Bleak Theology A post-punk counterweight to joy.

About Bleak Theology

A

This blog is a theology of loss, lamentation, and elegy. It works out its salvation in fear and trembling in a post-punk bricolage inspired by Kierkegaard (I read a lot of Kierkegaard), various theologies, biblical studies, and the arts. With the absurd always in mind, we seek to act by virtue of the absurd.

This is a theology among the ashes of burned-out cathedrals, in a world where we share stories and create art about how we hoped and lived as we dwell and wander in the Wilderness. It’s a theology about living a life guided by the lonely Jesus, abandoned on the cross by his closest friends and even his God. And we keep going. Alone and together, we keep going.

My name is Burke Gerstenschlager and I live in Brooklyn, New York with my wife, and young son. I’m currently writing a book on the Mancunian post-punk band Joy Division and theological lamentation. For ten years, I was an academic book editor before I got tired of working on other people’s projects. I like collaborating and writing for publications, so if you’re interested, do ask. My views expressed are entirely independent of my employer.

I’m bleak because I hope so much. I have a Classics BA from UT – Austin and earned a MDiv from Yale Divinity School, which makes everything worse, because I learned too much. I am an anti-fascist and an admirer of The White Rose. I’m not always this morose. I’m a long-time member of St. Lydia’s, a dinner church.

If you have a comment or question, please feel to send me a note.

    cherub

                                  “Seraphim II.” (2010) – Dan Hillier (RIP)

     41°01′31″N 81°46′31.6″W

    Add comment

    Leave a Reply

    Bleak Theology A post-punk counterweight to joy.

    Subscriptus

    Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 837 other subscribers

    Top Posts & Pages

    Follow Us

    css.php