‘Tokens’ of hospitality, graciousness and joy
January 13, 2021
Professor mashes up Americana and theology to provide glimpse of a world of wonder
What happens when Prairie Home Companion meets theology and deep thinking? That would be the Tokens Show, the critically acclaimed brainchild of Lee Camp, Lipscomb professor of theology and ethics.
This old-fashioned, live radio variety show, produced by Camp since 2008, blends music, humor and issues of social justice in performances hosted throughout the Nashville area, including the “Mother Church,” Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium each Thanksgiving.
Since debuting in Lipscomb’s Collins Auditorium, Tokens has been lauded by the critics and has featured numerous musicians, authors, theologians, scholars, historians, activists and many more deep thinkers. It has gone on the road for some special performances across the country, and its patron base has grown steadily.
And in May 2020, Tokens begun airing its own podcast (TokensShow.com/podcast), with guests as diverse as a MacArthur Genius grant recipient Jerry Mitchell whose work contributed to convictions in 24 cold murder cases from the civil rights era; U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith; Miroslav Volf of Yale Divinity School; Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health; David Brooks of the New York Times; and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam; and much more.
In addition, Tokens has released a new online course with Volf of Yale and John Mark Hicks, professor in the College of Bible & Ministry, as well as a new course on Camp’s new book Scandalous Witness (tokensshow.com/courses).
Tokens is an idea that hit Camp when he and his wife, Laura, went to see Prairie Home Companion’s Garrison Keillor at the Ryman on New Year’s Eve 2006. Camp wondered what an old-time radio format focusing on a philosophical, theological or ethical issue combined with satire, music and provocative interviews, would look like.
For Camp and his devoted Tokens audience, it looks like a world governed by hospitality, graciousness and joy; life marked by beauty, wonder and truthfulness; and social conditions ordered by justice, mercy and peace-making. The show exhibits “tokens” of such a world in music-making, song-singing, and conversations about things that matter.
“We have fun, and we make fun: of religion, politics, and marketing. And ourselves. You might think of us as something like musicians without borders; or as poets, philosophers, theologians and humorists transgressing borders,” said Camp.
“We are a cultural experiment for serious Christians who like to think, and yet, who don’t take themselves too seriously,” he continued. “And for non-Christians who might be Christian should there be more Christians like that. And for Muslims and Jews and Bahai and Buddhists and agnostics who long for cultural celebrations that actually say something, not ignoring our differences, but trusting that in our deepest convictions we may find space to welcome—and learn from—one another.”
Camp’s conception for the variety show was fueled by his students who would often point him to Americana, folk and contemporary music in response to his lectures on matters such as social justice, war and peace, or practices of reconciliation.
“We offer beautiful, artistic work that is not just about entertainment but that also challenges us and pushes us a little,” Camp said. “There is something about music that grapples with significant questions that is humbling and moving and pulls people into an issue.”
Camp, a theologian and author, also has a musical gene. He is often featured on vocals or in musical numbers in Tokens performances. Always one who seeks to learn something new, Camp has learned how to play upright bass along with a few other instruments since the inception of Tokens.
Each episode features the Most Outstanding Horeb Mountain Boys, made up of some of the top musicians in Nashville. Special musical guests have included Vince Gill, Odessa Settles, Amy Grant, Annie Moses Band, Ellie Holcomb, Over the Rhine, Ricky Skaggs and Suzy Bogguss.
Tokens’ quick rise in popularity and reputation is due in large part to the caliber of guests Camp has incorporated into the program, including nationally known thought leaders such as Walter Brueggemann, Shane Claiborne and Tobias Wolff.
“Personally, Tokens allows me to explore parts of myself that I wouldn’t explore otherwise and to explore things I have long repressed,” Camp said. “Producing Tokens has allowed me to rediscover parts of myself that allow me to develop relationships and community. It allows me to contribute to the community in ways that are meaningful to the community.”
Visit www.tokensshow.com for more information on tickets, courses and the podcast.
Listen live on Sundays at 2pm central on 90.3 WPLN.
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