Album Review: Some Nights

Some Nights by Fun. (Fueled by Ramen/Nettwerk, 2012. 46 minutes)

Fun. is an American indie pop band from New York City that was formed in 2008 after lead singer Nate Ruess broke up with his Arizona-based band, The Format. He formed the band with Andrew Dost of Anathallo and Jack Antonoff of Steel Train.

Epic

As I sit writing this review, I am one day removed from receiving word that I needed to listen to Some Nights by Fun. I was in the store at the time, getting some groceries for the week, and I was told to leave the shopping cart in the aisle, and run home to listen to it. In retrospect, I should have left the cart and sped home.

Normally, I wait for an album to marinate so that I can fully understand its intricacies. In this case, one days is enough. I’ve been listening to Some Nights constantly since yesterday; it’s that good.

The word I would use to describe the album is “epic”. It’s a mix of Queen’s big-chorus sound, Flogging Molly’s Irish themes, Billy Joel’s melodic lines, and Peter Gabriel’s well thought out production all wrapped up into a modern electronica pop.

Formerly of The Format, lead-singer Nate Ruess, and his band, Fun., owe their new popularity to the newest single, “We Are Young” featuring Janelle Monáe. It’s on the radio, debuted in a commercial during the Super Bowl, and it’s pretty catchy. It has a boomy, sing-along chorus that will undoubtedly bring a smile to your face.

Freeway Driving 

Listening to the album, it opens with an intro to the song “Some Nights”, the title track. Its intro is weird, so my original appraisal was not high. Two minutes later, the main part of “Some Nights” begins, and I was thrilled. It’s exactly the kind of song you would listen to driving down the freeway with windows rolled down and the stereo pumping.

“Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck, some nights I call it a draw...but I still wake up, I still see your gospel Lord, I’m still not sure what I stand for.”

These lyrics focus on the dualistic nature of life, and how we can be simultaneously depressed and hopeful. The full, Queen-like vocals, with classic 80’s electric guitar soloing in the background eventually dissolve into an electronic, auto-tuned vocal melody against a piano backdrop, somewhat reminiscent of the band, Jack’s Mannequin. Epic.

Inspired by the Past 

On the Flogging Molly side of things, the track “Carry On”, has an Irish background of accordions and flutes infecting the entire song with wonderfulness. A full orchestra joins the latter part of the track, adding texture to the song, continuing the percussive fullness of the album.

If you want to hear a wonderfully crafted melody, listen to the Billy Joel-esque, Bee-Gee inspired sound of “Why Am I the One”. Fun. reminds the listener in this track why classic rock still rules. At 2:45, the track breaks down into a rhythmic, piano-driven jig, and the lead vocal line of Nate Ruess dances against the countermelody of the chorus, then breaks into an immense chorus, eventually ending in orchestral bliss.

To end the album, a simplified version of “We Are Young” is sung, which is more beautiful than its earlier jamming version and perhaps an appropriate ending to the end of the album, as it exposes the simplicity of guest artist Janelle Monáe’s voice after such a complex and loud album. In short, this album is absolutely innovative, complex, and loud. Some Nights will cheer you up. Listen to it now; drop your shopping cart in the grocery store and go.

Verdict: 5 out of 5

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Posted by: Andrew Jacobson

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Television Show Review: Awake

Awake created by Kyle Killen (Letter Eleven, Teakwood Lane Productions, 20th Century Fox Television. Airs Thursday night on NBC.)

Starring Jason Isaacs, Laura Allen, and Dylan Minnette.

Cogito Ergo Sum 

René Descartes seemingly graces the annals of history exclusively for the quote, “I think; therefore I am.” The sentence is an answer on a high school history quiz; it is chiseled in the foundations of university philosophy departments. Unhooked from its preceding line of reasoning on the pursuit of epistemological truth, the sentence sounds painfully obvious.

By positing that thinking is his conclusive proof of his existence, Descartes asserts that all other sensory experience might be false. As such, the all-too-familiar notion of a realistic dream offers questions.

If a dream feels real, how can we ever be conclusively certain if we are not dreaming? Resoundingly, Descartes asserts that we will never know and therefore we can’t hold sensory experience on epistemological grounds.

To Sleep Perchance to Dream 

In this notion, we find the intriguing premise for Awake, NBC’s latest attempt at earning market share. After a car accident ends the life of a family member, Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) finds himself caught in two realities. In one, Michael and his wife mourn the loss of their teenage son; in the other, Michael and his son cope with the death of a wife and mother. As Michael tumbles into sleep each night, he immediately awakes in an alternate reality.

A police detective, Michael effectively lives twice each day, solving different cases, seeking council with different psychiatrists and dealing with the emotional instability attached to burying a wife and/or son.

Beauty in the Green and Red 

In addition to this intriguing premise, the pilot episode of Awake offers beautiful visuals and exceptional acting. First, the alternate realities hold different aesthetics. The Michael/son reality carries a dark palette with grays and greens; conversely, the Michael/wife reality is bright with a kaleidoscope of yellows and reds.



Second, Jason Isaacs remains in control of his character acting with a subtlety open to the deep emotion of grief and loss but not oblivious to the unbelievable dichotomy of reality. The story exclusively follows Michael Britten. Therefore, the viewer can never tell what’s true. As each psychiatrist tries to prove their reality conclusively, a cat-and-mouse game ensues with Michael acting as the messenger. In all, Awake offers much to intrigue.

Too Good to Be True? 

I, however, am concerned.

First, Awake acts as a case-of-the-week procedural at its core. Of course, the otherworldly premise will keep this show from suffering the verdict of a CSI knock-off. While the case-of-the-week shtick provides the show with long-running possibilities, I find such quick action deleterious to character and setting development. If you have one hour to catch a killer, you have less time to marinate on the intricacies of Michael Britten and his dual reality.

Even more worrisome, the preview for this season hints at a third-party conspiracy. Part of the brilliance in the pilot surrounds the sole focus on Michael Britten. A third-party view would be exceedingly detrimental to the plot. We see Michael in sorrow and confusion as he carefully attempts to piece life back together. Awake is a powerful show if the dual reality is a product of Michael Britten’s fragile psyche. If this carefully executed premise is a staged third-party operation, Awake is another mindless network drone.

I hope and pray Awake makes the right moves. With the continuous pressure facing NBC to make a hit television show, I worry that network executives will seek lowest common denominator entertainment over excellent art. Chances are Awake will be cancelled before it ruins itself. No matter the outcome, nobody can take away this powerful pilot. At the very worst, it functions well as a well-executed short film. Awake is worth watching, for now.

Pilot Verdict: 5 out of 5 stars

Series Verdict: TBD

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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Album Review: Kisses on the Bottom

Kisses on the Bottom by Paul McCartney (Hear Music, 2012. 56 minutes)

Sir Paul McCartney (MBE, Hon Ram, FRCM) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and composer. He is well-known for his work with The Beatles (1960-1970) and is widely considered the most successful musician and composer alive. He has sixty gold records; his song “Yesterday” has been covered by more than two thousand artists; and has thirty-one number one singles on the Billboard top 100. He is one of the wealthiest people in the UK, with an estimated wealth of £475 million.

An Icon Is Born 

Sir Paul McCartney is an icon who is turning seventy this year. From Beatles days of old to his work with Wings and even some of his solo albums, he’s been through quite a bit musically, and has perhaps seen a downward trend in quality over the years. Truthfully, McCartney hasn’t really seemed himself without the collaboration of his counterpart, John Lennon. In recent years, one could say McCartney has been on the upswing starting with solo album Memory Almost Full.

All his musical adventures (and some misadventures) have led him down the path to do what he does on his latest record, Kisses on the Bottom—cover standard jazz tunes.

To be honest, I have a bias with McCartney. I think he, along with Lennon, transformed the entire musical culture of the world, and effectively created the musical landscape we live in today. So, I love Kisses on the Bottom overall. Paul McCartney, in addition to covering all the classic tunes, wrote two of his own. My favorite track on the album is one that he wrote for his new wife, “My Valentine”. McCartney managed to write a tune that already sounds classic, and his performance of it at the 2012 Grammy Awards proves it, in my opinion. Paul’s friend, Eric Clapton, makes a guest appearance on the track, adding a beautifully done, yet brief, classical guitar solo.

It’s Only A Paper Moon 

Just as I thought the album might be close to perfect, I listened to the track “It’s Only A Paper Moon”. He messes with the rhythm of the title line “it’s only a paper moon” and that just rubs me the wrong way. Call me a purist, but even Paul might want to steer clear of messing with a well-known melody that has been established for several decades. Otherwise, the track is well done, even though he altered it. I’ll include a clip of both below.

The 1940s Are Back! 

The track, “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” begins to expose the elderly McCartney’s voice. There are some cracks beginning to emerge in his voice, but he manages to emulate Fats Waller’s somewhat whiney voice incredibly well. He’s almost seventy, and to do what he’s done vocally on this track is a feat for a twenty-year-old, let alone an aging man.

What Kisses on the Bottom is Really About 

The album title, Kisses on the Bottom is a joke. The reference comes from a Fats Waller song, “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”, which is also the opening track to the album. The lyric is,

“A lot of kisses on the bottom, I’ll be glad I got ‘em”

The lyric refers to the ending line of a letter where the lover writes a few X’s and O’s. It is not a reference to McCartney kissing someone’s bottom, as the name of the album would lead you to believe. This intentional pun by McCartney is an attempt to use his dry British wit throughout his songwriting. McCartney covers the song with incredible jazz intelligence, classiness, and style. He manipulates his voice in a jazz manner, one that would make the 1940’s proud.

The Test of Time 

Paul McCartney will stand the test of time. He has had his highs (Ram and Memory Almost Full) and his lows (McCartney II). His most recent album, Kisses on the Bottom, is assuredly one of his highs. I sincerely recommend the album to you, as it brings the past back with great style and remembrance.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

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Posted by:  Andrew Jacobson

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Book Group: My Name is Red

My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk; translated by Erdaǧ Göknar (New York: Knopf, 2001. 536 pp)

Set in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire, My Name Is Red functions as a murder mystery at its core. In its simplest construction, the plot of this novel seeks to find out who-done-it. Yet, the strength of this prize-winning story lies not in its plot but in its poetic language and descriptive setting.

The main characters frequent the miniaturist scene painting illustrations for the Sultan. With a recent commission from the sovereign causing uproar, a murder occurs and the victim’s associates become the most likely suspects.

Andrew: This novel has an intriguing narrative structure. How do you feel that impacted the novel as a whole?

Donovan: My Name Is Red uses an unusual technique with every chapter narrated from a different character. Thus, while the story unfolds, we interpret the happenings through the framework of that specific character. In other words, the murderer dictates plot lines one way while the protagonist responds in a different way.

With the murderer narrating certain parts of the story, keeping his identity secret offers a glimpse at the virtuosity of Pamuk’s writing. Obviously, such a technique could never work with an illustrated story, but the text hides the identity and the murderer schizophrenically shifts into a different voice when speaking.

“Now I am completely divided, just like those figures whose head and hands are drawn and painted by one master while their bodies and clothes are depicted by another. When a God-fearing man like myself unexpectedly becomes a murderer, it takes time to adjust. I’ve adopted a second voice, one befitting a murderer, so that I might still carry on as though my old life continued. I am speaking now in this derisive and devious second voice, which I keep out of my regular life. From time to time, of course, you’ll hear my familiar, regular voice, which would’ve remained my only voice had I not become a murderer. But when I speak under my workshop name, I’ll never admit to being ‘a murderer.’ Let no one try to associate these two voices, I have no individual style or flaws in artistry to betray my hidden persona” (112).

Donovan: One of the narrative techniques Pamuk uses is personifying different objects and animals, such as a tree, a coin, a dog, or even the color red. What did you think about narrating inanimate objects?

Andrew: While I felt that it was artistically executed, I felt that the personifcation didn’t add much to the novel. While it was interesting to know the dog’s thoughts or what a coin knew about the murderous situation, it was obvious to me that the inanimate objects didn’t commit the murder. On the other hand, it was intriguing, as each view offered something new, especially that of the dog.

“I’m a dog, and because you humans are less rational beasts than I, you’re telling yourselves, ‘Dogs don’t talk.’ Nevertheless, you seem to believe a story in which corpses speak and characters use words they couldn’t possible know. Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” (11)

Andrew: What was the theme that you enjoyed the most in the novel?

Islamic Miniaturist Painting

Donovan: For me, the most interesting idea in My Name Is Red surrounds the notion of sacred versus secular. A tome filled to the brink with the art forms of the Ottoman Empire, Pamuk describes the tension between the art forms of the Old Masters and the new Western influences from Europe. By commissioning illustrations in a Western style, the Sultan conjures a deep divide between conservative and liberal ideals.

Much like modern-day Istanbul, the characters in My Name Is Red live the fine line between pious conservatism and a careful acceptance of the new. Pamuk notes this tension nicely when he writes,

“The poverty, plague, immorality and scandal we are slave to in this city of Istanbul can only be attributed to our having distanced ourselves from the Islam of the time of Our Prophet, Apostle of God, to adopting new and vile customs and to allowing Frankish, European sensibilities to flourish in our midst” (80).

Donovan: How about you?

Andrew: I found that the notion of color throughout the novel was most enjoyable. As a reader, we are to look at color as a means to solve the mystery itself.

“Try to discover who I am from my choice of words and colors, as attentive people like yourselves might examine footprints to catch a thief. This…brings us to the issue of ‘style,’ which is now of widespread interest. Does a miniaturist, ought a miniaturist, have his own personal style? A use of color, a voice all his own?” (17)

Pamuk uses color amid the artistic Islamic miniaturist painters to help us decipher not only the murder, but the qualities of the characters themselves. Color also serves as a dialogue for artistry in the novel. While Turkish painters paint in one style, Frankish painters paint in another. Pamuk explores these differences in style, perspective, and color, asking all the time if one is more holy or righteous than the others.

Andrew: So what’s the verdict? Did you like My Name Is Red?

Donovan: Given the concepts and writing style, I understand why My Name Is Red receives such high praise. Yet, I did not thoroughly enjoy the book. I found the first half of the story to entertain and awe, but the second half felt bogged down with dense descriptions of art and Turkish culture. Had I known more about these subjects, I am certain that my evaluation of My Name Is Red would be higher. Thus, I recommend the book specifically for people interested in Turkish culture and art.

Andrew: Setting off with the goal of reading something from the Eastern canon of literature, I’m glad I read My Name Is Red. Much like you, I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the book, most likely because I’m used to the Western style of storytelling. I understand why it received such high praise, but I feel as though a cursory knowledge of Islamic miniaturist paintings and the cultural nuances would have helped me as a reader considerably. If the reader, like me, is interested in expanding horizons into the Eastern way of thinking, I recommend My Name Is Red , but be forewarned, it will be a rough journey.

Donovan’s Verdict: 3 out of 5

Andrew’s Verdict: 2.5 out of 5

Born in Istanbul in 1952, Orhan Pamuk spent his early years dreaming of becoming an artist. Educated at American Robert College and Istanbul University, Pamuk decided to become a novelist at the age of 23. His debut novel, Cevdet Bay and His Sons, won him the Orhan Kemal and Milliyet literary prizes. While serving as a visiting scholar at Columbia University, Pamuk wrote The Black Book which gave him international acclaim. In 2002, Pamuk’s novel, My Name Is Red, earned him the IMPAC Dublin literary award. Pamuk has won many prestigious awards including the 2006 Nobel Prize, the Richarda Hucka Prize, and was named among the world’s 100 intellectuals by Prospect Magazine, and one of the 100 most influential persons by Time Magazine.

Erdaǧ Göknar is the Assistant Professor of Turkish Studies at Duke University. He holds a Ph.D. in Near and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Washington and an M.F.A in creative writing from the University of Oregon. A Turkish-American scholar, he is currently a fellow at the National Humanities Center where he is writing a critical analysis of the Turkish novel and Orhan Pamuk. He is the recipient of two Fulbright awards, the IMPAC Dublin literary award, and an NEA translation grant.
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Book Review: The Illumination

The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier (New York: Pantheon Books, 2011. 272 pp)

Kevin Brockmeier is the author of The View from the Seventh Layer, The Brief History of the Dead, The Truth about Celia, Things That Fall from the Sky, and two children’s novels. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, The Oxford American, The Best American Short Stories, O. Henry Prize Stories, and Granta’s Best of Young American Novelists, among other publications. He has taught at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Illustrate and Elevate

While in high school, I learned a writing technique that remains a tried-and-true method for introducing an essay, lecture, or blog post. Coined “illustrate and elevate,” the procedure recommends referencing an illustration that draws a reader/listener to recognition. Whether a story, a simple truth, or an analogy, this illustration elevates the reader/listener to the level of the writer/speaker. The presenter and presentee proceed on the same level toward the common goal. In The Illumination, Kevin Brockmeier utilizes the motif of pain manifested as visible light in order to introduce a character-driven narrative about people. Sadly, I am unsure whether or not his illustration holds.

Seeing the Unseen 

The momentous event of light notifying humanity about pain becomes known as “the Illumination.” It happens briskly and with no explanation. In the course of a day, pain shifts from a suffering seen only through its symptoms to a visible personal trait. Such changes cause a shift in medicine.

“The Illumination had ushered in a new age of critical care. Doctors no longer had to rely on their patients to tell them how badly they were suffering. ‘Head light and heart light take priority, of course,’ Dr. Alstadt told her, ‘along with any obvious major traumas. Then we take all the other lights and make a visual determination of their severity’” (21).

Like a zombie movie that refuses to explain the source of the disease, descriptions of the root cause of the Illumination differ. Is it a religious judgment? Is it evolution? Will the light remain indefinitely or will it fade in time?

“For a while, [one of the characters] had believed, along with the crystal healers and the televangelists, that the light that had come to their injuries would herald a new age of reconciliation and earthly brotherhood. You would think that taking the pain of every human being and making it so starkly visible—every drunken headache and frayed cuticle, every punctured lung and bowel pocked with cancer—would inspire waves of fellow feeling all over the world, or at least ripples of pity, and for a while maybe it had, but now there were children who had come of age knowing nothing else, running to their mother to have a Band-Aid put on their flickers, asking, Why is the sky blue? And, Why does the sun hurt?, and still they grew into their destructiveness, and still there learned whose hurt to assuage and whose to disregard, and still there were soldiers enough for all the armies of the world. And every war left behind the shrapnel scars and shattered limbs of a hundred thousand ruined bodies. And every earthquake and every hurricane produced a holocaust of light” (164).

Blinded by the Light

Yet herein lies the disconnect. The Illumination carries no significance to the plot of the novel. Quickly, the story in this book follows the recent short-stories-connecting-to-make-a-theme trend in literature. Each chapter follows a new protagonist and the only thread that connects each character is the possession of a personal journal.

The journal’s pages are graced with pithy statements of love from the husband, quick and quirky. The purity of love found in the text enamors its readers as the book changes hands in the wake of the Illumination.

But this journal is the only thread linking this story and it carries little connection to this unique pain-as-light setting. While the Illumination is a fascinating illustration, it doesn’t elevate the reader to the plane of the author. In other words, I am unsure if the Illumination adds anything to the storyline and without this interesting setting, I highly doubt the story is worth reading.

Thus, despite my intrigue, I did not enjoy The Illumination. With a schism between story and setting, I felt like the book never connected on the deeper levels I feel a book requires. The Illumination is an easy read, but I don’t think I can recommend it.

Verdict: 2.5 out of 5

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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Book Review: Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (Wheaton: Crossway, 2004. 124 pp)

John Piper is a Christian preacher, author, and theologian. He is currently preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His works include Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, The Passion of Jesus Christ, and Don't Waste Your Life.

The Problem of Jesus Christ 

John Piper manages to accurately summarize the problem of Jesus Christ: humans, no matter their religious affiliation, try to make Jesus fit into a pre-conceived mold they have set for Him. Perhaps it’s better to just let Him be who He is, both immensely loving and surprisingly offensive. Piper states,

“There is no more important issue in life than seeing Jesus for who he really is” (123).

Piper systematically considers this idea by presenting thirteen short chapters that end with a prayer, functioning more as one's own personal miniature Bible study.

God’s Glory 

For Piper, understanding Jesus means focusing on the glory of God, a topic he is known to focus on. In Desiring God, for instance, he focuses on what it means to seek God’s glory in all aspects of life. Piper argues in most of his books, including this one, that man was made to reflect God’s glory in constant worship.

“The created universe is all about glory. The deepest longing of the human heart and the deepest meaning of heaven and earth are summed up in this: the glory of God. The universe was made to show it, and we were made to see it and savor it. Nothing less will do. Which is why the world is as disordered and dysfunctional as it is. We have exchanged the glory of God for other things (Romans 1:23)” (13).

Piper proposes that one ought to focus on the glory of God to know Jesus Christ, not in lieu of studying more about the historical Jesus and the teachings of the Bible, or the knowledge of the sacraments of the Church overall, but rather as the core motive in the pursuit of Jesus Christ. Piper also argues that seeking God’s glory isn’t a means, but rather an end.

“Christ does not exist in order to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of him. The assumption of this book is that to know the glories of Christ is an end, not a means. Christ is not glorious so that we get wealthy or healthy. Christ is glorious so that rich or poor, sick or sound, we might be satisfied in him” (21).

The Tough Side 

The tough side of this concept for most, if not all, is that the glory of Jesus Christ is hard to grasp. For many, they have seen the Jesus of the Bible ill-portrayed by his followers and have become embittered. But, Piper states,

“The glory of Jesus Christ is that he is always out of sync with the world and therefore always relevant for the world. If he fit nicely, he would be of little use. The effort to remake the Jesus of the Bible so that he fits the spirit of one generation makes him feeble in another. Better to let him be what he is, because it is often the offensive side of Jesus that we need the most. Especially offensive to the modern, Western sentiment is the tough, blunt, fierce form of Jesus’ love” (93).

Distilled Essence 

I have a problem with most theology books. Ninety percent of the time they are far too long. I think theological books can sometimes be distilled into their essence and fit into the confines of a magazine article. Luckily, this isn’t the case in John Piper’s Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, which imparts some theological truths in just over 100 pages.

Because it isn’t a theological treatise that goes on too long, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ is easily read, and easily applicable. Normally frustrated with Piper’s longer works, I find this book refreshing as its brevity really capitalizes on Piper’s knowledge quickly. I recommend this book to Christians and those interested in hearing more about Jesus.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

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Posted by: Andrew Jacobson

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Book Review: A Theology for the Social Gospel

A Theology for the Social Gospel by Walter Rauschenbusch (Mansifeld Centre: Martino Publishing, 2011; originally published in 1918. 290 pp)

Walter Rauschenbusch was the leading proponent of the Social Gospel Movement whose mission was to reform society to meet the social needs of the poor through the ministrations of the institutional church. PBS recently called him “one of the most influential American religious leaders of the last 100 years.”

The Nature of Sin and Salvation 

When attempting to manufacture a systematic theology, the nature of sin and salvation becomes integral components of the position. Slight changes in these core beliefs cause vast differences externally. Having previously labored toward the notion of “the social gospel,” Walter Rauschenbusch writes A Theology for the Social Gospel with the aims to fill in the gaps.

Interestingly, Rauschenbusch begins his endeavor under clearly inductive principles. Where many theologians begin with wide-sweeping, theoretical principles and work down toward specifics, Rauschenbusch begins with the assumption that:

“We have a social gospel. We need a systematic theology large enough to match it and vital enough to back it” (1).

Thus, the bedrock principles of theology must fit around the idea of a social gospel.

On Sin 

Next, Rauschenbusch defines the nature of sin. Rauschenbusch rejects the classic conceptions of sin which center on the notion of personal morality. Instead, he offers,

“Sin is essentially selfishness. That definition is more in harmony with the social gospel than with any individualistic type of religion. The sinful mind, then, is the unsocial and anti-social mind” (50).

As the basic tenets of the social gospel recommend, the notion of sin must transform from an individual perception to a collective perception. Sin is not defined by the “do’s and don’ts” of individual morality but the involvement of an individual in a larger group. Rauschenbusch later suggests that sin takes effect in social scenarios; without the opportunity to inflict injustice on another human being, sin lacks an ethical bite.

Sin and the Collective Body 

Having established a social setting under which sin finds meaning, Rauschenbusch expands the meaning of sin to include social groups. For his justification of the moral value in collective organizations, Rauschenbusch quotes Josiah Royce who stated,

“There are in the human world two profoundly different grades, or levels, of mental beings,—namely, the beings that we usually call human individuals, and the being that we call communities.—Any highly organized community is as truly a human being as you and I are individually human” (71). 

The collective actions of a community carry as much weight as the actions of an individual. If a human being is capable of sinful selfishness, an organization is as well. 

On Salvation 

Given the notion of both human and communal sinfulness, Rauschenbusch’s view of salvation carries a similar dualistic nature. On one side, Rauschenbusch affirms an individual salvation when he asserts,

“If sin is selfishness, salvation must be a change which turns a man from self to God and humanity” (97).

Even though he adds the caveat of turning toward humanity, Rauschenbusch aligns himself for the most part with classic views on salvation.

Yet Rauschenbusch takes an extra step, asserting that communities also carry the responsibility of salvation. He writes,

“The Salvation of the composite personalities, like that of individuals, consists in coming under the law of Christ” (111).

In ways similar to the legal standing of corporations as individual citizens, Rauschenbusch believes that the collective actions of an organization are a source for salvific consideration.

On the Church 

For Rauschenbusch, the entity that ties together his theology of sin and salvation is the church. Rauschenbusch argues:

“The Church is the social factor in salvation. It brings social forces to bear on evil. It offers Christ not only many human bodies and minds to serve as ministers of his salvation, but its own composite personality, with a collective memory stored with great hymns and Bible stories and deeds of heroism, with trained aesthetic and moral feelings, and with a collective will set on righteousness” (119).

Therefore, the connection between personal and collective sin and salvation lies with the church. It possesses the ability to speak into the life of an individual and against the injustice of a collective.

Questions on Sin and Grace 

Even though A Theology for the Social Gospel explores the importance of adding collective moral weight to the notions of sin and salvation, certain assertions from Rauschenbusch are questionable. First, he decries the classic notion of universal sin. He writes,

“Theologians have erred, it seems to me, by fitting their definitions to the most highly developed forms of sin and then spreading them over germinal and semi-sinful actions and conditions” (45).

Most Christian traditions consider sin to be sin no matter the depth or consequence. A white lie is as sinful as committing murder. Yet, Rauschenbusch clearly believes that sin is too widely defined. Certainly, we see Christians who take liberty to declare many “gray areas” as sinful.

Despite no clear “thou shalt not drink alcohol of any kind at any time,” many moralists consider such an action as sin. However, the attempt to define a “semi-sinful” state seems dangerous. On the whole, Rauschenbusch argues against a legalistic morality, but I worry he wanders too far in the other direction.

In addition, I see no mention of grace in Rauschenbusch’s theology. There is no note on the Ephesians passage that states, “For by grace we have been saved…” (Ephesians 2:8). For Rauschenbusch, salvation occurs during alignment with God and alignment with the Church body. Given his inductive approach to the social gospel, Rauschenbusch has no need for grace. But isn’t grace the first step and those alignments a response to the original offer of grace? Clearly, Rauschenbusch does not stress a Pauline view in his social gospel. But I am wary that without mentioning grace, Rauschenbusch ignores a portion of the gospel.

Conclusion 

In A Theology for the Social Gospel, Walter Rauschenbusch sets forth an attempt for a systematic theology that fulfills the social gospel from an inductive approach. Focusing on sin and salvation that includes both personal and collective pieces, Rauschenbusch believes that the social institution of the church acts as the fulcrum between the individual and society. Nevertheless, Rauschenbusch’s view of sin and his lack of interest in grace leaves question marks. The gospel offers social aims, and Walter Rauschenbusch’s theology endeavors to provide system around it. If you are interested theology and social justice, Walter Rauschenbusch’s A Theology for the Social Gospel is a must read. However, if you find unorthodox or non-conservative theological positions dangerous, I suggest you steer clear.

Verdict: 3 out of 5

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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