Jazz Theologian

Reflections of a Jazz Theologian has moved!

2006-01-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

Reflections of a Jazz Theologian has a new address... www.jazztheologian.typepad.com See you there!

Emergingcity

2006-01-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

A break from Coltrane to tell you about a blog you are going to want to be familiar with. www.emergingcity.com It's a prophetic urban Christian voice of faith, action and imagination. Check it out...make it your home page...read it often! Next we'll take a look at Coltrane's best known album, Love Supreme, a framework for jazz-based spiritual formation.

The Sound of God--Coltrane continued

2006-01-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

It was a sound, a droning sound unlike anything he had heard. God met him, revealed Himself to Coltrane through a resonance. “It was so beautiful,” he told his wife as he hopelessly tried to reproduce it on a piano. That is the key to Coltrane. “With this event, the search for the mysterious sound began. It was a search that would continue throughout his life and would cause him to create some of his most intense and emotional music.” writes Fraim. After this experience he still played solo’s with amazing speed but they were not frenzied rather they were searches for ultimate meaning. When he picked up his sax and played, he was trying to reproduce the sound of God. Sometimes he would solo for thirty minutes! The question is what was he doing? He was searching for that sound of God that was playing at his lowest and yet most transformational moment of life. That magnificent murmur, that melody that met him when he was at his weakest and yet somehow was becoming his strongest. He was searching for the sound of God not to play to him, but to have it played by him and through him as a witness to his audiences. When you listen to his music you either love it or hate it but remember the meaning is not found in what he was playing but in why he was playing the way he was playing. Our lives will be meaningless to those around us until we are willing to tell them the story that reveals our search for God. Others will always baffle us until we are willing to pursue the meaning behind their music.

Talkin' Trane (cont.)

2005-12-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

The key to Coltrane is found not in how or what he played but why he played the way, he did. Musically he was a genius and a trendsetter. Practicing for hours a day, he developed unprecedented speed that awed all who heard. But why did he play the way he did? What pushed him to play scales at such mind-boggling, even manic speeds? In, Spirit Catcher: The Life and Art of John Coltrane, John Fraim chronicles the struggles, triumphs and spiritual transformation of this man who was reared in his grandfather’s church and was familiar with the ways of God. He had a substance abuse problem and eventually he moved in with his mother and began playing less and abusing drugs and alcohol more. “However, this time he must have sensed that some final decision had to be made if he was going to reach his full potential as a musician: he would have to decide once and for all if he was going to live the rest of his life as a drug addict or as a musician.” (p33) He sought the support of his wife and mother and then sought sanctuary in his room, praying and seeking God’s help to withstand the pain of withdrawals. Four days later he emerged a changed man, God had met him in a most unusual way... the result being that he began to play his instrument for a different reason. To truly truly hear Coltrane we must know what happened to him in that room. Have you ever had an experience with God that was so personal, so utterly amazing that you couldn't describe it? How has it affected you? Do you savor the moment or has the moment sent you on a pursuit to find it again? To be continued...

People get ready there's a Trane coming

2005-12-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

I started this series of posts on Coltrane but my real life has me a bit busy. Sorry. I should be back to the blogosphere soon. Coltrane is a fascinating man who had a God-experience in 1957 that changed his life and his music. I think we can learn from him...

Talkin' Trane (p1)

2005-12-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Let's talk some Trane...John Coltrane. Talented...struggler...and spiritual seeker. There's even a church named after him. (www.saintjohncoltrane.com) Over the next few posts we'll talk about his music, his demons and what he might teach us about a jazz approach to spiritual formation.

Have I read, "Blue Like Jazz?"

2005-12-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

Have I read “Blue Like Jazz?” No. Donald Miller seems like a wonderful man. I’ve skimmed his book (especially the chapter on “Penguin Sex”) and can tell that Miller is extremely creative and a wonderful writer. The reason why I have not read the whole book is because I can’t get past the first two pages. Miller writes, “I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve. But I was outside the Bagdad Theater in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes, and he never opened his eyes. After that I liked jazz music…I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve...” “In America, the first generation out of slavery invented jazz music. It is a free-form expression. It comes from the soul, and it is true.” I have not read the book because I can’t get past these words. I am enthralled with this connection between God and jazz…jazz and God. Perhaps someday I’ll read the rest of the book, but for now these opening words have given me enough to think about.

The two questions I am asked most often.

2005-12-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Since starting Reflections of a Jazz Theologian, I have received two questions frequently, mostly in private emails. Have I read, “Blue Like Jazz?" And, “Who am I?” The answer to the former is "No." The answer to the latter is, "I don't know." To be continued...

Praying the icon of Rublev

2005-12-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

Forever they sat in perfect communion and conversation. Somewhere in eternity past a triune desire came into being…to fill the empty spaces around the table. The second member of the Godhead rose from his seat only to return with a chalice of his own blood and sat it center table. And the invitation is to all to come and become part of the conversation. Imagine yourself invited to that table. Imagine yourself taking a seat. Do you say anything? What about them?

Rublev continued...

2005-12-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

In the background one can faintly see a hill, tree and house. Some say the hill represents the journey & trials of life; the tree symbolizes the life that comes from the death and sacrifice of the journey; and the house…the house of the father waiting for prodigals to return! You might also notice that each person of the Godhead has a staff. Though they don’t need to walk. They join us in the journey. Scroll down again, what would you add or change? What do you see in these symbols?

Solo-darity

2005-12-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

God the Father, sitting on the left, lifts his hand, blessing the Son. God the Son, sits center, two fingers pointing toward the Spirit. The Father sends the Son, the Son sends the Holy Spirit. All one, distinct yet equal. All soloists in their own right and yet sharing the stage of history. God...the original jazz ensemble.

Rublev's Icon

2005-12-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

Created in the 15the century, Rublev's Icon is based upon the obscure story of Abraham and the three visitors by the oak of Mamre. Drawing upon that revelation of God, Rublev undertook to capture the mystery of the Trinity in iconic fashion. This icon has forever changed my relationship with God. It has helped me to pray as well as understand what it means to know God. What do you see? What questions does it raise? If you don't already know what would your guess be as to who is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit?

Jazz in Haiku

2005-11-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Haiku

3 lines
Lines One and Three have five syllables, Line Two has 7 syllables
No rhyming, similes, metaphors or narration.
Usually about nature or a moment.

I'm not that proficient at these but I'd thought I take a shot at putting my thoughts as to what Jazz is, in the form of six Haiku's.

Who am I? Tension. Jazz is Life on the Hyphen. Race. Contradiction. Jazz is Convergence. Unity not Uniform. Out of Many One. Freedom, Boundaries. Jazz is Improvisation. Solo-darity. Life in the Moment. Jazz is the Selah of Life. Christ-Incognito Jazz is Listening. Practicing…Presence…People. Playing it by Ear. Jazz is Born of Blues. Transfigured the Disfigured. Soulful, Full of Soul.

Jazz is...

2005-11-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Whitney Balliett said that jazz is... “The Sound of Surprise.”

Ray Charles, how did you answer the question?

2005-11-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Ray Charles has an answer to what jazz is...he once released a jazz album entitled... Genius + Soul = Jazz

Jazz is...

2005-11-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

If we are going to talk jazz theology then we must first ask, "What is jazz?" Complete the sentence, "Jazz is..."

Jazz Theology 101--with visiting professor Carl Ellis (Final Session)

2005-11-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

"If the classical approach to theology has been called 'the queen of sciences,' the jazz approach to theology could be called the 'queen of the arts.' The latter investigates God's dealing with people in the joys and trails of daily life...The jazz approach is not so much concerned with the status of theological propositions as with the hurts of oppressed people. It is communicated not so much by a literary tradition as by an oral tradition. And it is not so much concerned with facts as it is with life skills: knowing how rather than knowing that." "The great advantage of the jazz approach to theology is its requirement that people be involved with Truth.” Jazz theology invites us to participate in the propositions. To enter in to the Biblical story and know the truth so that the truth can set us free. "Jazz theology is a participation in the basic patterns revealed in biblical life situations. It inquires not only what God did and said but how he said and did it. Further more, it expects him to do it again in a similar way in our lives...Effective Black preachers respond to current situations by theologizing creatively on their feet, just as jazz musicians improvise new music and enliven old songs in response to the feeling and needs of the moment." When you read the scriptures, what tools or tips have you discovered to enter in to the text and experience the living word? How do you keep theology from being just informational?

Jazz Theology 101 with visiting professor Carl Ellis (Session 3)

2005-11-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Ellis puts it this way, “…God is not just classical. God is jazz. Not only does he have an eternal and unchanging purpose, but he is intimately involved with the difficulties of sparrows and slaves. Within the dynamic of his eternal will, he improvises. God’s providential jazz liberates slaves and weeps over cities. Jazz can be robustly exultant or blue; God has been triumphant and also sad. Jazz portrays the diversity, freedom and eternal freshness of God. The genius of jazz theology is the theology as it is done.” “Theology as it is done.” Something in us tells us that our knowing about God is to be more than an intellectual knowing. The demons could pass any classical theology exam but do they know God? We long for the kind of knowing that goes beyond the intellect without bypassing the intellect. The kind of knowing of God and being known by God that made God take Enoch early. The kind of knowing that rivals Moses and Joshua as they spoke with God face to face. The kind enthrallment with God that kept Jesus up all night in conversation with his Father. Jazz theology helps with this kind of knowing. It was J.I. Packer who said in his class work, Knowing God, that it is possible to know a lot about God without ever knowing God. How do we avoid this? How have you avoided this?

Jazz Theology 101--with visiting professor Carl Ellis (Session 2)

2005-11-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

We need Classical Theology. Carl Ellis points out its importance. “Like classical music, the classical approach to theology comprises the formal methods of arranging what we know about God and his world into a reasoned, cogent and consistent system. Classical theology interacts in the critical dialogue with the philosophies of the world. It investigates the attributes of God and communicates primarily through a written tradition.”[1] We are forever indebted to those who have codified and systematized the substance of our faith. Being able to “Know what we believe and Why We Believe” as Paul Little put it, is essential for being able to “give an answer for the hope that lies within.” Classical theology has done much to build our faith by helping us to see that there are good reasons and not just reasons that sound good for our faith. “Classical theology and classical music reflect God’s oneness. The unity of God’s purpose and providence is reflected in the consistent explanations and consonant harmonies of classical music and classical theology. The genius of classical theology is in the theology as it was formulated.”[2] Yet most of us are bored with the classical approach to Christianity. Something gets lost in the propositions and proposals. Inspiration to lay our life on the line for Jesus rarely comes from hearing another 10 reasons why the Bible is the Word of God. It isn’t that we don’t care or that these things don’t matter. We need Classical Theology, but it is incomplete. Classical theology engages our heads Jazz theology awakens our hearts. [1] Free At Last, Carl Ellis [2] Ibid., p

Jazz Theology 101--with visiting professor Carl Ellis (Session 1)

2005-11-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

I have read Carl Ellis’ book, Free At Last?: The Gospel in the African-American Experience, at least once a year for almost a decade now. Save the scriptures, Free at Last?, has influenced my life and ministry more than any other book. One reason is that it speaks viscerally to me when it comes to how God was and is at work in the African-American experience. Carl Ellis does a masterful job of demonstrating how it is possible to “preach ‘the full counsel of God’ through our history, the way Stephen and later Paul were able to preach through Jewish history (Acts 7:2-53; 13:16-41).”[1] I had never heard of this. I had learned that one can share the gospel through propositions or one's own personal history, that is personal testimony, but I had never considered sharing the gospel through the history of my people…what a radical, Biblical idea! My primary reason for my returning to Carl’s work so often has been not just for what he is saying but for what he is doing—Jazz Theology. Jazz Theology is an alternative way of approaching ministry, spiritual formation, church and the scriptures. How do you share the gospel? Propositions? Personal Testimony? Have you ever shared the gospel through the corporate testimony of your people like Stephen and Paul? [1] Carl Ellis, “Free At Last? The Gospel in the African-American Experience,” (Downers Grove: IVP, 1996), p38

Improvisation (part 3)

2005-11-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

“The word improvisation derives from the Latin im + provisus, meaning “not provided” or “not forseen.”

Improvisation (part 2)

2005-11-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink, tells of a time when he attended a show for an improv comedy group. “They would get up onstage, without any idea whatsoever of what character they would be playing or what plot they would be acting out, take a random suggestion from the audience, and then, without so much as a moment’s consultation, make up a thirty minute play form scratch.” Improv seems to be 100% off the cuff but it is not. “…the true is that improve isn’t random and chaotic at all…Every week they get together for a lengthy rehearsal. After each show they gather backstage and critique each other’s performance soberly. Why do they practice so much? Because improve is an art from governed by a series of rules, and they want to make sure that when they’re up on stage, everyone abides by those rules.” “This is the critical lesson of improv…spontaneity isn’t random.” Gladwell concludes that improve works only when the hard work is done to create “the conditions for successful spontaneity.”[i] How does this inform how we do ministry? We all want to be free, but are we willing to put in the practice in order for it to happen? What are the "conditions for successful spontaneity" when it comes to doing ministry together? [i] Gladwell, Malcolm, “Blink: The power of Thinking Without Thinking,” (Little,Brown; New York: 2005), pp111-117

Improvisation (part 1)

2005-11-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

Kirk Byron Jones in his book, The Jazz of Preaching, tells this story about Mr. marsalis "Wynton Marsalis was playing, "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You," unaccompanied. At the most dramatic point of his conclusion, someone's cell phone went off." David Hajdu was present and tells what happened next... " "Marsalis paused for a beat, motionless, and his eybrows arched. I scrawled on a sheet of notepaper, MAGIC, RUINED. The cell-phone offender scooted into the hall as the chatter in the room grew louder. Still frozen at the microphone, Marsalis replayed the silly cell-phone melody note for note. Then he repeated it, and began improvising variations on the tune. The audience slowly came back to him. In a few minutes he resolved the improvisation--which had changed keys once or twice and throttled down to a ballad tempo--and ended up exactly where he had left off: "with...you..." The ovation was tremendous." Improvisation--an essential skill for any jazz theologian.

Wynton Marsalis

2005-11-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

What do you say about Wynton? Artistic Director of Jazz at the Lincoln Center; Pulitzer Prize winning author and a jazz genius...a modern day jazz icon. The recording is not great but close your eyes and take a listen...

Fever

2005-11-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

I've been a little sick lately. My temperature is coming down. Hallucinations are fading. I'm starting to remember who I am. Food has slight appeal now. I should be back soon. In the mean time, are there any topics or questions that you would like to see discussed in relation to jazz theology?

Remembering Rosa Parks

2005-10-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, Rosa Parks was at the church of which I am a part. She was standing in our lobby, along with about 20 other people, when she said, "I'm tired, could I take a seat." I ran all over looking for the perfect chair...at first all I could find was those metal folding kind. I had to settle for a the semi-cushy, not really comfortable chair from a waiting area. I carried it too here said, "Ma'am, here's a seat." She said thankyou in her quiet almost indiscernable voice. I almost wept. I couldn't believe it, I gave a seat to the woman who stayed in her seat, so that I could stand today! It was a priveledge. I've been imagining Rosa Parks seeing Jesus for the first time and him saying, "Ma'am, here's a seat."

A final thought on precision

2005-10-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

So why all this time spent on timing and precision? It determines how we approach God. Jazz is not against timing and precision, but jazz deals with time differently. "In a jazz performance, while every bar of music should take the same amount of 'clock time'--fill the same 'period'--within those bars and groups of bars there is a constant sense of respiration, of infinitesimal accelerations and decelerations in the actual playing, even though the background pulse, the tempo, remains constant. A large part of the music's meaning comes from this playing with time, this sense of being able to operate flexibly, accuratly, and freely within the implied lockstep of chronology..." (Tom Piazza) "Playing with time." Playing with precision as opposed to being oppressed by precision. Jazz icon Sydnew Bechet once gave the following instructions to a fellow musician, "I'm going to give you one note today...See how many ways you can play that note--growl it, smear it, flat it, sharp it, do anything you want to it. That's how you express your feelings in this music. It's like talking." (The History of Jazz, p50) How would that approach change what we do with the propositions of theology? "God is love." Spend a day with that note. See how many ways you can say it, pray it, sing it, yell it, write it, question it, prove it...until you hear it...fully.

Father Time vs. Our Father in Heaven (part 5)

2005-10-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

So we know that precision is neccessary...especially when it comes to a fine German automobiles. We also desire precision in our relationship with the Lord...wrong thinking about God is a guarantee of wrong living before God. So how do we have precision without the oppression of precision? What is the difference between "doing time" and "time-keeping." Think about a conductor of an orchestra. His job is to keep time. With a wave of his baton, he signals a clear beat and tempo for all to follow. He is the Maestro--the master. In a jazz ensemble, the drummer keeps the time. He sits obscurely in the back, ever keeping the beat, driving the tempo and signaling timing changes. His job is not to keep everyone on the same page, rather to set them free from the page. To keep time in such a way that sets the others free. What are the tell tale differences between the two? If they were pastors, which one would you follow?

Father Time vs. Our Father in Heaven (part 4)

2005-10-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Many of us have heard that the goal of biblical interpretation is precision, that is, to determine the original meaning of the text. What an impossible task! I remember the first time I taught the scriptures after taking an hermeneutics class...I was terrified. Not the kind of terrified that comes with the realization that one is handling THE WORD OF GOD, but the kind of pressure that comes with facing an impossible task that one can not, nor even has the remote ability to complete. Who could ever really think that they could truly find the original meaning of the text? How can one's brain in the 21st century know what was truly in the author's brain in the first century? The pressure of precision, the oppression of precision. I'm all for good Bible study skills, a healthy understanding of the original languages and a desire to do justice to the text. What I am against is the oppression of precision. Brad Braxton says, "A liberating African-American hermeneutic should not covet the oppressive title of 'the proper interpretation of the text...'" I think this goal is not just the goal of African-Americans, but of all who are weary and burdened by an approach to interpretation that confines the word instead of setting it free. Have you ever felt the oppressive nature of "the proper interpretation of the text?" If you are teaching, it can steal your joy. Especially when you know that the Lord has given you a word that is Biblical, but can you say with absolute certainty that it is the original author's intent? If you are being taught by someone who thinks that they have "the proper interpretation of the text," it can be oppressive as well. How do we honor God's word, mine it for it's truth and not oppress or be oppressed by the pursuit of precision? There must be a hermeneutic that seeks truth and freedom...there must be a jazz approach to precision...

Father Time vs. Our Father in Heaven (part 3)

2005-10-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

"In particular, for better or worse, three features of modern clock time decisively shape our lives and our thinking." writes Os Guiness. Feature One: Precision--All of humanity needs to measure time, but with the move from using the the sun an moon to the mechanical clock we shifted "from a sense of periods, as in A.M. and P.M., to a sense of precision, as in hours, minutes, and seconds." Feature Two: Coordination--"The central consequence of precision--coordination. Life becomes about...planning and coordinating our daily affairs...precision is what makes possible the plans, schedules, timetables, and logistics of the modern world." Feature Three: Pressure--Precision and coordination lead to pressure. "Time has become so precise and coordinated that it's all around us, driving us from behind, pulling us from in fornt, pressing us from above, and squeezing us from both sides." The result of all this is that we "speak of 'killing time' or 'doing time'...The tick-tock of the clock has become the background drum-beat and staccato bark of the drill sergeant who drives us across the parade ground of life." The detremental effects of our pursuit of precision when it comes to time are painstakingly obvious when it comes to our emotional and physical state. But how has it effected us spiritually? What has all this pursuit of precision done to church, bible study and faith? Has it been worth it? (all quotes from Os Guiness', Prophetic Untimeliness)

Father Time vs. Our Father in Heaven (part 2)

2005-10-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Most often we state the quality of our relationship with God in terms of precision and exactness. "How is your prayer life?" Munutes! I usually think of my relationship with God in terms of minutes. Did I pray more minutes today than yesterday. Have I found the elusive, "Sweet Hour of Prayer." We think of how much time, how many minutes we spent with God today. When the Biblical vision of unceasing prayer wonders if there was ever a minute we were not praying. The Pharisees committed the "heresy of exactness" and Jesus pronounced "woes" on them because of it. Os Guiness points out what is being said about us around the world. "Filipinos, for instance: 'Westerners are people with gods on their wrists.' or Kenyans: 'Westerners have watches but no time. Africans have time but no watches." We must come to grips with how our ability to insure accuracy is effecting our view of scripture, church, preaching, God and people!

Father Time vs. Our Father in Heaven

2005-10-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

One of the major differences between classical and jazz theology has to do one's relationship to accuracy. It's been called the "heresy of exactness," by Brad Braxton and the "tyranny of time" by Os Guinness. Whatever you call it, it has had a radical effect on how we view church, preaching and theology. On a personal level, I believe that it is one of the greatest enemies of grace in our lives. Our constant pursuit of precision is precisly our problem. Let's try a little experiment...when I ask, "How is your prayer life?" What are the first thoughts and words coming to mind? What are your automatic criteria for evaluating the quality of your prayer life? Don't correct them...anybody care to share?

The Tension of the hyphen--Bridges to God

2005-10-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

I've struggled with this last post on hyphenization because of how deeply it is touching my soul. Forgive me for playing it safe. The beauty of a jazz musician, "lies in their ability not simply to hit a musical note exactly, but to move around the 'margins' of a note, thereby increasing the vibrato and resonance of the sound...When one too precisely hits a note or too accurately defines a reality in black and white, some of the color that captivates and motivates may be lost." I believe that to know God is to embrace tension, not necessarily resolve it. Classical theology seeks precision, jazz theology lives and thrives in the ambiguity. What are your questions about God..about the hyphenated Jesus...this mixed-race-fatherless-God-man-messiah? Some of our greatest understanding of God comes from the hyphen's of Jesus, the tension of Jesus' identity...Why does the changeless God seem to change his mind at times? How can he be merciful and the coming judge? Why would a holy God want to make it possible for the unholy to inhabit his presence? Why does the omnipotent God create intercession? Why does he heal and then conceal? Why does he teach us to pray only to remain silent when we cry out to him? Classical theology has helped my mind with these questions but not my heart. Jazz theology allows us to embrace the tension of life--the hyphen, that place of tension and questions, wrestling and seeking...that place where improvisation thrives. When I was younger it thought that everything would be better when I found out who I was. If I could just find my daddy...why don't I have a daddy...why won't anybody tell me...my daddy is a what?! What I now know is that the truth becomes real in the tensions, on the hyphens, in the ambiguities...not always in the answers, but the questions. That's why I love Jesus...He's not afraid of those places. Do you know what I mean? (quotes from Brad Braxton's, No Longer slaves: Galatians and African American Experience)

Divided-Identity--Hyphenization (part 3)

2005-10-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

Slaves were "de-Africanized" almost immediately. But upon arriving in the new land, "Africans in America needed not think even for a moment that they were American's. The beatings, lynchings, and the psychological demoralization of having to call someone 'master' experientially told them that they were not American's. They were not allowed to be Africans, and they were not accepted as Americans." "The ambiguity of being stripped of one's identity and never fully afforded another has been sufficient enough to create existential tension in African American's" W.E.B Du Bois said, "Here, then is the dilemma, and it is a puzzling one, I admit. No Negro who has given earnest thought to the situation of his people in America has failed, at some time in life, to find himself at these crossroads; has failed to ask himself at some time: what, after all, am I? Am I an American or am I a Negro? Can I be both?" Du Bois would also write; 'One ever feels his twoness--an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder." Brad Braxton (PH.D and assistant Professor of Homiletics and Biblical Studies at Wake Forst University Divinity School), argues that the "hyphenated-Americanism" is necessary. Consider his words... "I contend that one of the virtues of African Americans has been our ability to hold the warring ideals of which Du Bois spoke in a dialectical tension and to allow this tension to define and energize our lives. The truth of our existence is this tension. Even though this ambiguity was cast upon us by others, African-American's have transformed this tension of ambiguity into a hallmark of our existence. Moreover, African-American's know that to resolve the tension is to suck the life-blood out of our culture and to obliterate our identity." I invite you to the birthplace of jazz--life on the hyphen! (all quotes from Brad Braxton's book, "No Longer Slaves: Galatians and African American Experience")

History of the term "Hyphenated American" (part 2)

2005-10-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

The term "hyphenated American" was popularized in the 1910s by President Theodore Roosevelt, responding to the increasing fractionalization within the nation along ethnic lines. In an October 12, 1915 speech to the Knights of Columbus, Roosevelt said, "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. ... The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities, an intricate knot of German-Americans, Irish-Americans, English-Americans, French-Americans, Scandinavian-Americans or Italian-Americans, each preserving its separate nationality, each at heart feeling more sympathy with Europeans of that nationality, than with the other citizens of the American Republic. ... There is no such thing as a hyphenated American who is a good American. The only man who is a good American is the man who is an American and nothing else." Isn't it interesting, that as Roosevelt went through the list of potential hypen's (German, Irish, English, French, Scandinavian and Italian), he left out any group with a darker hued skin including but not limited to Native-, African-, latino-, hispanic-, mexcian Americans. Why did he do that? Why was it so important to him that lighter hued people all be identified as "American's" only? What did this country lose when German's ceased to be German and Irish ceased to be Irish...? "President Woodrow Wilson also regarded those whom he termed "hyphenated Americans" (German-Americans, Irish-Americans, etc.) with suspicion, saying, "Any man who carries a hyphen about with him carries a dagger that he is ready to plunge into the vitals of this Republic whenever he gets ready." Does it suprise you that there was a time when "white's" were hyphenated-Americnan's too? And it was in the midst of all this that an American original being born--Jazz. (quotes from Wikipedia.com)

Life on the Hyphen (part 1)

2005-10-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

As you can see from my profile, I describe myself as "on the hyphen between African and American." Let's do a quick survey... Are you an American or a hyphenated-American? Why?

What Color is Jesus?--A case study in jazz theology (postlude)

2005-10-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

So what color does jazztheo think that Jesus is today? Well, "Lightskinned Negro" guessed this pretty early on...

Blue, I think that Jesus is Kind of Blue!

(If you are new to this blog you'll want to scroll down to the posts on Kind of Blue)

What Color Is Jesus--A case study in jazz theology (part 5)

2005-10-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a final reflection inspired by James Cone (and yes, these have been pictures of the man himself). So what color is Jesus today? Jazz is all about the moment. Moments that may or may not be reproduced. Jazz is about playing the same song a new way each time because of the convergence of the audience, band, and any number of other factors. The same is true with jazz theology. James Cone said that Jesus was black in 1975. His reasoning was as follows, "If we assume that the Risen Lord is truly present with us as defined by his past history and witnessed by Scripture and tradition, what then does his presence mean in the social context of white racism? If Jesus' presence is real and not docetic, is it not true that Christ must be black in order to remain faithful to the divine promise to bear the suffering of the poor?" But that was then and this is now. Cone wrote those words in 1975. Classical theology says, once a proposition, always a proposition. Jazz is different. Cone realized that the song he was playing was but for a moment of convergence that would pass away. In the midst of his case for the blackness of Jesus he said this, "Of course, I realize that 'blackness' as a christological title may not be appropriate in the distant future or even in every human context in our present." And so I ask, Has that "distant future" arrived? Has Jesus ceased to be black? Has the condition of black people changed significantly in the last 20 years so that we can move on to a different color or a different question all together? In the words of James Cone we must always be asking, "Who is Jesus Christ for us today?" (Please forgive me for not playing fair. To ask all the quesitons and not disclose one's own answers is to sit in the seat of power. In my next post I'll give my answer as to what color I think that Jesus is today.) (quotes taken from "God of the Oppressed" by James Cone)

What Color Is Jesus--A case study in jazz theology (part 4)

2005-10-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

"Jesus Is Black," said James Cone in 1975 as he interpreted Matthew 25. "Christ's blackness is the American expression of the truth of his parable about the Last Judgement: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me." "The least in America are literally and symbolically present in black people. To say that Christ is black means that black people are God's poor people whom Christ has come to liberate. And thus no gospel of Jesus Christ is possible in America without coming to terms with the history and culture of that people who struggled to bear witness to his name in extreme circmustances." "Christ is black, therefore, not because of some cultural or psychological need of black people, but because and only because Christ really enters into our world where the poor, the despised, and the black are, disclosing that he is with them, enduring their humiliation and pain and transforming oppressed slaves into liberated servants. Indeed, if Christ is not truly black, then the historical Jesus lied." "My point is that God came, and continues to come, to those who are poor and helpless, for the purpose of setting them free. And since the people of color are his elected poor in America, any interpretation of God that ignores black oppression cannot be Christian theology." Fellow listeners, what are you hearing? (quotes taken from, "God of the Oppressed" by James Cone)

What Color is Jesus?--A case study in jazz theology (part 3)

2005-10-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Let's let one of my favorte jazz theologians take a solo. In 1975 James Cone, the father of black theology, wrote, "If twentieth-century Christians are to speak the truth for their sociohistorical situation, they cannot merely repeat the story of what Jesus did and said in Palestine, as if it were self-interpreting for us today. Truth is more than the retelling of the biblical story. Truth is the divine happening that invades our contemporary situation, revealing the meaning of the past for the present so that we are made new creatures for the future." Cone is describing what I think the essence of jazz theology is--Theomoments! When our hunger for God, the song of God, our questions, joys and pains, converge with Jesus "the divine happening that invades our contemporary situation." Cone asserts that our Christology must know Jesus as He was, as He is AND also as He will be. So what color is Jesus? Well, we know what color he was (a middle-eastern man with all the telltale characteristics); we can only imagine what color he is (with feet like brass and eyes like fire...Rev. 1) but what color will he be...to you...to me...today? (quotes taken from, "God of the Oppressed" by James Cone)

What Color is Jesus--A case study in jazz theology (part2)

2005-10-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

So that we can do theology in concert together, let's make sure we are all playing the same song.

Listen to the words of our composer:

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me...I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25.35-36, 40)

Remember a classical approach to theology will see the answer in what is being said (nothing wrong with that). A jazz approach will see the answer in what is being done.

Now that we know the song, let's ask the question again, "What color is Jesus?"

Anybody care to take a solo? Let the improvisation begin!

What Color is Jesus--A case study in jazz theology (part 1)

2005-09-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

I feel like doing a little jazz theology. Here's the question: What color is Jesus? How would you go about answering that question? Do you even like the question? Is there anything to be gained by knowing the answer? This is jazz...everybody has a role, so don't be shy post and comment.

New Orleans--The Birthplace of an American Original--p2

2005-09-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

Buddy Bolden was a little crazy. New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen. The Big Easy was anything but easy, though it was very unique setting of pain diversity, and depth. Many say that Buddy Bolden was the father of Jazz. It is said that he "played so forcefully that his trumpet could be heard all over New Orleans. Given the fact that there is little documentation of the man himself, much less his music, this was thought to be just another Crescent City Myth. But was it? New Orleans, after all, lies below sea level, and it has acoustical properties like those of an echo chamber. Add to that the lack of cars and similar distractions at that time, and maybe the stories about Bolden sticking his cornet out of the club to alert the town to his presence really are true." This jazz genius and early originator of improvisation, in 1906 he was committed to an insane asylum. Sometimes I wonder if God can be known outside of sub-par conditions, echoe chambers and a little bit of insanity. It seems to me that Jesus is bending his ear, listening for those who cry out to him out of the echo chambers, the pain and craziness of life. Remember the crazy man who lived in the caves, crying out...Jesus heard him, walked on water across a lake and thorugh a storm just to get to him? (Mk. 5) What a Theomoment that was. (quotes from Loren Schoenberg)

New Orleans--The Birthplace of an American Original--p1

2005-09-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

"Jazz evolved hand in glove with American culture...it is essentially an African-American musical phenomenon that evolved out of the unique historical, cultural, and social currents of eighteenth- and ninteenth-century New Orleans. The factors that underlie its emergence are many, but one stands above all: the fact that New Orleans was at base, a French Society." "The French quality of New Orleans...was reflected most notably in a level of openenss, tolerance, and freedom that simply could not be found in other (non-French) parts of the U.S. during the nations' formative years. "The city became a destination for a wide range of outsiders--not just French, but Germans, Swiss, and other Europeans...slaveholding was widespread in New Orleans, but even in this respect the city was unique: Some slaves were free on weekends to participate in the city's work and social life, and they did. 'Free' blacks also made New Orleans their home." "the inclusive nature of New Orleans showed itself as well in the degree to which the various races intermingled and eve intermarried." This "allowed for the development of a unique musical culture in New Orleans--a musical culture open to a great diversity of sounds and styles. "With people of such distinct backgrounds commonly sharing social functions, music in New Orleans was obliged to appeal to many different ears." Interesting...For some reason "whites were not white in New Orleans. The primary goal was not to distinguish oneself over and against the new tribe of African's being created in this country. (this is not to say the racism was absent). I wonder, what was it about French Society that allowed for this? Jazz began as a result of convergence...to be continued. (quotes by Loren Schoenberg)

Better question...Who is "IT?"

2005-09-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

In light of the last post on "What is IT?" Perhaps a better question is, "Who is IT?" Grammy award winner, Wynton Marsalis tells this story about "IT" "Now, my younger brother Ellis couldn't understand all this fuss about jazz. He wasn't a musician, and jazz just didn't speak to him." But "He figured it might be worth it to learn to hear jazz. Some years later he called...'Man, I think I hear it. I can hear what y'all are playing."

"I knew exactly what it he was talking about. This hearing of it is the moment of revelation that leads you deeper into a love of jazz. All at once, the potential glories of interacting with this limitless music become evident and present, pressing. All the head-scratching and confusion are replaced with excitement and expecations. You are welcomed into a club that never dwindles--the It club.

"After all, hearing jazz is not that difficult. Following jazz is where all the trouble begins. But when you begin to think of jazz in terms of language, you'll see how much you already know. We're all improvisers when we speak, making things up as we go along, using the base of our experience, education, and knowledge to communicate effectively. Jazz musicians improvise the same way. We try to express ourselves clearly, drawing on a mental database of melodies, rhythms, and textures."

"...jazz is a language--a language of words, beyond words."

The key to jazz is our "inner ear, the sense that illuminates the music of everday details that so often go unheard. It, after all, is all around us."

Take a moment and re-read the above passage, only this time, replace the word "jazz" with "Jesus."

What is "IT?"

2005-09-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

Just the other night I was part of a group. Young and old. Rich and poor. Black, Latino & white. Farmer types and Hip-Hop. I was at a local jazz club. What is IT about jazz that produces this kind of convergence? The band had a latin saxophonist, a young dread-locked brother on stand-up bass, middle-aged white pianist and a middle aged African-American on drums. One song started and the leader motioned for someone in the crowd. An elderly black gentlmen slowly made his way to the stage...His voice was far from perfect, but as this man sang about love, IT was presnent, he had IT, we all wanted IT. And we wept because of IT. IT allows for the hyphens and the hyphen-less to co-exist; for Grandpa & grandson to be together...for unity without uniformity. What is "IT" about jazz that produces this? Have you ever experienced "IT" in a church?

Convergent Community

2005-09-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

Ensemble

"A unit of complementary parts that contribute to a single effect. From the French meaning 'together.' From the Latin, meaning 'at the same time.'" (dictionary.com) In jazz one needs an ensemble. What about theology?

Free At Last?

2005-09-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

Essential reading for the Jazz Theolgian. This book is for anyone who wants to see a master Jazz Theologian at work. Carl Ellis is the President of Project Joseph (www.projectjoseph.org) and seeks to bring reformation and renewal to the church. It is his book that has influenced my life more than any other book, save the Bible of course. You'll want to read for what it says, for it is a fascinating look at how God was and is at work in the African-American experience, but if you stop there, you'll be missing out. Don't just read it to learn what it says, read it to learn what it is doing--Jazz Theology!

Kind of Blue (part 5--in conclusion)

2005-09-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

"The parallels between the lives of African-Americans battling for their freedom as citizens and that of jazz musicians for their freedom from European harmony are too close to be mere happenstance." Jazz icon, Miles Davis, used to play with his back to the audience. To whites it was offensive. To blacks it was empowering. If a mere negro musician would dare turn his backs on whites in a racist society, then what else was possible? Same drinking fountains, no more lynchings, same schools...voting? "Harmonic complexity [had become] a hallmark of modern jazz." And "the use of harmonic structure had special, extramusical significance in jazz: it was the aspect of the music that was most deeply rooted in Europe...the use of chords comes out of the European harmonic system. And jazzmen were very aware of this." Kind of Blue was a breaking away from European musical standards. After seeing a dance troup from Africa and listening with amazement to the beats of the drummers, Miles emerged. He broke from European chord progressions as the best way to play jazz and went with a modal approach, based upon scales. And in a a 2 day recoding session with some of jazz's greats, Kind Of Blue was recorded. And jazz has never been the same. "it was voted one of the ten bet albums of all time--in any genre--and it is the only jazz album ever to reach double-platinum status....it is also a watershed in the history of jazz, a signpost pointed to the tumultuous changes that would dominate this music and society itself in the decade ahead." There was another reason why he played with his back to his primarily white audiences. In his autobiography he says that by turning and facing the band, he could listen better, read their cues and ultimately produce a better musical experience for the audience. Miles converged. How amazing is that! Inspite of his disdain for those who wouldn't even use the same restroom with him, he also sought to give them a gift. Jazz and the African-American experience are not just about emergence but also convergence. What would a jazz approach to theology look like? What about the current emergent church conversation...is emerging enough? (Quotations above are from Eric Nisenson's fine book, "The Making of Kind of Blue)

Kind of Blue (part 4)

2005-09-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

Pre-Kind Of Blue, that is 1959, Conformity was a way of seeking acceptance in America. Black musicians needed to make clear the fierce intelligence that was necessary to play [jazz]. The greater society thought of jazz as merely an offshoot of the so-called natural sense of rhythm of African-Americans and believed that it lacked the sophistication of classical music." Conformity was seen as the key to success in America for many African-Americans in general and jazz musicians in particular. Because of this comparison to classical music, "Harmonic complexity became a hallmark of modern jazz." "The rhythms and...melodies of jazz can be traced to Africa. But the use of chords comes out of the European harmonic system." "...by the late 1930's and early 1940's, there was a restlessness in jazz that would begin gradually and grow to enormous proportions by the time it reached its culmination in the 1950's and 1960's. And with black soldiers fighting a war against racism and fascism in Europe, the idea of returning to a home country in which they were themselves oppressed fanned new winds of change." "Many began to question whether European tradition was the only yardstick they had with which to measure their own music...Many jazzmen began to wonder whether trying to achieve the harmonic complexity of classical music was a desired goal after all." Kind of Blue was a break from the status quo, a protest…an emergence. For theology to become Jazz Theology there must be a moment of protest and resistance (and eventually convergence). Walter Brueggemann writes, "the task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us." (The Prophetic Imagination, p3) "The contemporary American church is so largely enculturated to the American ethos of consumerism that it has little power to believe or to act." (Brueggeman, p1) What about you? Have you ever conformed to a standard of "whiteness?" What is your "Race?" What ever your answer, in this country it assumes a standard of "whiteness." Why do we conform? How does it affect your theology? Do you even know that it is??? We must emerge...more than that, we must converge. (All quotes above are from Eric Nisenson's fine book, "The Making of Kind of Blue")

Kind Of Blue (part 3b)

2005-09-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a sample of "So What," the first track off of Miles Davis' landmark jazz album, Kind Of Blue.

What differences do you hear between Ellington & Davis?

Kind Of Blue (part 3a)

2005-09-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Here's an example of jazz, pre-Kind Of Blue...

Duke Ellington--I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good.

What do you think?

Kind Of Blue (part 2)

2005-09-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

America in the 1950's--All a matter of perspective. The war was over, suburbia was being invented and the American dream was being pursued...by some For black America, the 1950's were a decade of emergence. After 90 years of not being slaves and yet not being citizens either, something had to give. The dehumanization of separate water fountains, segregated schools, lynchings in the South, massive nihilism in the urban North and no voting rights gave rise to discontent. As Fannie Lou Hamer would say, sometimes your just "sick and tired of being sick and tired." In 1954 racial segregation of schools was ruled unconstitutional. In 1955 Rosa Parks decided to stay seated. And in 1959 Miles Davis recorded Kind of Blue and jazz has never been the same. Four years later, Martin Luther King Jr. called America to emerge, even better, to converge and America has never been the same either. Jazz anticipates, participates, senses the shift of the wind...listens Theology like jazz is not meant to be a series of static propositions but rather the job of a theologian (and everybody is a theologian!), is to sense current realities, anticipate the wind of God...to listen. To be continued...

Kind of Blue (part 1)

2005-09-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

It has been said that jazz history can be divided into two segments: “Before Kind Of Blue and after Kind Of Blue.” In 1959 Miles Davis recorded Kind Of Blue and “More than forty years after its release, it is still one of the most-sought-after recordings in the country; in fact, as late as 1998 it was the best-selling jazz album of the year.” The story behind Kind Of Blue is essential to understanding the sociology of jazz and serves as a good case study for understanding jazz theology. The album was “created…because the most important jazzmen in the modern scene desperately wanted to change the way they played their music. This need was not purely musical; it had more than a little to do with the changes then going on in American society, especially concerning the lives of African-Americans.” “It should never be forgotten that the depth and beauty of jazz have arisen from centuries of injustice, brutality, fear, and pain, none of which were passively accepted but were met with African-Americans’ resistance, striving, and hope for a more benevolent future.” Kind Of Blue marked an “end of an era” for jazz music and the beginning of something fresh—not just emergent but also convergent. I see a day that this whole modern/postmodern emergent debate/conversation is divided into two era's: Before Jazz Theology and after Jazz Theology. Over the next few posts, I am going to unpack the significance of Kind Of Blue and its' contribution to jazz as we know it. This will be essential to understanding some of the basics of how the African-American experience informs our theology. Kind of Blue is essential listening for any wannabe jazz theologian, that is, those who desperately want to change the way theology is done. If you do not have a copy, you might want to purchase one along with an album that is pre-Kind Of Blue so that you can compare and contrast. Perhaps some big band jazz…I would suggest something by Duke Ellington (if you can get an album with the song, "I got it bad and that ain't good," it will be worth it.) As we go on this journey, it is essential that we understand what life in America was like in 1959. So I ask you, “How would you describe American life during the 1950’s?" (All quotes above are from Eric Nisenson’s fine book, “The Making of Kind Of Blue.)

What is Kenny G missing?

2005-09-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

"Kenny G is an acoustic musician who plays the soprano saxophone, the instrument identified with Sidney Bechet and John Coltrane, two of the icons of jazz history." (Jazz 101, John Szwed, p21) I don't think that Kenny G is a jazz musician for many of the reasons cited by all of you in the previous post. One critic adds this thought to our discussion, "Though he claims not to be a jazz musician, Kenny G has always been regarded with contempt by jazz aficionados for his supposedly pedestrian, soulless playing." (Wikipedia) "Soulless." I don't know whether or not Mr. G is missing soul, I don't know him, but I do know that many churches are. Have you ever experienced a soulless church? Preacher? Worship leader? Have you ever heard someone saying all the right things about God and yet it was missing an intangable...it was missing soul. How do we keep the soul in our conversations about God? Where does soul come from?

Kenny G--Jazz, Classical or something else?

2005-09-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Kenny G. He's played with Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Aretha and Grover Washington Jr. He holds the world record for the longest note ever played on a saxaphone...over 45 minutes! But is Kenny G jazz, classical or something else? Why or why not? Make your case.

Moments

2005-09-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

"Emily, a young woman in Thornton Wilder's play "Our Town"...dies in child birth, but is granted a unique experience: the Stage manager allows her to return from death and live one more day of her life with her family. Although Emily has high hopes for that one day, she is disappointed. Just before she returns to her place in the cemetary, she reveals her frustration to the Stage Manager.

Emily says: We don't have time to look at one another. (She breaks down, sobbing.) I didn't realize. So all that was going on and we never noticed...Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?

Stage Manager: No...The saints and poets, maybe--they do some.

(from Space for God, Don Postema, p14)

I would add Jazz Theologians to Wilder's list of those who live life for each moment. JT is all about about the convergence God in the now--Theomoments.

What about Jesus the master Jazz Theologian? Can you think of times when he lived life for the moment? In the moment? Can you think of times when Jesus took what was known about God, then improvised...producing a fresh experience of God?

Jazz Theology in Black and White

2005-09-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

To talk about jazz is to talk about race and race relations in America. Jazz initially arose out of the pain of America's original sin of slavery. Inspite of its' emergence from such conditions, it proved to be convergent. Even as the KKK was on the rise and lynchings were commonplace, blacks and whites would find themselves in the same rooms because of jazz. There was a problem, the big band jazz being performed by African-American's was more about how jazz could be more classical than European classical music. In short, jazz emerged a second time in 1959 (more on this in later postings), breaking away from the constraints of classical methods, into the art of a skilled set of musicians so in tune with each other that they can play the same song night after night while never sounding the same. Jazz became all about the moment when musical standards, the audience and musicians converge into something that has never existed before. And even today, one can go to a jazz club and experience this emergence and convergence of sounds, styles, and people. Jazz theology is richly soaked with race as well. It understands that classical theology is good and needed but also recognizes that when one takes a theology textbook off the shelf it almost always has a European bent. Once a jazz theologian has conformed to classical theology, the yearning to improvise becomes unbearable and an emergence takes place...the result is not a rejection of the old but a convergence of moments--What I'm calling Theomoments. What about your theology? From whom does it come? Why is race not discussed along with our theology? Have you ever noticed that the people who tell you about God all look the same? Are you ready for an emergence? For a convergence?

Jazz Theology 101--Classical vs. Jazz

2005-09-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

Classical music--Formal music performed as written, able to be reproduced. The skill of the musician is measured by one's ability to imitate the original. Jazz music--Dynamic music, unable to be reproduced. The skill of the musician is measured by one's ability to improvise. Carl Ellis writes, "Theology bears analogy with music in that it too can be approached as formal or dynamic." Classical theology is concerned with "propositions" while Jazz theology is concerned with what happens when those proposistions interact with pain, life and the moment...God in the moment...God moments: Theomoments.

"I See You"

2005-09-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

It is said that in parts of Africa, "hello" is replaced with "Sawu bona." Translated, "I see you." The reply is, "Sikhona." Translated, "I am here." One author writes, "The order of the exchange is important: until you see me, I do not exist. It's as if, when you see me, you bring me into existence." Do we truly see each other? Do we truly exist? To all those who visit this "place"...It's good to see you!