Danny Anderson meeting Philip Roth
at the celebration of Roth's 80th birthday
Danny Anderson is a professor of literature at Mount Aloysius College near Cresson, Pennsylvania. He grew up near Cleveland in a center
of American fundamentalism: the kind of place where Barry Goldwater was
considered a Liberal, the Earth was 6,000 years old, fluoride was a Commie
plot, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were real, not just a nickname
for top-rated defensive linemen.
And yet, Danny earned a Masters Degree in American Jewish
literature, followed by a PhD comparing the Campus as a setting in Jewish film
and literature. So what school could be
a better fit for an expert in Jewish literature who grew up Conservative Evangelical
than a rural Catholic College that was founded as a convent and school for
girls in 1853?
So many strands of American faith are woven through Danny’s
life that he is an ecumenical event when he is eating lunch alone at his
desk.
Actually Danny has two desks in the Homage-to-Hogwarts
structure he works in. The second desk
is the studio where he records podcasts. Danny is the founder and host of SectarianReview, a podcast about Faith, Culture, Music, Economics, Film, History,
Religion and Politics. If that sounds
sane, here are ten actual topics:
·
Elon Musk
·
The John Birch Society
·
Spiderman
·
Andrei Rublev
·
Seven Mountains Dominionism
·
Donald J. Trump
·
Oscar Romero and Redemption
·
Science Fiction & Theology
·
Chick Tracts
·
The Wolf Man
From these topics, and from many others, like Alex Jones
being banned on Social Media, you could get the idea that Sectarian Review is
all fun and crazy. But the most affecting episode for me was “Black Exodus from
White Evangelicalism.” I listened to that interview twice and read her article "For Those Who Stay" by Danny’s guest Tamara Johnson the same day the podcast dropped on my
iPhone.
In that episode Johnson talked about her struggle to be part
of a white Evangelical congregation and how Charlottesville changed everything
for her. I am struggling with being an
ethnically Jewish believer with Black sons and wondering how I can worship with
people who drank the full pitcher of Trump Koolaid and continue to be devoted
to him after Charlottesville. Listening to Johnson helped me to deal with that
conflict in my life.
I was in the Johnstown area Monday, so I took a forty-minute
drive northeast and met Danny at his office, got a brief tour of the campus
then went to lunch. During lunch we mainly talked about Danny’s research
area. I grew up in a completely secular
Jewish home and read very little American Jewish literature. Danny is now my
Sherpa on that high mountain. He posted a list of his ten favorite Jewish
novels on the Sectarian Review website. During lunch he recommended a
half-dozen books and movies I should see and read, with a supplemental list of
Woody Allen movies. I was texting titles
to myself while he spoke. It’s a good thing my iPhone has lots of memory.
If you were wondering what kind of person grows up
fundamentalist, studies Jewish literature, teaches at a rural Catholic College,
Danny is the only one. I cannot recommend the podcast highly enough. I suggest
scanning the Sectarian Review website for your favorite conspiracy theory then
begin listening, and smiling.
Danny Anderson
Sectarian Review is part of the Christian Humanist Network.
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