The Weight "No Cure For Being Human" with Kate Bowler
10 snips
Jul 4, 2024 Join historian and author Kate Bowler, known for her insightful work on the American prosperity gospel and living with illness, as she delves into the complexities of pain and faith. She shares her unexpected journey with cancer and challenges the cultural narratives around suffering. Kate discusses the importance of presence amidst crises, critiques the superficial positivity in society, and highlights the gift of listening. Through humor and theological reflection, she advocates for embracing life's uncertainties while nurturing hope.
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Copperhead Bite Near-Death Moment
- Kate Bowler describes stepping backward on a park path and being bitten by a copperhead, then treated in hospital with antivenom.
- She recounts the surreal attention and seriousness around the event, using it as a humorous near-death anecdote.
Cultural Scripts Shape Suffering Expectations
- Kate realized her cancer forced her to confront cultural scripts that promise control and guaranteed better lives through faith or effort.
- She began studying how American Christian beliefs about prosperity shaped expectations of certainty and personal specialness.
Crisis To Chronic Alters Life Questions
- Moving from crisis to chronic illness changes questions from "why me?" to "how do I keep living with this?".
- Kate notes she lacked a theological story for sustained living with chronic illness beyond preparing to die or reverting to previous life goals.
