About this Event
Join us for a public conversation with Baldwin scholar and professor Christopher Hunt (he/him and they/them), as they discuss their book, Jimmy's Faith: James Baldwin, Disidentification, and the Queer Possibilities of Black Religion.
In this book, Hunt describes the ways in which Baldwin queers traditional religious language and symbols, reimagining them in such a way as to put forward his own unique Blackqueer religious vision. Hunt will offer a public talk/book reading, followed by a Q and A with the audience.
We encourage everyone to prepurchase their books before the event as we cannot guarantee book availability without prepurchase.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The relationship of James Baldwin’s life and work to Black religion is in many ways complex and confounding. What is he doing through his literary deployment of religious language and symbols?
Despite Baldwin’s disavowal of Christianity in his youth, he continued to engage the symbols and theology of Christianity in works such as The Amen Corner, Just Above My Head, and others. With Jimmy’s Faith, author Christopher W. Hunt shows how Baldwin’s usage of those religious symbols both shifted their meaning and served as a way for him to build his own religious and spiritual vision. Engaging José Esteban Muñoz’s theory of disidentification as a queer practice of imagination and survival, Hunt demonstrates the ways in which James Baldwin disidentifies with and queers Black Christian language and theology throughout his literary corpus.
Baldwin’s vision is one in which queer sexuality signifies the depth of love’s transforming possibilities, the arts serve as the (religious) medium of knitting Black community together, an agnostic and affective mysticism undermines Christian theological discourse, “androgyny” troubles the gender binary, and the Black child signifies the hope for a world made new. In disidentifying with Christian symbols, Jimmy’s Faith reveals how Baldwin imagines both religion and the world “otherwise,” offering a model of how we might do the same for our own communities and ourselves.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Hunt is a Blackqueer scholar of African American Religions. Their research seeks to disrupt disciplinarity, bringing African American religious history, Black studies, contemporary theology, and queer studies to bear in exploring the relationship of religion to varying socio-political phenomena, particularly gender, sexuality, and race. These diverse academic disciplines converge in Hunt’s book entitled, Jimmy’s Faith: James Baldwin, Disidentification, and the Queer Possibilities of Black Religion (Fordham University Press). This work explores the ways in which Baldwin utilizes and queers religious language and symbols in offering his powerful vision a world made new. Hunt is Associate Professor in the Department for the Study of Religion, Culture, Power at Colorado College.
EVENT SCHEDULE
4:00pm Welcome to MATTER
4:15pm Hunt discussion/reading from Jimmy's Faith
5:00pm Audience Q&A
5:30pm Book Signing
ACCESSIBILITY
Parking: Metered street parking is available (parallel parking) on Market St. Paid lots are available within a few blocks. The closest one is on 21st and Market St.
Entrance Access: Our front door is at street level and manually operated, accessible for wheelchairs and mobility aids. The rest of the block has sidewalks raised by five steps; however, the bike lane offers a step-free route down the block with minimal car traffic.
Restrooms: All-gender restrooms. Just like at home.
Communication: All staff on site speak English. There will be one Spanish speaking staff member. We welcome communication via translation apps (Google Translate is available). While we do not use ASL, we’re happy to communicate through apps or other tools that work for you.
Alcohol Policy: No alcohol will be served or permitted at this event.
Masks: Masks are encouraged and supplied.
Questions or Requests: Please contact us at [email protected] with any accessibility needs or questions.
We encourage everyone to prepurchase their books before the event as we cannot guarantee book availability without prepurchase.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Shop at MATTER, 2114 Market Street, Denver, United States
USD 0.00 to USD 30.39
