| Books from the Ekklesia bookshop |
Faith and Politics After Christendom by Jonathan Bartley here
Threatened with Resurrection
by Simon Barrow here
|
| Our Partners |
Ekklesia is an independent member of the Root and Branch Network which includes:
|
| 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
|
| More Ekklesia Bulletins |
|
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
| |
|
| Issue: # 61 |
7 December 2009 |
|
All roads seem to point to Copenhagen ( http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/tags/6711) and the all-important summit ( http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/tags/6922) at the moment, and our weekly research and comment round-up includes contributions to the vital climate change debate, including the new development and environment NGO report on the continuing significance of Kyoto and political economist Ann Pettifor's analysis. One of our features also looks at the Christian sources of hope and resistance in the face of human-generated crises, and our book recommendation is The Green Bible - available from our online book service ( http://books.ekklesia.co.uk) partner Metanoia, along with an attractive 15 per cent discount on all stock until Christmas... an offer we hope many of you will take up. Meanwhile, we continue to probe religious and other responses to the disturbing Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill (see Symon Hill's article, and material in Quota and Media debate.) The event focus this time is not a one-off occasion, but a year of organised action by European churches on migration, looking at policy options for granting long-term resident permits to foreigners after five years of legal stay, challenging the public debate, and practical ways to "welcome the stranger" as a Christian and human duty. |
| 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 |
| Hope coming from the wilderness |
|
By Simon Barrow
The message of Advent is that, in the face of our human crises, change is coming and change is possible, says Ekklesia's co-director. Curiously, it is a desert prophet who signals its depths and possibilities, indicating how a change of climate in the Christian community can make for a radical social and spiritual programme.
Read the whole article here |
| British homophobia's African problem |
|
By Symon Hill
The Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill is a test of sincerity for British Christians who hold a "traditional" view on sexuality but say that they are not prejudiced, says Ekklesia's associate director. Some have lived up to the test by condemning the Bill while others remain silent - including, sadly, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Read the whole article here |
| Quota |
|
Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
"I do not expect any bishop of the Church of England to have the courage to speak against (the Ugandan anti-gay bill). Give them a hundred years, though, and they will turn up at a memorial service to weep for the victims." - Andrew Brown, journalist "We have moral strength and you have immoral strength" - Nancy Astor, the first woman MP, addressing the House of Commons |
| Research Focus |
|
Kyoto and Copenhagen
In an important new report entitled 'Don't Kill Kyoto', analysts and campaigners from Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth, the World Development Movement and CAFOD argue that the Kyoto Protocol must remain the cornerstone of any agreement made in Copenhagen this month (http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/10737 ).
It explains that it took the world years of international negotiations to secure the Protocol, which sets legally binding emissions targets for developed countries and also creates systems for ensuring the targets are fair and for checking that countries are meeting them. There are less than 10 years to secure a peak in global emissions, it says.
It is extremely unlikely that a new, detailed and effective legal architecture can be put together in the necessary timeframe. If Kyoto were to be abandoned, all that could remain is countries taking action at a level that suited domestic circumstances - with inevitably disastrous consequences for all the world's people and especially those in developing countries, where the poorest and most vulnerable people live.
Read the full report in full here (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF file) |
| Media and web debate |
|
 Ekklesia in the news this week
Ekklesia's directors have continued to make radio and other media interventions highlighting the concern of faith and human rights groups over the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Among the several newspapers who have picked up our report, comments and petition is Pink News. Ruth Gledhill from the Times also referenced it in her blog on the subject. Human Resources magazine reports on the Cutting Edge consortium's work on the Equality Bill. The Christian Institute and CCON have slightly different takes, calling provisions for religious discrimination 'safeguards'. Meanwhile, quite a few papers have picked up Ekklesia's report on Nestle, but generally uncritically. Jonathan Bartley also discussed the place of Christianity in Christmas on BBC Radio 5 Live's Richard Bacon Show.
Ekklesia works on a not-for-profit basis. Please support Ekklesia's work with the press and other media by donating through PayPal here |
| Event: European Churches and Migration |
|
European and global churches are backing an important initiative aimed at granting long-term resident permits to migrants after five years of legal stay. The 'Year of European Churches Responding to Migration 2010' will aim to improve the situation for people coming to Europe, mainly through joint advocacy efforts for migrants' and refugees' rights. Welcoming the stranger is not optional, but central to Christian identity, says Sydia Nduna of the Global Ecumenical Network on Migration. More details and links here |
| Thinking in Action |
|
Greening the economic crisis
In her fine analytical weblog 'Debtonation' (http://debtonation.org), Ann Pettifor, analyst of the global economic system and co-author of the Green New Deal, writes regularly about the financial crisis. She predicted an Anglo-American debt-deflationary crisis back in 2003,
Ann has also been commenting on the Ekklesia web site (http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/blog/306).
She is known for her work on sovereign debt and international finance and her key role in the Jubilee 2000 campaign. Currently a fellow of the New Economics Foundation and director of Advocacy International, Ann also assists the churches' climate change action network Operation Noah.
Her latest post is 'Debts and deficits, stocks and flows'. http://debtonation.org/2009/12/debts-and-deficits-stocks-and-flows/
|
|
Reading Allowed |
|
 The Green Bible NRSV
The Green Bible illustrates what the Hebrew and Christian scriptures have to say about what we now call 'the environment', but which is thought of religiously as creation - sheer gift.
The first Bible in the UK to be printed on environmentally sustainable FSC paper, it has a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and unique additional content including articles by a range of contributors including Bishops N.T. Wright and James Jones and Pope John Paul II. The edition contains over 1,000 passages about 'creation care' highlighted in green ink.
ISBN: 9780007289974 (Harper, 2008) 1312pp. Sale price £11.04, down from £12.99.
For more information and to purchase, go to: http://books.ekklesia.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=2405 | |
|
|
|
