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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
Making it personal: The Kairos Palestine document by Michael Marten
Will the C of E position on equality hold water? by Simon Sarmiento
Making the media the (wrong) message by Simon Barrow
Quota: Sr Joan Chittister
Update: Equality Bill and General Synod
Research Focus: Taxing solutions
Media and web debate
Event: Aspirations for Middle East peace
Thinking in Action:Thinking Faith
Reading allowed: A New Kind of Christianity
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Issue: # 67 12 February 2010
This week's e-bulletin picks up on a number of issues which have been high profile in the media over the past few days, and some important ones that have not. 
 
The micro-tax on global financial transactions to combat global poverty (the 'Robin Hood' tax) has achieved worldwide coverage. Ekklesia is backing and promoting this initiative, and we are pleased to highlight the excellent New Economics Foundations expert report on how it can work (Research).
 
The Church of England general synod has produced its fair share of headlines as well. Our monitoring is linked in the new Update section.
 
Meanwhile, the highlighted feature articles include a powerful piece by Michael Marten on the less publicised Kairos Palestine Document (you can also hear Michael speak in Edinburgh soon - see Event), a comment on the churches and the media, and a piece on why the C of E's rejection of limits to its exemptions from the Equality Bill may be a tactical as well as a strategic mistake.
 
Meanwhile, Lent, a time for re-consideration and fresh priorities is fast approaching. Our chosen quotations and the special book choice (Brian McLaren's re-issued 'A New Kind of Christianity') prepare for that, as do the resources being advertised on Ekklesia from Christian Aid - http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/ad/redirect/11208/
  
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Making it personal: The Kairos Palestine document
By Michael Marten  

In December 2009, the Palestinian churches issued what some regard as the most significant Christian theological statement on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in many years, says an academic specialising in Middle East affairs. So why have many churches been slow to respond to the Kairos Palestine Document, and what does this important statement require of us personally, spiritually and politically?
 
Read the whole article here   
Will the C of E position on equality hold water?
By Simon Sarmiento 

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has given a clear account of where the Church of England stands on the Equality Bill, says the founder and editor of Thinking Anglicans. In his recent Synod address he made it clear that he rejects the very concept of putting any limiting definition of the Church's exemptions into law. But is it thereby opening a massive legal can of worms?
 
Read the whole article here
Making the media the (wrong) message
By Simon Barrow
 
Rather than moaning about religious output on the BBC and elsewhere, Christians would do better to look at how - and what - they are communicating themselves, says Ekklesia's co-director. In a mixed belief era the church cannot expect privileged coverage, but it has unparalleled opportunities to engage in a vibrant media environment.
 
Read the whole article here 
Quota
Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
  
"Each of us should have two pockets," the rabbis teach. "In one should be the message, 'I am dust and ashes,' and in the other we should have written, 'For me the universe was made.'" - Sr Joan Chittister 
Update
Equality Bill and General Synod
 
Ekklesia has kept up a stream of commentary and reporting on the churches' response to the Equality Bill, which is next due back in parliament on 2 March 2010. http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/tags/7059
 
We have also been examining developments at the Church of England's General Synod meeting in London this month: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/tags/1469
 
Of particular interest has been The Independent newspaper's response: 'the ignored Gospel message': http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/11250

 
Research Focus
Taxing solutions
 
Taxing the trade in currencies is now widely recognized as a plausible solution to ending world poverty. A high-profile campaign (http://robinhoodtax.org.uk) has been launched to build on explorations in this direction by British PM Gordon Brown and some senior economists. However, bankers are fighting a propaganda war against the idea. So what are the facts. This expert report from the New Economics Foundation (http://www.neweconomics.org), authored by Andrew Sims, formerly of Christian Aid, investigates how the revenues from the Tobin Tax could feasibly work and tackle the poverty blight.
 
Read the whole report (*.PDF format) here
Media and web debate
Ekklesia in the news this week  
 
Ekklesia has been in the news a good deal again over the past ten days. Symon Hill has made several appearances on Premier Radio and on Press TV - talking about the BAE fraud case, the 'Robin Hood' tax, and Christians repenting of homophobia, among other things.
 
Meanwhile, Jonathan Bartley has completed a week of Thought for the Days on Premier Radio. After his own article for Guardian CIF he has also been engaged in discussion over the Equality Bill with Jonathan Chaplin and other (see comments) and our reporting on Church investments and mining has been picked up in Finance Markets and on ABCmoney.co.uk
 
DigitalJournal.com also reported our comments on 'Church's pension move for same-sex partners', while UN Observer and Ethiopian Review respectively picked up our reports on the Haiti quake toll and Methodism's future in Britain.   


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Event: Aspirations for Middle East peace
  
Ekklesia associate Michael Marten (see also Features) is one of the speakers at the Thursday 25 February 2010 Servas Peace Meal at the Double Dutch Bistro, 27-29 Marshall Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9BJ, from 7pm for 7.30pm.
 
This is an opportunity to share knowledge and aspirations for peace in the Middle East while enjoying a meal of delicious Middle Eastern food. Three invited speakers with personal knowledge of the cultures and creeds of the region will give short talks to introduce their own perspectives on peace and spirituality issues. You can also learn more about the worldwide hospitality facilitated by Servas (www.servas.orgwww.servasbritain.org )
The cost will be �15/10 (concessions). Please contact: Deirdre at Servas, in advance, on 0131 228 2186 or [email protected] to book.
 
Ekklesia also strongly recommends the high-quality Lent resources from our friends at the international development NGO, Christian Aid:
 
Thinking in Action
Thinking Faith
 
Thinking Faith is the online journal of the British Jesuits, and provides a regular diet of intellectual stimulation on cultures, society, religion, politics and much more. The tenor is catholic, but in an open and engaging way. Lent reflections from the Gospel of Luke, Homelessness 2012, twenty years on from Mandela in South Africa, welcoming migrants and building civil society through Caritas are among the recent stimulating features. Well worth a regular look. 
 
Read Thinking Faith online here   
Reading Allowed
A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming Faith by Brian McLaren 
 
Groundbreaking author Brian McLaren, voice of the 'Christian emergent' movement and author of the 'New Kind of Christian' series, poses ten controversial questions that could lead to a radical redefinition of the Christian faith. Among these are: What is the overarching biblical storyline? What is the Gospel? Why is sexuality such a divisive issue among Christians? How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions and backgrounds? McLaren, an open evangelical, gives his own responses to these questions, inviting the reader to a new and generous way of thinking about Christianity.
 
ISBN: 9780340995488 (SKU, 2010) 416pp, �11.99
 
To find out more or to purchase through Ekklesia online, click here 
 
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