DOCSLIB.ORG

Productive Dilemmas: Assistance and Struggle in a Nicaraguan Agricultural Cooperative David Thomas William Cooper University

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Productive Dilemmas: Assistance and Struggle in a Nicaraguan Agricultural Cooperative David Thomas William Cooper University Productive dilemmas: assistance and struggle in a Nicaraguan agricultural cooperative David Thomas William Cooper University College London Department of Anthropology Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2015 Abstract Based on 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork, this thesis is an ethnography of Gualiqueme, a village in the northern mountains of Nicaragua which was established by the Sandinistas as an agricultural cooperative in the 1980s. It explores the way rural Nicaraguan understandings of efficacy have informed and inflected their involvements with the cooperative, the Sandinista state, and each other. For Gualiqueme residents the prospect of productivity and efficacy revolves around a crucial dilemma. On the one hand effective action is viewed as grounded in an embodied personal struggle (lucha). On the other, relevant powers are taken to be distant and external, and viable action is understood to be contingent upon cultivating vital relations of assistance; with God and the saints, with the president and politicians, with the powerful outsiders staffing NGOs. The effort to mediate this duality of assistance and struggle across a range of domains is shown to comprise a central concern for Gualiqueme residents. It runs through the local production of historical knowledge, the negotiation of household relations, through efforts to establish entitlements to land, participation in state and NGO welfare projects, and the differing forms of popular religion. Developing this argument allows the thesis to present a novel perspective on the distributive politics characteristic of ‘New Left’ governments in Latin America, going beyond standard models of populism or clientelism. Gualiqueme residents are keen supporters of Daniel Ortega’s incumbent administration, and becoming a beneficiary of state welfare projects has come to hold a central place in rural political imaginaries. The thesis shows that understanding the appeal of these ‘assistentialist’ political forms for Gualiqueme residents requires framing them in relation to the diverse ways in which dilemmas of efficacy are handled in rural Nicaraguan life. Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 1 Table of figures ...................................................................................................................... 3 List of Acronyms and Organisations .................................................................................. 5 Chapter 1—Introduction ...................................................................................................... 7 El Mero Jefe .................................................................................................................. 7 Efficacy, productivity, and struggle ........................................................................ 11 Peasant studies, land reform and the prospect of ‘cooperation’: a cautionary view of the individualism-collectivism binary....................................................... 24 Ethnographies of collective and cooperative farms .............................................. 27 Peasants as individualists ......................................................................................... 29 Peasants as proto-socialists; resistance studies ...................................................... 32 Agrarian policy in Nicaragua................................................................................... 33 Clientelism and dependency: Socialism for the 21st century .............................. 38 Dependencies of left and right ................................................................................. 43 Outline of the thesis .................................................................................................. 48 Chapter 2—Village overview and methodological considerations ............................... 53 Arriving at the village ............................................................................................... 53 ‘A proper town’.......................................................................................................... 56 A typical day .............................................................................................................. 59 La roya: the 2011-2 coffee rust epidemic ............................................................... 62 Research strategies, methodological considerations and access ......................... 63 Meetings ..................................................................................................................... 65 Labour ......................................................................................................................... 67 Household .................................................................................................................. 68 Religion ....................................................................................................................... 69 Formal interviews ...................................................................................................... 70 Chapter 3—Transformation and assistance in local historicity .................................... 73 Part 1: Pre-1979 society, the coming of revolution, and the early years of the Gualiqueme cooperative........................................................................................... 76 Wages and exploitation ............................................................................................ 82 Devil pacts and local understandings of wealth .................................................... 83 Guerrillas and collaborators .................................................................................... 85 Revolutionary ‘Triumph’ and turmoil .................................................................... 86 Early years of the cooperative .................................................................................. 88 Post-1990 experiences of violence........................................................................... 92 Land reform in the post-Sandinista period: the Sacuanjoche Cooperative ....... 93 ‘Not really a cooperative’ .......................................................................................... 97 Part 2: Assistance and progress in Gualiqueme history ....................................... 98 ‘He is our government’: Daniel and the gift of land ........................................... 101 Diego Quintero and the creation of the cooperative .......................................... 102 Padre Bonifacio and the construction of the village ........................................... 104 San Miguel and the installation of the water system .......................................... 105 Part 3: Ethnicity and transformation .................................................................... 108 Indios and indígenas ................................................................................................ 110 Linguistic inversion: the incapacities of indios .................................................... 113 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 116 Chapter 4—Derecho: rights, ownership and entitlement in cooperative land relations ............................................................................................................................................. 119 Derecho: rights, land and entitlement ................................................................... 122 Derecho-as-land—El Zapote ................................................................................. 126 The process of land division within the cooperative .......................................... 129 Agarrando: grabbing land ...................................................................................... 132 Sons, and sons-in-law, of socios ............................................................................. 136 Inheriting derecho ................................................................................................... 138 Alexis ........................................................................................................................ 139 Land sales ................................................................................................................. 141 Land types ................................................................................................................ 145 ‘Los Revueltos’ and derecho-as-duty ..................................................................... 147 Sandinista derecho ................................................................................................... 154 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 158 Chapter 5—Vicio and everyday domestic relations ...................................................... 161 Evangelicals in Gualiqueme ................................................................................... 166 Vicio .......................................................................................................................... 173 Two cases.................................................................................................................. 175 Esperanza ................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Fall Colors, 2001-02: Prime Time Diversity Report. INSTITUTION Children Now, Oakland, CA
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 464 750 PS 030 374 AUTHOR Parker, McCrae A.; Miller, Patti; Espejo, Eileen; Grossman-Swenson, Sarah TITLE Fall Colors, 2001-02: Prime Time Diversity Report. INSTITUTION Children Now, Oakland, CA. SPONS AGENCY Mott (C.S.) Foundation, Flint, MI. PUB DATE 2002-04-00 NOTE 49p.; For Fall Colors II, see ED 444 707. Also supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies. AVAILABLE FROM Children Now, 1212 Broadway, 5th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Tel: 510-763-2444; Fax: 510-763-1974; e-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http://www.childrennow.org/media/fc2002/fc-2002-report.pdf. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Comparative Analysis; Content Analysis; *Cultural Pluralism; *Diversity (Institutional); Ethnicity; Mass Media Effects; *Programming (Broadcast); Racial Distribution; Television Research IDENTIFIERS Diversity (Groups) ABSTRACT Television is an integral part of American culture, and has the ability to play a major role in shaping belief systems, particularly for the youngest and most impressionable viewers. This study is the third annual study of diversity of characters in prime time television programming. The study examined the first two episodes of each prime time entertainment series airing on the six broadcast networks. The findings indicate that despite ongoing emphasis, encouragement, and pressure on the part of media advocates, civil rights groups, government officials, and even some entertainment industry leaders, the networks have yet to produce a prime time
    [Show full text]
  • Managing Waste in Your Community Managing Waste in Your Community – Education Kit
    Managing Waste in your Community Managing Waste in your Community – Education Kit This information kit has been adapted by the Southern Waste Strategy Authority from fact sheets developed by the Gould League in consultation with EcoRecycle Victoria. The kind permission of EcoRecycle Victoria is acknowledged in publishing this material. Contents Page 1. Introduction 2 2. How to Use the Package 2 3. Fact Sheets 3 3.1 Garbage 4 3.2 Recycling Snapshot 7 3.3 The 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse & Recycle 11 3.4 Waste Tips 14 3.5 Paper Recycling 16 3.6 Plastic Recycling 19 3.7 Glass Recycling 23 3.8 Steel Can Recycling 25 3.9 Aluminium Recycling 27 3.10 Milk & Juice Carton Recycling 29 3.11 Home Composting 31 3.12 Resources 38 3.13 Key Contacts 40 4. Appendix 42 A. Managing Waste in your Community – Lesson Guide B. Managing Waste in your Community – Student Worksheet C. Managing Waste in your Community – Teacher Worksheet D. Managing Waste in your Community – Cue Cards Managing Waste in your Community – Education Kit ________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction What is the Southern Waste Strategy Authority? The SWSA is a Local Government Joint Authority, formed by the twelve southern Tasmanian councils, to implement a comprehensive waste management strategy throughout the region. Based on the widely recognised principles of 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle', better known as the Waste Management Hierarchy, the strategy aims, amongst other things, to raise community awareness of, and participation in sound waste management practices. Schools can play an important role in this awareness and participation process, through the dissemination of information to students, who will in turn, spread the message into the home and greater community.
    [Show full text]
  • Fortune, Thief of Baghdad Copy
    This script is dedicated to the memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero SJ, an innocent who fell under an assassin’s bullet for his belief that justice was more dangerous than a thief. May his dedication to the poor of El-Salvador never be forgotten. FORTUNE, THIEF OF BAGHDAD 2 FADE IN: INT. CASINO NO.14, PARIS - DAY CLOSE ON a young guy called Adrian Luc entering Casino. His nonchalant expression and attire suggests he is a man of easy manner. Dressed in a scruffy coat, and pink scarf, he fishes into his pocket, pulls out his last one hundred euro note, and a tiny ivory ball. KISSES his fist and smiles. Life is all a big gamble. INT. REPUBLICAN PALACE, BAGHDAD - NIGHT A feast is being celebrated one year after the dictator’s arrest. INT. AT THE BANQUET TABLE - NIGHT …..is a young American soldier called CHAD. He is sandwiched between a drunken officer called STING RAY. A military yes man known for his biting sarcasm, and a woman, called EUROPE. A shiite with wizened eyes and bright red lips. A bounty of food is laid out before the guests, the champagne is flowing and good will is thick in the air. Sting Ray picks up the champagne bottle, pours himself another glass. CLOSE ON Chad talking soberly to Europe. CHAD The tribes aren’t happy. They’re no longer protesting quietly but are shouting insults against us. EUROPE Leave politics alone. There’s more interesting talk of late like the intrepid thief Fortune, who’s holding sway over one half of Baghdad.
    [Show full text]
  • Fine Structure
    Fine Structure By Sam Hughes A Serialized Novel As Retrieved 2 February 2010 http://qntm.org/index.php?structure Fine Structure Table of Contents Table of Contents • Unbelievable scenes 4 • On Digital Extremities 6 • Power Of Two 15 • Zanjero 22 • Crushed Underground 23 • Taphophobia 28 • The Astronomer's Loss 33 • Amber 34 • Indistinguishable from magic 37 • Paper universe 40 • Exponents 44 • 2048 48 • Two killed in "transporter accident" 54 • The Four-Dimensional Man 58 • 1970- ◦ Crash Zero 61 ◦ The Nature of the Weapon 65 ◦ The Big Idea 70 ◦ Too Much Information 75 • Failure Mode 81 • The Story So Far 88 • Sundown 97 • Leaving The Real World 102 • Oul's Egg ◦ The artifact was completely impenetrable to all forms of matter except living human flesh 105 ◦ halfway homes, catacombs, twilight zones 107 • Die 113 • Fight Scene ◦ Freak Tornado 119 ◦ Capekiller 123 • least significant bits 129 • 'Verse Chorus 134 • this was supposed to be a parable about the power of the imagination 143 • Worth Dying For ◦ Seph Baird 148 ◦ Mike Murphy 149 ◦ Jim Akker 150 • There Was No Leak 151 2 Fine Structure Table of Contents • The Chaotician 158 • this is not over and I am not dead 161 • Endworld ◦ Postmortal 168 ◦ Crisis on Earth 173 ◦ The Last Copy Of You 177 ◦ We had to destroy the future in order to save it 181 ◦ Last Ergs 186 • Science Fiction Future 199 • Extras, appendices, feedback 208 3 Fine Structure Unbelievable scenes Unbelievable scenes This is for real. This is a simulation. It's like billion-voice music. The cities here are woven from constantly singing superstrings.
    [Show full text]
  • Eccentricity and Gender
    Issue 2009 27 Off Centre: Eccentricity and Gender Edited by Prof. Dr. Beate Neumeier ISSN 1613-1878 Editor About Prof. Dr. Beate Neumeier Gender forum is an online, peer reviewed academic University of Cologne journal dedicated to the discussion of gender issues. As English Department an electronic journal, gender forum offers a free-of- Albertus-Magnus-Platz charge platform for the discussion of gender-related D-50923 Köln/Cologne topics in the fields of literary and cultural production, Germany media and the arts as well as politics, the natural sciences, medicine, the law, religion and philosophy. Tel +49-(0)221-470 2284 Inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Beate Neumeier in 2002, the Fax +49-(0)221-470 6725 quarterly issues of the journal have focused on a email: [email protected] multitude of questions from different theoretical perspectives of feminist criticism, queer theory, and masculinity studies. gender forum also includes reviews Editorial Office and occasionally interviews, fictional pieces and poetry Laura-Marie Schnitzler, MA with a gender studies angle. Sarah Youssef, MA Christian Zeitz (General Assistant, Reviews) Opinions expressed in articles published in gender forum are those of individual authors and not necessarily Tel.: +49-(0)221-470 3030/3035 endorsed by the editors of gender forum. email: [email protected] Submissions Editorial Board Target articles should conform to current MLA Style (8th Prof. Dr. Mita Banerjee, edition) and should be between 5,000 and 8,000 words in Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Germany) length. Please make sure to number your paragraphs Prof. Dr. Nilufer E. Bharucha, and include a bio-blurb and an abstract of roughly 300 University of Mumbai (India) words.
    [Show full text]
  • View Renaissance Hotel; the Economic Development Flagging of the Holiday Inn; and the Ground Breaking for the Hampton Inn
    A publication of Main Street Mobile, Inc. DV OWNTOWNOLUME 2 • NUMBER 1 •A DECEMBERLLIANCE 2007-JANUARYNEWS 2008 GLOBAL TRENDS AFFECTING DOWNTOWN MOBILE By Carol Hunter skills, American universities are graduating fewer students in science and engineering. Downtown Mobile should consider harnessing the power of local institutions of higher With today’s international trade, instant communications and intercontinental travel, learning by housing facilities to foster research and education in the city center. We are global trends affect all of us, even in Mobile. Whether those affects are positive or neg- particularly well poised to develop a relationship with the fine arts departments of our col- ative depends on how we prepare for them. Progressive Urban Management leges and universities. Associates, in consultation with the International Downtown Association, has developed a body of research that identifies major global trends affecting downtowns and recom- Traffic Congestion and mends tangible actions. The following is a summary of the research with recommenda- the Value of Time tions adapted for downtown Mobile. Traffic congestion cost Americans $63 billion and 47 hours of average Changing American annual delay in 2003, and experts sug- Demographics. gest that building more roads is doing Three generations are little to stem rising traffic congestion. shaping America and the Additionally, a commuter living an growth of downtowns, each As gas prices and congestion increase, more hour’s drive from work annually spends with distinctly different demo- smart cars may be seen downtown. the equivalent of 12 work weeks in the graphics and behaviors. The car. It is not uncommon to have an hour’s commute in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.
    [Show full text]
  • Squad Script
    Squad by Troy Oates FADE IN: EXT. FOOTPATH - NIGHT Only small fragments are shown. Feet pounding against the pavement. Hair bouncing up and down against a forehead. Hands moving with the movement of the body. A gun tucked away in the side of the belt, comfortably sitting in its holster. For all that's shown, this person could be jogging. Eyes, determined on their goal. Never moving off centre for even a split second. They belong to RYAN EDWARDS A 37 year old man with short black hair head and a short beard to match. His current wardrobe consists of a grey T- shirt with a jacket over the top and black jeans. He's running, as fast as he can. It almost seems like he's gliding along this sidewalk. He's chasing RICKY ROBERTS a big oaf-ish sized man with buzz-cut blonde hair. EXT. PARK - NIGHT As they enter a park that's empty, Ricky comes to a small, square statue about waist high on him. He stumbles around it, slowing down for a split second, but this second is all Ryan needs to catch up to him. Ryan jumps up onto the statue, and then leaps down, a small step behind Ricky. Ryan extends both arms out and shoves Ricky in the back hard. From the force of the push, and the uneven terrain that he's running on, Ricky looses his footing, and skids to his knees, falling on his front. Ryan stops almost instantaneously. He stands over Ricky, reaching into the back of his belt for the handcuffs that rest there.
    [Show full text]
  • AD AGE MAIN 09-30-02 a 58 AADB.Qxd 9/30/02 2:58 PM Page 1
    AD AGE MAIN 09-30-02 A 58 AADB.qxd 9/30/02 2:58 PM Page 1 AD AGE’S FALL 2002 PRIME-TIME PRICING SURVEY SUNDAY 7 p.m. (ET) 8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m. Wonderful World of Disney Alias The Practice $107,127 $144,890 $180,106 60 Minutes Bram and Alice Becker CBS Sunday Movie $90,000 $87,133 $107,115 $79,471 Dateline American Dreams Law & Order: Criminal Intent Boomtown $63,950 $108,288 $124,889 $114,729 Futurama Oliver Beene Simpsons King of the Hill Malcolm The Grubbs No programming $90,100 $122,780 $248,300 $212,500 $196,725 $113,817 Gilmore Girls: Beginnings Charmed Angel No programming $51,295 $48,672 $55,609 MONDAY8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m. Drew Carey Whose Line Monday Night Football $84,377 $64,594 $298,000 King/Queens Yes, Dear Raymond Standing CSI: Miami $168,425 $165,801 $301,640 $186,100 $164,870 Fear Factor Third Watch Crossing Jordan $100,833 $126,270 $122,960 Boston Public Girls Club No programming $146,887 $178,400 7th Heaven Everwood No programming $83,752 $72,204 The Parkers One on One Girlfriends Half & Half No programming $39,267 $40,456 $39,300 $38,006 TUESDAY8 p.m. 9 p.m. 10 p.m. 8 Simple Jim Bonnie Less/Perfect NYPD Blue $144,438 $137,750 $121,222 $141,679 $157,249 JAG The Guardian Judging Amy $97,355 $82,239 $118,857 In-Laws Shoot Me Frasier Hidden Hills Dateline NBC $96,500 $115,575 $252,067 $172,854 $106,817 ‘70s Show Grounded 24 No programming $164,950 $136,215 $184,550 Gilmore Girls Smallville No programming $82,287 $111,439 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Haunted No programming $59,032 $28,400 WED.
    [Show full text]
  • ANU Strategic & Defence Studies Centre's Golden Anniversary
    New Directions in Strategic Thinking 2.0 ANU STRATEGIC & DEFENCE STUDIES CENTRE’S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS New Directions in Strategic Thinking 2.0 ANU STRATEGIC & DEFENCE STUDIES CENTRE’S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS EDITED BY DR RUSSELL W. GLENN Published by ANU Press The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email: [email protected] Available to download for free at press.anu.edu.au ISBN (print): 9781760462222 ISBN (online): 9781760462239 WorldCat (print): 1042559418 WorldCat (online): 1042559355 DOI: 10.22459/NDST.07.2018 This title is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). The full licence terms are available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode Cover design and layout by ANU Press This edition © 2018 ANU Press Contents Foreword . vii Preface . xi Contributors . xiii Acronyms and abbreviations . xxiii 1 . Introduction . 1 Russell W . Glenn 2 . The decline of the classical model of military strategy . 9 Lawrence Freedman 3 . Economics and security . 23 Amy King 4 . A bias for action? The military as an element of national power . 37 John J . Frewen 5 . The prospects for a Great Power ‘grand bargain’ in East Asia . 51 Evelyn Goh 6 . Old wine in new bottles? The continued relevance of Cold War strategic concepts . 63 Robert Ayson 7 . Beyond ‘hangovers’: The new parameters of post–Cold War nuclear strategy . 77 Nicola Leveringhaus 8 . The return of geography . 91 Paul Dibb 9 . Strategic studies in practice: An Australian perspective . 105 Hugh White 10 . Strategic studies in practice: A South-East Asian perspective .
    [Show full text]
  • “Just What Was It That Made U.S. Art So Different, So Appealing?”
    “JUST WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE U.S. ART SO DIFFERENT, SO APPEALING?”: CASE STUDIES OF THE CRITICAL RECEPTION OF AMERICAN AVANT-GARDE PAINTING IN LONDON, 1950-1964 by FRANK G. SPICER III Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Adviser: Dr. Ellen G. Landau Department of Art History and Art CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY May, 2009 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the thesis/dissertation of Frank G. Spicer III ______________________________________________________ Doctor of Philosophy candidate for the ________________________________degree *. Dr. Ellen G. Landau (signed)_______________________________________________ (chair of the committee) ________________________________________________Dr. Anne Helmreich Dr. Henry Adams ________________________________________________ Dr. Kurt Koenigsberger ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ December 18, 2008 (date) _______________________ *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. Table of Contents List of Figures 2 Acknowledgements 7 Abstract 12 Introduction 14 Chapter I. Historiography of Secondary Literature 23 II. The London Milieu 49 III. The Early Period: 1946/1950-55 73 IV. The Middle Period: 1956-59: Part 1, The Tate 94 V. The Middle Period: 1956-59: Part 2 127 VI. The Later Period: 1960-1962 171 VII. The Later Period: 1963-64: Part 1 213 VIII. The Later Period: 1963-64: Part 2 250 Concluding Remarks 286 Figures 299 Bibliography 384 1 List of Figures Fig. 1 Richard Hamilton Just What Is It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? (1956) Fig. 2 Modern Art in the United States Catalogue Cover Fig. 3 The New American Painting Catalogue Cover Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Open Cho YS Thesis.Pdf
    The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of Communications COMPETITION AND PROGRAM TYPE DIVERSITY IN THE OVER-THE-AIR TELEVISION INDUSTRY, 1943-2005 A Thesis in Mass Communications by Young Shin Cho © 2007 Young Shin Cho Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2007 The thesis of Young-Shin Cho was reviewed and approved* by the following: Richard Taylor Palmer Chair of Telecommunications Studies and Law Thesis Advisor Chair of Committee Matt Jackson Associate Professor of Communications Krishna Jayakar Associate Professor of Communications Lynette Kvasny Assistant Professor of Information Sciences and Technology John S. Nichols Professor of Communications Associate Dean for Graduates Studies and Research *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School ABSTRACT Competition and diversity are touchstones in media policy, but the relationship between them is not clear despite a great number of studies because even studies dealing with their relationship, did not measure the intensity of competition. This paper investigates the relationship between market competition and program type diversity in the over-the-air television industry. Specifically, market competition is divided into intra-network competition and intra-media competition, i.e. terrestrial television vs. cable TV. Also this paper uses a comprehensive model of program types, with 281 program type categories, which have never been used in previous studies. The results show that program type diversity keeps decreasing over time and intra-network competition has a negative effect on program type diversity. Also, intra- network competition is a more important factor on program type diversity than inter- media competition.
    [Show full text]
  • Spring 1998 What Is True Joy: the Greatest Poverty
    TThhee FFTrrheaa Frnnanccciiiscssancc Tiaamenns TTiimmeess Lord, Make Me An Instrument Of Thy Peace A quarterly newsletter, whose purpose is helping members of The Third Order of the Society of St. Francis share their common journey through news from fellowships and individuals, reviews of books and tapes, poetry, stories, essays, reflections, meditations, graphics, Spring 1998 What Is True Joy: the greatest poverty. I’ve often thought that perhaps the reason why we have so many denominations is so A TSSF that we may freely come to God and learn to love and give in a variety of ways, as opposed to only one way where someone might be left out. We could use some Conversation prayers so that we may be better “light bearers,” and The following conversation about true joy was a gift stop arguing over beliefs we hold in our heads. I think from the Holy Spirit that wove itself in and out of the Jesus said it best, “Love God, and Love Your Neighbor online dialogs on AngFran-L early this January. My As Yourself.” thanks to all who contributed. Eunice Dunlap Not a nostalgic recollection Joy and Depression The Joy of which Francis spoke is not a nostalgic Recently I had a long conversation with my brother recollection or a fleeting moment of happiness. I like to who is one of the most devoted Christians I know. He think of Franciscan joy as that “biblical wellspring of is always cheerful and friendly and faithful in church living water” that starts in the deepest parts of our soul attendance and prayer and in service to the “disen- and bubbles up and overflows every part of life.
    [Show full text]