Theological Per/versions

Is the body something you have, or something you

are?

In this episode of Theological Per/Versions, doctoral

candidate Immanuel Karunakaran leads Lis Valle-

Ruiz, Chrisida Anandan, and Seyo Oh into the body

as a site of resistance and love. They move from

colorism and beauty standards — the childhood

nicknames, the "why was I born dark?" — to the body

as the image of God, the resurrection of the body

(not just the soul), and what it means to love

yourself, your neighbor, and even your enemy in the

flesh.

Part conversation, part embodied practice. Come

ready to hug yourself.

Can a lullaby be an act of protest? A funeral wail a demand for justice?

In the debut episode of Theological Per/Versions, biblical scholar Dr. Chrisida Anandan sits down with Lis Valle-Ruiz and Immanuel Karunakaran to explore the songs that carry their communities' memory, grief, and hope. From Tamil Dalit lullabies (thalattu), dirges (oppari), and ululation (kulavai) to Puerto Rican bomba and décima, they trace how oppressed peoples have long sung their resistance —no studio or instruments required — and hear that same defiant hope echoing in Hannah's prayer and Mary's Magnificat.

Songs of protest. Songs of hope. Theology from the

margins.