Someone Has to Care: The Roots and Hip-Hop’s Prophetic Calling
Ebook
Overview
Welcome to this exploration of the Roots of hip-hop. The roots of hip-hop, as in: the Roots--a story of one of the most enduring, multi-talented, and successful groups of the past thirty years in any genre--and the story of the roots of hip-hop, that is, the story of hip-hop, a musical culture born in New York’s South Bronx during the 1970s. Alongside the two hip-hop stories I tell here, I also tell the story about what God has to do with the Roots of hip-hop--a theological story, if you will. I describe how, in the process of becoming one of the most creative faith-rooted voices in music today, the Roots’ developed a calling as artists. And I do this, in part, to say that you, too, can discover and live your prophetic calling. You can’t help but be inspired by the Roots. Yet the best result of that is that you become inspired to be your most playful, passionate, purposeful, prophetic self in the world around you.
“Scharen constructively develops a theology of spiritual
giftedness . . . from examples of brilliant musicality in
an African American artist and genre that become a trope to examine
the transcendent prophetic gifting of voices for racial and social
justice. The provocative call to other theologians and scholars is
to take seriously the lived experiences of the millennial
generation, whose worldviews are cogent for present and future as
change agents.”
—Valerie Miles-Tribble, Berkeley School of Theology
“Hip-hop acts have been such an important prophetic voice for the
world and for the church, and the Roots have been chief among them.
This book effectively uses these hip-hop luminaries as a portal
into the larger creative activity of God in hip-hop culture.
Scharen is always a clear writer and a sharp historian. I recommend
this book to my fellow humans who love hip-hop and love the
church.”
—David Scherer, Cofounder of JUSTmove: Antiracism Education Through
the Arts
“With verve, imagination, and White race consciousness, Scharen
invites us on an incredible journey into hip-hop. The book is
especially meant for those new to the subject but will also win
over those who yearn to live out their calling with greater
passion, playfulness, and purposeful pursuit of justice. A
wonderful example of theology at work in the world.”
—Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, Vanderbilt University, retired
“Someone Has to Care is a deft, thoughtful exploration of
the shared tapestry of hip-hop and theological imaginations.
Christian Scharen writes with clarity and conviction as both a
lover of music and a theologian, reminding us as readers that the
play, passion, and purpose of life are serious, joyful matters. The
result is a lovely paean not only to the Roots’ musical journey,
but also to the prophetic possibility within us all.”
—Kyle Brooks, Methodist Theological School
- Title: Someone Has to Care: The Roots and Hip-Hop’s Prophetic Calling
- Author: Christian Scharen
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Print Publication Date: 2021
- Logos Release Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781532612183, 9781532612176, 9781532612190, 1532612184, 1532612176, 1532612192
- Resource ID: LLS:9781532612183
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T13:31:49Z