Thoughts on faith, culture, and public life.
By Rod Benson Until last week, I had never heard of the Manly Wormhole. At the northern end of Sydneyโs beautiful Queenscliff Beachโthe northernmost section of the beachfront commonly called Manly Beachโthe smooth sand meets a rockpool at the foot of a rugged headland. Beyond the pool, around an exposed rock platform, a narrow tunnel …
Continue reading "The Manly wormhole: A secret passage through Queenscliff Head"
The Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions, Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches, Bossey, Switzerland, November 2023. By Rod Benson Genuine fellowship between leaders of different religious traditions is crucial, generative, and beautiful to observe. At the same time, such relationships can be hard to sustain without concerted effort by all parties …
Continue reading "Working together across difference: Ten practices for ecumenical leaders"
By Rod Benson You know how it is. It's Saturday arvo, the mowing is done, and you pull in to the Bunnings car park with the fam. And what happens? The unmistakable aroma of caramelised onions and fat-seared sausages hits the old olfactories, reminding you that you came for a tap washer but you might …
By Rod Benson Recently, I have been reading a lot about Celtic history and spirituality. For someone like me, who identifies as a follower of Jesus, the most compelling feature of Celtic Christianity is arguably its integration of biblical faith, disciplined prayer, missionary adventure, poetry and attachment to place. It invites us to explore a Christian …
Continue reading "Snow on the mountain: Welsh gnomic poetry and the practice of attention"
The Durupฤฑnar site on the border between Tรผrkiye and Iran, showing the structure claimed to be Noah's Ark, in 2007. By Rod Benson According to the Book of Genesis, Noahโs Ark once saved the worldโs animals from extinction. Today, in the latest of many archaeological expeditions to the region, a dry sonic core drill is …
Continue reading "Drill, baby, drill: Noahโs Ark, fundamentalism, and the search for evidence"
