Chapter 6 - Practical Applications for a “Process of Dramatizing Theologies”

Summary

A Theology of Dramatic Engagement: An Anti-racist Application

In my previous book I recounted the narrative that gave rise to a newly developing theory and method for engaging in anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice by means of dramatic engagement. I have termed this new concept a “theology of dramatic engagement.” This concept first arose a number of years ago when, after prolonged reflection, I was able to give voice to and name an oppressive reality that had afflicted Black people living in Britain. I coined this initial phenomenon a “theology of good intentions.” A “theology of good intentions” was my attempt to outline an approach to the seemingly rigid and unchanging response of White hegemony to the debilitating effects of racism upon Black people. Rather than attempt to deal with the systemic and structural underpinning that gives rise and fosters racial injustice, White power, both individual and corporate, is content to simply apologize and “say sorry” as if these words are infused with magic properties and are an end in themselves. When first describing this phenomenon, I wrote:

A “Theology of Good Intentions” is a way of responding to situations of injustice, in which the perpetrator fails to take full responsibility for their actions. It is a way of responding to the oppressed and powerless, by refusing to take the experiences or perspectives of these people seriously.

The antidote to this pernicious phenomenon is based upon the dynamics and challenges of dramatic action—i.e. the format and methodology that lies at the heart of this book.