Review: Zen and the Art of Postmodern Philosophy: Two Paths of Liberation from the Representational Mode of Thinking
Abstract
Book Reviews tations placed on that community and its members, especially black women, by those on the outside. It reveals the critical role that black women played during slavery not only to create community but also to maintain it and help it prosper. Martinâs work also shows the critical significance of concrete human action and interaction in developing an understanding of work and, thus, a work ethic. An ethic of enslaved black women cannot be found in universals or economic abstractions. Meaning can be found only when it is rooted in actual praxis that is preserved and passed on to later generations. As the author notes in her conclusion: âEnslaved women perceived work as âproductiveâ and âfulfillingâ when it contributed to the community in the ongoing struggle for emancipation and freedom. When we use our labor to meet material need, we realize our true humanity and enable our participation with God as co-creatorsâ (152). More Than Chains and Toil breaks new ground by focusing solely on the working lives of black women. It ably sets forth the theological bases for black womenâs refusal to be defeated by their circumstances. It thereby expands our understanding of black women and