Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
Barack Obama Speaks to the Joshua Generation
Hey there! Long time no see!
I was checking out this MeFi thread (the original post really kind of looks like an attempted hit piece on Barack Obama [OMG some of his white ancestors owned slaves!!!]) and one of the later responses linked to Obama's speech from Selma today. I couldn't help being struck by this passage:
Oddly, that's only the second time I've ever seen the term "Joshua generation" -- the first was earlier today, when I was perusing Michelle Goldberg's Kingdom Coming (see also)
The Joshua Generation (or, Generation Joshua) is, in radical evangelical Christian circles, that generation which will (they hope) be the first to inherit a theocratic United States (much like, in the Bible's Old Testament, Joshua was the first leader of the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. Moses [the current generation of adults] never did make it into Canaan.)
I'll admit, I'm not entirely comfortable with Democratic politicians using the language of right-wing Dominionist theocrats. If you can imagine. But if Obama can co-opt evangelicals' language to promote economic equality (and convince them it's WJWD, I'll go along for the ride.
I was checking out this MeFi thread (the original post really kind of looks like an attempted hit piece on Barack Obama [OMG some of his white ancestors owned slaves!!!]) and one of the later responses linked to Obama's speech from Selma today. I couldn't help being struck by this passage:
Moses told the Joshua generation; don't forget where you came from. I worry sometimes, that the Joshua generation in its success forgets where it came from.
Oddly, that's only the second time I've ever seen the term "Joshua generation" -- the first was earlier today, when I was perusing Michelle Goldberg's Kingdom Coming (see also)
The Joshua Generation (or, Generation Joshua) is, in radical evangelical Christian circles, that generation which will (they hope) be the first to inherit a theocratic United States (much like, in the Bible's Old Testament, Joshua was the first leader of the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. Moses [the current generation of adults] never did make it into Canaan.)
I'll admit, I'm not entirely comfortable with Democratic politicians using the language of right-wing Dominionist theocrats. If you can imagine. But if Obama can co-opt evangelicals' language to promote economic equality (and convince them it's WJWD, I'll go along for the ride.
