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IN THIS ISSUE....
*Gathering 2009
*Meet the EP: Matt Tennant
*Book Review: God Does Not
*EP Book List
*News of new Monasticism
*Financial Report
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He is risen! Alleluia!
During this fifty days of unbounded Easter joy (for those in the Western church), Debra Dean Murphy reflects on the current conversation on torture in her recent bLOGOS reflection "Resurrection and Torture." She is joined on the blog this month by Brian Volck, for whom the "World [is] Out of Balance," and Joel Shuman, who's "Spoilin' For a Fight." Join in the conversation.
Alleluia!
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GATHERING 2009: JULY 9-11
About 10 folk have registered for this summer's Gathering, "Wealth and the Household of God," to be held at DePaul University in Chicago. To encourage registration, we will again give at least 2 $100 book certificates to persons who register by May 30. So register now.
We always endeavor to keep the Gathering costs as reasonable as possible, and this year, even though the Gathering 2008 came out in the red, we have decided to keep the costs about the same as last year. As always, financial assistance is available to persons with need. Email Brent Laytham for details about this, or any other concerns or questions.
- Single room $300 2 nights in single-occupancy room, 6 meals, registration
- Double room $200 2 nights in double-occupancy room, 6 meals, registration
- Registration $70 Registration only (meals can be purchased ala carte)
This year, we are trying email registration. Click here to email your registration information to registrars Lisa and Mary Bowling. Please include the following data (or paste this chart into your email).
Name
Email
Phone
Mailing Address
Single, Double or Registration only?
Gender
Roommate request (Double Registration only)
Any other pertinent information |
 MEET THE EP: Matt Tennant
Matt introduces himself in these words:
"My name is Matthew Tennant, and I am a doctoral candidate in theology at the University of Oxford, UK. I first heard about the Ekklesia Project from Beth Newman when she taught my theology courses in seminary in Richmond, VA. At that time, I was serving as the pastor of a small Baptist church and could identify with the notion of radical friendship, a friendship that transcends denominational boundaries. To me, the Ekklesia Project symbolizes that which is particular about Christianity. Secular humanists can be friends, but there is something unique (or radical) about friendship with Christ as the common denominator. I continue to support the Ekklesia Project because it fosters the kind of Christian faith that my wife and I hope to share with our two sons, Dean who is 6 years old and Eddy who is 4 years old. My family and I attend New Road Baptist Church in Oxford, UK and I preach regularly in University chapels and local churches."
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 God Does Not
d. brent laytham, editor
Five years after Brent Laytham assembled a team of friends from
the Ekklesia Project for an exercise in via
negativa apologetics, God Is Not (Brazos, 2004), he offers us a companion volume of sorts, God Does Not (Brazos, 2009). God Is Not gathered essays that were witty and accessible while challenging the
false idols of nationalism, consumer capitalism and sentimentality. The book was widely used in church discussion groups, serving as a
first introduction to the EP for many readers.
The new volume assembles a team of authors well known to EP
folks. Joel Shuman names the ways in which we have made an idol of
physical health and youthfulness, placing "spirituality" in the service of
medicine rather than seeking God's deeper gift of healing as expressed through faithful communities. Dan Bell takes on the oxymoronic phrase
"redemptive violence" and points us to suffering and sacrifice as the
redemptive path taught by Jesus. Kelly Johnson's thoughtful chapter
notes that hurrying can be a form of violence in itself, and that imitating
God's patience does not consign us to complacency in the face of injustice.
Margaret Kim Peterson and Dwight N. Peterson explore sentimental, romantic views of both sex
and marriage among evangelical college students in a chapter that had me shaking my head in
both disbelief and alarm. And admitted
movie junkie Jason Byasee suggests
that many of us who should know better have looked to films for grace,
redemption and even sacramental meaning, when in the end they are mere
entertainment. Following these excursions into what God does not do, editor Brent Laytham concludes the book
with the grammatically-suspect but theologically sound affirmation "God Does Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
The essays in this collection are wider ranging (and
therefore perhaps less unified) than those collected in God Is Not, But the themes explored are no less critical
to faithful discipleship within a culture that seeks salvation in all the wrong
places. John McFadden
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Help with the EP Reading List
A few weeks ago, Brent Laytham received the following query:
"I continue to enjoy your emails! Thanks! I am wondering if the EP has a reading list that will challenge ordinary lay people to understand revival/renewal within the biblical understandings of the EP?"
We thought having such a list would be a great idea and we have asked two bookish EP members -- Halden Doerge and David Horstkoetter -- to help us compile such a list. Once the list is compiled we plan to post it to the EP website.
They have some ideas of their own but would welcome recommendations. What books would you recommend? Which have proved seminal for you? Which ones would you recommend as "must read" for people new to the EP conversation? Please feel free to email Halden or David, or post your recommendations to the EP group page on Facebook. Append a note on why you think it's a good book.
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What's New with New Monasticism
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove calls our attention to upcoming opportunities to visit with a new monastic community while participating in the weekend course "Christianity as a Way of Life." For locations and dates, go to the new monasticism website. Jonathan is also seeking submissions for a common prayer book, and invites folks to submit a favorite quote, song or prayer via their online form. With the National Day of Prayer coming on May 7, he invites us to "stir up a little holy mischief" through the creative suggestions found on Sojourner's "God's Politics" blog.
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Financial Report
For the first quarter of '09 the EP received
contributions totaling $3,693 while incurring expenses of $5,491. We are little bit behind where we'd like to
be at this point in the year, but we are in good shape as we prepare for the
summer gathering. We continue to depend
on donations from our supporters for all of our budget needs and we thank you
for the financial contributions that make our work possible.
You will soon find a more thorough financial
statement for 2008 on our website. We hope this
gives you a better sense of what we do at the Ekklesia Project, how you can
contribute to our efforts, and how seriously we take the careful stewardship of
your gifts.
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Join the bLOGOS Conversation
We are an organization founded in the practice of Christian friendship, and friends should be in conversation with one another on topics that matter. bLOGOS is a wonderful resource for keeping our conversations alive throughout the year, and those who post essays are eager to open up the dialogue. Facebook members (there are more than 400 of us now) can access bLOGOS through the EP Facebook group. bLOGOS can also be found on the Ekklesia Project website.
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