Claiming Your Voice
Speaking Truth to Power
Claiming Your Voice
Speaking Truth to Power
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Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN: 9780814667934
Number of Pages: 232
Published: 09/09/2022
Width: 14 cm
Height: 21.6 cm
2023 Catholic Media Association Honorable Mention, Faithful Citizenship/Religious Freedom
Has the contemporary American polity remained capable of asking itself questions about its purpose and integrity? We recall our optimistic beginnings, sure of God’s blessing, yet something has gone wrong. We are at odds with each other and even our friends. What brought us to this moment, and is there anything “we the people” can do?
In Claiming Your Voice, Vest examines four contemporary deforming patterns: market culture, American empire, climate crisis, and racism. In consideration of the Christian foundations in prophetic imagination and Benedictine spirituality, she illustrates that Americans are called to provide energy for hope, to cut through public numbness, and to penetrate the deceptions of imperial consciousness so that God and the sacred again become visible and empowering for all our people.
Has the contemporary American polity remained capable of asking itself questions about its purpose and integrity? We recall our optimistic beginnings, sure of God’s blessing, yet something has gone wrong. We are at odds with each other and even our friends. What brought us to this moment, and is there anything “we the people” can do?
In Claiming Your Voice, Vest examines four contemporary deforming patterns: market culture, American empire, climate crisis, and racism. In consideration of the Christian foundations in prophetic imagination and Benedictine spirituality, she illustrates that Americans are called to provide energy for hope, to cut through public numbness, and to penetrate the deceptions of imperial consciousness so that God and the sacred again become visible and empowering for all our people.
Contents
Preface xi
Section I
America’s Promise
CHAPTER ONE
America’s Beginnings 3
The Sacred and Public Policy: America’s Promise 8
Founding Heritages 15
CHAPTER TWO
Called to Account 24
A Benevolent World Presence? 24
A Military Attack on Our Homeland and Our Response 26
A Viral Attack on Our Homeland and Our Response 32
The Role of Denial on the Way to Fullness of Life 37
Interlude A
Imperial Consciousness and Prophetic Imagination:
Moses’ Story 42
Section II
Witness to De-Formation: The Pathos of God
CHAPTER THREE
Uncritical Confidence in Market Culture 49
Market Culture at Home 50
Market Culture Worldwide: The Bretton Woods Institutions 57
Accountability at World Trade Organization Meetings 62
Challenge to These Signs of the Times 65
CHAPTER FOUR
Overweening Growth in Our Global Empire 68
Pillar 1: Financial Power in Global Empire (Reminder) 71
Pillar 2: Worldwide Corporate Domain of Global Empire 72
Pillar 3: Military Force 76
Challenge to These Signs of the Times 83
Interlude B
Living in Hope 86
CHAPTER FIVE
Denial of Earth’s Climate Crisis 90
Planetary Beginnings 90
Climate Impacts 95
Food Production 98
Challenge to These Signs of the Times 104
CHAPTER SIX
Resistance to Diversity 110
Preliminary Thoughts: Biodiversity 110
Structural Racism 116
Challenge to These Signs of the Times 125
Interlude C
How Are We Divided? 131
Chart: Primary Characteristics of Traditional, Modern, and Postmodern Cultures 137
Section III
Formative Challenge to Public Policies
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lament and Conversatio 141
Where Is God? 142
Lament: The Prophetic Cry 145
Lament: Benedictine Conversatio 150
Cultural Lament and Turning: Living into the Pattern of Christ’s Life 154
CHAPTER EIGHT
Our Task of Prophetic Imagination 161
The God Who Calls 162
Our Faithful Response: Soul-Making 167
Formative Participation in Community Life 173
Spiritual Formation and Denial 179
Participation in Community 183
Appendix A: Practice of Conscious Community 188
Appendix B: For Further Reading 190
Notes 192
Preface xi
Section I
America’s Promise
CHAPTER ONE
America’s Beginnings 3
The Sacred and Public Policy: America’s Promise 8
Founding Heritages 15
CHAPTER TWO
Called to Account 24
A Benevolent World Presence? 24
A Military Attack on Our Homeland and Our Response 26
A Viral Attack on Our Homeland and Our Response 32
The Role of Denial on the Way to Fullness of Life 37
Interlude A
Imperial Consciousness and Prophetic Imagination:
Moses’ Story 42
Section II
Witness to De-Formation: The Pathos of God
CHAPTER THREE
Uncritical Confidence in Market Culture 49
Market Culture at Home 50
Market Culture Worldwide: The Bretton Woods Institutions 57
Accountability at World Trade Organization Meetings 62
Challenge to These Signs of the Times 65
CHAPTER FOUR
Overweening Growth in Our Global Empire 68
Pillar 1: Financial Power in Global Empire (Reminder) 71
Pillar 2: Worldwide Corporate Domain of Global Empire 72
Pillar 3: Military Force 76
Challenge to These Signs of the Times 83
Interlude B
Living in Hope 86
CHAPTER FIVE
Denial of Earth’s Climate Crisis 90
Planetary Beginnings 90
Climate Impacts 95
Food Production 98
Challenge to These Signs of the Times 104
CHAPTER SIX
Resistance to Diversity 110
Preliminary Thoughts: Biodiversity 110
Structural Racism 116
Challenge to These Signs of the Times 125
Interlude C
How Are We Divided? 131
Chart: Primary Characteristics of Traditional, Modern, and Postmodern Cultures 137
Section III
Formative Challenge to Public Policies
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lament and Conversatio 141
Where Is God? 142
Lament: The Prophetic Cry 145
Lament: Benedictine Conversatio 150
Cultural Lament and Turning: Living into the Pattern of Christ’s Life 154
CHAPTER EIGHT
Our Task of Prophetic Imagination 161
The God Who Calls 162
Our Faithful Response: Soul-Making 167
Formative Participation in Community Life 173
Spiritual Formation and Denial 179
Participation in Community 183
Appendix A: Practice of Conscious Community 188
Appendix B: For Further Reading 190
Notes 192
"Dr. Norvene Vest's radical call for reform in Claiming Your Voice: Speaking Truth to Power names many complex levels of our culture, but perhaps is most urgent in the political landscape. Her expose will not settle for simply patching once again a sinking ship with the band aids of greedy, self-serving and economic bromides. She insists we entertain 'a prophetic imagination' to move us into a political theology of caring and serving the larger community-so to heal de-formations through compassionate re-formations. Anything less imprisons us in the same bloated, exhausted 'empire'; instead of continuing 'following the profits,' we must choose instead following the prophets."
Dennis Patrick Slattery, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Mythological Studies Program at Pacifica Graduate Institute and author, most recently of The Way of Myth: Stories' Subtle Wisdom
"In an age when some lament the absence of public theology, Norvene Vest's Claiming Your Voice is a welcome and timely articulation of an important role for religion and spirituality in social discourse. Readers will find its combination of the Hebrew prophetic tradition and the Benedictine wisdom tradition refreshing and thought-provoking."
Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam, Prior at New Camaldoli Hermitage, Big Sur
"Vest challenges us to put on our mature Christian 'pants' in order to face into the hard truths of our times. By speaking the truth in love, she invites us to center ourselves in the Holy Spirit while moving to bring about the change our communities and the world yearns for. The community renewal she urges will require deep listening, faithful prayer, acceptance of our human limits and courageous hope. This is a brave voice speaking to those who wish to be courageous Christians in the work of transformation."
Bishop Diana Akiyama, Episcopal Diocese of Oregon "Claiming Your Voice is an urgent appeal to heed for our times. Rooted in timeless Benedictine wisdom and the Old Testament prophetic tradition, Norvene Vest exposes us to the sobering realities we all confront in our world today and issues a challenge for us to elevate such witness into active public engagement that allows the 'sacred' to permeate our common life. A hugely provocative yet hopeful read!"
Wil Hernandez, PhD, Obl OSB, spiritual director, author, and executive director of CenterQuest
"With her Benedictine worldview in hand, Vest implores readers to pray: 'May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.' Readers beware."
Martin Mittelstadt, Evangel University "Readers will be attracted by the call to bring a prophetic word and the riches of the Benedictine tradition to the task of restoring humane ideals to our culture in concrete ways not yet envisioned."
Benedictines
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