Mar
26
2009
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin March 2009
Graham Batts introduced us to:
“The Lloyd Geering Reader”
Graham writes:
“Lloyd Geering is perhaps New Zealand’s foremost public intellectual. He is certainly our most decorated, as one of the twenty living persons who are counted as a member of the Order of New Zealand. He is well known to three generations of New Zealanders as one of our most honoured and controversial figures.”
So began the introduction to Continue Reading »
Feb
15
2009
Programme:
We started with a short Annual Meeting and moved on to Don Feist introducing:
“Before the dawn”
Nov
16
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin November 2008
Programme:
What gives you a buzz ?
What gives you a sense of awe, wonder or excitement ?
Oct
21
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin October 2008
Programme:
The Ecological Imperative –
Is Tomorrow’s God Gaia ?
Five people who were at the national Sea of Faith conference in Blenheim reported briefly on the conference speakers who addressed this theme. We had the chance to hear: Continue Reading »
Sep
25
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin September 2008
Programme:
Chris Bloore talked and led discussion on:
The New Schism
Chris explained what he had in mind: “There is a growing body of scientific evidence that personality traits are significantly influenced by genes. In recent years political scientists have linked personality traits with political views, and there has been some work linking religious beliefs with personality traits. Continue Reading »
Aug
28
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin August 2008
Programme:
David Kitchingman led us in thinking about the merits or otherwise of “Abide with Me”. David explained why: “On reading Don Feist’s reflections in the June Newsletter on the hymn Abide with me, following its use at a funeral he had attended, I was unable to resist Continue Reading »
Jul
24
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin July 2008
Programme:
First, we needed to make a decision about our meal arrangements. Geoff proposed that we consider the following possibilities:
1. Abandon food etc altogether and just have our Meeting, starting at 6.30 pm finishing at 7.30 – 7.45 pm.
2. We have supper after the meeting, roster of members each month to carry out.
(Bought biscuits, tea – coffee) Meeting to start at 6.00pm, concluding at 7.30 pm for Supper.
3. Continue to have a meal at 5.30pm. A roster from within the Group to provide this meal, or find an organization to undertake it for us.
After that, Margaret Feist led us in looking at Steven Pinker’s paper:
The Moral Instinct
Margaret explained: Continue Reading »
Jun
26
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin June 2008
Programme:
Bruce Spittle spoke on:
“Leaving Port on the Sea of Faith”
May
22
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin May 2008
Dr Greg Dawes, who has one foot in the Religious Studies Department of the University of Otago, and one foot in Philosophy, will talk to us on:
Why Would Anyone Believe in God?
In explanation, Greg wrote: Continue Reading »
Apr
24
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin April 2008
Programme:
Colin Gibson talked about
Growing with a Song
and illustrated what he said by playing some of his own hymns. Colin said:
“I have been writing hymns for over forty years without thinking very much about what changes in my own sense of spirituality they reveal. But Continue Reading »
Mar
27
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin March 2008
Programme:
Karen Armstrong’s take on the Golden Rule
Guided by Ian Fleming, we took a look at a reflowering of the Axial sages’ Golden Rule discovery as it occurred in Rabbinic Judaism, Christianity and Islam. (The Axial sages Armstrong treated in her book “The Great Transformation” were the Buddha of India, Jeremiah of Israel [Judah actually], Confucius of China and Socrates of Greece.)
However, a major purpose of her book was to attempt to Continue Reading »
Feb
28
2008
Sea of Faith Newsletter
NETWORK N.Z.
Dunedin February 2008
Programme:
We began at 6 pm with a brief [because very well organised] Annual Meeting. The agenda for this, the Annual Report, Financial Statement and details of elections were enclosed.
After this, Don Feist opened up the subject of:
Authority – it ain’t what it used to be