Thandeka (minister) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rev. Dr. Thandeka
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| Born |
Sue Booker
March 25, 1946 New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Claremont Graduate University (Ph.D.) UCLA (M.A.) Columbia University, School of Journalism (M.A.) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (B.A.) |
| Occupation | Theologian and activist |
| Known for | Contemporary affect theory, critical vision theory, theology, philosophy |
Thandeka is a special kind of minister called a Unitarian Universalist minister. She is also an American thinker who studies religion and how people feel. She created a new way of understanding religion called "affect theology."
Her affect theology connects religious understanding with human feelings. It mixes ideas from an old theologian named Friedrich Schleiermacher with new discoveries about how our brains process emotions. Thandeka is also the founder and leader of a non-profit group called Love Beyond Belief.
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About Thandeka
Thandeka was born Sue Booker on March 25, 1946, in New Jersey, U.S. Her mother, Emma Booker, was an artist and teacher. Her father, Merrel D. Booker, was a Baptist minister and a professor at a seminary (a school for religious studies).
In the 1960s, she became interested in the Unitarian church. She became a Unitarian Universalist minister in 2001. In 1984, Archbishop Desmond Tutu gave her the name Thandeka. This name means "beloved" or "one who is loved by God" in the Xhosa language.
Her Education
Thandeka studied journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She also went to Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Later, she earned a master's degree in the history of religions from the University of California, Los Angeles.
She received her Ph.D. (a very high degree) from Claremont Graduate University in 1988. There, she studied with important thinkers like John B. Cobb.
Her Work and Ideas
Thandeka has taught at many universities. These include San Francisco State University, Williams College, and Harvard Divinity School. She has shared her ideas with many students over the years.
Understanding Feelings and Faith
Thandeka's main work looks at how feelings and emotions are part of our religious and spiritual lives. Her book, The Embodied Self, explores the ideas of Schleiermacher. He believed that feelings are very important in human experience. Thandeka shows how feelings help people connect their minds and bodies.
Her work also looks at how new discoveries about emotions in the brain, from scientists like Jaak Panksepp, relate to religion. Thandeka's affect theology focuses on how we feel emotions. She believes this is more central to religious experience than just what we believe.
Thinking About Identity
Thandeka also has unique ideas about understanding different identities. She believes that terms like "racism" and "white privilege" need more thought. She builds on the work of writer James Baldwin. She uses new ideas from brain science to understand how people form their identities.
Thandeka hopes her ideas can help people understand each other better. She wants to help different groups find common ground. This way, everyone can move forward together.
