thinking honestly about life and faith
In drought-stricken Australia, the Prime Minister recently announced that soon our government may have to take drastic measures, to deny irrigation water to a huge region of the country which has been called the nation’s food-bowl. Many towns … Read More »
This weekend, in the national political scene, a struggle is going on within the federal parliamentary opposition. A new leadership team will be elected on Monday, and conceivably the leader could be our next Prime Minister.When announcing a challenge, against … Read More »
There has been a lot of carry-on in Australian politics of late about ‘Australian values’, and the demand that people coming to this country, as immigrants or even on a visitors visa should subscribe to ‘Australian values’.Alas, no one seems … Read More »
There is a parable of Jesus, in which an ‘unclean spirit’ leaves a person, but does not find a new home. It returns, to find its former home lovely and clean—and empty. So it goes to find seven friends, to … Read More »
It will be interesting to see the results of the recent Census of the Australian population. An ever growing number of people are ticking the box for ‘No Religion’. It’s an interesting question just what people mean by that.As indicated … Read More »
More reflection on Amanda Lohrey’s Quarterly Essay, Voting for Jesus: Christianity and Politics in Australia.My special interest here is in some of the theological ideas, beginning with the idea of a popular Jesus, set free from ‘religion’.In so many ways, … Read More »
I’ve just finished reading the latest Quarterly Essay, called Voting for Jesus: Christianity and Politics in Australia, written by Amanda Lohrey.There is so much that is insightful, disturbing and challenging in this excellently written piece.It begins and ends with discussions … Read More »
For a long time I have imagined that when God handed out the genes, I was at the end of the queue when it came to the ‘Praise and Worship’ gene.Everywhere I visit the local churches, the emphasis is on … Read More »
Today I finished teaching for this current semester, and in the energy which comes from that positive arrival (yes, it is a real joy to teach, and to see how my students —most of them, anyway—engage so constructively with doing … Read More »
Place is at least as important as time, or what we have thought was the realm of history, in our basic understanding of who we are and where we are with God. Some time ago I had the opportunity to … Read More »