[Faith] Episode 24: Cole Arthur Riley - The Body of Faith
Sep 4, 2023
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Cole Arthur Riley, guest, discusses the harm of disembodied theology, intergenerational spirituality, remembering well, and the path to embodied spirituality.
Embracing an embodied spirituality requires acknowledging the negative impact of viewing the body as sinful or bad.
Intergenerational spirituality promotes the importance of engaging with the body, expressing emotions, and building connections across generations.
Christianity can embrace an embodied spirituality by critically examining its association with greed, whiteness, and supremacy.
Deep dives
The importance of embracing an embodied, integrated life
The speaker emphasizes the significance of embracing an embodied, emotional, and integrated life, suggesting that it may mean moving away from certain forms of Christianity. By acknowledging the ways in which greed, whiteness, and supremacy have been intertwined with Christian traditions, it becomes possible to reclaim a Christian formation that is centered around bodily experiences.
The impact of negative messaging on the body
The speaker discusses the negative impact of being told that the body and flesh are sinful or bad. This messaging can lead to a dissociation from the body and a neglect of its needs. The speaker shares personal experiences of encountering this rhetoric in religious spaces and the toll it took on mental health and self-perception.
The vision of intergenerational spirituality
The speaker reflects on the powerful image of intergenerational spirituality portrayed in Tony Morrison's book 'Beloved.' The vision presented in the book emphasizes the importance of embracing the body, expressing emotions, and engaging in intergenerational connections. The speaker sees this as a spiritual path to an embodied, emotional, and integrated life.
Overcoming obstacles to embodied spirituality
The speaker discusses various obstacles to embracing an embodied spirituality, including disconnection from intergenerational memories and reliance on productivity and grind culture. Additionally, the speaker acknowledges the challenges faced by those with chronic pain or illnesses in listening to their bodies. Overcoming these obstacles requires intentional practices such as setting reminders, engaging in breath meditation, and building supportive community.
Shifting perspectives on Christianity and the body
The speaker highlights the potential for Christianity to embrace an embodied spirituality if one is willing to critically engage with the ways in which it has been influenced by greed, whiteness, and supremacy. They emphasize the need to nuance interpretation and find the beauty of embodied, emotional, and intergenerational spirituality within the Christian tradition. The speaker also highlights the importance of individual journeys and the influence of community in shaping one's perspective on faith.
Cole Arthur Riley joins Jared on this episode of Faith for Normal People to talk about the harm done by disembodied theology, the value of intergenerational spirituality, the hard work of remembering well, and what a path toward embodied spirituality might look like.