A Mini Bible: Dumbing down, or a real challenge?

27 Sep

The Guardian newspaper has published a 378 word  summation of the Bible, by John Crace.The text is reproduced from the website, in the extended section below. It’s a fascinating task: to try to offer a coherent, balanced but short account … Read More »

Doing good achieving nothing

25 Sep

Last year I had a sabbatical leave; —a really great privilege. It was a time of renewal for me as a teacher, and even more so as a person.Unlike previous times of ‘study leave’, this time I really did allow … Read More »

How to read the Bible

15 Sep

How to use the Bible in doing theology—in honest thinking about faith and life. I’d like to share some ideas about how we can read the Bible responsibly, and with creative value for our own authentic faith. Let’s consider one … Read More »

Moving on: healthy or immoral?

13 Sep

In the last few years, a new term has crept into our public discourse, seemingly innocuous but in fact enormously powerful, the term ‘moving on’. I think I first noticed it when our national leader  in Australia declared that there … Read More »

In the public sphere

12 Sep

For too long, the media and public commentators have given the impression that the only Christians with anything to say in the public sphere are conservative fundamentalists, such as the American ‘Moral Majority’. This last week in the media we … Read More »

Of difference and goodness

9 Sep

Thanks to all who have responded to my thoughts about Trinity and about ‘sin’.It has been a challenging discussion. More of that now … But I want also to reflect something further in relation to the disaster in New Orleans. … Read More »

Are we weak or wicked? Or what?

4 Sep

Like most other people, I guess, I’ve been astonished by the looting and violence that has broken out in New Orleans, following the devastation and flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina.The storm has blown away whatever it is that we mean … Read More »

Gentle Revolutionary

25 Aug

I’ve just read the biography of Bob Brown, conservationist leader, founder of the Australian Greens, and Senator in the Australian parliament.He is a person widely respected, even by those who disagree with him deeply. This I think is because he … Read More »

The Canaanite Woman: Does Jesus learn?

16 Aug

I preached a sermon last week on the story in the Gospel of Matthew about Jesus encountering the Canaanite woman—an aboriginal woman, who asks for her daughter to be healed and will not take ‘No’ for an answer. (Gospel of … Read More »