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| Issue: # 68 |
25 February 2010 |
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If there is a thread running through the material in our latest e-bulletin, it is facing up to change. Lent, of course, is a season in the churches' year that focuses on reorienting our lives - not just giving up, but taking up, making up ... and growing up.
One of our feature articles looks at one particular 'Lenten discipline' - fasting - in the context of political challenge, spiritual endeavour and advocacy for justice. Similar themes are tackled by many of the titles now available in our online Lent book sale. There is also a resource Update from Britain and North America, and our Quotations address ways of tackling life differently.
Meanwhile, continuing with the features, the founder of Christian Peacemaker Teams examines critically President Obama's 'military and political surge' in Afghanistan, and Jonathan Bartley looks at why we should look long and hard into 'the culture of bullying' endemic within the British political system - rather than trying to score points from it.
In terms of research, we publish Noel Moules' balanced and insightful look at 'Sex, orientation and theological debate'. This both sets out the different positions in church disputes over sexuality, and also shows how a positive and inclusive approach can be rooted deep in the Christian and biblical tradition, rather than in a listless abandonment of it.
Our highlighted Event is a conference bringing together expert and grassroots participation in the critique of, and the promotion of alternatives to, the growing and overbearing power of supermarkets in national and global markets.
Then in Thinking in Action we examine the impact of religious voters within politics, drawing on data from a recent ComRes poll commissioned by Theos.
Finally, we return to the church and its role by drawing attention to the invaluable publications of the Alban Institute, an ecumenical, interfaith organization founded in 1974, which supports congregations through consulting services, research, and high quality books and materials. These are now stocked in the UK by Metanoia, and available through Ekklesia's online shop. |
| 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 |
| Surging towards Afghan peace? |
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| By Gene Stoltzfus
'Surge, attack, negotiations' is a cycle of action that has a ring of familiarity - and not just in Afghanistan, says the founder of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). But not everyone is confident that aggression will bring a just peace.
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| Learning to hunger for justice |
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By Simon Barrow
What people are learning through hungering for justice is that trying to come up with policies for a better world is not enough, says Ekklesia's co-director. We need changed people to want them and to make them work. That involves re-shaping our desires, not just our political hopes. At its best, that is what fasting is all about.
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| Why Cameron is half right about the need for a bullying inquiry |
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By Jonathan Bartley
The Conservative leader is right that we need an inquiry into bullying, says Ekklesia's co-director. He is wrong that it should be narrowly confined to the alleged goings on at Number 10. Actually the while political system is implicated in a culture of aggression.
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| Quota |
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Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
"Aspire not to have more, but to be more." - Oscar Romero
"Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less." - Rabbi Julins Gordon
"Teach us to sit still ..." T.S. Eliot (from the poem 'Ash Wednesday') |
| Update |
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Moving into Lent
Our online bookshop partners, Metanoia, based at the London Mennonite Centre are helping people to reduce while not giving up (in the 'good learning, good intentions' sense) during the Lent season. They and we have a huge Lent book sale - which we encourage you to visit for bargains and inspiration.
Ekklesia's own Lent material is building up. Our partners Christian Aid also have superb resources and gifts ideas available here. Thinking of our North American friends, Pax Christi USA are among those sending weekly reflections and resources for Lent. This year's are taken from 'Living as Resurrected Beings in the Midst of the World's Crosses: Reflections for Lent 2010', by Scott Wright and Jean Stokan. More here. |
| Research Focus |
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Sex, orientation and theological debate
This is a paper written by Noel Moules for the 'Body & Soul' weekend which takes place in London on 27-28 March 2010, run by Ekklesia partner Workshop. The document explores Christian approaches to sexuality and sexual orientation, as well as looking at how appropriately to handle the theological tradition and biblical texts that relate to the debate.
The author, Noel Moules, spent his formative years in India and has studied (and taught) theology and education. Through Workshop, which is open and evangelical in its grounding, with a particular concern for Anabaptist and peace church perspectives, "learners and teachers work to discover God amid uncertainty, mystery and paradox. We are sensitive to the differences between the various traditions of the church, and aim to increase understanding about the reasons behind the sincerely held opposing views."
Read the full document here |
| Media and web debate |
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 Ekklesia in the news this week
Ekklesia was fast off the mark in relation to the bullying story that has been all over the media. We were among the very first to draw attention to the breach of confidentiality issues caught up in what has become a political dogfight. Our leader letter to the Church Times, pointing out that many Christians back the Equality Bill (while some church leaders try to weaken it) has been made available on the CT website. Jonathan Bartley has had articles published by The Guardian, on the Pope's possible appearance on BBC Radio 4 Thought for the day, and the Independent, on the pitfalls of tribal thinking in politics. He also has a letter in today's Times newspaper about homophobic bullying. Symon Hill has made more appearances on Premier Radio, and both he and Simon Barrow have articles (on worship and on community, respectively) in the latest edition of the SCM magazine 'Movement'.
Michael Marten's powerful article on the Palestine Kairos Document has been widely syndicated, and also reproduced on the Christian Community Work Alliance (CCWA) website.
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: Combatting supermarket power |
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The global development charity War on Want is promoting a day of speakers, discussion and planning from 11.00 - 17.00 on Saturday 27 February at Faraday House, 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London.
Supermarkets wield unprecedented power in today's world. In the UK, they are seen by many as undermining communities and destroying local businesses. From Bangladesh to South Africa, they are accused of exploiting workers in sweatshops and on plantations, trashing the environment and profiting from human rights abuses in their pursuit of profit at any cost.
But across the world communities are also standing up to supermarket power. This conference brings together development activists, trade unionists and experts from the UK and the global South on the front line of resistance to a supermarket world order. See also 'Tescopoly' - http://www.tescopoly.org |
| Thinking in Action |
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Myths surrounding 'the religious vote'
Ekklesia analyses a new ComRes opinion survey on the behaviour patterns and impact of religious persons and religious convictions in the political arena. Jonathan Bartley writes: "[The poll findings] actually challenges the idea that religious people (when considered as a whole) vote that much differently to others. They certainly appear to explode a number of myths concerning the political views of religious people.
Read more here |
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Reading Allowed |
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Changing Church, Emerging Church
Metanoia Book Service, our online book sales partners, are now the UK distributors for the internationally regarded titles produced by the Alban Institute in the USA (http://www.alban.org) - which specialises in congregational studies, resources for helping people understand the impact of changes in culture and society on faith communities, and materials concerned with handling conflict, pastoral practice, spiritual leadership, community engagement, networking, group formation, and much more besides. Invaluable wisdom for both 'inherited' and 'emergent' churches negotiating post-Christendom.
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