Introduction: Abuse in Yoga and Beyond: Cultural Logics and Pathways for the Future Christopher Miller In recent years, abuse scandals have shaken the yoga world once again, overturning previously held conceptions of yoga gurus, their teachings, and the individuals and organizations that have enabled their abuse. Most importantly, these abuse scenarios – whether they have involved sexual assault, cruelty, financial exploitation, etc. – have left individuals and communities disoriented, deeply traumatized, and desperately searching for answers. As Sacred Matters editor Gary Laderman writes, “the sacred is not always what it seems, can be associated with just about anything, and remains […]
Introduction: Abuse in Yoga and Beyond: Cultural Logics and Pathways for the Future
“I Got So High That I Saw Jesus” and the Ironies of Country Music Spirituality
Mark Hulsether Obviously, this is supposed to be slightly provocative and is not designed to be sung by an average church choir.
Persecution, Martyrdom, and Christian Identity: 7 Questions with Jason Bruner
Jason Bruner For Christian readers, especially those who are familiar with the literature on anti-Christian persecution, I would frame it this way: In whose suffering is Christ present, and why?
David Wojnarowicz’s Christ: Symbols of Hope, Corruption, and Violence
From the Madness of Reefer to the Ecstatic Bliss of Marijuana: The Rise of Cannabis Churches
Morgan Shipley However, at the heart of THC Ministry is not a commitment to Christ, but to a foundational and sacred right to use cannabis as a means to raise consciousness, to commune with nature, and, maybe most significantly, “live with modesty, good manners, and humbleness.”
Disney’s Christopher Robin and the Idolatry of Work
Daniel Anderson Tragically, Christopher Robin’s life seemingly proves Adorno’s adage that a “wrong life cannot be lived rightly.”
Colonial Violence, Sacred Power, and Gods of Indian Country: 7 Questions for Jennifer Graber
Jennifer Graber A crucial part of the Kiowa survival story is that they survived American occupation and ritual interactions with sacred power–as well as adaptation of those rituals.
Sifting Through Hip Hop, Literature and Religion: 7 Questions for Alejandro Nava
Alejandro Nava Besides resurrecting ancient poetic traditions of the bard or griot, and adopting the creative vernacular of black folklore, radio DJs, church preachers, street corner poets, and Jamaican artists, hip hop strikes a more ominous and apocalyptic tone.
Tortured for Christ in Trump’s America
Jason Bruner Wurmbrand’s fierce apologetics in Tortured for Christ against communism, which he called “a spiritual force—a force of evil,” weren’t countered with a full-throated endorsement of democracy.
Christianity Meets State Shinto in Meiro Koizumi’s “Today My Empire Sings”
Jeremy Woolsey This story is a stark reminder of continuing taboos surrounding the emperor in contemporary Japan and the difficulties artists face in challenging them.