| Issue: # 71 |
26 March 2010 |
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Another packed issue of our bulletin, including the launch of the NGOs' Vote Global manifesto, a Green analysis of the recent budget, and a new weekly column following general election issues - this time UK and the BNP, and the way pro-Christendom rhetoric gets used to buttress the agenda of the far right. Our feature articles tackle the confusions between war-making and peace-building, the need for decisive action in the global Catholic child abuse crisis, and a Passiontide reflection on poverty, responsibility, and the call to a new society at the heart of the Christian message. The weekly 'update' is on economics and development, including the success of Oikocredit and the launch of the international ACT Alliance of churches' aid groups. The media focus is on the response to involving bishops in second chamber parliamentary reform - an initiative that will move into its second stage this coming week. Thinking in action, meanwhile, looks at religious action to end child detentions. Appropriately, therefore, our book of the week through Metanoia is a title on the practicality, theology and social dynamic of radical hospitality. In addition to religion and society, theological and socio-political analysis, Ekklesia also seeks to reflect quality Christian voices from around the world. US Mennonite pastor Willard Roth has added two further reflections to his Lent series on places of spiritual intensity around Britain and Ireland, focussing on Coventry, Iona and Wales. In Holy week we will feature thoughts on Easter and the Middle East from ecumenical and political-legal adviser Harry Hagopian, a member of the Armenian Orthodox Church. |
| 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 |
| Addressing the global Catholic sex abuse scandal |
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By Bridget Mary Meehan
As the global sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church deepens, standards of accountability must be the norm for all, including the Pope and the hierarchy, says a Catholic campaigner for equality and women's ministry. Civil investigation, active repentance within the Church and an independent truth commission is now needed, she suggests.
Read the full article here
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| Confusing war-making with peace-building |
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By John Heathershaw
MPs have left received wisdoms unquestioned in their latest report, which frames war-fighting as peace-building, writes an academic expert on conflict handling. This idea is quite modern and in keeping with the spirit of our post-colonial age. Yet its consequence is to mainstream peace-building as a strategy to extend world order without questioning the resultant injustices. There is an alternative, says the author.
Read the full article here
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| The manifesto of extravagant generosity |
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By Simon Barrow
Jesus' affirmation of one woman's extravagant generosity and his comments about abiding poverty are not about forsaking justice for individualistic charity, says Ekklesia's co-director. Quite the reverse. They signal the in-breaking of a new order of being and living in a divided world.
Read the full article here
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| Quota |
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Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
"The pizzas you eat come from Italy, your numerical system from the Arabs, your script from the Romans, your toys from Hong Kong, your electronic equipment from Japan, your clothes from Taiwan, your wealth from trade with the rest of the world. And then you shout 'Foreigners out!'?"
- a church sign in Offenbach, Germany
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| Update |
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Economics and development
In the aftermath of the UK pre-election budget, Ekklesia ran political eco-economist Ann Pettifor's analysis of what the chancellor's statement means in terms of tackling the economic crisis, its main victims, and the climate change challenge. Meanwhile, one of the alternative economic ventures we are pleased to support, the Christian-founded cooperative micro-credit agency Oikocredit, has reported a 13 per cent growth in 2009, despite the global downturn. As well as the anniversary of Oscar Romero's assassination, 24 March was also the official launch date of ACT Alliance, which brings together over 100 church-backed relief and development organisations worldwide. It is supported by Christian Aid and has been described as an "agent of good" by the Norwegian government representative at the UN.
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| Election 2010 |
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The connectivity of the far right
This is a new weekly column, containing analysis and comment from Ekklesia in the run up to the May 2010 UK general election.
In the recent past the British National Party has tried to use 'Christian clothing'. Now it is praising the pro-Christendom rhetoric of some church leaders and finding common round with the religious right.
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| Research Focus |
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Greening the economy
One of the bright spots in the recent budget was the creation of a Green Investment Bank, welcomed by Friends of the Earth and other campaigners. Ekklesia re-published FoE's 'environmental analysis' of the UK Chancellor's pronouncements.
You can read them in full here
See also the 'Green New Deal' from the New Economics Foundation (nef):
http://www.neweconomics.org/projects/green-new-deal |
| Media and web debate |
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 Ekklesia in the news this week
The campaign for Lords' reform, and specifically the initiative to involve Church of England bishops who currently sit in parliament as of right, attracted a fair bit of media attention, from the Scotsman to the Church Times - which had an article, a (critical) article by former Ekklesia associate Giles Fraser, as well as an entertaining cartoon about the nearly 65,000 letters sent to bishops by the public. Meanwhile, evangelical news site Christian Today covered the story, including Ekklesia's role. They omitted our specifically Christian angle, however. Community Newswire also picked up on the response to the bishops, and so did American agency ASSIST News Service There was also a good article from a Lib Dem parliamentary candidate, offering a sceptical but ultimately supportive view. Equally, there was some carping in the Christian blogsophere, and Ekklesia therefore produced an FAQ to try to keep the discussion fact-based. Also this week, Ekklesia's Simon Barrow spoke at two public meetings on Christian responses to the election, one in south-west London and one in north London. The Way magazine ('Christianity without walls') used us as a source for a piece on Gordon Brown and religion in public life. Winnipeg Free Press quoted us on the death of Christian Peacemaker Teams' founder Gene Stoltzfus. UN Observer ran material from our 'Truth commission on conscience in war to meet in US', and so did The Washington Post. 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: Vote Global |
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Not one event, but a whole series of them, will be galvanised by Vote Global website, which has now gone live. It profiles the issues in the Vote Global manifesto (endorsed by over 150 organisations, including Ekklesia), signposts the latest relevant actions, features a map of development-related hustings, provides guidance on contacting candidates and recommends questions for people to ask candidates. You can link to the Vote Global website from your own homepage (there is a button you can use on its front page), re-tweet messages from http://twitter.com/vote_global, upload election related actions and events, and blog about international development and the General Election, referencing the site.
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| Thinking in Action |
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Religious action to end child detentions
Leaders from 18 faith and civil society organisations in the UK have joined with refugees and former child detainees to call on the Home Secretary to make an election commitment to supporting policies that will end the detention of children for immigration purposes. All candidates at the general election are being urged to back a major new campaign - the Sanctuary Pledge. Senior leaders from the organisations supporting the Sanctuary Pledge will send letters to the Home Secretary and the principal spokespeople on Home Affairs in the other political parties.
More here: http://ekklesia.co.uk/node/11607 |
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Reading Allowed |
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Untamed Hospitality: Welcoming God and Other Strangers, by Elizabeth Newman
In this theological and cultural analysis, Newman argues that worship itself is participation in divine hospitality--a hospitality that affects our economic, political, and private lives. Her message that hospitality calls us to live in the true marks of the church - one, holy, catholic, and apostolic - is vital in a world separated by national, racial, and ecclesial divisions. It will challenge Christians to move beyond coffee fellowship hours to live out God's radical hospitality.
ISBN: 9781587431760 (Brazos Press, 2007), 240pp, �24.25
For more information and to purchase through Ekklesia, click here | |
