Remembering Bob Art

Benazir Bhutto

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Modern Evangelicalism

Myth of Growth

Passion of the Christ I

Passion II

Passion III

Returning to Reed

Vagina Monologues

What is Evangelicalism? I

What is Evang? II

What is Evang? III

What is Evang? IV

Fear of Freezing

Bless Tony

An Artist's Past

Oregon Death Penalty

Death Penalty II

Gus Solomon I

Gus Solomon II

Gus Solomon III

Chris Hedges

Catullus

David Cay Johnston

Keys to the Koop

Rives Kistler

Ancient Sardis

Real Bill I

Real Bill II

Real Bill III

Real Bill IV

Real Bill V

Craziness!

Robert Remini

Yahoos

Mary Moody Emerson I

Mary Moody Emerson II

Robert Putnam

Tax Simplification

Simplification II

George Will

Brian Hines

Tort Reform

Carlton Snow

Wittgenstein

Carlton Snow II

The Brawl

The Brawl II

Chariots of Fire

Long Beach, WA

Oysterville

The Virtue of Islam

Friends

Cranberries

California Dreamin' I

California Dreamin' II

On Learning

Childe Hassam I

Childe Hassam II

Childe Hassam III

John Doan

Christmas Love I

Christmas Love II

Thoughts for 2005

 Vagina Monologues and Purpose-Driven Life

Bill Long

Two remarkable cultural phenomena are sweeping American life in the Winter and Spring of 2004.  On more than 600 college campuses there have been simultaneous productions of Eve Ensler's VAGINA MONOLOGUES.  Also, in more than 600 churches and mega-churches, there have been thousands of study groups probing the depths of Pastor Rick Warren's latest blockbuster book, THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE.  It is unlikely that many who attend, and none that act, in the Vagina Monologues would also be reading, or leading studies on, The Purpose-Driven Life.  The former is an expression of second or third generation feminism and the latter a product of third-generation American evangelicalism [A later mini-essay will define those terms more precisely].  

Striking to observe, however, is that these two sources of cultural inspiration and transformation are so similar in their structure and goals.  The goal is either to discover your true center--your vagina, or your true purpose--God's will for your life.  The people that are most desired for this task are designated as "warriors"--vagina warriors, who will fight all expressions of violence against women or warriors for Christ, who will fight the powers of Satan alive in the world.  Finally, both are unabashedly evangelistic:  spreading, so to speak, the good news of the vagina or of Christ.  As a matter of fact, if one went into a group dedicated to the vagina and replaced the word "vagina" with "Christ" every time it was used, a "purpose-driven lifer" might come away with heart strangely warmed..

If one is not committed to being a vagina warrior, clitoridectomies will flourish, mostly in Muslim countries.  If one is not committed to being a warrior for Christ, infidelity will continue to flourish, mostly in Muslim countries.  One wonders, however, if the Vagina Warrior and the Warrior for Christ would end up fighting each other in the short and the long term.  And, who would win if they spend their fury on each other?  No doubt the performers of clitoridectomies and the promoters of infidelity.

So, thunder from the right assails us.  Thunder from the left allures us.  Yawn.