Kamille William's discussion of Christian films:
"It is not enough to simply say "let it go" and instantly be free! Some things have to be dealt with and I think this message of getting over it, loosing it, and forgetting the past is a way of escaping accountability. Jakes and Perry are teaching hasty grace. According to David Augsburger, hasty grace is reconciliation that seeks to deal with a history of violence by suppressing the memory, denying the injury, and rewriting the violent reality with the rationale of beginning afresh.
Perpetrators welcome a hurried forgiveness that lets bygones be bygones. Such reconciliation trivializes and ignores the oppressive situation by ignoring its causes. Sometimes I have to wonder if trying to keep this appearance of unity is helping us or hurting us. Jakes and Perry started off in the right direction but ultimately end up perpetuating the very thing they are fighting against, which is the distortion of the image of Black people.
I think that on both sides there needs to be a willingness to listen to oneanother. In all the music, plays, movies, books and television shows both sides are communicating a message. If we can just get past the anger and listen to one another then the key to the reconciliation can be found. Thereis truth to be found in the work of T.D. Jakes and Tyler Perry, but there is also truth to be found in the work of Terry McMillan, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison. We must be willing to set aside our anger and try to faithfully hear both perspectives. But this is difficult because the truth is there is not enough respect of each other in the Black community. We do not see each other as all being created in the image of God. We see each other as competition. "
Women's History Month Celebration of Women's History Month, Women's Center and Black Seminarians Union presented:
Hollywood Be Thy Name: A Panel Discussion of Depiction of Gender and Faith in Christian Films A Discussion of Tyler Perry and his plays.
Tyler Perry is a popular Black filmmaker and playwright writing on issues such as marriage, infidelity, drug abuse, and abandoned children, in the context of a Christian family.
Clips of movies were viewed.
On this panel, three Divinity School students which included: Kamille Williams, 3rd year, MDiv.CJ Rhodes, 3rd year MDiv, and Joseph Edmonds, Ph.D Candidate Religion, critically examined several of Perry films. Refreshments were served.
The event was held on Wednesday March 25, in room 0013w.
