Month: April 2011

On the final day of my extended leave I attended the launch of  ‘Economics for Life’ by Professor Ian Harper. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Glenn Stevens, launched the book and his speech showed empathy with his long term colleague and engagement with both book and author. We enjoyed the hospitality of Deloitte Access Economics’ Melbourne office.

In ‘Economics for Life’ Ian Harper tells of his journey into economics and the public career that emerged from his work at the Reserve Bank of Australia, studies, teaching and consultancy. His recent high profile role as Chairman of the Australian Fair Pay Commission and his earlier membership of the Wallis Committee charged with recommending on the regulation of Australian financial institutions give plenty of food for thought.

High commendation from Dr Frank Milne, Bank of Montreal Professor of Economics and Finance at Queen’s University, Ontario, who writes that in Economics for Life,

‘Ian Harper shows that economics provides a very useful framework to understand and explore eartlhy affairs, whereas Christianity addresses deep spiritual and moral issues. This book should be read by all those fashionable critics of religion and economics so that they may expand their intellectual horizons.’

A thorough and finely tuned review by Trevor Thomas of the Center for Public Christianity, here.

ABC religion and Ethics, There’s more to life than economics.    See the publisher’s write up and order information.  Also availble as eBook, Kindle is here.

Also see a related blog post: GFC and trust: Ian Harper and a profile of him in the Sydney Morning Herald

The dispute in the Anglican Church of Australia over, “Who is permitted to preside over the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion)?” is still with us.

In 2008 the Diocese of Sydney produced, The Lord’s Supper in Human Hands, arguing for the administration of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) by deacons and lay persons. It has been thoroughly reviewed by the Revd Will Briggs, here.

The highest legal tribunal in the Anglican Church of Australia, the Appellate Tribunal, in 2010 decided, “No”, to the legality of the administration of Holy Communion by deacons and lay persons. It’s decision is here.

I have just received a copy of the Diocese of Sydney’s 2010 response to the Appellate Tribunal decision. The Sydney response is entitled, The Lord’s Supper in Human Hands: Epilogue and is available to download free here.

The ‘Epilogue‘ has been well reviewed by Will Briggs, here.

Will’s concluding comment in his review of the earlier (2008) Sydney book resonates with me:

So do I support lay and diaconal administration?

As a fresh expression person my answer simply is – whatever makes us free-er to be the church we are trying to be. And so at this stage:

Yes – theologically I cannot see a biblical reason why administering Communion should be restricted to priests/presbyters.
No – politically and pragmatically – it’s a secondary fight, not a primary fight. I don’t want to get caught up in the politics of semantics.

I just want to gather around the Gospel proclaimed in Word and Sacrament and see lives transformed.

There are bigger issues confronting Gospel proclamation and living in Australia and the world today. Please, let’s focus on those – together.

Labor Senator for Tasmania, Helen Polley speaks in the Senate Chamber of the Parliament of Australia against euthanasia: Euthanasia Speech.

See CMDFA response to euthanasia and   Pro Euthanasia: 7 ‘non-religious’ replies.

(Article from The Advocate 10 April, 2011)

A flexible approach to becoming an Anglican priest has helped a former teacher find his life’s purpose.

Joshua Skeat was ordained at St George’s Anglican Church in Burnie on Saturday by the Bishop of Tasmania, John Harrower.

Raised in a Christian home, Mr. Skeat said he “walked away from the faith” during his teenage years but when he and his wife were invited to attend a Somerset church soon after moving to the coast in 2008 he heard a calling from God to enter the ministry. The father of two left his teaching position at Wynyard High School to complete what he calls his ministry apprenticeship with Somerset’s Connections Anglican Church.

“Basically we explored a new way of training and working in ministry so I am studying half-time by distance and working in the church” he said. Mr. Skeat said he understood it was a relatively new approach to training in the Anglican Church. “I think one of the things we need to realize is we need to explore different ways of doing things” he said. “For me and my family to pack up and move to Melbourne so I could study for five years would have had a significant impact on my kids and my wife. That we can be doing it concurrently with ministry in the church adds a hands-on layer.”

Don George of St Peters Anglican Church in Launceston [St Leonards] was also ordained in Burnie on Saturday.

Links to find out more about “Connections” and the  Anglican Church in Burnie and  Joshua Skeat’s blog and  Don George serving at St Peter’s in St Leonards.

THE Bible now fits in the pocket thanks to a mobile phone app. And one of the disciples is Tasmania’s Anglican Bishop John Harrower.

Read the rest of The Mercury newspaper’s article here, “Clergy’s faith in technology”

I am looking forward to participating in the Conference on Science and Christianity in Launceston, 26-28 August. The theme of the conference will be “Disenchantment: Faith and Science in a Secular World”.

The main guest speaker will be Prof Nancy Murphy, Philosopher Theologian from Fuller Seminary in Pasadena California. Dr Denis Alexander, founder and director of the Faraday Institute in Cambridge will be speaking on “From Descartes to Dawkins – Biology and Ideology”. I will be leading the devotions and participating in a panel.

Please consider participating in this conference as it will be a great learning opportunity for everyone attending. If you do wish to attend, follow this link http://www.iscast.org/cosac_2011 and you can register for the conference online. Register before the end of June to get an early bird rate!

Also, Science and Faith,  and   ‘Faith is …’   and the resources on the ISCAST website.

I gave four Devotional Addresses at the Science & Christianity 2011 Australian Conference which was held in Tasmania. They are on my blog.

1. The First Address is ‘Keeping on’ is at: http://imaginarydiocese.org/bishopjohn/2011/08/26/keeping-on-cosac-devotion-1/

2.Second Address: ‘Humility Before the Facts’ is at:
http://imaginarydiocese.org/bishopjohn/2011/08/27/humility-before-the-facts-cosac-devotion-2/

3.Third Address: ‘Loyalty and Accountability’ is at:
http://imaginarydiocese.org/bishopjohn/2011/08/27/loyalty-and-accountability-cosac-devotion-3/

4.Fourth Address: ‘Being Sure of Our Ground’ is at:
http://imaginarydiocese.org/bishopjohn/2011/08/28/being-sure-of-our-ground-cosac-devotion-4/

My heartfelt thanks to Senator Guy Barnett for his leadership in the lifting of the ban on Holy Books being made available at citizenship ceremonies.

Background, No Holy Books 4 new Aussies and  today’s press, Unholy row ends as bibles stay.

The warnings of the Barnabas Fund and many others about the negative consequences of the burning of the Koran went unheeded by a small extreme Christian group with disastrous results in Afghanistan on April 1. I reported last year on the negative consequences of this action in India.

At the time of the original threat of burning the Koran there were deaths in Afghanistan and protests in Iran despite the Pastor’s retraction of his earlier claim, Koran burn? ‘Not ever’.

Tragically, Pastor Jones later stood in silent witness as another Pastor did burn a Koran; hence the current loss of life in Afghanistan.

Has this caused a re-think on the part of Terry Jones? Sad to say, Terry Jones defiant despite murders in Afghanistan over Qur’an burning.

See nearly 800 comments on the Guardian poll; Is the Florida pastor who burnt the Qur’an morally responsible for the deaths of UN staff in protests in Afghanistan?

Violence begets violence. Extremists don’t care. For the Christ follower, we seek the peace of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). In Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount, The Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God’. (Matthew 5:9) We remember that justice will be done at the future Day of the Lord’s return, by the Lord. Not us! God holds us accountable for our lives. And so we pray:  ‘Lord. have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. ‘

Article, UN staff killed in Afghanistan amid protests over Qur’an burning and  Kandahar protests of April 2 and  Protests continue April 3.

Also, President Obama calls for tolerance after Koran burning prompts deaths in Afghanistan.

Please pray for peace and for extremists of all varieties to be touched by the Spirit of Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Dr Evonne Paddison, CEO of ACCESS Ministries, speaks of the importance of religious instruction in schools.

Opposition to Christian programs in government schools is misguided.

AS CHIEF of ACCESS Ministries, Victoria’s largest provider of religion classes in government schools, I have been grilled about the special religious instruction program (SRI). At issue is the question of religious instruction in secular schools. As Australia, like the rest of the world, largely comprises ”believers” – the vast majority belongs to a religious group – I strongly assert its importance.

The recent opposition to Christian programs does not come from non-Christian faiths; there is great respect and co-operation between the religious instruction providers of all faiths. We occasionally meet, share ideas and support each other in training volunteer instructors.

Much of the opposition is being voiced by humanists.

It has been said that SRI has no value in a secular education system. I argue that all faiths play a valuable part in shaping and forming our understanding of who we are as individuals and as members of the global village.

There is no denying the Judaeo-Christian influence on Australian society. For many students, the school religious instruction program is their only introduction to the faith and the values of Christianity.

Full article, Religious instruction teaches much more than faith.  Also, Bishop teaches Islam?

In this article “7 Ways to Advance Religious Harmony in China and Around the World” Tony Blair gives us seven points that fail to take us beyond a moralism. It is true that we need to seek and work hard at the common good. It is foundational that we acknowledge differences and that at times those differences may take us to different policies and practices.

As globalization pushes the world closer together, the issue in respect of religious faith is very simple and clear: does it become a civilizing force that shapes globalization to advance human good; or does it become a countervailing force, dividing and alienating societies from each other?

Compare Blair’s article to Mark Durie’s blog “A Dozen Bad Ideas for the 21st Century”

Here is a list of false beliefs and modes of thought which make it hard for people in the West to come to terms with the challenge of Islam today.  If you are deeply attached to any of these ideas or ways of thinking, you will have difficulty accepting the truth about Islam’s teachings and their impact.