Ep. 13 Transformed by Grief into Agents of Change, with Sunder John Boopalan
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Today's guest is Sunder John Boopalan, a professor specializing in political theology and ethics, with a personal focus on Dalit theology and social justice. I knew John way back when we were in seminary, when he also passed on his now-famous Indian Dhal curry recipe to my family. I always had a deep respect for his perspective, and John’s work recently came to mind because of the prominent book "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson. Along those same lines, John has written a powerful book called "Memory, Grief, and Agency," in which he highlights the marginalization of the Dalit community in India - those who are considered to be outside the caste system, sometimes derogatorily referred to as untouchables or outcastes - and he proposes a theological response to caste or race-based injustices, naming the importance of grief in building our capacity to transform this world. In this podcast, we hear about John's personal background with the Psalms as he grew up in South India, about caste-based violence and humiliations that Dalits endure on a daily basis, and about how Psalms might offer a way to express grief over society's wrongs and transform us into agents of change. I couldn't believe that so much laughter and heartbreak could be found within the same conversation - as you'll hear, John isn't afraid of looking at what's challenging, but his warmth and joy never fails to come through.
Ep. 13 Transformed by Grief into Agents of Change, with Sunder John Boopalan
Ep. 13 Transformed by Grief into Agents of…
Ep. 13 Transformed by Grief into Agents of Change, with Sunder John Boopalan
Today's guest is Sunder John Boopalan, a professor specializing in political theology and ethics, with a personal focus on Dalit theology and social justice. I knew John way back when we were in seminary, when he also passed on his now-famous Indian Dhal curry recipe to my family. I always had a deep respect for his perspective, and John’s work recently came to mind because of the prominent book "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson. Along those same lines, John has written a powerful book called "Memory, Grief, and Agency," in which he highlights the marginalization of the Dalit community in India - those who are considered to be outside the caste system, sometimes derogatorily referred to as untouchables or outcastes - and he proposes a theological response to caste or race-based injustices, naming the importance of grief in building our capacity to transform this world. In this podcast, we hear about John's personal background with the Psalms as he grew up in South India, about caste-based violence and humiliations that Dalits endure on a daily basis, and about how Psalms might offer a way to express grief over society's wrongs and transform us into agents of change. I couldn't believe that so much laughter and heartbreak could be found within the same conversation - as you'll hear, John isn't afraid of looking at what's challenging, but his warmth and joy never fails to come through.