Spirit and Resistance: Political Theology and American Indian Liberation

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bio:
George E. (Tink) Tinker is Professor of American Indian Cultures and Religious Traditions at the Ilif School of Theology and earned his Ph.D. at Graduate Theological Union.

"Tink" Tinker teaches courses in American Indian culture, history, and religious traditions; cross-cultural and Third-World theologies; and justice and peace studies. His publications include Missionary Conquest: The Gospel and Native American Genocide.

An ordained Lutheran pastor, Dr. Tinker continues to work in the Indian community as (non-stipendiary) director of Four Winds American Indian Survival Project in Denver. He is past president of the Native American Theological Association and a member of the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians. Firmly committed to the ecumenical movement, he has been active in volunteer capacities with several denominations at the national level, the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. He currently serves as an "Honorary Advisor" to IMADR, the International Movement against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism.

Excerpt:

"GEORGE TINKER brings a distinctive voice to the conversation on American Indians and Christianity and specifically the debate over whether one can be authentically Indian and Christian at the same time. He also introduces the concept of cultural competency as a test for those who claim an American Indian identity, using the term "thin-blood" for individuals who have a small proportion of American Indian blood but whose cultural competency may qualify them as more Indian than those with a higher proportion of Indian blood."

"U.S. government efforts to promote economic development in Indian communities are Tinker's primary target. Such development, he argues, emphasizes individual enterprise over community. He uses the term "real-development" to characterize the effects of this policy as destructive to values of community responsibility."