Exploring the intersection of religion and music, Anthony Pinn delves into how music influences our perceptions of the sacred and the profane. Through a blend of academic inquiry and personal reflection, he provides insights into the diverse roles music plays in shaping our understanding of spirituality and cultural identity.
Anthony Pinn examines how hip hop artists challenge white supremacist definitions of Blackness by challenging white distinctions between life and death.
Drawing on literature along with the visual and performing arts, Anthony B. Pinn theorizes religion as a technology for interrogating human experiences understanding the ways in which things are always involved in processes of exchange and interplay.
This book interrogates the ways in which new technological advances impact the thought and practices of humanism. Chapters investigate the social, political, and cultural implications of the creation and use of advanced forms of technology, examining both defining benefits and potential dangers. Contributors also discuss technology’s relationship to and impact on the shifting definitions we hold for humankind. International and multi-disciplinary in nature and scope, the volume presents an exploration of humanism and technology that is both racially diverse and gender sensitive. With great depth and self-awareness, contributors offer suggestions for how humanists and humanist organizations might think about and relate to technology in a rapidly changing world. More broadly, the book offers a critical humanistic interrogation of the concept of “progress” especially as it relates to technological advancement.
Toward a Comparative Black Theology - 20th Anniversary Edition
Exploring the rich diversity of black religious life in America, this work highlights non-Christian movements such as Voodoo, Santeria, the Nation of Islam, and black humanism. Through extensive research, travel, and interviews, it offers a captivating examination of these faiths, supported by photos, bibliographies, and case studies. Pinn's study aims to formulate a comparative black theology, marking a significant contribution to the understanding of the evolving black religious quest in the United States.
"Examines why has humanism failed to provide a more compelling alternative to theism for so many minority groups and makes a case for why humanism should embrace racial justice as part of its commitment to the well-being of life in general and human flourishing in particular"--
Confessions, communions, sermons, and community service--Father Ford did it all. Although he never fully understood what led him to the priesthood and at times just went through the motions as best he could, he managed to avoid the conflicts and dilemmas that so often destroyed the careers of fellow clergy--no sexual misconduct of any kind, no stealing, nothing that would bring disgrace to the Church. But when the Church forces the closure of his low-income congregation and assigns him to a new church in a rich part of town, a hotbed of sin, he begins to question whether the Church establishment is truly honoring God's will. Challenged by a troubled parishioner who reminds him that violence and murder have long been a vital story within the saga of human salvation, Father Ford starts to understand that God has sent this messenger for a reason. He comes to the realization that perhaps his true calling is to do whatever is necessary to purify all who sin through extreme penance. In the sanctuary of the confessional, Father Ford and his unlikely partner commit to doing the work of Christ that the Church can't or won't do . . . bloody work--a divine charge to cleanse the congregation and safeguard the body of Christ from sinners. Together, in order to save, they resolve to kill.
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.