THEO 1089 Study Guide - Final Guide: Suicide Barrier, Symbolic Racism, Death
1
Pulse Final Review
May 4th, 2018 AD
Key concepts/themes (either for the definition portion or for preparing for the short-answer
section and essay):
The myth of Anglo-Saxon exceptionalism
● Tacitus describes A-S as free, self governed, strong German tribe. English believed to be
derived from these “perfect humans.”
● Extrapolated to English white people (mostly males) having a reason to think of
themselves as superior to other europeans and non europeans. In the US, it is now
distilled into white vs black where white ppl feel entitled to certain privileges
Stand your ground laws
● US laws that permit someone to defend themselves when they are threatened.
● Stand your ground culture- a culture that promotes the protection to the perceived
entitlements WP have, including, but not limited to AS myth, American Exceptionalism,
Manifest Destiny, & “the chosen people”
● Imply that even if you can retreat, you don't have to. Almost militant…
Racist stereotypes of blackness as chattel, hypersexual, and dangerous (and think about danger
here in two different senses)
● Chattel- BP are commodities that are to be bought and sold because WP have the right to
to own their livelihood. Worth assigned by physical qualities like strength and fertility.
● Hypersexualized- Black women are seen as “Jezebel” (temptresses, therefore unable to
be raped), Black men “predatory bucks”
● Dangerous- BP by nature are a threat, free black ppl threaten the social order and AS
exceptionalism at a social and theological level
● Ontological claims- claim about being at a fundamental level
Eternal law and natural law (Stand Your Ground 50–52)
● EL: God’s will for the world, we are unable to totally grasp its entirety
● NL: our response to eternal law. We act on how God orders the humanity of the world
● Black ppl are naturally supposed to be enslaved and white ppl are created to lead/ enslave
○ White hegemony is natural and divinely intended, black ppl threaten the eternal
natural order (therefore are the embodiment of sin)
Anglo-Saxon myth; Tacitus’s Germania
● Tribe from the German woods, Tacitus praised them for their superiority. English
believe they are their ancestors.
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2
American exceptionalism
● USA! USA! Democratic institutions make us superior
○ Very few people have access to this (white AS males)
Manifest Destiny
● A-S have a mission to bring AE as far as we can (connects to chosen people myth, think
Israelites taking land from Canaanites).
The theme of the “chosen people” and how it is appropriated specifically in an American context
● God “chose” A-S to inherit Israel’s covenant with God, creates racial supersessionism.
Different forms of Stand Your Ground culture: laws, law enforcement, extralegal practices
● War on Drugs (crack/ powder cocaine), Incarceration rates, racial profiling, Jim Crow,
predatory lending, redlining, vagrancy laws
“Becoming white”: definition and history
● 19th century mass European immigration to US
● Originally english AS considered “white”
● Other europeans quickly adopted “whiteness,” becoming “Irish-Americans” and “Italian-
Americans”
● Polarized ppl of color, non-Europeans
The movement toward “multiculturalism” starting in the 1970s
● More people begin to consider themselves American (Asian-American, African-
American)
● Movement based on the premise that everyone has access to the American dream
○ Ex. today, BLM, Black Panther, Standing Rock
“Black” and “indigenous” vs. “African American” and “Native American”: the meaning of these
different discursive choices
● Black and indigenous discredit people of color from achieving the American dream
Louis Agassiz and his polygenesis theory (and its “theological” and “scientific” dimensions)
● Multiple forms of creation, Adam and Eve were white, therefore only for the white race
The anawim (the “poor of Yahweh”)
● Ex. poor, disabled, ppl w/o and education, immigrants, refugees, minorities etc.
● God sides with the anawim
● God requires us to honor our responsibility to practice preferential option for them
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3
The crucifixion as God’s solidarity with the poor and the marginalized
● Jesus was born into the marginalized world, lived as a poor jew under an oppressive
government, died an unjust death for the sake of the anawim
○ Black Faith is derived from his suffering
● God stands with the poor not because of merit, but b/c of greater need
● God makes things just at the end
● Jesus’ death is a dramatic act of solidarity with the poor and oppressed
○ Resurrection sign that death is not the last word.
● Crucifixion- reserved for criminals, killed by the oppressor
● Black Faith
● God is utterly free
○ Transcendent, cannot be contained to version or concept of Him
● Black ppl were created free and God knew them before they were enslaved
● God is present and in solidarity with those who are oppressed.
○ One day there will be judgement
● Created in God’s image (Imago Dei), counteracts the idea of the black body being chattel.
● White Faith
● God is a white supremacist
● God fits exactly w/ our constructs and ideas (especially those who are in power)
The white space; symbolic racism; the literal ghetto and the iconic ghetto
● The White Space
○ Certain public spaces are for white people only (majority white)
■ Ex. Country clubs, suburbs, universities
○ POC are questioned b/c they stick out and seem like they do not belong
● Symbolic racism- prejudices that are acted towards black people. “They must be guilty
of something.”
● Literal and Iconic Ghetto- the literal ghetto is a real problem, but some black ppl have
the opportunity to experience upward mobility. This means entering the “white space”
○ When a POC enters the white space, they are still seem as residents of the iconic
ghetto. WS requires POC to speak a certain way and mitigate any sign of the
“dangerous ghetto”
Toxic masculinity; patriarchy; homosociality; misogyny; androcentrism (definitions and
examples)
● Toxic masculinity → refers to the prominent definitions of what it means to be a man
→ similar cultures of toxic masculinity in the U.S & Europe; normalizes unhealthy &
potentially violent behaviors & attitudes (Sexual aggressions, guns, video games,
etc…); harmful to others & men
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Extrapolated to english white people (mostly males) having a reason to think of themselves as superior to other europeans and non europeans. In the us, it is now distilled into white vs black where white ppl feel entitled to certain privileges. Us laws that permit someone to defend themselves when they are threatened. Stand your ground culture- a culture that promotes the protection to the perceived entitlements wp have, including, but not limited to as myth, american exceptionalism, Imply that even if you can retreat, you don"t have to. Racist stereotypes of blackness as chattel, hypersexual, and dangerous (and think about danger here in two different senses) Chattel- bp are commodities that are to be bought and sold because wp have the right to to own their livelihood. Worth assigned by physical qualities like strength and fertility. Hypersexualized- black women are seen as jezebel (temptresses, therefore unable to.
