Posted By admin on May 28, 2010

This study and exercise is introduced by way of Ecumenical Perspectives Video Blog, and produced by Trinity Ecumenical Culture Development Center.  Trinity Ecumenical Culture Development Center was founded by His Excellency Dejazmatch, Amaha. Zion Aberra Kassa, Ethiopian Ambassador to the Former Yugoslavia.

The Executive Producer of Ecumenical Perspectives is Wolde Amanuel, Dean of Deacons and Students of the Order of Balthazar Monastery.  Programming moderator and primary broadcaster/presenter is Gary James.

The purpose of Trinity Ecumenical Culture Development Center is to articulate the context of early Christianity and the continuing contribution of Africa to Judeo-Christian heritage and tradition.  Accordingly, Ecumenical Perspectives will ultimately take the form of a website based video blog presentation, focused on fostering a greater understanding of the diversity of Christianity during the early period and explores how Christian diversity is expressed in the world today.

GENERAL CONTENT

In view of the precarious state of human relations and the unfolding dynamics of world events, particularly in relation to the geo-political trajectory, social and religious sensibilities associated with the America enterprise, a comprehensive exploration and general assessment (past and present) is propitious.  Accordingly, the impact of the “master narrative” and the continuing role of white cultural imperialism associated with Christianity and advancement of western civilization are explored herein.

Concomitantly, some of the presentation content explores and examines foundational threads that connect the religions of patriarch Abraham, vis-à-vis, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  While the subtext of the programming and informational perspective is based in Ethiopian heritage and eastern orthodox Christian tradition, there is no intent or objective on the part of the principals to proselytize.

The objective of Ecumenical Perspectives programming is to offer a parallel history to the Western account of Christianity, which is based on the dominance of Greco-Roman culture and history, vis-à-vis, European cultural imperialism.

In addition, through programming, we hope to shed light, history, education, insight, pertinent commentary and opinions, that contribute to advancing the intellectual quality of popular discourse relative America and the world.  Content will pay particular attention to the Black and African American community including respective partisan political leadership elements.

The long range goal of Ecumenical Perspectives management is to promote and advance the concept of “religions appreciation” and eclipse the notion of “religious tolerance” which has proven to be ineffective at best, over the many centuries of its advocacy.

From the political perspective the content will critique electoral politics in terms of both political parties and their splinter group derivatives, with particular attention to Black American electoral and community based politics.  Programming in this regard will advocate and argue the viability of a bi-partisan electoral strategy as a means to establish political leverage.

Ecumenical Perspectives web site based presentations will be produced initially on a monthly basis in during the winter of 2010.  We project to produce presentations on a bi-weekly schedule during 2011 and hopefully on a weekly schedule by 2012.

The subject matter will address issues associated with current events as well to present perspectives relative to religions of Abraham, politics, domestic and foreign policy, culture, arts and entertainment, business, race and ethnicity, criminal justice, voter education, parental and social responsibility, etc…

Ultimately, the management hopes to solicit questions and comments from the public that will be addressed in subsequent programming.  Stay tuned…

Introductory Programming

We live at an unprecedented and dynamic time in human events and world history.  The unfolding of current events has conditioned us to expect anything, at any time, as we engage the second decade of the 21^st century.  It is also a time for thoughtfulness, introspection, comprehensive and pertinent information gathering.

Let’s just take a step back and make a contemporary assessment of human beings and the world today.  In formulating a contemporary assessment of human beings and the world today, we need to do a cursory examination of the role of empire and religion in the development and procession of human history, and civilization.

In this contemporary context, we examine the power of religion in human affairs in conjunction and in juxtaposition to the human empire imperative.  In the framework of empire, Greco-Roman history and lore are the basis of Western culture and civilization.

In addition, western European civilization and America in particular, espouses Judeo-Christian ethics and values as their moral and religious foundations.

The historical narrative of Greco-Roman civilization records the advent and procession of western civilization to its current status quo in terms of empire.  In this context Greco-Roman civilization also takes form in the body of Judeo-Christian religious values, concepts, precepts, and beliefs.

For the past two thousand years Greco-Roman Christian history has dominated the western European and American world view.  In this context, historic political and religious accounts have documented and chronicled the triumphant, if not the superiority of western culture and civilization.

The world as it exists today in terms of the boundaries that constitute respective countries of and the financial economies of nation states, both developed and developing, are fashioned to conform to western European political standards and must adopt Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) economic protocols, in order to play the world wide monopoly game.

European cultural imperialism for millennia has imposed dysfunctional boundaries formulating countries that have separated and joined peoples against their will.  Boarders that constitute the respective countries of Africa, Asia, the Middle East etc, were drawn in the interest of competing western European countries, all united by the “master narrative” in conquest of indigenous lands and peoples.

These contrived boarders currently exist and their fundamental problems have metastasized formulating the cancer that is a material factor in many of the conflicts and emerging wars around the world today.

All cultures and civilizations have their high marks and high points, and they have their productive times and low, deteriorating periods.  In this context America, the daughter of Europe has advanced the western of brand of civilization for the past two thousand odd years.

However, some continue to suggest that the western civilization world order seems is unraveling…  Still others, both religious and secular, hold to the expectation of the biblical Apocalypse and notions of Armageddon respectively is at hand.

While we acknowledge the dubious trajectory of western civilization in general and the fragmented revisionist western Christian history in particular, we hold, advocate and promote the transformative power of revelation as a critical factor in the advancement of human affairs.

There are many factors that are responsible for the destabilization and dysfunction of the world today, but it cannot be denied that the religions of Abraham (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) had, a major role to play in the past and current problem.  Moreover, the religions of patriarch Abraham are without question a consequential factor in the solution…

The objective of our assessment of human beings and world events is to present comparative historical perspectives, in order to help facilitate a comprehensive and cogent world view of contemporary institutions, respective systems and processes.  By way of introducing a parallel historical narrative to western Christianity and empire, in terms of advent, tradition, heritage, values and perspectives of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in general and Ethiopian Judeo-Christianity in particular.

The long range goal of the Ecumenical Center is to eclipse the prevailing concept of “religious tolerance” and replace it with religious appreciation.

“Religious tolerance” continues to countenance an adversarial relationship among the religions of Patriarch Abraham in the framework of the biblical siblings, Cain and Able, etc. As a consequence of this primordial familial scenario, and the geo-political objectives of empire, and human nature, our world today is approaching conflagration of biblical proportions.  Hence, the idea of religious appreciation among in monotheist religions in particular is propitious.

Moreover, modern free market democracy is based on the governments of ancient Greece and ancient Roman formulations.  Hence, it is timely to pursue a more comprehensive perspective of politics and religion in human affairs, for the purpose greater understanding and appreciation during these times of escalating uncertainty.

In the context of our planned video blog and other interactive applications, we hope to inspire an ongoing conversation of current and world events for the purpose advancing religious appreciation and understanding.   Also, programming will examine partisan politics and the impact on Black American community.  Accordingly, we intend to introduce subject matter, perspectives and thought provoking ideas moving forward…

The programming content will include, but not limited to subjects such as religion, politics, race and ethnicity, history, culture, arts, business, domestic and foreign policy, Black and African American community and leadership and follow-ship, current and future events.

At some point in the foreseeable future, we plan to solicit questions and comments from the public, some of which will be addressed in subsequent video presentations as well as alternative forums.

“THE MASTER NARRATIVE”

For the past 2000 years, the master narrative has colored, defined and determined the nature of human events around the world.  Based on the false social construct of multi-racialism, inferior and superior political social ideas, “the master narrative” remains a successful social and political tactic, which reinforces a cast system, targeting Black Africans on the continent and the Diaspora.

The master narrative has in fact facilitated and enabled the subjugation of indigenous peoples and cultures around the world in the context of empire building and the western domination of the Christian religion.  The international slave trade, colonialism, and European cultural and economic imperialism around the planet are well documented.

Despite the advances in science and DNA technology that have thoroughly discredited race as a biological fact that distinguishes various types of human beings, race based notions and discrimination remains consequential.  The multi racial narrative continues to punctuate professional language as well as in the common vernacular.

Although the Judeo-Christian biblical injunction discusses all human beings as children of God, and explores the transgressions of our parents Adam and Eve, there is little leadership on the part of clergy to transcend to race based paradigm.  Hence, the master narrative of white superiority remains a cornerstone of human relations in the 21^st century.  As such, the master narrative is a consequential factor to resolving the manifold problems plaguing America and the world.

Some have posited that racism is the basis of the master narrative and racism is at the core of America’s internal problems as well as foreign relation issues.  Also it is argued in these same quarters that European imperialism, in the context of slavery and colonialism is the basis of the intractable conflicts in the Middle East, and other hotspots in the world.

Are racism and the doctrine white supremacy the basis of human relations problems and unfolding world tensions and wars?

We will address this and other important and legitimate questions, such as:

Is Christianity a “White Man’s Religion?

Origins and status of Judeo-Christian tradition!

Africa’s contribution to world Christianity!

Judaism, Christianity, Islam, a familial narrative!

These are among the topics that we will explore.

We will explore origins of the master narrative, racism, imperialism and moving beyond our world today in future presentations, as we pursue a contemporary assessment of human relations and the role of religion in the world.

Categories: Africa's contribution to world Christianity
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