Around the time Microaggressions in Ministry: Confronting the Violence of Everyday Church was published, I was under contract and furiously trying to finish yet another book project, a coloring book of all things. On the heels of such imperative justice work as microaggressions, why on earth was creating a coloring book on my radar? Feminist academic-activists don’t dabble in such seemingly insignificant projects as coloring books, do they? As I wrote about my potential coloring book for the first time with FAR, I realized the time is ripe for such work—a coloring book that fuses feminism, arts, and spirituality—so I graciously took the feedback offered here and shared them with my publisher.
Coloring is a fast growing trend among over-stressed adults. “Soothing coloring pages” is a top Google search item. Amazon.com lists over 3,000 adult coloring books, some even featured on their bestsellers list.
Articles—popular and academic—whose authors range from psychologist to spiritual director purport the power of coloring to calm anxiety, relieve stress, and provide a creative and spiritual outlet. Is this a feminist issue? I’d say so. In fact, part of the problem of microaggressions is the difficulty in coping with the stress, depression, and anxiety caused by them. Hear me clearly, I’m not saying that coloring in my coloring book will rid the world of microaggressions and usher in a utopian paradise where every person is treated equally and justly. What I am saying is that, since studies have proven that coloring is a valid mode of relieving stress and anxiety and microaggressions create stress and anxiety, coloring pages filled with bold, revolutionary women, many of whom are women of color and/or queer, can provide a balm, a method of empowerment, a window into what that utopian world could be. Continue reading “Holy Women Icons Contemplative Coloring Book by Angela Yarber”
Recently, I realized the heart’s capacity to hold both extreme tragedy and utmost joy simultaneously. Surely this is something I’ve experienced in the past, but both personal and nation-wide events have served as poignant reminders. First, the racism that primarily persists in microaggressive forms—in the underbelly of a society that too often prides itself in the heinous sin of “colorblindness,” claiming that racism no longer exists in the United States—reared its violent head in the most blatant and painful ways in the slaughter of nine innocent people in Charleston. Because the shooting took place in a church, some media outlets have tried to claim that the shooter’s intentions were to attack persons of faith. It is clear, however, based on Dylann Roof’s words, photos, and history, that these killings were hate crimes targeted specifically at black people. Hearts broke. Lives ended. We, as a nation, were reminded, all too soon and yet again, that the lives of black people are valued less. Racism is present, evil, persistent, both blatant and hidden. It is more than hearts can hold.
Feminism and Religion 