| Issue: # 69 |
12 March 2010 |
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Sorrow and joy are deeply intertwined in human existence and in the life of faith and hope. This week's bulletin is shadowed by the sad news of the death of Gene Stoltzfus, who was the founder director of our partner Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). Gene was an incredible inspiration to many, including not just Christians but people of 'good faith' from many backgrounds, religious and secular. The quotation we have included from him is, in fact, the last blog he wrote before his fatal heart attack. It is typically visionary, and is supplemented by an appropriate reflection on 'grieving for change' by Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann - himself a great advocate for biblically-rooted action for justice and peace. Brueggemann commends, and Stoltzfus would have greatly approved, our special book choice from Metanoia/Ekklesia books this week: a radical examination of the much-misused Book of Revelation, by New Testament scholar Nelson Kraybill. Nelson was a friend in his previous role as a director of the London Mennonite Centre. He shows how John's Apocalypse is actually a call for Christians to resist Empire and to seek the vindication of sacrificial love, not religious violence. One of our three feature articles this week is from CPT member Timothy Seidel, on Palestine, Lent and the Palestinian Kairos Document. The other two relate to Christian disagreements over sexuality. We are very pleased to be able to reproduce Bishop James Jones' address on equality and other issues - manifesting the continuing and growing evangelical change of heart on these issues. Also, we are delighted that Oxford academic Professor Iain McLean chose to publish his response to the Bishop of Winchester, on civil partnerships in religious settings, through Ekklesia. The passing of Lord Alli's amendment in the House of Lords is good news for religious freedom, but raises bigger questions about marriage law, which we have been highlighting for some time. Last, but certainly not least, our event focus is International Women's Day. And the research and 'thinking in action' items both focus on the exciting initiative to seek the support of bishops for House of Lords reform. The response so far (40,000 letters in just 36 hours) is fantastic... and you will be hearing more next week. |
| 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 |
| The human sexuality debate |
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By James Jones
A well-known evangelical Anglican bishop suggests faithful and open-hearted ways forward in the unseemly rows among Christians over sexuality, civil partnerships and the provisions of the Equality Bill. Read the article here |
| A reply to Bishop Scott-Joynt on religion and civil partnerships |
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By Iain McLean
The Professor of Politics at Oxford University, a Quaker with a Church of Scotland background, wrote an open letter to the Anglican Bishop of Winchester, Michael Scott-Joynt, about civil partnerships on religious premises, after the bishop opposed such a development. The bishop responded personally. This is McLean's further reply, following the House of Lords vote on an amendment to the Equality Bill on the issue.
Read the article here |
| Kairos and Lent in the 'Holy Land' |
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By Timothy Seidel
The voices of Palestinian Christians and their compatriots are so often dismissed, silenced and dehumanised, says a Christian peace worker and commentator. Lent provides an opportunity to hear them, not least through the Kairos Palestine Document.
Read the article here |
| Quota |
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Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
"Every one of us is impacted by a dominant culture which insists that military or police force will make things right. Every day, that culture tells us that dirty tricks, usually done in secret, are required for our survival. After all, it's argued, someone has to do this dirty work. It's called a noble work and the Blackwater mercenaries are required for the work. It will take an expanding world-wide but grassroots culture reaching beyond national borders to fashion a body of Christian peacemakers to be an effective power to block the guns and be part of transforming each impending tragedy of war. Little by little there will be change." - Gene Stoltzfus, peacemaker, 1940-2010
"Real criticism begins in the capacity to grieve because that is the most visceral announcement that things are not right. Only in the empire are we pressed and urged and invited to pretend that things are all right - either in the dean's office or in our marriage or in the hospital [or in the church]. And as long as the empire can keep the pretense alive that things are all right, there will be no real grieving and no serious criticism." - Walter Brueggemann, writing in The Prophetic Imagination |
| Update |
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Power and Poverty
You can follow the ongoing Ekklesia-backed initiative to encourage bishops to embrace House of Lords reform through regular updates here A further press release including the results of an opinion poll will be appearing on Monday 15 March.
We have also supported an initiative to highlight the need to address poverty as a key political issue, not least in the capital city of the sixth richest nation on earth: Poverty issues are aggregated here.
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| Research Focus |
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Religious representation in the House of Lords
This briefing paper, looking at the democratic and constitutional issues surrounding reserved places for clerical leaders one religious denomination in an unelected House of Lords, part of the national legislature, has been produced by the British Humanist Association (BHA). It is a contribution to the current debate about a reformed Second Chamber. The information and perspective it sets out chime with observations from faith groups and from political reformers.
Read the full briefing here (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF format) |
| Media and web debate |
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 Ekklesia in the news this week
Jonathan Bartley is appearing again on the BBC1 discussion programme on ethics, religion and belief, ' The Big Questions'. The show goes out at 10am on Sunday 14 March 2010, and can also be viewed afterwards on BBC iPlayer. All three Ekklesia co-directors have appeared recently on Premier Radio. Jonathan was talking about criminal justice, Symon Hill about the arms trade and civil partnerships, and Simon Barrow paying tribute to Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) founder Gene Stoltzfus. Digital Journal was among those outlets to pick up on the Power2010 initiative to lobby Church of England bishops on a reformed Second Chamber in the UK parliament. Thinking Anglicans focussed on Ekklesia's role in this, and the Student Christian Movement also gave it backing. 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 |
| Event: International Women's Day |
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The 2010 day was on 8 March, but reflection and action is continuing through UNIFEM and planning is already in hand for 2011. Ekklesia highlighted the role of women in recover and development in Haiti, a report on gender imbalance in the media supported by the World Association for Christian Communication, church agency action against recent brutal attacks on women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the participation of women of faith in the recent United Nations review conference.
Our coverage is aggregated here |
| Thinking in Action |
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Urging the bishops to back parliamentary reform
Ekklesia has teamed up with democracy campaign Power2010 and a range of civil society and church groups in an initiative to urge Church of England bishops to take a lead in reforming the House of Lords. You can write to the bishops using a fully customisable letter here
This campaign includes five key principles for political change, namely:
* people of faith should participate alongside others in public life through civic action, free debate and good example - not through special reserved places and exemptions
* members of the second chamber should be elected, publicly accountable and recallable - not based on the appointed status and privilege for a few
* legislation should be scrutinised for its impact on the most vulnerable in society - not primarily the rich and powerful
* membership should be open to independent and minority elected voices - not dominated by the big party machines
* Parliamentary business should be discussed and voted upon in ways that encourage common action, co-operation and understanding of differences - rather than division and confrontation.
For more information see here and here |
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Reading Allowed |
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Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation by J Nelson Kraybill
In this lively and accessible introduction, respected New Testament scholar J. Nelson Kraybill, a former director of the London Mennonite Centre, shows how the book of Revelation was understood by its original readers and how John's apocalypse is relevant to the spiritual life of believers today.
Kraybill places Revelation in its first-century historical context, providing a vivid window into the political, economic, and social realities of the early church. The book comes into focus as a summons to follow Christ. Just as Christians in the first century had to decide whether their loyalty was with Babylon/Rome or the New Jerusalem, so followers of Jesus today must make costly choices of allegiance and behaviour when kingdoms come into conflict.
The book includes questions and illustrations that turn readers' attentions to twenty-first-century issues of empire, worship, and allegiance. It is illustrated throughout with images of ancient sites, artwork from the catacombs, and Roman coins and with stories of modern Christians who live out John's radical vision of a New Jerusalem.
ISBN: 9781587432613 (SKU, 2010), 224pp. £21.50
To find out more and purchase through Ekklesia, click here | |
