The Christian anarchist tradition and the work of Giorgio Agamben both fit within a subversive tr... more The Christian anarchist tradition and the work of Giorgio Agamben both fit within a subversive trajectory of political theology that critiques the state paradigm, while also operating at a distance from the state in their creation of a newly imagined political community. This research asks what it could look like to conceive of a political community beyond the state, imagined from the subject position of the marginalized. It also seeks a mutually-informed path towards the practical formation of such communities, as elaborated through a case study of the Anabaptist tradition. Agamben's concepts provide a renovation of the political themes of Christian anarchism. Examining the works of Agamben in conversation with Christian anarchism reveals the common themes of moving beyond revolution, voluntary exile through the abdication of rights, and messianic vocation. As the space for political praxis within Agamben's work continues to evolve, the Anabaptist tradition provides helpful practices to imagine a withdrawal from the governmental machine as a community of voluntary exiles.
This senior honors thesis explores the intersections of Christian anarchism, the Anabaptist tradi... more This senior honors thesis explores the intersections of Christian anarchism, the Anabaptist tradition, and fields of radical thought that de-center the state, drawing from the work of Giorgio Agamben, Autonomist Marxism, and Afro-pessimism.
This undergraduate research study aims to understand the case of ecotourism development in Dzongu... more This undergraduate research study aims to understand the case of ecotourism development in Dzongu through exploring motivations, outcomes, and agency. Towards this end, I conducted personal interviews and participant observation among different stakeholders in Gangtok and Dzongu. My exploration seeks to find the meaning of ecotourism in the context of Sikkim, the motivation and goals for ecotourism development in Dzongu, the values informing these motivations, how ecotourism is currently operating to meet these goals, and the effects of ecotourism for the collective agency of its proponents in Dzongu. Ecotourism means different things to differentstakeholders, and it is exactly these definitions in action that reveal the motivations, goals, and values behind them. The motivations I found were income generation, environmental and cultural conservation, and the sustainability of the anti-dam movement. Those models which promote the self-determination of the community create the most autonomy.Through this research, I intend to reveala lay of the land which can spark questions for ecotourism practitioners and benefit future research.
The Christian anarchist tradition and the work of Giorgio Agamben both fit within a subversive tr... more The Christian anarchist tradition and the work of Giorgio Agamben both fit within a subversive trajectory of political theology that critiques the state paradigm, while also operating at a distance from the state in their creation of a newly imagined political community. This research asks what it could look like to conceive of a political community beyond the state, imagined from the subject position of the marginalized. It also seeks a mutually-informed path towards the practical formation of such communities, as elaborated through a case study of the Anabaptist tradition. Agamben's concepts provide a renovation of the political themes of Christian anarchism. Examining the works of Agamben in conversation with Christian anarchism reveals the common themes of moving beyond revolution, voluntary exile through the abdication of rights, and messianic vocation. As the space for political praxis within Agamben's work continues to evolve, the Anabaptist tradition provides helpful practices to imagine a withdrawal from the governmental machine as a community of voluntary exiles.
This senior honors thesis explores the intersections of Christian anarchism, the Anabaptist tradi... more This senior honors thesis explores the intersections of Christian anarchism, the Anabaptist tradition, and fields of radical thought that de-center the state, drawing from the work of Giorgio Agamben, Autonomist Marxism, and Afro-pessimism.
This undergraduate research study aims to understand the case of ecotourism development in Dzongu... more This undergraduate research study aims to understand the case of ecotourism development in Dzongu through exploring motivations, outcomes, and agency. Towards this end, I conducted personal interviews and participant observation among different stakeholders in Gangtok and Dzongu. My exploration seeks to find the meaning of ecotourism in the context of Sikkim, the motivation and goals for ecotourism development in Dzongu, the values informing these motivations, how ecotourism is currently operating to meet these goals, and the effects of ecotourism for the collective agency of its proponents in Dzongu. Ecotourism means different things to differentstakeholders, and it is exactly these definitions in action that reveal the motivations, goals, and values behind them. The motivations I found were income generation, environmental and cultural conservation, and the sustainability of the anti-dam movement. Those models which promote the self-determination of the community create the most autonomy.Through this research, I intend to reveala lay of the land which can spark questions for ecotourism practitioners and benefit future research.
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