Dunedin Sea of Faith

Sea of Faith - Dunedin

 Next meeting 

Thursday, 24th May 

Highgate Church buildings, 

Maori Hill 

 The Ages of Faith 

 Leader: David Kitchingman 

Tea and Coffee will be available 

between 5.15 and 5.50 pm 

Food will be available

$5 for as much as you want to eat plus rent

or 

$2 if you come for the meeting only 

Kitchen volunteers: 

Evelyn Entwistle and Alan Jackson

———

 From the Chair 

What’s in a word?

For some time I have been puzzled by the word “atheist”. I see in Ian Harris’s article in the Otago Daily Times last week it pops up yet again. I wonder if others are as confused as I am or, if not, maybe someone can enlighten me. The Oxford Dictionary tells me that now the word “theist” means “a person who believes in one god who created and intervenes in the universe”. Therefore an atheist must be a person who does not believe in one god who created and intervenes in the universe. In his article Ian Harris correctly states that “many Christians are abandoning theism” but goes on to add “that does not make them atheists, for they have not rejected all concepts of God”. I understand that the word God can have a much broader meaning now than it had traditionally and that language is continually changing and adapting to the present social context.

Nevertheless the word “theism” to me, and I am sure to many others, still means a belief in a supernatural being that has influence over all creation.

Why do we try so hard to distance ourselves from the modern self-declared atheists? Are our beliefs so different from theirs? I can only assume it is because the word “atheism” has such emotional overtones. Ian Harris uses the word “non theism” that “releases God to be reconceived within a secular world view.” Atheism, non-theism, what’s the difference?

If the word “atheist” means what I take it to mean I am happy to call myself one. I would add though that like all words that begin with a negative prefix, I would want to go on to state something positive about what I did believe. And that applies to both atheism and non-theism.

We hope to have some meetings this year that will cover some of the challenges that our use of language presents. I’m sure we will find these thought provoking and helpful.

Marjorie

∞ Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. ∞

“Ages, Stages and Cages” 

With reference to Stages of Faith and The Future of Faith 

Juxtaposing James W. Fowler and Harvey Cox

Initially, I offered to deal with Fowler’s Stages of Faith: the Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning (1981). Two reservations soon came to my mind. First, Fowler’s theories on growth in faith, though important and influential, are not exactly easy going for a lecture, let alone an evening talk and discussion. Here for instance are the titles for the six (or seven) stages he presents:

(Pre-stage) Infancy and Undifferentiated Faith
Stage 1. Intuitive-Projective Faith
Stage 2. Mythic-Literal Faith
Stage 3. Synthetic-Conventional Faith
Stage 4. Individuative-Reflective Faith
Stage 5. Conjunctive Faith
Stage 6. Universalizing Faith

Not very “user-friendly” at all. I shall certainly introduce some alternative versions.

My second reservation was that I would not be able to resist straying into the communal levels of faith. So while Fowler’s theory is applicable to groups as well as individuals, it might be useful to lay another seminal work alongside Fowler’s for some comparison. Harvey Cox’s The Future of Faith (2009) examines faith at the institutional level of the Church, but with a very broad brush. He presents a startlingly simple analysis of the two thousand years of Christian history:

The Age of Faith
The Age of Belief
The Age of the Spirit

That much accounts for the “Ages” and “Stages” in the title of the session. I leave it to members to anticipate where the “Cages” might fit in (or is that meant to be where the ages and stages fit into cages?).

Our Last Meeting on 26th April 

Margaret Feist led us into more knowledge of  “Sustainable Dunedin City” – a response to Global Warming, Resource Depletion, Peak Oil and the need for really good stewardship of this Planet earth – Gaia (James Lovelock).

John Cox, the co-chair of the movement joined us and shared some of the successes and projects underway.

We all considered what we could do at a domestic level (and there were dozens of suggestions about being non-wasteful or frugal) but maybe the more effective way is to join a group and use the voice of the crowd to persuade politicians both local and central to take heed of the call to care for our home. After all, we all know that the earth will survive but whether it will support a human population, especially an increasing one, is a moot point.

Sea of Faith - Dunedin

 Next meeting 

Thursday, 26th April 

Highgate Church buildings, 

Maori Hill 

Living Sustainably in Dunedin 

Leader: Margaret Feist 

Tea and Coffee will be available 

between 5.15 and 5.50 pm 

Food will be available

$5 for as much as you want to eat plus rent

or 

$2 if you come for the meeting only 

Kitchen volunteers: 

Ruth Morgan and Ted Turner 

———

The Annual General Meeting held on 22nd March brought only one change in that the Newsletter has a new Editor following the death of our much-loved friend Donald Feist.

A motion to increase the charge for the hall hire from $2 to $3 was tied at 9-9 and so The Chair voted for the status quo, as is usual in these cases.

Most of the current Committee are in the middle year of their three-year term – there will need to be new volunteers next year.

After some discussion about a short time of silence before the meeting, it was decided to trial this for a time at the end of the year following a presentation on meditation.

We are aware that some of our members are hearing impaired. We will endeavour to have written material available for them whenever possible. When we go into small groups for discussion we will have more space between groups to decrease the amount of auditory interference.

———

 From the Chair 

Report of the Committee meeting held on 27th March.

We had a very positive meeting and I am pleased to say that we have been able to map out what I am sure will be an interesting and stimulating programme for the year. As some speakers have yet to be confirmed I cannot give a detailed programme but all will be revealed in the monthly newsletters. It was helpful to have the feedback from our March meeting.

We discussed advertising, and in particular how to reach students at the University. It was felt that the internet is the best source of information for students and Ian will try to find an appropriate place to advertise. I have contacted a person connected with the SCM group with information about our meetings, and am waiting to hear back.

We will continue to put advertisements in the Star What’s On column.

Alan will welcome articles for inclusion in the monthly newsletter. Please feel free to share ideas, opinions, book or movie reviews or anything else relevant to the Sea of Faith. Give, or e-mail your contributions to Alan.

Ian will add the minutes of the AGM and the annual reports to the website.

Marjorie

Our Last Meeting on 22nd March 

Following the AGM, our programme followed the challenge set by last year’s national Conference and asked where we are going? and how do we wish to travel to get there? Don Feist’s suggestions in the last National Newsletter were considered in some detail.

———

Geoff Neilson reminded us of the aims of The Sea of Faith, and took us through the Charter of Compassion which has the support of just about every major faith group on the planet. Working towards the goals of The Charter might be a direction forward but how far to go with activism is another matter.

Pen Whitaker provided food for thought with a suggestion of the value of silence in a busy world. There are several groups who use silence as part of their meetings, The Quakers being perhaps the best known. Silence can be associated with focussed thinking or not as the occasion suggests.

David Kitchingman provided yet another superb paper on the subject (I am sure it will be reproduced in full on our website) and suggested that we play on our strength as a clearing house for new thinking and this may be achieved with a national on-line forum to augment the National Newsletter.

After that we broke into four groups and considered the questions in the last Newsletter.

———

Sustainability 

Sea of Faith Conferences have asked “Are we allowed to do anything we like on this earth or do we need to take a course of action that ensures the future of mankind?” This year’s Conference theme is The Revaluing of All Values – what values do we need, to survive? 

A British Government paper on future environmental development defines sustainable development as “ meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

Sustainable and sustaining business (Hubbard’s Clipboard 120) 

Way, way back in the days of yore when Hubbard Foods was just a small company (we cheekily called ourselves Underdog Foods Ltd or Bottomshelf Foods Ltd in those days!) I started talking about a new concept called Businesses for Social Responsibility. The premise was simple. Through the Clipboard I proposed the argument that business was about more than just maximising profits. Business had a moral obligation to help protect and enhance the social and physical environment they operated in. I also believed that businesses choosing this path would find their decision good for business. 

From you in customerland I got a huge nod of support for this line of thinking. It was almost as if there was a hunger out there for such a message. 

However, enough of the history lesson. The point I wish to make is how times and thinking have changed over the last 20 years since we started talking about these concepts. Nowadays businesses are not asking why they should go down this path; they are asking how. Organisations have sprung up such as the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development (NZBCSD) and the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) to help businesses with this (we are members of both!). Instead of Social Responsibility we have moved on to the word Sustainability. It is now an accepted and respected concept in business. 

Just how far things have moved in this area came home to me when I was recently a judge at the Auckland regional awards for the Sustainable Business Network. The quality of the submissions just blew me away. We had 10 candidates; reading about their initiatives and commitment in the area of Sustainable business practice was overwhelming. There was a passion in their detailed entries that I have never seen in business before. I was hugely uplifted and indeed humbled by reading what these companies (some of them amongst New Zealand’s biggest) were doing in this area. 

It goes without saying that we at Hubbards still remain totally committed to this cause. From the acorns of 20 years ago, now big oak trees are springing up. And I strongly believe that sustainable business practice is not a fad or a trend but now an irresistible force for change. And – ultimately – I still believe our future on the planet may depend on it. 

Dick Hubbard  

Sea of Faith, Dunedin

The Future of the Sea of Faith

On the future of the Sea of Faith Network, it seems to me entirely appropriate at this time to start by drawing on one of the most recent contributions to the national Newsletter by Donald Feist.

This came in an article in the January issue entitled: ‘What do we do? What should we be doing?’ It was a follow-up, with the blessing of the Steering Committee, to the Conference discussion last October on the name by which we shall identify ourselves in future.

‘What sort of organisation’, he asked, ‘should Sea of Faith (NZ) be in five years time? Will it be good enough for it to be, as it is now? … Would it be better if one way or another, we are something more than that?’

Don had felt at the Conference ‘a sense of urgency – accepting that the human race really is racing towards a brink.’ He acknowledged that he valued the free discussion that we are able have without prior commitment to any one position, but he was beginning to wonder whether ‘the brink’ means that it is no longer fully responsible to go on in a leisurely way being a discussion network, talking among ourselves indefinitely.

He then went on to envisage three main possibilities, which I shall summarize:

1). Continue as we are, taking into account that many of us are also active in other organizations which may express some part of what Sea of Faith represents for us.

2). Widen our activities, doing more, explicitly as Sea of Faith, to make others in New Zealand more aware of issues, connections, and spiritual values, with a view to influencing our collective behaviour.

3). alternatively, if we don’t want to compromise the open, uncommitted nature of Sea of Faith, we could set up a separate group devoted to doing the things mentioned under option (2).

He concluded by suggesting that there are other possibilities apart from those he had come up with, and variations on them, before inviting responses through the Steering Committee.

For my part, I shall add some comments on Donald’s list and some broad-brush suggestions:

Option (1). Maintain the status quo. More of the same. A ‘talk shop’.
In favour: The least disruptive approach.
Against: Limited success so far, apart from offering a safe haven for those seeking freedom from the strictures of more prescriptive organizations, especially churches.

Option (2): Become more of a lobby group. Assume an activist role.
In favour: Respond more to sense of urgency. Provide outlet for more creative focus.
Against: Difficulty of achieving consensus and strategy for change amidst plethora of good causes. Risk of alienating a portion of the membership.

Option (3): Set up separate group to tackle the more active, outwardly focused role.
In favour: As for Option (2), but less risk of upsetting those who do not support particular solutions favoured by the proponents for change.
Against: Partly as for Option (2), and unlikely that just one separate group could adequately promote the range of issues which may command attention.

It seems to me that there is an inescapable paradox in our make-up. We espouse free thought in areas riddled with dogmatism. That is the gift which we offer. It nevertheless comes with its own contradiction – it challenges its own programme at every turn. It can slow us down and tone us down to the point where we must wrestle with our own strength before advancing with great caution.

By the same token, we should show an equal reluctance to merely stand still, so I welcome the review of our future shape and direction. We dare not rest on our oars in the restless sea of faith. We should recognize that we are at risk of atrophy if we ignore a need for ongoing renewal. There are challenges within as well as without. Are we not an ageing group with insufficient signs of generational revitalizing?

Yet we should play to our strength as a clearing house for new thinking. That may lead to either of the new possible steps as Donald suggested, but first it may require that we take ourselves more seriously. Remember the adage about an idea whose time has come.

In particular, we may need a national online forum to supplement the Sea of Faith Network (NZ) Newsletter and to help with cross-fertilization of ideas in between national conferences. That may lead to fuller documentation, more discerning critiques, and growing expertise.

With a few such aids to increased momentum, what is there to stop us from being the equivalent of a research centre for the future of faith, unfettered by past petrifaction?

Perhaps we need to be more proactive in seeking closer liaison with groups that may share some of our forward-looking commitment. But above all, we need to relish the excitement of the potential power of faith without dogma.

David Kitchingman
22 March 2012

Present: Marjorie Spittle [Chair] and 21 members.

Apologies: Janet Wishart, Chris Bloore, Robbie Highton, Ian Bartlett.

Chairperson’s report: Accepted with the correction of St Barnabas, not St Andrew’s supplying the food. (Marjorie Spittle/Geof Neilson)

Treasurer’s report: Accepted.  (Ruth Morgan/Margaret Feist)
Ian Fleming thanked Ruth for her excellent record keeping.
Ian suggested that we keep our funds as low as possible.
Andrew Meek proposed that we should make sure that $1200 be kept in reserve because of the possible need to underwrite future speakers.
It was moved by Geoff Neilson that we keep $500 in the cheque account and move the rest to the Achiever Account. Seconded Andrew Meek. Passed.
The incoming Committee will look at term investments.
Alan Jackson moved that we return to $3 for the hall hire fee. Seconded Robin Smith. Lapsed.
Alan Jackson moved that we send $250 to Christchurch Sea of Faith to so towards earthquake relief. Seconded Margaret Feist. Passed.

Web Master report: Accepted. (lan Fleming Alan Jackson)
Ian informed us that Bruce Spittle has agreed to be a back up web site operator.
Don Feist congratulated Ian on the great web site which is referred to by many nationally.

Election of Officers:
Geoff Neilson took the Chair for the election of the Chairperson. He thanked Marjorie Spittle for her work over the past year.
Marjorie thanked the out going members of the Committee for their contribution during their terms in office: Andrew Meek, Geoff Neilson, Bruce Spittle.

Officers elected:
Chairperson: Marjorie Spittle (Don Feist/ Ian Fleming)
Treasurer: Ruth Morgan (Geoff Neilson/Ian Fleming)
Website master: Ian Fleming
Editor: Don Feist
Committee: The following were all elected. (Marjorie Spittle/ Andrew Meek)
Continuing members: Aelred Edmunds, Sheila Clarke, David Kitchingman, Pen Whitaker
New nominations: Alan Jackson, Peter Wishart, Margaret Feist, Frances Smithson.

General Business:

Advertising:
Bruce Spittle suggested the Star advertisement could contain the website address.
Robin Smith suggested to attract students we could advertise in the university student newspaper.
The incoming committee will look at how we should advertise our meetings.

National Conference
Don announced the annual conference this year in Christchurch in October.

A letter of resignation had been received from Joan de Hamel. This was read out and Marjorie will respond.

The meeting closed at 6.45 p.m.

******

Chairperson’s Annual Report

22nd March 2012

It is appropriate at the start of this report to pay tribute to the life of Don Feist who passed away on 22nd February after a brief illness. It is difficult to put into words all the ways in which Don contributed to our local Sea of Faith group over many years. Not only did Don play a significant role in the planning of our programmes, but he also presented many programmes himself which were always thoughtfully prepared, clearly presented and opened up much discussion. Don always took an active part in our discussions and we all appreciated his honesty, sincerity and his mental vitality. He was constantly exploring ideas and ever ready to discuss and pass on his insights or to share what he had read. He held the office of Chairperson from 2004 till 2006.

For several years Don produced our newsletter every month and saw that it was circulated to all members, past members and other interested persons whether by e-mail, post or hand delivered. The newsletter not only outlined our programme for the current month but very often contained a book review or paragraph written by Don on some topic that stimulated thought.

Don also helped in the often unnoticed small duties that are so important for the smooth running of a meeting. He was always first at the hall and last away, taking responsibility for opening up and locking the doors, setting out the chairs and making sure the microphone was working.

Don was a huge presence in our local group and we will miss him greatly.

The programmes over the past year are summarised as follows:

February: Jim Neilan : Vatican Council
March: AGM. Arthur Templeton talked about and displayed his carvings. We produced “bus slogans” in small groups.
April: Lynne Baab spoke on spiritual practices, why the growing interest and how they work.
May: Don Feist spoke on “Religion and Violence”. What is the connection?
June: Six of our members introduced the theme of the year’s conference: “Pulling us back from the brink” by presenting the cases for and against science, economics and religion being able to save us.
July: Mai Tamimi: From the Holy land to New Zealand: a challenging but exciting journey.
August: Andrew Bradstock Public Theology
September: David Kitchingman: Moving Planet
October: Alan Musgrave: Can I decide what to believe?
November: We shared our favourite quotes.

Several of our members were able to attend the national conference in Christchurch this year where there were excellent addresses on the topic of: Pulling us back from the brink: science, economics, religion.

Early in the year Alan Jackson produced coloured cards with eye-catching statements and contact details which we displayed in various public places around the city. We hope that this exercise raised awareness of our group. Thank you Alan for the work you put into this.

We continue to enjoy the food supplied by St. Barnabas home and thank Frances Smithson for her delivery service each month.

I would like to thank all the members of the committee for their support and help in planning the programmes, Ruth Morgan for her conscientious work as Treasurer, Ian Fleming for the sterling job he does with the website, Peter Wishart, our librarian, and Alan Jackson who has stepped into the breach for the last two months to produce and circulate the newsletter.

Also thanks to all who have helped with the tea making and dish washing.

As a group we continue to enjoy coming together to share and explore ideas of a religious nature in a non threatening environment. The Committee will be reviewing our programme at the start of this year to ensure that we are meeting the expectations of our members.

We welcome suggestions from our members and as always value the contributions each person makes.

Marjorie Spittle
Chairperson

***** 

Website Administrator’s Report

Our http://dsof.blogtown.co.nz/ website continues to function without trouble.

Criticism was raised during the year about the small Google ads displayed on the Posts.These were the cost of the “free” website.
The Committee agreed to pay a Supporter’s annual contribution of $50.00. For this the ads were removed.

A further “Supporters” provision is a gigabyte of graphics instead of the megabyte provided in the “free” website. (Although of course we have little need of graphics. But it’s there!)

Of the many blog providers I looked at, Stuart Maxwell’s Blogtown provided the most flexible and resourceful platform I could find.

Blogtown is provided by Amanzi  (www.amanzi.co.nz), an IT services company in Wellington ”that provides consultancy, services, sales and support to small and medium-sized businesses in New Zealand”. Its director is Stuart Maxwell.

[For those who might wish to know: The website html (hypertext markup language and the basic building block code behind everything on a website) is powered by WordPress,  "a free and open-source blogging tool and content management system (CMS) based on PHP (a scripting language) and MySQL (a data-based management system).]

Ian Fleming

*****

Treasurer’s Report.

 Ruth Morgan

*****

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Dunedin Sea of Faith

held on Thursday 22 March 2012 at 6 p.m.

Number present: 21.

Apologies: Andrew Meek, Janet Wishart

Minutes of the previous AGM were read and confirmed: Geoff/ Robin

The Chairperson presented her report which was accepted: Marjorie/Evelyn

The Treasurer presented the financial report which was accepted: Ruth/ Evelyn

The webmaster presented his report which was accepted: Ian/Howard

Election of Officers
The following were elected:
Chairperson: Marjorie Spittle
Treasurer: Ruth Morgan
Editor: Alan Jackson
Webmaster: Ian Fleming
There were no new members elected to the Committee.
The following will continue their terms in office: Sheila Clarke, Margaret Feist, Alan Jackson, David Kitchingman, Frances Smithson, Pen Whitaker and Peter Wishart.

General Business: It was moved that the cost for the hall hire be raised from $2 to $3: Alan/ Robbie. After some discussion the motion was lost, although the members were made aware that costs need to be reviewed periodically and could rise in the future.
Robin asked whether thought had been given to his suggestion of advertising our meetings in the student magazine. Postcard advertisements had been placed around the University last year. The committee will look at the question of advertising at its next meeting.

The meeting closed at 6.25 p.m.

Geoff Neilson presented the new statement of the purpose of the Sea of Faith and introduced the “Charter of Compassion” instigated by the religious historian Karen Armstrong, for discussion.

Sea of Faith Network (NZ)

* The Sea of Faith Network (NZ) is an association of people who have a common interest in exploring religious thought and expression from a non-dogmatic and human- oriented standpoint.

* We recently clarified our purpose by rebranding ourselves as “Sea of Faith: The National Religious Discussion Network” and “Exploring Spirituality, Religion and Ethics.”

Charter for compassion

* The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves.

* Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures …

* Compassion impels us to … dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there …

* Compassion impels us to … honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

* It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain.

* To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest … is a denial of our common humanity.

* To impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody … is a denial of our common humanity.

* To incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies … is a denial of our common humanity.

* We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

*We therefore call upon all men and women to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion …

* We therefore call upon all men and women to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion …

* We therefore call upon all men and women … to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate …

* We therefore call upon all men and women … to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures …

* We therefore call upon all men and women … to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity …

* We therefore call upon all men and women … to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

* We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world.

* Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries.

* Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity.

* It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

Dunedin

Three members gave a brief introduction, giving their ideas of where they would like Sea of Faith to be in five years time. This was followed by a time of sharing in small groups where everyone was able to have their say. The Committee was to  take note and use these ideas in their planning of the year’s programme.

Questions considered: 

• Where would you like the Sea of Faith to be in 5 years time?
• Are you satisfied with the programmes we have had over the past year?
• Are there changes in direction you would like to see?
• Are we moving too far away from the discussion of ideas of a religious/spiritual nature?
• Should we be playing a more active role in moral/ethical issues?
• Would you like to see changes to the format of our meetings i.e. talk or presentation followed or interspersed with discussion?
• Do you have specific suggestions for a programme/ speaker?

4. Remembering Christ 

You will remember the article by Ian Harris in “Faith and Reason” in the ODT on 27th January 2012 “Good to rethink, But don’t forget Christ”. 

In that Ian concluded “For it is the Christ figure, much more than Jesus the man, that makes Christianity distinctive. Physically and spiritually, Jesus belonged within the Jewish faith. Islam reveres him as a prophet. Only Christianity affirms him as The Christ, the one who breaks through the roadblocks to a new way of being and a new order of humanity. 

One day, hopefully, Progressive Christians will find a way to affirm the Christ also – not in any supernatural sense, but as Christianity’s unique and enduring symbol of love, grace and transformation.” 

……………….

Don Feist suggested that there could be a discussion on “Christ”

A response from Pen Whitaker: 

…Prompted by Don’s suggestion, I have been rereading some of Matthew Fox’s “Coming of the Cosmic Christ.” Matthew Fox posits that “Cosmic Wisdom” might be a more meaningful, and especially a more ecumenical, expression.

Richard Dawson in ODT Faith and Reason 2nd March 2012 says Wisdom “is that elusive ability to be able to use knowledge for the betterment of one’s self and one’s community”. 

Nicholas of Cusa [1401-64] writes: “Humanity will find that it is not a diversity of creeds but the very same creed which is everywhere proposed… there cannot but be one wisdom. Humans must therefore all agree that there is but one simple wisdom whose power is infinite; and everyone, in explaining the intensity of this beauty, must discover that it is a supreme and terrible beauty”. 

If “wisdom” is not so much about intelligence as the understanding and awareness of what is good, true, whole, connected, and how to live life with dignity and compassion in the face of cruelty, aggression, ignorance, and indifference, then perhaps a discussion on Christ/Wisdom could be of value to us all.

……………….

Alan Jackson notes: I have just begun to read “Did St Paul Get Jesus right? By David Wenham [pub Lion Hudson, 2010, $16.99 – discovered in UBS].

The author notes that “Paul and others (is alleged to have…) turned Jesus, who was no more than a popular Jewish teacher and healer from Palestine, into a divine cult figure who came down from heaven to save humankind, died as a blood sacrifice for the sins of the world, was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, and who will one day return to judge the world”. 

David concludes that “Paul was a very important figure in early Christianity, who probably did more than anyone else to make the Christian church an international movement – with strongly Jewish roots but with a universal outlook and practice. His letters, though they are not always easy to understand, represent remarkable insight into how the religion of Jesus of Nazareth, which started within the Jewish context of Galilee and Jerusalem, could speak to and be relevant to the non-Jewish world of the first-century Roman empire. But he did not invent either the idea of Jesus’ divinity or the idea of Jesus’ saving death”. 

……………….