Thoughts on faith, culture, and public life.
The Season of Creation Part 3 By Rod Benson Norman Habel’s Earth Bible project and Australian Season of Creation teach Christians to notice dimensions of Scripture that anthropocentric habits of interpretation often obscure. Yet Habel’s work leaves unfinished questions. How should ecological interpretation lead to discipleship? How should Christians committed to biblical authority and the …
Continue reading "Beyond Habel: Creation, eco-justice and Christian discipleship"
Over the past two weeks, we have been immersed in Ezekiel’s visionary account of a futuristic temple where the presence of God is real and the grace of God is palpable and free-flowing in the form of a river emanating from the doors of the temple to restore and replenish the earth that humankind has …
Murray River mouth and Coorong lagoon system near Goolwa, South Australia. By Rod Benson One of the most significant principles in Catholic social teaching is the doctrine of subsidiarity. In broad terms, subsidiarity holds that responsibilities should be exercised by persons and smaller communities when they are capable of doing so, while larger institutions should …
Continue reading "Subsidiarity and Uniting Church ecclesiology"
By Rod Benson The Uniting Church in Australia has undertaken many reviews and reorganisations since its inauguration in 1977, but few have matched the breadth or potential significance of the Act2 Project. Act2 is arguably the most consequential attempt in recent decades to reconsider the structures, governance, theological formation and mission of the national Church. …
Continue reading "Rethinking the future of the Uniting Church"
"They Said No." Acrylic on canvas by Lisle Gwynn Garrity. Inspired by Exodus 1:8-22. If Christians can support climate action on ordinary moral grounds, why do priests, pastors and ministers bring climate change into sermons, prayers, hymns and liturgies at all? Why not leave climate policy to scientists, governments, journalists and citizens, and allow public …
Continue reading "Why bring climate change into Christian worship?"
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