe the arbiters and others who might be involved.

Where do you see yourself and others like you during the events?

Have you any questions or doubts on the book of Revelations? Should it be taken literally or symbolically?

Do you remember first hearing about the end? How did you receive this information? Please describe your feelings.

Wanted: More White Babies

Demographic Winter Trailer

Ok so I am not as technically savvy as the rest of the class so if anyone wants to actually post the video to the blog (ahem daniel or john), please feel free. I do not understand , does falling birth rates Europe signifies the end of the world as we know it?! Should the non-colored people be afraid?

I guess this is my lucky year. This is the first time (as far as I can recollect at least) that all of my courses overlap in subject matter and discourse. Oppression whether it be patriarchal, environmental or economic, I have been forced to reckon with its varying forms. This week I got to grapple with “technoppression” or technology used as a tool for apocalyptic domination. I have become more than familiar with Hollywood’s admonition that machines or technology will first enhance and eventually replace mankind at a final showdown (see every Will Smith movie for examples).  Despite my exposure to such influences, I rarely considered the implications of rapidly developing technology and its impact on the concept of the human body. Earlier this summer I read Bodies by Susan Orbach a psychologist who explored the idea of the manufactured western body. According to Orbach the body has become a form of work on which we are constantly improving, fixing and changing in order to become “better” versions of ourselves. Granted enhancement for beautification purposes is hardly a new topic but she drew upon the indispensability and the decreasing diversity of the “perfect” body that Quinby mentions. Even right now as I think about this I realize that this is evident is quite a few places. I had the opportunity to read another book titled Killing the Black Body, which mentioned the history of eugenics in this country and its racialized targeting of African Americans for sterilization. I was horrified to find out that many of the hysterectomies preformed even into the 1970’s upon black women were without their consent in attempt to eliminate the “black” gene and all of the social baggage that comes with it in this country. I do not know if it would be a stretch to say that this was an earlier form of genetic engineering but I believe that this continued technological development will only negatively affect those who do not fit in the idealized mold. “Programmed perfection” is so pervasive its somewhat upsetting. Personally I can easily draw and example from the issue of black females and their hair. It is shocking and disappointing that black females spend billions of dollars annually on making their hair look “right” through the use of weaves, corrosive chemicals and other magical tricks. Usually the finished product no longer mirrors the tenacious and unique curls that springs from their heads but instead is a sleek and shiny imitation of the idealized European standard.

Possible essay question:

Is there a distinction between “Truth” and widely accepted discourse? In Glorious Appearing Truth is given to the few believers living during the tribulation. While the characters come from varying backgrounds and religions, their common bond is the  accepted “Truth” of Jesus Christ. How does this relate to a structure of power amongst the group of believers and their interactions with others around them? How is are other forms of “truth” left out of the discourse and characters quest for knowledge? May be I am asking too many questions?

Angels in America was truly a difficult and depressing read for me. In order to help explicate the many themes and issues that arose in the play I consulted a compilation of essays written about the play. One particular essay that I read was David Savran’s: Ambivalence, Utopia and a Queer sort of Materialism: How Angels In America Reconstructs the Nation. He explores many of the issues that surface in both of Kushner’s plays but I focused largely upon his take on the approaching millennia and the utopia envisioned by the characters. First, Savran argues that the inspiration for Angels’ utopia was taken from a twentieth century philosopher (Walter Benjamin) Theses in the Philosophy of History.  I have not read Theses but I am sure that it could only provide greater insight into the thinking that went into writing this play. One resounding theme in Theses, according to Savran, is the binary of the future vs. the present. He refers to progression of the painful and imperfect reality that is now while comparing it to the hope provided by the future. One such representation of the future appears in the form of the angel at the end of the first play. Another example is provided by the character of Prior Walter who is called as a prophet at the end of the play. Prophets see into the future and reveal its secrets to others. But even with his higher calling I wonder how long will he be mired in the pain and eventual death of the present. In spite of a grasp of the future and his gifting, his name is Prior. He is constantly visited by his forefathers reminding him of what was without alluding to what will be. This is of course a very brief summary of the author’s argument and his take on the borrowed philosophy behind the play. Once again the play was a heavy read and at times the issues raised in this essay were even heavier. However, I received some insight into the play that I would have largely overlooked during my own exploration.

It was a little difficult for me to find the overarching theme in Rosen’s Introduction so I will simply address some points that stood out for me. The first is a quote near the beginning of this section, which sums up quite succinctly what purpose has the Apocalypse through out human history. Many different authors have spoken about the slant and the social influences of apocalyptic theory but she addressed it quite nicely in the beginning.

“Apocalypse is a means to understand the world and ones place in it.”

This quite frankly speaks for itself and does not need any further explanation. It is an attempt to answer the age-old question of  “why am I here?” The apocalypse offers a hope that at least there is an end for all of us. The end essentially is the great equalizer of humanity. The oppressed find hope in the promise that they will one day vanquish their oppressors.  Another reoccurring theme is that all things in the universe move form disorder to order. This concept is found beyond the boundaries of literature and social theory. Perhaps, we as natural beings are accustomed to all things coming to an end; it only makes sense that time or the world we live in is also bound by such confines. And lastly, her observation on New Jerusalem in a secular context was quite interesting. A new vision as opposed to a perfect world headed by a perfect being makes a lot of sense. I simply believe that I never stopped to consider that. However, in secular contexts the new vision, which originally seems promising and innovative, is horribly flawed. For example Huxley’s Brave New World and Lowry’s The Giver is a new and “improved” world but appears to the readers (or me at least) as oppressive and inhibitory. Just my thoughts…