Humanism: Essays on race, religion, and cultural production

Description

Who are the “Nones”? What does humanism say about race, religion and popular culture? How do race, religion and popular culture inform and affect humanism? The demographics of the United States are changing, marked most profoundly by the religiously unaffiliated, or what we have to come to call the “Nones”. Spread across generations in the United States, this group encompasses a wide range of philosophical and ideological perspectives, from some in line with various forms of theism to those who are atheistic, and all sorts of combinations in between. Similar changes to demographics are taking place in Europe and elsewhere. Humanism: Essays on Race, Religion and Popular Culture provides a much-needed humanities-based analysis and description of humanism in relation to these cultural markers. Whereas most existing analysis attempts to explain humanism through the natural and social sciences (the “what” of life), Anthony B. Pinn explores humanism in relation to “how” life is arranged, socialized, ritualized, and framed. This ground-breaking publication brings together old and new essays on a wide range of topics and themes, from the African-American experience, to the development of humanist churches, and the lyrics of Jay Z. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Introduction: Sisyphus, humanism, and the challenge of three Humanism on the ground Why another book on humanism? Framing the chapters Acknowledgments Section One: Race Chapter 1 Racing humanism: Two examples for context Shadow humanism Naturalistic humanism Chapter 2 African Americans living li(f)e African American humanism What humanism means for African Americans Chapter 3 The ongoing challenge of race A bit of context Challenging the status quo: Target one—religion Challenging the status quo: Target two—nontheist introspection The implications Chapter 4 Does race have a religion? On the “Faith” of Du Bois Religion and Du Bois: Friends or enemies? A prophet’s new Christianity Black life through religious naturalism The moral thinker’s religion And so . . . Section Two: Religion Chapter 5 Nimrod is a hero . . . and God is a problem Thinking about Nimrod God as restraint exposed Human creativity in community God’s great fear Learning from Nimrod Good-bye God Chapter 6 Humanism and the rethinking of a King’s King “Somebodyness” and the theological significance of the body King and the Personal God Reenvisioning the Divine Divine mishaps and detours Chapter 7 Putting Jesus in his place What would Jesus do? Using Jesus Black folks and a Jesus who understands “Us” When Jesus becomes black Hip-hop Jesus The dilemma of Christology Chapter 8 Gathering the godless: Intentional “Communities” and ritualizing ordinary life Contextual considerations The difference between theism and religion Community for humanists and atheists? New gatherings of the godless—Sunday assemblies Humanists gatherings—The case of Houston Oasis On “New” ritualized gatherings for the godless And now . . . Section Three: Cultural production Chapter 9 Learning to be cool, or making due with what we do The persistence of faith To recap . . . and move on What to do, and how hip-hop might help PR and branding Help from an unlikely source: Hip-hop A hip-hop posture for humanists Example one: “Thick” diversity Example two: Significance of the ordinary4 Example three: Measured realism Finally . . . Chapter 10 End of the “End”: Humanism, hip-hop, and death A few words on context Death over against life Rap music on death: Tupac is Jesus Rap music and death: New authority Looking at death Chapter 11 Speaking in public: The problem of theistic language for collective life The President Speaking the USA The limits of language Revising language Linguistic building blocks Finally . . . Notes Introduction Chapter one Chapter two Chapter three Chapter four Chapter five Chapter six Chapter seven Chapter eight Chapter nine Chapter ten Chapter eleven Epilogue Epilogue: Sisyphus’s happiness Humanism . . . Bibliography Discography (Sound recordings) Index