Another Case Study in Disposal

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2. File Label:  Revolution: 

This is a very fat file of Xeroxed articles from a course on "Christianity and Revolution" which I gave at both at Keuka College and Lawrence University (somewhat different versions). Most of these articles have a label on them indicating that they had been put on Reserve in the Library.

a. Richard Schaull, The Revolutionary Challenge  from an unknown anthology, but reprinted from Theology Today, XXIII  (Janurary 1967), 470-80).Draws on (or criticizes)the thought of Roger Mehl, Herbert Marcuse, Andre Philip, Candido Mendes de Almeida,  Robert Theobald, ?? Wendland, Harvey Cox

b. _________________, Revolutionary Change in a Theological Perspective in The Church Amid Revolution. n.d. , 28-47. Draws on Denis Munby, A van Leeuwen, Charles Cochrane,  Paul Lehmann, Augustine.

            Both these essays are arguing the necessity of revolution in totalitarian societies, the need for Christian involvement in revolution, and the specific roles Christians can and should play to avoid the pitfalls of revolution.  Issues of non-violence vs. violence, building grassroots communities, etc.

*c. Father Berrigan's Letter to the Weatherman from The Village Voice Jan 21, 1971.

  This is a classic. Worth re-reading.

d. Libretto from Jesus Christ Superstar  by  Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice.

e. Article on "Zealots" from The Jewish Encyclopedia.

f. Herbert Loewe,  "B. The Question of Tribute" and "C. The Coin Symbol and the Action which Jesus Took,"  D. Conclusions."  pp. 38-116,  from his book Render Unto Caesar, 1940.  Very detailed discussion of "render unto Caesar," and its context in the Roman tax system and the Jews. Loewe is a Jewish scholar.

g. P.R.  Regamey, "First Thoughts on Violence," Chapter One of Non-Violence and the Christian Conscience   (Herder and Herder, 1966). pp. 43-75.

h. Stephen Rose, On the Possibility of Revolution in America  from his book Alarms and Visions: Chuches and the American Crisis, (Chicago: Renewal Mag. 1967),  pp. 148-170 (pp.166-67 missing).

An unnamed interviewer questions Stephen Rose (who had a connection with the UCC Church in Stockbridge). Interesting interview!

i. Hugh Montefiore, "Revolt in the Desert? Mark 6:30ff." New Testament Studies, 8 , 135-141. From an unknown collections of essays.

j. Charles C West, Community - Christian and Secular;  and Emilio Castro, Conversion and Social Transformation; two chapters from  Harvey Cox, (ed.) , The Church Amid Revolution, (NY: Assoc Press, 1967)  pp. 228-256. Papers from the WWC meeting on Church and Society in Geneva.

k. Report of Section II: The Nature and Function of the State in a Revolutionary Age., pp. 96-119.  No named author. This is also a World Council of Churches document from Geneva

l. George Mendenhall, "The Hebrew Conquest of Palestine," Bibilcal Archeologist, XXV, 1962, 3, 66-87.

m. William C McLoughlin, "The American Revolution as a Religious Revival: 'The Millenium in One Country,'" a review of Alan Heimert, Religion and the American Mind from The Great Awakening to the Revolution (Harvard U.P., 1966), in New England Quarterly  date??

            Acc. to McLoughlin, this is a ground-breaking work, though he has reservations about it. It gives a great deal more significance to the role of Edwards and Evangelicals in the Revolution.

n. Sidney Mead, Through and Beyond the Lines" from Journal of Religion date?

              Also a review of  Heimert, but very critical of it's methodology.

o. Robert N Bellah, Civil Religion in America. Source not named.

  A seminal article.

p. Two articles on Revolution from NOMOS VIII (The Yearbook of the American Society for Political and Legal Philosophy) 1966, ed. Carl J Friederich.

            George Pettee, Revolution-Typology and Process

            Melvin Richter, Tocqueville's Contributions to The Theory of Revolution

           

q. Karl Kautsky, The Foundations of Christianity. First published in German in 1908. English edition, Russell & Russell, 1953. Book Four: The Beginnings of Christianty, chapters 1-4.

            A study of the proletarian origins of Christianity by a Marxist.

*r. Arthur Waskow, A Radical Haggadah for Passover from Ramparts, 1969.

s. "The Alfano Case," from First Presbyterian Church, Chicago, 1971.

            An account of the murder of a Chicago Police Officer, James A Alfano,, Jr., in which 8 black young men, members of the Black P Stone Nation were charged, tried and acquitted. Their defense was supported in part by a fund at the FPChurch. I took my class to this church and we met the pastor, John Fry, who was a radical activist at that time.

Note: This is interesting. Contemporary writing on the BPSN portrays it as an Islamist terrorist group!   One author says John Fry was "duped."

*t. Robert Coles, The End of the Affair from Kattalagete  pp 46-57 (last page{s) missing). N.D.

            This is a fascinating account by Coles of how his vocation as a pediatrician and advcate for children was formed, and the dynamic of his parents - his father a secular Jew and mother a pious Episcopalian. I don't know why this article is in this file. But it is really interesting and I think Ellen would love it. I might read it aloud on a trip. 

Assessment: There is a lot of interesting material here! I spent a lot of time reading parts of this trove, which I had not looked at for over fifty years!  The pieces marked * I'm going to digitize.  Most of the rest of it I could probably find in a library if I really wanted to, but I probably won't. I suppose the question might be: given the state our country is in, would I want (or "need") to offer a course in "Christianity and Revolution" again? Not sure I have much credibility as a revolutionary any more (if I ever did !). I'll have to say though, this is one of the most popular courses I ever offered. Students loved it and a few even said it changed their lives.

  

Decision: Put most of these photocopies in the paper recycle bin except those marked *