theology – Page 8 – Wondering Pilgrim

Behold, the six types of atheists – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs

A fascinating, if brief taxonomy, that surely has counterparts amongst the vast spectrum of theists. Although running the usual risk of “boxing” people in rather than focusing on engagement in open conversations, such categorising can, ironically, help guard against simplistic assumptions. Behold, the six types of atheists – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs.

See a wrong and right it

My brother-in-law, Des, is preparing a 665km kayak trip down the River Murray. It’s not just his love of kayaking that prompts this venture; there’s been a fire in his belly ever since he visited Kitgum, Uganda, with my sister Janet, who had previously delivered relief to the school and orphanage there, a place ofContinue reading “See a wrong and right it”

Place and Time: Peterson’s Pastoral Imagination

Some of the most evocative reading I’ve engaged over the Christmas/New Year break has been from Eugene Peterson’s The Pastor: a memoir . The development of what he has famously described as “pastoral imagination” is to the fore throughout the telling of his autobiographical pilgrimage. His opening section, Topos and Kairos, I found immediately compelling. TheContinue reading “Place and Time: Peterson’s Pastoral Imagination”

Peace is a Pair of Shoes

I love preaching at my church – it opens up so much thoughtful dialogue. This week we tackled the Advent theme of peace in relation to charitable giving. It had been the week of a photo of a NYPD cop buying a pair of shoes for a homeless vagabond. It had gone viral. Something ofContinue reading “Peace is a Pair of Shoes”

Peace is a Pair of Shoes

Devious Diggers and Wondrous Widows

A couple of old AIF paybooks and a notebook scrawled with addresses of billets in WWI France came to light in a clean-up the other day. They belonged to my grandfather who died the year before I was born. Handling them once again gave the sense of missed connection. From all accounts, he sat lightlyContinue reading “Devious Diggers and Wondrous Widows”

A Biocentric view of the Cosmos

Our lectionary reading stopped at verse 25 of the Creation hymn of Genesis 1 – before it got to the arrival of human beings on this planet! This more or less enforced a biocentric rather than an anthropocentric reflection on the first Genesis creation story. The Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines anthropocentrism thus: “humanity as the central factContinue reading “A Biocentric view of the Cosmos”

Blessed are the cheesemakers…

Sorry – can never hear the “peacemakers” beatitude quite the same again after Monty Python. Unless I hear it in a translation from the Aramaic text. Here it is: Healed are those who bear the fruit of sympathy and safety for all, they shall hasten the coming of God’s new creation. (Blessed are the peacemakersContinue reading “Blessed are the cheesemakers…”

Terror at the Empty Tomb

“So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Mark 16:8 So ends the earliest gospel narrative, describing the reaction of the women who, on arriving at the tomb where Jesus’ crucified body was laid, and expecting toContinue reading “Terror at the Empty Tomb”

Mercy from the inner womb

Healthy are they who from the inner womb birth forth compassion, they shall feel its warm arms embracing them. (Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy) Mercy is often depicted as the grudging letting go of rightful retribution or discipline for a wrong, along the lines of “OK, I’ll let you off thisContinue reading “Mercy from the inner womb”