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Thinking For a Change

The weekly ezine from Ekklesia
exploring belief, politics and culture
 
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In This Edition
Handling warlike texts in a peacemaking church by Simon Barrow
Social mobility and political inertia by Symon Hill
Quota: Femi Kuti and Pope Benedict
Research Focus: Military Chaplaincy
Media and web debate
Event: Anabaptism in the C21st
Thinking in Action: Proposing Democracy
Reading allowed: The Hint Half Guessed
OIKOCREDIT
Use your savings to alleviate global poverty
 
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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EDM 1248 on Conflict Prevention
 
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Issue: # 52 24 July 2009
***Please note Ekklesia's bulletins will be taking a break from today (Friday 24th July) for the summer.  They will resume again on Monday 7th September*** 
 
In the past, when it came to engaging with politics and the social order, Christians were sometimes accused of 'being too heavenly minded to be any earthly use'. This was the charge of disconnected pietism.
 
These days another problem obtains. Christians have lost their shyness when it comes to acting politically, but all-too-often engage in a way that looks more like they are protecting their tribe or trying to force others into their mould, rather than demonstrating a different or better way of living. In a world crying out for less selfishness, they have now become too worldly to be any earthly use!
 
This week's bulletin looks at ways in which Christians, churches and people of faith can re-read both their own inheritance and the world around them from a much more hopeful perspective - one that combines genuine spirituality with political astuteness, without trying to reduce everything to a game of loss or advantage.
 
Our feature articles do this in contrasting registers. Simon Barrow makes the case for facing the full horror of some biblical texts with regard to divine violence, but does so in the context of the radical shift in understanding proposed by the Gospel. Symon Hill, meanwhile, looks at social mobility and discrimination in education - from the viewpoint of those left out (another Christian priority).
 
The issue of what happens when high Christian aspirations for peacemaking have to take pastoral responsibility for the tough realities of life in the army is the theme of a moving and personal contribution to the debate about military chaplaincy (see Research) from Ekklesia partner and Anglican priest Sande Ramage.
 
In terms of 'thinking in action', we highlight again the Real Change coalition of which Ekklesia is part - arguing the case for open politics and radical electoral and constitutional reform in Britain. This includes a unique opportunity for churches and faith groups to contribute to the wide civic debate by forming small 'focus groups'.
 
The event we are flagging up is the forthcoming London Mennonite Theology Forum in September, which is open to people from Britain and Ireland, mainland Europe and further afield. Its focus is on the renewing of Anabaptist vision for the twenty-first century - a Christian message of hope, subversion, community, building alternatives and working for just peace.
 
Last but not least, veteran ecumenist and Christian social witness pioneer Alastair Hulbert, from Scotland, provides our book recommendation - a collection of essays and observations about the renewal of the church, written in a way which will be a great encouragement to those who find 'institutional religion' trying or off-putting.
 
The weekly 'Thinking for a Change' bulletin now takes a break over the summer, returning in September. But this does not mean that the work of Ekklesia goes into hibernation. You can still access regularly updated news, features, columns, research, culture and review, comment and much, much more by visiting the website: www.ekklesia.co.uk  Likewise, you can subscribe to RSS feeds to maintain your inbox 'fix' if you so wish. See you again in September!
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
Handling warlike texts in a peacemaking church
By Simon Barrow

Enter any public debate about the pros and cons of religion today, and it will not be long before someone raises the thorny issue of 'texts of terror' in the Bible, says Ekklesia's co-director. Yet in the person of Christ our understanding of violence is turned upside-down.
 
Read the whole article here  
Social mobility and political inertia
By Symon Hill
 
If there's anything more disheartening than the new report on social mobility, it's the government's response to it, says Symon Hill.  Their timid proposals for higher education are unlikely to do anything to challenge the way that the education system functions to maintain privilege and inequality.
 
Read the whole article here   

Quota
Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
  
"Social advance depends as much upon the process through which it is secured as upon the result itself." - Jane Addams, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, social worker, sociologist and suffragist (1860-1935).
 
"Why is it that churches bless animals, weapons, and now composting toilets, but not civil partnerships?"
- Jonathan Bartley, twittering away (http://twitter.com/jon_bartley)

Research Focus
Military Chaplaincy 
 
When the aim is peace, what constructive pastoral role can Christians play in the armed forces? Is chaplaincy about offering comfort and support to those who are being programmed for war, or does it have a more creative, disturbing role to play? After a year as an Anglican military chaplain, Ekklesia partner Sande Ramage reflects on her experience and makes some proposals for how the role might be changed. 
 
Read the whole article here  

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
Ekklesia in the news this week  
 
Jonathan Bartley has taken part in a couple of radio interviews this week on LBC looking at he new monasticism and also on BBC local radio exploring the recruitment of young people into the armed forces.
 
Ekklesia's news briefings have also been quoted right around the world this week from the North India Times, to the Boston Edge, to Christian Today in Australia.  

Keep up-to-date with Ekklesia's Comments on Twitter here: http://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
Ekklesia co-director Jonathan Bartley will be speaking at an event hosted by Republic on Wednesday 2nd September at 6.30pm in the Town Room of InterChange Studios, Hampstead Town Hall Centre, 213 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4QP  looking at Monarchy and Christian identity.  More information James Gray: j.gray@republic.org.uk 
Event: Anabaptism in the C21st
 
What role does Anabaptism have to play in renewing Christianity in the new century? How do we appropriately take our past into the future?  Can Mennonites and other peace churches make a serious impact on inherited and emerging church in the UK?
 
The forthcoming London Mennonite Theology Forum, on 10-11 September 2009 will take place at the Guy Chester Centre in North London.
 
The keynote speaker for the forum will be Ted Grimsrud, theology professor at Eastern Mennonite University and author of the recent book Embodying the Way of Jesus: Anabaptist Convictions in the 21st Century. Other presenters include Simon Barrow (co-director of Ekklesia), Anne-Marie Visser (Mennonite representative on the advisory committee for Inter-Religious Encounter for the Dutch National Council of Churches), James Jakob Fehr (director of the German Mennonite Peace Committee) and Vic Thiessen (theological consultant, and until recently director of the London Mennonite Centre).
 
For more information and booking, click here

Thinking in Action
Proposing Democracy 
 
Real Change: The Open Politics network is shortly to be involved in a series of small 'hearings' (focus-group like meetings) across the UK to find out what concerned citizens in Britain think about the renewal of politics and the democratic process.
 
Ekklesia is a founding member of the coalition, and is seeking to get church and community groups with faith connections involved in the process - which is simple and encouraging. We are looking for groups of 5-10 people to get together and use some material from Real Change (http://opendemo.vm.bytemark.co.uk/realchange/?q=home) so that they can input their ideas and proposals into an emerging national movement to challenge the 'no change' politics of Westminster.
 
If you are interested and have links with a church or local group, please write to office@ekklesia.co.uk as soon as possible, heading your email 'Real Change project'.
Reading Allowed
The Hint Half Guessed: Mission, Ecumenism and Other Holy Things by Alastair Hulbert   
 
In this book, the author, a longstanding ecumenist involved in Christian social witness, examines with sorrow and penetrating, hopeful insight the lethargy into which the ecumenical movement in Scotland and elsewhere has fallen in our day. This collection will be a great encouragement to friends and relations on the fringes of church and culture, both to those who still have something to give and to those who are still willing to receive something.
 
ISBN: 9780948785078 (2008), 237pp, �9.50 
 
For more information or to buy this book through Ekklesia click here

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