Relic is a community where we explore the intersection of subversive theology, postmodern thought, and popular culture. Our passion is to dive deep into provocative discussions that unravel the complexities of contemporary beliefs, ethical questions, religious trauma, and philosophical ideas as they manifest in movies, music, literature, and everyday life.
And let’s not forget Exile….
One of the overarching themes of my work is the interplay between what I call Exile and Empire (shorthand for “weak theology” and “strong theology” respectively). Similar to Jean-Francois Lyotard’s famous description of postmodernism as “incredulity toward metanarrative,” Exile is not about replacing one imperial ideology with a different (but equally strong) one. Rather, Exile is merely a suspicion of Empire.
In a word, Exile furrows its brow and looks askance at the imperial claims of all strong theologies; ideas about dogma, canon, and heresy are not rejected or replaced, but slow-blinked at.
My influences here trace back from John Caputo and Peter Rollins to the Death of God movement of the mid twentieth century, before that to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “religionless Christianity,” before that to Luther’s “theology of the cross,” and before that to St. Paul and his insistence that the way of the cross is the way of weakness and folly (I Cor. 1:18-25).
In this online community I will be posting video seminars, hosting live events, offering Q&A sessions, and engaging regularly with members about the theological, philosophical, biblical, and cultural topics that I am working on.
To learn more, visit my Patreon page.