Las Casas: Hope in Sin's Darkness
For the modern theologian, Bartolomé de las Casas presents quite a number of difficulties. Las Casas' turn from a participant and supporter of the Spanish encomienda system of Indian enslaved labor to an ardent opponent and the theology behind it is to be greatly admired. Las Casas' theological anthropology provides a foundation for a theology whose trajectory points to the imago Dei within each human being and the equality of value of all within the Kingdom of God and all who the Kingdom looks upon. Read more...
Charlottesville: Southern Identity in Whom?
The Arnold’s have been in Tennessee since the early part of the 19th century. On my mother’s side, the Harts have been in North America two or three generations before that and in Tennessee just as long. My family proudly fought in the Army of Tennessee during the American Civil War and continues to live in Tennessee and Northern Alabama’s Tennessee Valley to this day. My roots in Tennessee and the US American South run deep. Read more...
Africans in America
The first Africans in America landed at Jamestown, VA in 1619. There were about 20 or so. These Africans had been on a ship bound for the Indies when the ship was robbed. The thieves carried their hostages to the shores of America and traded them for food. They became Indentured Servants to the people that accepted them in exchange for the food. They were servants for a few years then given their freedom. Read more...