Greenbelt pt 3 (the seminars)

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 30 August 2006 13:55:27

This year there was a particularly strong seminar programme, in my humble opinion. As such it was one of those years when you had to decide what to miss as much as what too see, particularly as it was an opportunity to listen to my bookshelf. Here are some selected highlights though:

James Alison who was generally acknowledged to be absolutely amazing by many. I went to Clobber Texts where he started by saying he was going to be the case for the defence for the texts used against homosexuals (i.e. try to show that they were open to reasonable doubt). What he did though was far more than this, he opened the old testament up to clear exposition in a way which was engaging & enlightening. This was largely because of the strength of personality (humility and gentleness) which came through as he gently led us through some quite complex theology in a deceptively simple way.

The Iona Community provided both John Bell & Kathy Galloway this year. I will start with the seminars I went to by Kathy Galloway, they were enlightening and empowering. She unpacked the history of modern Christian social movement involvement though telling the story of the history, interspersed with protest songs. Within it there were a number of points that general text books have blanked out (such as the shooting of a couple of students in the US during an anti-Vietnam demo) & popular history, as written by those in power, seeks to remain quiet on such as a moving account of the Greenham Common Peace Camp. During her talk I found out that there were actually a series of camps at different gates - colour coded and manned according to the "interests" of the women & so one of them was particularly designated to religious campaigners. The second seminar she did was looking at the way modern Christians are living the gospel through challenging injustice and how some people just don't get it.

I think I heard John Bell, twice but have to admit I can't remember what one of the talks was - so perhaps I didn't. The seminar I am very clear I heard though was the one he did on "God Bless Adam & Steve". During this he, with respect for both scripture and those who came to different conclusions, sought to unpack the debates on homosexuality & so civil partnership in a thoroughly mature and godly way. He challenged the idea that the issue was about the authority of scripture & showed how it is actually a political issue whilst not downplaying the role of the gospel in anyway. I would recommend the tape of this to anybody who wants to understand the issue more as a liberating and refreshing seminar on the issue.

Jim Wallis is the bloke who wrote Gods Politics & he gave an inspiring seminar which called for the formation of a new social movement in order to change the world through living the gospel & challenging structural injustices. His dismissal of the current cynicism that many of us (myself included) feel was particularly challenging.

Timothy Radcliffe spoke on the subject of freedom & was again incredibly challenging whilst being totally gentle, biblical and showing that he is truly a man of God.

These were just a few of the people I saw, but I think they were the ones that most impressed, that aren't going to get their own posts over the next few days.