The Three Pillars of the Activist Theology Project

By Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, PhD

Curator of Intersectional Movement Making, Founder

The Activist Theology Project is more than a collaborative project; it is a vision for a better world, where we build bridges across lines of radical difference and imagine the kind of people we want to be and become. It’s an invitation to join with us and embody a collective vision not only for liberation, but for a new kind of humanity. Activist Theology is an orientation to thinking about theology and ethics; it is a discourse and a way of being in the world. We have three pillars to which we are committed: convening, creative digital engagement, and companioning.

We work to convene people across lines of deep and radical difference, offering a chance to lean into the possibility of social healing. We believe this is important because part of the work of Activist Theology is to help us imagine how to be human with one another, again. Along with convening people, we focus on creative digital engagement and creating a digital footprint to continue the conversation.  We do this with curriculum building, through social media, art, and other creative outlets that create conditions for a deepened awareness of social healing. The third pillar of our work is companionship, and we believe that Activist Theology is deeply relational and rooted in the politics of living differently with one another.

Companionship is also part of our work of leaning into the somatic parts of activist theology. The body is the first part of revolutionizing our world, but it has been forgotten and left for neglect. We believe leaning into practices of embodiment through companionship creates a greater alignment for social healing and an opportunity for the kind of world we want to see.

Activist Theology culls from theologies of liberation and radical politics to envision the work. As a collaborative project, we work in the borderlands of church, academy, and movements for justice. We focus on storytelling, because we believe that stories still change hearts and minds, and it is the best technology for deepening a relational awareness and mobilizing people for radical social change. We seek to be innovative in our theories, embodiment practice and work to revolutionize thought and action to create sustainable change.