Call for Bloggers

We at churchandpomo.org have been having some discussions about how to continue to renew and  energize our discussions here.  One of our concerns is to "return to our roots" a bit--or at least, re-emphasize a core animating vision behind the launch of the site (and which is behind the book series): to draw on, translate, and engage contemporary "theory" for the sake of on-the-ground ministry, worship, and discipleship.

Now, quite naturally, this site has been home to some (fairly academic) conversations in theology and "continental philosophy of religion."  We think this is an important aspect of what we're doing here, and we'll continue to foster this, but we don't want it to be the whole.  So in addition to this, we'd also like to make this site a space for interested, thoughtful practitioners.  (Part of our problem is that our resident "thoughtful practitioners" like Jason Clark, Geoff Holsclaw, and Eric Lee, have gone and enrolled in PhD programs!). 

One of the things we hope to do over the coming months is begin to conduct interviews either with reflective practitioners or theorists who can truly get down to the nitty gritty of ministry and practice "in the trenches," so to speak.  If you have ideas for some folks working at the intersection of "the church" and "postmodern culture" who we should try to interview, let us know in the comments section of this post.  We'll try to follow up. 

In addition, as part of our brainstorming, we had another idea: a "call for bloggers."  Here's what we're looking for: some creative, dedicated, thoughtful, imaginative folks who would like to be regular, consistent contributors to this blog (because they resonate broadly with what we're trying to do), but who also have ideas for how this conversation could go in different and new directions.  I would say we are particularly interested in finding some non-academics who are nonetheless "intellectuals"--practitioners who find theoretical reflection to be important for practice.  Or conversely, we'd be interested to hear from some scholars of "postmodern" thought who are looking for a creative, non-scholarly outlet to explore how some of this stuff hits the ground.  Potential contributors shouldn't feel at all constrained by the sorts of themes we have addressed in the past.  There's no particular "party line" to tow.  Indeed, within the parameters of what we're about (and I hope we have a relatively "big tent" approach), we're precisely looking for contributors who can take us in new directions and into new areas.  For instance, we'd love to see more discussion of the arts, or urban culture, or food, or feminism, or ...

What does that look like?  We don't know.  You tell us.  What can we offer?  Nothing, except space--a platform for your reflection--and gratitude.

Interested?  Let us know.  Show us your stuff in the comments thread here and/or email me.  

Comments

[roger flyer]

I'm not a regular blogger but I'm very interested in the specific blogosphere you're targeting...

[Matthew Tan]

Same here! I'm a big fan of the blog's work (and those of its contributors) and would like to help in any way I can. Can you give us some idea of how often one needs to contribute? Also, is there any prohibitions on crossposting, as I am involved in the beginnings of a project with a distinctly Australian audience in mind.