(Ir)religiosity

I should point out the utter absurdity and narcissistic proclivity of an individual trying to describe himself.  I should tell you to talk to my peers and ask my friends what it is that I am “about.”  I am, after all, the sum total of all those persons with which I have ever had contact or conversation.  They have influenced and shaped me in ways that I could never imagine.

Nevertheless, at the risk of being both absurd and narcissistic, I’ll make an attempt.

My name is Blake Huggins.  I am a seminary student, a United Methodist, a participant in the ongoing emergent conversation, a social media entrepreneur, and a husband.

I’m a candidate for ordained ministry in the United Methodist church and I am interested in unconventional, nontraditional, iconoclastic, and outside-the-box ways of “being” the  church, “living” theology, and reclaiming the prophetic voice.  I am searching for the small bits of truth that are out there in various different places and I am trying as best I can to be responsive to God’s unfolding narrative of restoration and justice in the world by participating in the divine commonwealth.

This blog is my creative outlet, a place where my interests converge and manifest themselves in — hopefully (!) — coherent thoughts and ruminations.  Those interests are (in no particular order):

• Postmodern Theology and Philosophy – this is the most important because it is very difficult for me not to think about things theologically.  Everything that I do is theological and all my reflections are, in my estimation, related to theology in some way.  I say postmodern because despite being raised in a traditional, modern evangelical community, I have found that in order to better understand God’s project of divine restoration and in order to better participate in the life of the divine, I must abandon that particular way of thinking and being.
• Technology and Social Media – I’m just about as “wired” as I can be within my budget I think.  I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.  For the purposes of this blog it is very important.  New technologies and social networks present new challenges and interesting possibilities for the 21st century.  As Tom Friedman suggests, the world has become really flat just in that past 10 years or so — and it’ only going to get flatter.  I’m especially interested in the effects — for better or worse — these tools and this “wired” environment have on our theology.
• The Social Sciences – a trained social scientist might call my definition of  this category a misnomer, but I think it is the best way to group together the disciplines that guide human life (or at least the ones that especially interest me).  Here I mean specifically politics, economics, sociology, and social and cultural anthropology. Together, all of these comprise “culture” (loosely defined).  We can’t really escape our culture.  Maybe the best we can do is hold it at arm’s length for a moment and examine it.  That’s what this area, for me, is about — that and it’s effect on. . .you guessed it, our theology.

My blog is about exploring the overlap and interplay of each of these areas, whether it is a combination of the two or all three.  I believe we are standing at the threshold of a new epoch, witnessing the emergence of a new period in history, a period in which all three of these areas are not only ubiquitous within our society and culture, but also dependent upon one another.  So most of my thoughts will oscillate between the three.

Above, all this blog is an ongoing, participatory conversation.  That means it can’t really exist without your comments.  So, I encourage you to engage in the dialogue.  Offer feedback and criticism.  Tell me what you agree with and what you disagree with.  I desperately want to learn from you as we journey together.

Here’s to some thoughtful and engaging dialogue.  I’m looking forward to it.