Kester Brewin

Author: KB

  • Befriending Hitler… Befriending a Sociopathic God

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    In the previous post we considered the adage that ‘an enemy is simply a friend whose story I have not yet heard.’ In his book First As Tragedy, Then As Farce, Zizek critiques this, using the example of Hitler, questioning whether it would be right to befriend him: “Is one then also ready to affirm…

  • Befriending Hitler

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    KB
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    I’m currently enjoying one of Zizek’s new books, First as Tragedy, Then as Farce – an allusion to Marx’s introduction to his Eighteenth Brumaire in which he wrote: “Hegel remarks somewhere that all great events and characters of world history occur, so to speak, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the…

  • Predictions | 2010 | 2020

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    I’ve been thinking about what this new year and new decade might hold for us, and thought I’d stick my neck out and make some predictions. In line with some of the major themes of this blog I’ve gone for something from categories of: technology, faith, environment, politics… and the personal. Some tongue-in-cheek, some serious.…

  • Advent[ures] in Incarnation [12] | The Wondrous Gift is Given

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    Whenever a gift is given, an invisible cargo is exchanged with it, loaded with semi-conscious messages about power-relations between giver and receiver. Offering an expensive gift to someone can be a power-play: I am rich enough to give you this. Even letting someone out into traffic can carry the same message: I am more gracious…

  • Advent[ures] in Incarnation [11] | How Silently, How Silently…

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    There is only one thing on the children’s minds: presents. There has probably been only one thing on many of our minds these last few weeks: what to buy for who? How much is appropriate to spend? What did they give me last year? How will they think of me if I give them this?…

  • Advent[ures] in Incarnation [10] | Brother Hare by Katherine Venn

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    I absolutely love this advent poem by Katherine Venn. She’s currently doing a Masters in poetry at the University of East Anglia, and keeping a blog of the experience over at Minute Particulars. Brother Hare Born with your clothes on, trembling in your scrape, wide eyes open, soft, as new things are, warm; alone, pressed…