placelessness

Place is a key element of shalom because our identities are rooted in place and we connect to one another through place. In this episode, Eric and Sara Joy discuss the difference between place and space (and why place isn’t always good and space isn’t always bad), while framing both within a biblical understanding. They trace the theme of place from the beginning to the end of the Bible, noting how we are redeemed in place. They also talk with Chris Elisara from Ormond Center who shares about his perception and experience of place and its importance in his family life and community. And they find out where Chris’s cool accent comes from. 

They also challenge the notion that we need to choose whether to care for people or places and note that we often are called to love people through loving their places.

Lastly, we find out yet, another reason while Texans are a peculiar (awesome!) breed.

Access more Show Notes with pictures and resources related to this episode.

More information about this podcast and helpful church and urbanism resources can be found on The Embedded Church website.

Related Resources

First and Main Films: Find out more about the films that Chris Elisara mentions in this interview

Better Cities Film Festival

Where Mortals Dwell: A Christian View of Place for Today by Craig Bartholomew

“The Work of Local Culture” in Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community: Eight Essays by Wendell Berry

Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America by James and Deborah Fallows

A Christian Theology of Place: Explorations in Practical, Pastoral and Empirical Theology by John Inge

Reclaiming Place in a Disengaged World: An Interview with Eric O. Jacobsen in Fuller Magazine: Issue 17 

Find these Key Terms on The Embedded Church website:

- Place (and Space)

- Hospitality

- Placelessness

Show Credits

Hosted and Produced by Eric O. Jacobsen and Sara Joy Proppe

Edited by Adam Higgins | Odd Dad Out Voice Productions

Theme Music by Jacob Shaffer

Artwork by Lance Kagey | Rotator Creative

In this episode of Byte-Sized Human Geography we investigate discuss a concept that tends to stump many intro human geography students — the cultural landscape.  Why does it seem that some places look so similar and why some places are so very different from every place else?  We review toponyms, globalization, sequent occupancy, and a relatively new concept - placelessness.

This is Human Geography byte-sized — big concepts in small chunks of time for all learners at every level. It's Human Geography, made simple!

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Listener Notes: 

Place - what is it like there?
   Physical - 2:22  geography of the naturally occurring environment
   Human - 2:49 how do humans change an environment

Cultural landscape-  3:00, 8:00, 11:00 combined properties of both nature and humans on a place, what we humans have done to develop a given region — includes buildings or any type of structure. The natural landscape is what was there before humans arrived. Carl Sauer’s term.

Toponym  - 3:55, 6:38 from the Greek - literally, "place name"

Globalization - 4:16, 10:52 interconnectivity between regions around the globe via international trade, outsourcing of manufacturing, and technology

Placelessness - 5:00, 14:54 a condition where a place loses its distinctiveness, what makes it unique from another place, caused by globalization/pop culture influences/gentrification.

Sequent occupancy - 5:32, 13:27 layering of civilization over time, remnants of past civilizations in a current cultural landscape.  Look to the great cities for examples of this, but you can find this concept everywhere.  

Additional Resources:

Santa Maria Maggiore Web Cam

Why is Nihon Called Japan in English?

Large Scale Map of Shanghai

First Starbucks in Italy

Rome Colosseum - nice application of sequent occupancy from this camera