Depending on your answer, why do you think that being a Christian ally to people who are marginalized by their religions might be difficult?

(Christian Allies 329 and any one film available here.Make sure you use the film of your choice in your answer along with the reading.

  1. Kivel suggests guidelines for Christians who want to disrupt Christian hegemony. Why might a Christian want to do this?
  2. What challenges might they face and what supports and networks might the draw upon?
  3. Have you ever seen a Christian engage in ally behavior?
  4. Have you ever done so? Have you wished to do so but felt anxiety or fear of disapproval?
  5. Depending on your answer, why do you think that being a Christian ally to people who are marginalized by their religions might be difficult?
  6. Can you think of examples of ally behavior in addition to what Kivel names, that might prove helpful in the social contexts you move in (schools, neighborhoods, families, religious organizaitons)?
  7. If so, what kinds of networks and resources would you need? What challenges would you need to overcome? What supports would you need to overcome them?
  8. This Not In Our Town video singles out the community resistance of inter-religious groups and individuals against religious hate acts in Oak Creek. Can you consider how this community resistance effort against religious hatred might play out against religious hate acts (especially “racialized” religions) in your community? Note: if you choose to answer this prompt you can use this as your video along with the reading “Christian Allies.”