Day 5: The Oppression of Professionalism
#RethinkChurch is doing a 22-day journey for self-reflection based on John Wesley’s 22 questions. I will be composing short blog posts addressing each question. I am using these posts to encourage Christians, especially Progressive and Mainline Christians to reflect deeply on what it means to be Church in a world marred by oppression and violence.
Day 5: Am I a slave* to dress, friends, work, or habits?
Note: The use of the term "slave" to describe devotion or obsession to something, is extremely problematic in light of the West's long history of violence towards Black and Brown people. John Wesley, in his particular historical context (1700s) used the term, but now in light of our understandings of the horror of slavery, particularly chattel slavery, the use of this term in that manner, is dubious. As a result of this I have removed this use of the term from my post. I keep it in the prompt only because it was the language John Wesley used. And yes, I am aware that English translations of the Bible use the term "slave" or "slavery" to describe humanity's devotion to sin. That provides an opportunity to discuss the historical context of the Bible and how to interpret key Biblical Scriptures now in light of our own historical contexts. Thanks, for the feedback I received pointing out the problematic nature of my use of the term slave in the post.
As Progressive Christians, we push back against Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christianity’s devotion to a rigid theology that condemns those who think and believe differently to hell. For us, this version of Christianity is the antithesis of Good News. Instead of promising us liberation it often traps us into a cycle of hatred by endorsing homophobia, transphobia, and sexism. We resist the depiction of God in such a small- and narrow-minded way.
At the same time, while we may not be fixated on Biblical inerrancy or Fundamentalism, there are other factors that can prevent us from truly advocating for justice and the liberation of all. We may push back against some of the expectations placed on us by the dominant society but unless we isolate ourselves, we cannot completely prevent ourselves from being influenced by it. Not that we necessarily want to shut ourselves off. We can’t shape society for the better by running away from it. But we do need to critically examine how we are also shaped by the society around us and keep the good influences while discarding the bad.
Society in general is obsessed with respectability and/or professionalism. When I talk about respectability, I am not talking about respecting other people and affirming their humanity. Instead, I am talking about embracing and reinforcing societal norms and values regarding appropriate thoughts, behavior, and dress. Another word for respectability can be “professionalism.” Now, do not get me wrong. It is massively important that we all know how to behave in a professional manner, which can vary depending on our context. If I walked onto a construction site without the proper equipment or outfit then I would be behaving in a nonprofessional and possibly dangerous manner.
But depending on the context, professionalism can be a weapon used to maintain and reinforce the status quo and the marginalization of those not part of the dominant group. For example, Black men and women are often ridiculed and mocked for their hair styles. Google, “Black hair and professional” and you will come across example after example of Black people being told that their natural hair is unprofessional and facing harsh consequences.
Additionally, society’s obsession with respectability and professionalism can serve as a silencing tool. Black and Brown people who dare speak frankly and publicly about racism and white supremacy are often accused of being unprofessional. The same goes for those with disabilities that advocate against ableism. They are often deemed unprofessional for demanding that the job, church, or school confirm to the ADA.
Professionalism and respectability also dictate that people hide their mental illness, even though getting adequate and affordable treatment in the United States is difficult. People with visible disabilities are treated like burdens while those with invisible disabilities are viewed as “lazy” or “pretending to be ill.” Trans people and other members of the LGBTQ+ are expected to still conform to gender roles and “acceptable” sexual behavior such as monogamy and marriage. (Neither of which I am condemning. But Poly people do exist and some people are not interested in marriage or sexual relationships)
Now some Progressive Christians may say, “what does this have to do with me or my congregation? My congregation is pretty chill. You can wear jeans; you don’t need to dress up. Our pastor has a tattoo. Our pastor preaches about social justice every week and we have a bunch of outreach programs. Our congregation is called a lot of things but respectable and professional we are not.”
Ok great, you aren’t obsessed with dress and you want to make the world a more just and equitable place, but I implore to ask yourself, “what are the unwritten expectations within my congregation that intentionally or not reinforce the status quo and contribute to the marginalization of others?”
For instance, how does your congregation treat parents of children with disabilities? Are they welcomed or are they shuttled to the back of the church? How do you treat people with mental illness? And before anyone says, “but we have to make sure are other members are safe.” I am not talking about people exhibiting behaviors that are clearly threatening to other people, but people whose behaviors are benign but not considered “normal.” (Also, the notion that mentally ill people are automatically a threat to other people needs to be critically examined…).
In other words, think deeply about how societal expectations of professionalism and respectability have shaped your congregation and whether these expectations are necessary in order to ensure that everyone who attends the service is safe and well cared for or whether these expectations serve to marginalize and “otherize” another group of people.
Day 1: Illusions of Perfection
Day 2: The Dangers of Embellishment