Social Location

So in honor of St. Wacker of Duke, I must give you my social location. To understand my natural biases and assumptions, one must understand social location: where you're coming from. As a history major this was key to everything I learned in Undergrad.

So who am I?

I grew up in smalltown NC. In the home I lived a relative middle class existence, though going to right church and having the right friends or connections would morph you into a locus of power that controlled both social and political life in town. I had some of those connections--although I both hated and longed for it growing up.

Grew up Methodist. In my absolutist stage I liked the Baptists (although I still do to a degree). My theology box could probably be identified through my involvement with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Yet I have found that I have hung out with a lot of Presbyterians. And now I attend a predominately Wesleyian (though definately not all) Seminary. Some may say that I've come full circle.

So that should explain that I am theologically conservative and socially liberal. But of couse, that is not all of the reasons.

For college I moved to Asheville, a liberal and academic University. So yes, I like to recycle, to wear Crocs, and do a number of other things that would be identified as tree-hugger.

Now I live in Durham. I've been both a public and private school teacher before Seminary.

So hopefully this identifies much of where I am coming from, but do realize that my social location does not always define me as I struggle against it at times.