Kwame Anthony Appiah’s lecture was extremely interesting in the approach that Faith is both very personal and also influenced by its representation by media and stereotypes. Its interpretation can be fluid depending on the context, the familial context and the community where it is practised.
“Religious identities so often connect us with the oldest stories”
Appiah discusses perfectly that it is possible to belong to a religion without believing in God, as it defines us culturally and gives us a sense of belonging.
Religion shapes a big aspect of who we are culturally and how we connect to others as a collective.
I have a similar connection to the Quimbois or Kenbwa beliefs which I do not believe on a religious matter but would echo a part of my spiritual life and connect me deeply to my Caribbean roots, culture and family through which I would feel connected to the Caribbean landscape and my ancestors.
This lecture for me highlights that in religious interpretation there is fluidity and creativity to take what we need to feel whole and leave what does not make sense.
2 responses to “Kwame Anthony Appiah Reith lecture on Creed”
I enjoyed reading this Alix as it’s such a different response to my own. I got stuck on how I could bring this into my curriculum and found it hard to look beyond that. Also hearing you describe what Quimbois or Kenbwa beliefs provide for you spiritually and in terms of a rootedness and connection to the Caribbean made me think again on some of what Appiah was pointing to in his lecture.
I find your personal response to Appiah’s lecture very thought-provoking and engaging, as I also responded differently to it (so there’s a link to Amanprit’s comment there!). But your take on it, bringing in your own links to Quimbois or Kenbwa beliefs and your Caribbean roots, now made me think further about my own personal connections to the resource.
Your related reflection about the fluidity of interpretations resonates strongly with me, and coming from a messy multicultural background that has contacts to different religious beliefs like Islam, Christianity, and then atheism, and with strong connections to a country in which religion created a violent state form (the Islamic Republic of Iran), I am now thinking further about how this background influences my own response.
Considering our different identities, influences, and ways to connect, I can grasp a shared sense of belonging in the fluidity you are talking about – a belonging that embraces shifting dynamics and interpretations. This open sense of belonging might also be relevant for our different teaching contexts?