Seeing-Remembering-Connecting: Subversive Practices of Being Church

This book draws from Bloomquists many years and formative experiences as a pastor theologian activist seminary professor and speaker in a number of settings--both within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and ecumenically and globally. Drawing insights from many sources Seeing-Remembering-Connecting proposes a new church in society framework so that faith communities can engage and transform the urgent systemic injustices confronting us today. This new framework seeing-remembering-connecting evokes ordinary practices that can engage those from diverse faith traditions and from no faith tradition and points to the heart of what churches have long been about: God is becoming manifest in and through what these verbs imply--as transcendently immanent. Seeing-remembering-connecting is nurtured over the long term in faith communities as they put together what is fragmentary or forgotten point to what is true and empower communities to see remember and act in organized actions with others--across boundaries of religion geography and self-interest. Karen Bloomquist helps churches listen and learn from each other for the sake of the world. A theologian professor national and global church leader she has lived the text. This book is both brilliantly comprehensive and succinct. Seeing those kept invisible by dominating powers she connects economic disparities racism greed and climate change all intensified by corporate and political policies. She sees justification and justice intimately connected and community across boundaries as the heart of the Gospel. --Norma Cook Everist Professor of Church and Ministry Wartburg Theological Seminary A manifesto for a public church to be in and for the world! Combining political and liberation theologies with ecumenical insights and a Lutheran pugnacity this book transcontextually subverts our seeing elicits remembering to transfigure our memory and inspires connecting to bring about transformation. Weaving her own experiences with a prophetic theological voice Bloomquist issues a call for the church to be faithful to Gods great occupy movement: the incarnation. --Vitor Westhelle Professor of Systematic Theology Lutheran School of Theology Chicago Based on impressive experience worldwide Karen Bloomquist rereads the liberation theology triad see-judge-act as seeing-remembering-connecting thus emphasizing the communio and alliance element of all three. Building on the anti-imperial subversive character of the prophets Jesus and Paul --and even on Luthers critique of early capitalism and on todays global ecumenical exposure of empire--she enters into conflict with the economic political and ideological powers dominating all aspects of life. Here you will find a vision of a church that joins the struggle for a new culture of life--ready to suffer the cross of empire. --Ulrich Duchrow Professor University of Heidelberg Karen L. Bloomquist has served as a parish pastor in California New York City and Washington State and as a seminary professor in Chicago Dubuque and Philadelphia. She has directed theological work of the ELCA (Chicago) and Lutheran World Federation (Geneva). Most recently she served as Dean at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley. She has edited many books and written many articles. One of her books is The Dream Betrayed (1990).