Subversive Bloggers

“subversive bloggers are unsatisfied with the status quo, whether in church, politics, economics or any other power-laden institution, and they are searching for (and blogging about) what is new (or a “return to”) - even though it may be labeled as sacrilege, dangerous, or subversive.”

My friend and fellow blogger, Pastor Kathy Escobar, has tagged me as a subversive blogger. Which I think is way better than being tagged as a submissive woman!

Subversive is a fun word that has enjoyed a recent revival of usage. Keith Giles of southern California calls his blog, Subversive 1, and also sends out an e-newsletter called Subversive Underground.

Brother Maynard, a prolific writer and blogger who haunts the halls of such notable blogs as Kingdom Grace, calls his blogosphere digs, Subversive Influence. He has posted on his blog a quote from author, Anne Lamott, that gives you an idea of where he's coming from:

You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.

I found this fantastic quote at one of my favorite quotation websites, Wisdom Quotes:

Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive.
- Henry Steele Commanger

British philosopher, Bertrand Russell, said this about subversiveness:

Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth - more than ruin, even more than death...
thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habits...

I absolutely love this quote from American writer, Henry Miller:

The new always carries with it the sense of violation, of sacrilege. What is dead is sacred; what is new that is different is evil, dangerous or subversive.

It is not a negative thing in these shifting times of transition to be described as subversive. So thanks, Kathy, for the compliment. I'll pass it on now to five other bloggers I consider subversive and tag them to do the same if they are willing:

1. Kingdom Grace
she has killer insight on what's crumbling inside the institution known as church. be sure to check out her classic seven part series on spiritual abuse on her recommended page.

2. Post Secret
subversive art that is shrinking the world into a more compassionate humanity. Kudos to Post Secret creator, Frank Warren, for refusing to use ads on what is one of the most widely visited blogs in the blogosphere universe.

3. City Business Church
Not for the faint of heart. These wayward brothers of a local megachurch take to task through biting satire and razor sharp insight the corrupt messaging of the prosperity gospel and overpaid clergy. You have been warned.

4. Justice and Compassion
administered by the tenacious dynamic duo of Ben and Megan Ady. If compassion is revolution, and I think it is, then these two are revolutionaries of the mind and heart. Don't read their blog if you don't like being inspired to give a sh*t

5. Rose Madrid-Swetman
Rose, who is a pastor with her husband Rich of a Vineyard church in Seattle, Washington, is a woman with a fire inside of her for gender equality in the church. She made blog history when she wrote an open letter to a notoriously sexist pastor in her city last year.

So there ya have it. Subversive bloggers to keep the revolution growing. Who are the subvervise thinkers in your life?