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| title: "Perpetua, Felicity, & the Roman empire" | ||
| date: 2024-03-07T21:26:00-05:00 | ||
| tags: [speculation, martyrdom] | ||
| --- | ||
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| Today, on the feast of Saints Perpetua & Felicity, I thought about their martyrdom. The account of their martyrdom---most of which is written by Perpetua herself---is a witness not only to the victory of life over death upon which Christianity is founded, but also of resistance against imperial oppression. Indeed, it is precisely in their dying that Perpetua & Felicity overcome the death-dealing ways of the Roman empire. From *Perpetua's Passion*: | ||
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| > The heifer threw Perpetua first, & she fell onto her hip. Her robe had been torn on the side, & her thigh exposed. When she sat up, she covered herself, since she was more mindful of her modesty than of her pain. Then she asked for a pin & fastened her disheveled hair. For it was not fitting to endure martyrdom with her hair in disarray, since she might seem to be mourning in her moment of glory. In this state she got up, & when she saw that Felicity had been struck down, she went to her, gave her a hand, & picked her up. & the two of them stood side by side. | ||
| Perpetua's equanimity in the face of torture & death---perhaps, admittedly, exaggerated by the narrator---shows her resolve to resist Roman oppression to the end. When her robe tears, Perpetua covers herself. For modesty, the narrator tells us; but we can read this as Perpetua's resistance against the sexual exploitation the crowd. Even faced with the violence of wild animals and a jeering horde, Perpetua does not allow herself to be reduced to a sexual object. Perhaps Perpetua covering her thigh & fixing her hair likewise shows her refusal to allow the Roman empire to take her dignity from her. | ||
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| Even more striking is Perpetua going to help Felicity up. Perpetua is a noblewoman & Felicity a slave; according to the strictures of Roman imperial society they should not associate with one another. Perpetua should certainly not be putting herself in the service of Felicity. Yet in Christ there is neither slave nor free (Gal 3:28). Whatever divisions the Romans impose upon peoples are washed away in the waters of baptism & the blood of martyrdom. These two women stand up against the oppression of the Roman empire & face their deaths together, standing side by side. | ||
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| Perpetua & Felicity resist the Roman empire by asserting to the very end their dignity in small ways---fixing their hair & clothes; crossing class lines to assist one another. They do not respond to the Roman empire in kind---they do not respond to violence with violence; they do not give in to the Roman empire's death-dealing social order. In remaining true to their Christian commitments---of dignity, of service, of equality in Christ---& in refusing to answer violence with violence, Perpetua & Felicity testify to the unreality of oppression, injustice, & death. The victory of life over death is a victory had in refusing to give into the corruptions of death. Such is the structure of all martyrdom, then & now. | ||
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| Saints Perpetua & Felicity, pray for us! |
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| title: "Oscars: hopes & predictions" | ||
| date: 2024-02-28T14:42:12-05:00 | ||
| tags: [opinion, film] | ||
| draft: true | ||
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| The Oscars air tonight. I don't ordinarily pay so much attention to awards shows but I've seen all the films nominated in the main 6 categories. Here are my hopes & my predictions for those main 6 categories: lead actor, supporting actor, lead actress, supporting actress, director, & picture. | ||
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| ## Actor in a leading role | ||
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| **Hope**: Jeffrey Wright, *American Fiction* | ||
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| I enjoyed this movie pretty well, & it's the kind of movie I'd like to see recognized at the Oscars. Wright's performance was excellent: restrained even while exasperated, self-righteous but nevertheless flawed. | ||
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| **Prediction**: Cillian Murphy, *Oppenheimer* | ||
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| Murphy's widely praised performance is coming into the Oscars with a lot of momentum (as is *Oppenheimer* in general): he's won a Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA. & it was a remarkable performance, if a bit effortful. I'd be surprised if Murphy didn't win. | ||
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| ## Actor in a supporting role | ||
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| **Hope**: Robert Downey, Jr., *Oppenheimer* | ||
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| On this category, it's close for me between Robert De Niro in *Killers of the Flower Moon* & Downey. De Niro was incredible, but Downey really held my attention in a way De Niro didn't quite. I hope it goes to Downey. | ||
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| **Prediction**: Robert Downey, Jr., *Oppenheimer* | ||
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| Like his screen partner Murphy, Downey is coming into the Oscars with plenty of momentum (Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA). I think he's got the Oscar locked up. | ||
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| ## Actress in a leading role | ||
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| **Hope**: Lily Gladstone, *Killers of the Flower Moon* | ||
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| Lily Gladstone stole every scene she was in, even when she didn't say a word---& this is in a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio & Robert De Niro. She delivered a heartbreaking & breathtaking performance, & she deserves the Oscar on the strength of her appearance in the film alone. If Gladstone doesn't win, it will be the biggest disservice of the night. | ||
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| **Prediction**: | ||
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| This is a very difficulty category to predict; each of the nominees have *some*thing the Oscars love in a lead actress. I *think* it will go to Gladstone, but I think there's a possibility it goes to Emma Stone |
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| <p>Today, on the feast of Saints Perpetua & Felicity, I thought about their martyrdom. The account of their martyrdom—most of which is written by Perpetua herself—is a witness not only to the victory of life over death upon which Christianity is founded, but also of resistance against imperial oppression. Indeed, it is precisely in their dying that Perpetua & Felicity overcome the death-dealing ways of the Roman empire. From <em>Perpetua’s Passion</em>:</p> | ||
| <blockquote> | ||
| <p>The heifer threw Perpetua first, & she fell onto her hip. Her robe had been torn on the side, & her thigh exposed. When she sat up, she covered herself, since she was more mindful of her modesty than of her pain. Then she asked for a pin & fastened her disheveled hair. For it was not fitting to endure martyrdom with her hair in disarray, since she might seem to be mourning in her moment of glory. In this state she got up, & when she saw that Felicity had been struck down, she went to her, gave her a hand, & picked her up. & the two of them stood side by side.</p> | ||
| </blockquote> | ||
| <p>Perpetua’s equanimity in the face of torture & death—perhaps, admittedly, exaggerated by the narrator—shows her resolve to resist Roman oppression to the end. When her robe tears, Perpetua covers herself. For modesty, the narrator tells us; but we can read this as Perpetua’s resistance against the sexual exploitation the crowd. Even faced with the violence of wild animals and a jeering horde, Perpetua does not allow herself to be reduced to a sexual object. Perhaps Perpetua covering her thigh & fixing her hair likewise shows her refusal to allow the Roman empire to take her dignity from her.</p> | ||
| <p>Even more striking is Perpetua going to help Felicity up. Perpetua is a noblewoman & Felicity a slave; according to the strictures of Roman imperial society they should not associate with one another. Perpetua should certainly not be putting herself in the service of Felicity. Yet in Christ there is neither slave nor free (Gal 3:28). Whatever divisions the Romans impose upon peoples are washed away in the waters of baptism & the blood of martyrdom. These two women stand up against the oppression of the Roman empire & face their deaths together, standing side by side.</p> | ||
| <p>Perpetua & Felicity resist the Roman empire by asserting to the very end their dignity in small ways—fixing their hair & clothes; crossing class lines to assist one another. They do not respond to the Roman empire in kind—they do not respond to violence with violence; they do not give in to the Roman empire’s death-dealing social order. In remaining true to their Christian commitments—of dignity, of service, of equality in Christ—& in refusing to answer violence with violence, Perpetua & Felicity testify to the unreality of oppression, injustice, & death. The victory of life over death is a victory had in refusing to give into the corruptions of death. Such is the structure of all martyrdom, then & now.</p> | ||
| <p>Saints Perpetua & Felicity, pray for us!</p> | ||
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