Pastoral Thinking: Governmentality

I'm editing and proof-reading a theological thesis these days, 250 pages. My job is basically to say if the theory is well-used. The title is; 'The British State's Government of the Relation Between Respectively State and Anglicism and Islam'.

It's a really exciting job. I'm being paid very well to read very interesting stuff, and of course reflect and critique it, but still, it's very nice work. The thesis opens with the historic background for the British relation between state and religion between 1534 and 1689. It then moves on to discuss regulation as government (this is why I've been given this job, I'm supposed to be the one on governmentality, cameralism, regulation theory), about state and multi-culturalism, the regulation of Church of England, and the regulation of Islam in Britain.

Then I'm working on my thesis again. I'm writing half a page or so in the morning before work, during the twenty minutes while I eat breakfast. These days I'm trying to pull of a theory, that the fact that Tommy and Annika, Pippi's neighbours, are being put to bed at seven o'clock every night by their parents, is symbolic for what Foucault calls 'disciplin: the political anatomy of the human body', and that the tugging in is directly symbolic of the subjectivity processing, that will drag them into the big power hegemonic heteronormative (yak) structural society machine.

I tried to review a book over Christmas. I was even headhuntet by the literature-site to start reviewing for them. But then yesterday - they said no to my first test review. They gave me a second chance, said they'd let me try again, maybe with another book. Which is unusual, and which I really appreciate. But I feel I flunked, it's weird. They gave me a long and thorough critique, or the editor in chief did, based on the opinion of three editors who'd all read my review. I'm a little confused. Luckily I talked to two reviewers yesterday, who both said I could've run it by them. I'll do that next time.

I work at a newspaper now and also as pa, personal assistant, for the boss of a communication company. Which basically means writing articles for him/the company. Next week I'll be writing the people column in the paper. And I have a meeeting with the boss, where I'll be given themes for six articles I have to write for him over the next weeks.

In between I dance with my eyes closed. And dream of love.