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OIKOCREDIT
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| Books from the Ekklesia bookshop |
Faith and Politics After Christendom by Jonathan Bartley here
Threatened with Resurrection
by Simon Barrow here
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| Our Partners |
Ekklesia is an independent member of the Root and Branch Network which includes:
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| Take Action |
You can join Ekklesia and take action by asking your MP to sign the following Parliamentary motions:
EDM 1248 on Conflict Prevention
Ekklesia attends the All Party Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues which is supporting this motion
Ekklesia is a founder member of Accord - mentioned in the motion - which seeks to make faith schools more inclusive
Ekklesia is working with the Still Human Still Here campaign which supports both these motions
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| More Ekklesia Bulletins |
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Find out which bulletins you are subscribed to, and change the ones you receive by using the "Update Profile/Email address" link at the bottom of this email
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Particular pieces of legislation, the future of politics, moral and spiritual principles in the melting pot. In a complex world it is necessary to see, analyse and respond at many different levels and in a variety of way - simultaneously, but without simply sacrificing topicality for depth. For a think-tank like Ekklesia this is a constant challenge. This week's bulletin - catching up on the past fortnight, too - highlights the public opinion polling work we have been doing on 'independent politics' (developments that shake the foundations of the party system) and the reform of faith schools - see Media Debate. Our research focus is on alternative, people-based political initiatives, including a critical reflection on the role of the churches and 'communities of conviction'. The 'thinking in action' profile is on the Equality Bill 2008-9, for which Savitri has written a fine research briefing, probing the curious resistance of the churches to the fairness one would imagine is at the core of the Christian message. Meanwhile, our events section looks at initiatives from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and Operation Noah in preparing for the December 2009 Copenhagen summit on climate change. It seems a long way away, but it will creep up alarmingly quickly. A more immediate deadline is the training and equipping our partners Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) are offering in the UK for those interested in conflict transformation and non-violent interventions in situations of often endemic violence. More on that next week, but you can read more here: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9621
Back on the policy front, as the first of our two feature articles, Jonathan Bartley looks at public health care and the funding of the NHS. Our quotations of the week link global and local in inviting a positive response to 'the other'. And Simon Barrow's article on the practicality of foundational Christian belief returns us to the theological horizon which is Ekklesia's constant source - linking in also with our book recommendation of the week, provocateur Stanley Hauerwas' call for words which are as loud, clear and healing as the actions they call forth.
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| Ekklesia works on a not-for-profit basis, and deliberately maintains its independence from large institutions and their funding. If you value this bulletin please consider making a donation to keep it going and support Ekklesia's work. You can do it through PayPal here |
| Banking on the NHS |
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By Jonathan Bartley
The bailout of the banks has left old assumptions about public finances behind. It's time to decide what our priorities are and look around for the money to fund them. One has to be a health service that ensures core provision for all, especially the most vulnerable. The issue is about human and spiritual values as well as practical politics and economics.
Read the whole article here
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| The terrifying truth about God |
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By Simon Barrow
Often Christians behave as if their central convictions about God have little practical bearing on the world and its problems. On the contrary, being engaged by the mystery of God is central to facing up to the world's divisions with realism and hope. Christian believing is practical, vital and intellectually sustainable. See the whole article here |
| Quota |
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Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
"Our partnership with the Muslim world is critical not just in rolling back the violent ideologies that people of all faiths reject, but also to strengthen opportunity for all its people."
- President Barack Obama
"The greatest mystery to us is not the most distant person, but the one next to us."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer |
| Research Focus |
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Alternative Politics
Ekklesia has published a detailed background paper, briefing and proposal concerning the development of 'alternative politics' in Britain, following the expenses scandal and the emerging agendas around political and constitutional change. 'State of Independents' looks particularly at the way in which non-party politics can play a key role in challenging and rejuvenating the system. It also documents the history and trajectory of civic, people based initiatives, associational politics and the involvement of the churches in the public arena. There is a specific concluding section on 'religion and politics' from a post-Christendom perspective.
The full document is here
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| Ekklesia has launched a new subscription service giving a detailed, inside track on the news agenda for the coming 6 weeks. Suitable for church leaders, campaign groups, local government and anyone working in or with the media, it is already taken by the Times newspaper, Reuters and the BBC. Find out more here |
| Media and web debate |
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 Ekklesia in the news this week
Ekklesia has been in the media a good deal recently, especially around our ComRes opinion poll in the run up to the local and European elections ( http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9500), which indicated that a large percentage of the public would be willing to vote for independent candidates if they considered that their sitting MP had behaved unethically. The Independent ran the story on its front page, and it also appeared prominently in other national papers and locally and regionally through the Press Association. The BBC ignored it in favour of their own polling on other political issues. More recently Inspire has picked up on our response to the poll successes of the BNP ( http://www.accordcoalition.org.uk) and there has been coverage for the YouGov poll showing that a significant majority of the public support the inclusive schools policy of Accord, of which Ekklesia is a founding member. The BBC picked this one up ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8089118.stm), along with the Guardian and others. The Times newspaper also printed a letter and follow up correspondence around a religious call to halt discrimination on grounds of faith or belief ( http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9590). Look out this weekend for Jonathan on BBC1's Big Questions at 10.00am on Sunday morning where he will be discussing the monarchy, the BNP and equality in the health service. Keep up-to-date with Ekklesia's Comments on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/ekklesiaComment
Ekklesia works on a not-for-profit basis. Please support Ekklesia's work with the press and other media by donating through PayPal here |
 Sign up to Amnesty International's Stop Torture campaign here |
| Event: Preparing for Copenhagen |
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Churches across Britain and Ireland will observe a 'Time for Creation' between 1 September and 4 October 2009, in the run-up to the next United Nations climate change summit which is due to take place in Copenhagen at the end of the year. A varied resource pack has been prepared. Full details here: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9619 The Operation Noah ecumenical climate change initiative ( http://www.operationnoah.org) is also gearing up for the summit. A series of blogs and articles is appearing on Ekklesia. The latest, 'Wrong gods and neoliberalism', is by Michael Northcott, Professor of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh ( http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9596). There are also regular contributions from political economist Ann Pettifor. |
| Thinking in Action |
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The Equality Bill
The Equality Bill, which will extend both to England and Wales, and to Scotland, covers age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. It also requires public authorities to do more to tackle the effects of socio-economic disadvantage.
The Bill has received a hostile response among some religious groups, while the response of the large churches (including the Church of England) has been to welcome its principal aims while contesting aspects of its detail - particularly in terms of lobbying for opt-outs and provisions which would allow continued discrimination on grounds of sexuality and gender by faith bodies on grounds of 'upholding beliefs'. Ekklesia has published a briefing on the Bill (http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9558) and is participating in the debates and amendment process around it through the Accord coalition (http://www.accordcoalition.org.uk), of which it is a founding member. We are opposing the 'opt-out' culture within section of the churches, and proposing that equality and fair treatment are core Christian concerns.
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Reading Allowed |
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 A Cross-Shattered Church: Reclaiming the Theological Heart by Stanley Hauerwas
Isn't preaching old hat? No says pungent theological ethicist Stanley Hauerwas. He writes: "I am convinced that the recovery of the sermon as the context for theological reflection is crucial if Christians are to negotiate the world in which we find ourselves." The book includes seventeen sermons preached by Hauerwas, which he considers his best theological work. They are divided into four sections: seeing, saying, living, and events. A life- and mind-turning read.
ISBN: 9781587432583 (Brazos, 2009) 176pp, £12.99.
For more information and to purchase through Ekklesia click here
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