Black Suffering and White Silence
It is only a special brand of privilege that could allow one to consistently deny the reality of systematic subjugation and injustices of an entire people group.
Street Dreams: Deconstructing Kendrick Lamar’s Dream in “Backseat Freestyle”
Here’s the first installment in a series of pieces on the theological and sociological significance of the music of Kendrick Lamar. Comment, Share, Subscribe.
Hip-Hop: The Soundtrack of the Struggle
Could it be that Hip-Hop is the most vibrant voice for civil rights post Malcom X and MLK?
Creative Genius
Today I watched the famous Nicholas Brothers dance clip from the 1943 film Stormy Weather and I was mesmerized. It made me think of all of our ancestors and how they defied insurmountable odds in order to survive and thrive. Black folks are genius. And that genius is still very much alive today.
Engaging Hip-Hop Culture
How should the church respond to Hip-Hop culture? Is it evil? Is it good? Is it a tool that can be used to communicate the Gospel? In this series Christopher Thompson explores Hip-Hop as a way of life and the implications for church life and ministry.
The AYS Listening Party
What do you get when you combine a church youth group, a live DJ, a pastor, and some raunchy rap music? Youth leaders at the Ephesus SDA Church in Columbus, OH recently found out.
RECAP: 2014 OSU Hip-Hop Literacies Conference
I spent the last two days listening to some of the most brilliant minds in Hip-Hop scholarship at the OSU Hip-Hop Literacies Conference. This is the gist of what I observed from my corner of the room.
At a Loss for Words
What do you say when the neat little framework for spiritual development is not enough? Let’s face it, we have no action plan and no framework for ministry to people from the hood who are unchurched.
God Loves Hip-Hop – Seminar Preview
Here’s the 8th and final installment in the God Loves Hip-Hop discussion series. This discussion will serve as the preview for our seminar at the annual Pastors Evangelism Leadership Conference in Huntsville, AL on Dec. 8. Join the discussion on twitter #GodLovesHipHop.
Spiritual Growth in Ghetto Communities
Remember Biggie’s song “10 Crack Commandments?” We memorized that song as a sacred psalm and held people accountable to its teachings. What are our frameworks, tools, processes, and systems for spiritual growth? If Biggie can systematize selling crack, surely there can be some sort of system for growing in the faith.