Cynicism & Hope: Reclaiming Discipleship in a Post-Democratic Society

November 2 & 3, 2007

Reba Place Church

Evanston, IL

How do we live out God's call to prophetic witness in an apathetic and disempowered society?

What would it look like to be honest about our failures and disappointments?

How can art, prayer and other forms of everyday resistance nourish our hope for the kingdom of God?

See the official website at Cynicism and Hope or e-mail cynicismandhope@gmail.com to register.

Sponsors

• Reba Place Church
• Reba Place Fellowship
• Living Water Community Church
• Mennonite Central Committee
• Seniors For Peace
• Anabaptist Network

Why Cynicism and Hope?

Some say that you have to choose. (See this report from a 2004 address given by Jim Wallis, or this review of Paul Rogat Loeb in Cross Currents Fall, 2000.) But we think we might as well start by admitting just how cynical we are. We believe the levels of cynicism in our society are no accident (see Slavoj Zizek on Cynicism and Ideology for some thoughts on this subject).

Our hope for this conference is that by owning our cynicism, we can somehow still find ways to live and act in hope.

Some other resources

On some of the theories attached to a concept of postdemocracy, go to Postdemocracy.