Hallowed be Thy Name 3

This peculiar phrase, oft repeated in ritual prayer privately and publicly by adherents to the Christian faith encodes a key understanding, vital to all humanity, regardless of faith or lack thereof. Properly understood to be addressing a personification of the progenitor and source of the cosmic order, when stripped of gender and paternal assumptions, which … More Hallowed be Thy Name 3

Finally, it’s an atheist who gets it right.

For 25 years, I’ve had real problems with the religious demographics being projected by scholars and even the most trusted institutions. I remember being dumbfounded by my scholar-friend Dr Muata Ashby, prolific author and Egyptologist, attempting to resurrect both ancient Egyptian language and religion, following the Zionist model, as a precursor to 21st century Pan … More Finally, it’s an atheist who gets it right.

The Tenuousness of Caribbean Civilization

The original title of this article was ‘The tenuousness and tenacity of Caribbean civilization’. However after working through the ideas i have decided to treat the two issues separately, so be prepared for a pessimistic end. From the dawn of history, all coastal civilizations, as is the Caribbean, have had certain common characteristics which make … More The Tenuousness of Caribbean Civilization

Language and Identity

The metaphysical foundations of the church were laid in a crucial conversation between Jesus and Peter. At the heart of this conversation were three questions. Two were stated explicitly and the third implied: If we can recognize that the human drama in its entirety is the mission to define self, (whether that self be individual … More Language and Identity

Pools of Knowledge, Pillars of Power: Coming in from the cold

In pre-independent Jamaica, government, for the most part, was instrument of exploitation; while church was, in the main, nurturer of society, catalyst of change and defender of the people… or so goes one narrative among others seeking to provide leadership in our emerging Caribbean civilization. That perspective that sees church and school ideally as chief … More Pools of Knowledge, Pillars of Power: Coming in from the cold

Resilience or Reliance: The courage to embrace brave old ways

“The settlement of Jamaica was not financed by any joint-stock company as in New England or Virginia; or by any lord proprietor offering venture capital, as in some Southern colonies in the USA; or by the Crown as in some other colonies. Some early Jamaicans brought their wealth from Barbados and Nevis. Others acquired wealth … More Resilience or Reliance: The courage to embrace brave old ways

Dissociation, Disconnection, Dissonance

The tension between a fundamentalist approach and an ecumenical approach to Christian faith constantly manifests itself in our ability to conduct and maintain constructive, productive and supportive relationships within the church, which best facilitates the harnessing of our collective pool of resources and creates the broadest platform of leadership that Caribbean Civilization so desperately needs, … More Dissociation, Disconnection, Dissonance