Friday, July 1, 2011

The Jesuits and the Tupac hermeneutic



Throughout June, we considered the connection between devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Jesuits.  Although specially selected by Jesus Christ Himself to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart, and despite great success in gaining adherence to the devotion, the Jesuits determined in the late 20th century that devotion to the Sacred Heart was outmoded.   Thus, the Jesuits have largely abandoned their efforts to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart, and since 1974, the Jesuits have instead concentrated on working for social justice. 

To judge from the Jesuit magazine "America," the pursuit of social justice affords the Jesuits vast scope.  For instance, they are free to fantasize madly about the theological importance of Lady Gaga, as well as her untapped potential for achieving world peace (see here and here).   There is also plenty of time to consider the topic of sex workers and the Bible, which leads, when you click the link, to the Tupac hermeneutic.  

The author of the "sex workers and the Bible" post, Tom Beaudoin, is a professor in the theology department of Fordham University.  In addition to directing the Rock and Theology project, Professor Beaudoin has recently received a grant to "conduct a pilot study of "deconversion" among Catholics, and to begin to develop theological analyses of the reasons so many (even most) Catholics in the United States are marginally affiliated or non-affiliated with Catholicism as it is officially defined."   My own view is that not devoting enough attention to the Sacred Heart, and devoting too much to Lady Gaga and Tupac Shakur, may have something to do with Catholic "deconversion."

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