Movement Magazine Issue 156

movement
THE MAGAZINE FOR CHRISTIAN STUDENTS
ISSUE 156 AUTUMN 2017
INTERVIEW:
CASPER TER KUILE
On Harry Potter,
Campaigning and
Millennials PAGE 12
OPERATION
NOAH
How can your church
tackle climate change?
PAGE 20
OUR LADY WHO BRINGS
DOWN WALLS
Ross Jesmont on
the icon of Christian
resistance PAGE 31
WHY I PUT MY FAITH
INTO ACTION
Four students reflect on
their experiences
PAGE 37

CONTENTS
EDITORIAL 4 REVIEWS 42-43
COMING UP 5
NEWS 6-8
GROUP NEWS 9-11
INTERVIEW:
CASPER TER
KUILE 12-15
The co-presenter of the Harry Potter
and the Sacred Text podcast talks to
Movement.
CAMPAIGNS:
REFUGEE
CAMPAIGN 16
A look back at the challenges and
successes of the campaign.
CAMPAIGNS:
END HUNGER
UK 17-18
Ruth Wilde explains where we go
next in the campaign to End Hunger
in the UK.
CAMPAIGNS:
LOVING THE
EARTH 19
An introduction to SCM’s latest
campaigns focus.
CLIMATE
CHANGE:
TEMPTED TO
DESPAIR? 20-21
Stephen Edwards of Operation Noah
reflects.
BIBLE STUDY:
ALPHA AND
OMEGA
BEGINNINGS
AND
ENDINGS 22-24
A Bible Study on the book of Genesis.
THE LONG READ:
EUCHARIST,
CREATION &
RESPONSIBILITY
25-28
DR DAVID GRUMETT
A reflection on the environmental
impact of the Eucharist.
MY UNI
SUITCASE 29-30
SCM members share their uni suitcase
essentials.
OUR LADY
WHO BRINGS
DOWN
WALLS 31-32
Ross Jesmont shares his thoughts on
the icon painted on the separation
barrier in the Holy Land.
FIRST STEPS:
CHRISTIAN ECO-
THEOLOGY 33-34
An introduction by Noel Moules.
TIME TO BE
CREATURE
KIND? 35-36
A new resource for individuals and
groups.
WHY I PUT
MY FAITH
INTO ACTION 37-41
Four SCM members reflect on their
experiences.
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3

Welcome to Issue 156 of
Movement magazine! In this
issue we are looking at the theme
of the environment. Inside
you’ll find an article from Dr
David Grumett reflecting on
the environmental impact of the
Eucharist, as well as a guest article from Operation
Noah, an ecumenical Christian charity responding to
the threat of climate change.
With 2017 marking the 20th anniversary of the publication of
JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, we’re
pleased to have an interview with Casper ter Kuile, co-presenter
of the award-winning Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast.
Alongside all of these exciting articles we have the usual updates
and news from the movement, and a special campaigns feature
celebrating all of the ways our members have put their faith into
action this year.
If you have any ideas for future content, or would like to
contribute an article, then we would love to hear from you!
Please email editor@movement.org.uk or get in touch with the
SCM office. We also have set up a Facebook group for anyone
interested in writing for the magazine or our website – just
search for ‘SCM Writers Group’.
GEMMA KING
Student Christian Movement
Grays Court, 3 Nursery Road, Edgbaston,
Birmingham, B15 3JX
t: 0121 426 4918
e: scm@movement.org.uk
w: www.movement.org.uk
Advertising
e: scm@movement.org.uk
t: 0121 426 4918
Movement is published by the Student
Christian Movement (SCM) and is distributed
free to all members, supporters, groups, Link
Churches and affiliated chaplaincies.
SCM is a student-led movement inspired by
Jesus to act for justice and show God’s love in
the world. As a community we come together
to pray, worship and explore faith in an open
and non-judgemental environment.
SCM staff:
National Coordinator: Hilary Topp, National
Coordinator (maternity cover): Simon Densham,
Operations Manager: Lisa Murphy, Groups
Worker: Lizzie Gawen, Faith in Action Project
Worker: Ruth Wilde, Regional Development
Worker: Rach Collins, Administration Assistant:
Ruth Naylor
Editorial Team:
Gemma King, Ruth Naylor and Lisa Murphy.
The views expressed in Movement magazine
are those of the particular authors and
should not be taken to be the policy of the
Student Christian Movement. Acceptance
of advertisements does not constitute an
endorsement by the Student Christian
Movement.
COMING UP
SCM GATHERING:
A LIGHT FOR ALL
18 NOVEMBER 2017,
LANCASTER
Our first gathering of the academic
year will be taking place at the
Chaplaincy in Lancaster this autumn!
We’ll be unpacking what the Bible
means in today’s world and hearing
from different experts and speakers
to help us make sense of what God
is saying to us today. More details to
follow, so put the date in your diary
now!
VOCATIONS
RETREAT DAY
10 FEBRUARY 2018,
BIRMINGHAM
Are you graduating in 2018? Don’t
know where God is calling you to
post-university? Join us for our
vocations retreat day in the beautiful
Selly Park Convent, where you’ll be
given space to pray, find inspiration
and listen to the still small voice of
God.
MOVEMENT
2018 ANNUAL
GATHERING &
AGM
9-11 MARCH 2018,
GLASGOW
Join us in Glasgow for our national
gathering at Wellington Church!
The programme will be packed
with speakers and workshops to
challenge and inspire, as well as
space to be creative and time to
relax.
JOHN BOWDEN
MEMORIAL EVENT
20-21 APRIL 2018,
SHEFFIELD
In a world which is more polarised
than ever, what is the meaning and
place of democracy? Do we know
what we are aiming to become
politically and theologically as a
society and as individuals? And how
might we hope to journey towards
this?
Join the conversation at Power,
Democracy and Engagement:
Organising, Decision-making,
Cooperation, an event organised
by the Open Theology Trust in
collaboration with SCM. Speakers
include Revd Heston Groenewald
and Dr Keith Hebden.
If you find it hard to read the printed version
of Movement, we can send it to you in digital
form. Contact editor@movement.org.uk.
ISSN 0306-980X
Charity number 1125640
© 2017 Student Christian Movement
Design:
penguinboy.net & morsebrowndesign.co.uk
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK YOUR PLACE,
GO TO WWW.MOVEMENT.ORG.UK/EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE! STUDENT SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2018
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NEWS
ALL ARE
WELCOME: THE
SCM SUMMER
GATHERING 2017
We were thrilled to hold our annual
SCM gathering at All Hallows Church
in Leeds this year, on the theme ‘All
Are Welcome’.
With fantastic catering provided by
the Real Junk Food Project at All
Hallows and a chance for students
to share an Iftar with the local Syrian
refugee community in Leeds, the
event was a welcome reminder of
the deep bonds of love created by
hospitality and generosity.
Our keynote speaker was Dr Rachel
Muers, who spoke passionately
about themes of hospitality and
welcome from a biblical perspective.
Rachel challenged us to think about
who has the power in a situation
of hospitality: is it the guest or the
host? She explained that in biblical
times, the guest was the one with
power, as all people had a duty to
accept someone into their home.
“The incarnation only matters if
it is a commitment to complete
vulnerability in which Jesus
cannot just ‘click his fingers’ and
ask for God to ‘end it’”, she said.
Following Rachel’s talk, Revd Heston
Groenewald, vicar of All Hallows
church, led the group in a Bible
Study on the theme of biblical
Jubilee or, as Heston put it, ‘jumbo’
justice and liberation. There were
some very good discussions, some
of which touched on the difficulty
of finding and nurturing common
ground with others we strongly
disagree with.
Students also took part in a Faith
Reflection, as well as campaigning,
craftivism, rosary making and even
learning circus skills! We rounded off
the weekend with a Taizé service led
by SCM Leeds – a wonderful note
of reflection and contemplation to
round off a brilliant weekend.
NEW GENERAL
COUNCIL
MEMBERS
ELECTED
SCM members elected two new
people to General Council at the
AGM on 9 June 2017.
Robin Hanford, an SCM member at
the University of Leeds, joins GC
as a trustee with a ‘Link Church’
portfolio to help develop SCM’s
work in this area. Justin Lunniss, a
student at York St John, joins GC
with a portfolio of ‘Congregational
Denominational Rep’.
Robin is currently a member of SCM
Leeds and a Masters student at the
university. He said:
“As a worship leader, I know firsthand
how much churches wish
to engage with students. I believe
that my experience in politics and
campaigning, combined with my
deeply held conviction to stand on
the side of the poor and oppressed,
will help make SCM effective in a
world of increasing political tension
and economic uncertainty.”
Justin, currently a chaplain at the
University of Essex and a former
rock musician, says he will build links
between the movement and the
Congregational Church. He said:
“I would like to empower SCM with
the insight of Congregationalism and
with my experience as a chaplain.
I believe a stronger relationship
between the two would bring
fellowship to all those Christians
who embrace a living, worldchanging
faith.”
SCM LAUNCHES
THE CHRISTIAN
STUDENT GUIDE
SCM has launched the Christian
Student Guide, a new website
that will engage new and existing
students with a relevant and
inclusive Christian voice at
university.
The website contains blogs,
articles and prayers that encourage
students to think through issues of
faith, applying them to a range of
situations at university. From dealing
with relationships and financial
pressures, to maintaining spiritual
and mental wellbeing, our team of
student writers will address some of
the biggest concerns facing young
people at university.
Simon Densham, SCM’s National
Coordinator, said:
“One of the most important
challenges for students today is
articulating their faith in an open,
honest and inclusive way.
Far too often, Christianity
on campus is associated
only with intolerance or
Bible-bashing. We want to
change this. The Christian Student
Guide will give students the space
to explore the issues that matter to
them, engage in dialogue with other
students, and find meaningful ways
to put their faith into action during
the formative years of university.”
Find out more by going to
www.thestudentchristianguide.com.
SCM CONNECT
PROJECT BEGINS
PHASE TWO
Phase two of the SCM Connect
project is now underway, with a
new Project Worker appointed
in September 2017. The Project
Worker will build on the success
of the SCM Connect platform,
which currently has over 200 Link
Churches, student groups and
university chaplaincies listed.
The project aims to continue to
build connections with school
chaplains and youth workers, linking
people aged 16-18 with the the
churches and groups listed on the
SCM Connect platform. The Project
Worker will also run ‘Going to Uni’
workshops in schools, churches
and at youth events to help young
people explore the Christian faith
in relation to a number of issues,
including: mental health, faith in
action, finding a church, managing
finances, articulating Christianity
within secular and interfaith
contexts, and spirituality.
“We want university to be a fantastic
experience, where young people
can build authentic relationships
and learn what it means to
demonstrate God’s love in today’s
complex world,” said Lisa Murphy,
SCM’s Operations Manager who is
coordinating the project. “Phase
two of the SCM Connect project will
kickstart this vital work, and we look
forward to working with partners to
reach more young people as they
journey to university.”
Phase two of the SCM Connect
project has been made possible
by the generous support of the
Methodist Church’s Mission in
Britain Fund.
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WELCOMING STUDENTS TO YOUR
CHURCH – SCM PUBLISHES NEW
RESOURCE
Students prioritise friendship
and community over theology
or denomination when finding a
church at university, according to
a new resource published by SCM.
Churches can provide a steadying
influence, which is often needed in
a time of great change.
The research is part of a new
resource booklet for churches,
called ‘Welcoming Students to Your
Church’. It is a 44-page booklet
packed with case studies from
students and church ministers,
top tips and advice on a range
of issues, and practical ideas for
building a vibrant student ministry
that’s welcoming and relevant.
You can access the booklet as a
free PDF download by visiting
www.movement.org.uk/welcomingstudents.
Print copies are also
available to order at a suggested
donation of £3 per booklet.
SCM TO BE
ASSOCIATE
PARTNER OF
CENTRE FOR
THEOLOGY AND
JUSTICE
SCM is teaming up with the
Centre for Theology and Justice,
a new collaborative initiative that
will resource justice work and
theological connections between
organisations across Britain.
The project has four main partners
– Luther King House, Christian
Aid, Church Action on Poverty
and Churches Together in Britain
and Ireland. SCM will be the first
associate partner of the project,
which was launched on 10 May at
Luther King House in Manchester.
The project will enable theological
reflection and bring together
different people to share resources,
ideas and actions.
“As a student movement seeking
to put our faith into action, we look
forward to working more closely
with the Centre for Theology and
Justice,” said Rach Collins, SCM’s
North West Development Worker,
who attended the event. “The
Christian call to serve the poor and
end injustice is a challenge to the
whole church. We are excited to
work together with partners to find
more ways to inspire students in
this mission.”
GROUP NEWS
WARWICK CHRISTIAN FOCUS GLASGOW SCM
2017 has been busy for Warwick Christian Focus!
The highlight of the Spring term was a weekend away
in Worcestershire. We spent a day in Malvern on the
Saturday, climbing the Worcestershire Beacon. In keeping
with Focus’ longstanding love of tea, we stopped at a
historic café on the way up, then, fuelled by cake, we
made our way to the summit. The view was fantastic,
even with the gloomy weather conditions. On the Sunday,
we spent some time in the pretty and historic St. Mary’s
Church in the village of Hanley Castle, where we also
stopped for a pint at the most quintessentially English
pub I have ever seen. We then headed homeward, for an
evening church service in Warwick’s Chaplaincy.
In the Summer term, we welcomed two visitors from the
Community of the Cross of Nails for a talk and discussion.
Their organisation was formed from the aftermath of the
bombing of Coventry Cathedral in the Second World War,
and they are a major voice for peace and reconciliation.
Warwick’s Chaplaincy is a member of the Community, so
we were keen to hear more about the story behind the
cross that sits in our chapel.
MATTHEW SMITH
In February we celebrated LGBT History Month with a week
of events and workshops. In addition to learning more
about LGBTQIA+ history, we also took the opportunity to
reflect on where we are now and what might be next for
the church and LGBTQIA+ inclusion and liberation.
Dr Sarah Nicholson helped us kick off the week with
a queer Bible study. In addition to talking about the
power of reading queer identities and experiences into
Biblical characters like David and Jonathan, Sarah’s talk
also highlighted the difficulty of biblical translation and
reconstructing historical context.
During the week, Debbie White ran a workshop on the
importance of queer history and shared her own practices
as a queer medieval historian. Joanna Russell also led an
interactive workshop on asexuality, in which she dispelled
common misconceptions, shared her own experiences as
an asexual person, and challenged us to think carefully
about the ways our language reflects assumptions that
can often exclude people.
We concluded the week with a panel discussion with the
Very Revd Kelvin Holdsworth, Dr Vicky Gunn, and Iona
Kimmitt as they speculated on what the future might look
like for LGBTQIA+ Christians and talked about the work of
inclusion that still needs to be done.
TAYLOR DRIGGERS
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ST OSWALD’S STUDENT
GROUP, DURHAM
ST BRIDE’S CHURCH,
LIVERPOOL
NEW INCLUSIVE CHURCH,
BIRMINGHAM
SECOND SUNDAY,
OXFORD
Last term at St Oswald’s, despite deadlines and exams
coming thick and fast, was absolutely packed! On
Saturday 29th April we hosted the regional SCM gathering
‘Encounter’, where we explored the ways in which we
encounter God through worship. We were joined by Revd
Chris Howson who discussed with us the relationship
between liberation and liturgy, and we also heard from
Michelle, a member of Durham Quakers, about Meetings in
the Society of Friends. Ruth Wilde from the SCM staff team
also led a workshop on the link between mysticism and
activism, and throughout the day, worship was also led by
various people who attended.
Once exams were over we joined members of Durham’s
Catholic, Methodist and Orthodox Societies on a retreat
to Lindisfarne. The theme was ‘No Longer Strangers’
(Ephesians 2:19), and our activities included a ‘Walk to
Emmaus’ where we chatted to someone of a different
tradition whilst we walked around the island, and a craft
activity based upon Jesus’ prayer for unity in John 17. It
was lovely to get away for a couple of days and spend time
in prayer with other Christians, and it gave us at St Oswald’s
a lot of food for thought.
HANNAH RICHARDSON
A few months ago a group of us gathered with SCM to have
a ‘Big Conversation’ about the End Hunger UK Campaign.
Some Social Justice Interns from the Diocese of Liverpool
joined us, as did the Team Vicar. It was a great venue for
the conversation as the biggest foodbank in Liverpool,
HOPE+, meets at St Bride’s every Thursday and hands out
over 300 food parcels most weeks. We discussed what we
had seen and spoken about at HOPE+, and much of the
focus was on working poverty and the impact of Universal
Credit.
A week or so later the University Chaplaincy hosted a
meal for students at St Brides. This was a great first step
in welcoming students long-term to the church. We had a
diverse group, from undergraduates to retired chaplains,
and had some great conversations. The highlight was a
group explaining, in detail, their Dungeons and Dragons
game across the table. It was a lovely to see people from
different backgrounds sharing a meal and breaking bread
together. I would love to see more of this at St Brides in the
future!
HELEN ‘PJ’ PARKER-JERVIS
New Inclusive Church Birmingham is at the very beginning
of meeting as a new faith community in Birmingham city
centre.
We’re in a season of building relationships, meeting new
people, growing a Launch Team, and listening to the needs
and hopes of diverse communities in the city. We’re still
praying and discerning what kind of church God is asking
us to be, but we hope to be a church that laughs and
laments, works for the common good of the whole city,
asks big questions, isn’t boring, messes up, loves the arts,
welcomes absolutely everybody right where they are,
understands that doubt is a crucial part of faith, and is
boldly rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which changes
all our perspectives about what life is for.
One of our first gatherings as an emerging congregation
was marching in the Birmingham LGBTQ+ Pride Parade,
talking with folks, and passing out 3000 leaflets inviting
people to help create a new, inclusive faith community.
REVD TREY HALL
Second Sunday is a group for students, young adults and
friends which is based in Oxford. We meet on the second
Sunday of the month for a bring-and-share supper and a
faith-centred activity.
In April, two members facilitated a workshop on climate
change and hunger. The workshop led to some of us taking
part in a protest outside Barclays bank to resist and raise
awareness about their investments in fracking. Our vicar,
Fr Phil, came along too!
In May, we had a music and meditation evening, with
praise songs, Taizé chants and Quaker-esque silent
worship. This was co-ordinated by Francesca, who
accompanied the singing with her ukulele.
June saw us gather for a meal of breads and wines from
around the world, shared with a broadly Eucharistic
intention. The breads included corn bread, American
biscuits and Turkish gözleme. Aside from wine we also had
grape juice, to add a Methodist twist.
Second Sunday has only been running for a short time,
but it has proven to be a space for discussion and sharing
in each other’s lives. We are grateful to be affiliated with
SCM, as it gives us a broader perspective and a supportive
network for what we do.
SOO TIAN LEE
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INTERVIEW
CASPER TER KUILE
Casper ter Kuile is a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity
School, where he supports innovative community leaders across the
secular/sacred landscape. He also co-hosts the award-winning podcast,
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, and is the co-founder of the UK
Youth Climate Coalition. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with
his husband Sean.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? How would you describe your
faith journey?
I was raised in a secular household in England, but went to a Waldorf School - so
there was a lot of ritual and we followed the Christian calendar. My family was
very connected to our local community, and as my mum ran a B&B, I was used to
having people at our house all the time. Because of the strong liturgical calendar
and the strong social ties - I look back at it now and it does look a little religious,
even if there was never any god-talk or theological conversation!
What made you decide to train as a minister for non-religious people?
I worked for some time in the climate movement in the UK, and felt limited by
the idea of mobilising individuals through online petitions etcetera. Especially
as I noticed that the most dedicated volunteers I worked with often were
members of Quaker groups, or churches - and that the leaders I most respected
in history, who had led the abolition movement for example, had their own
spiritual or religious practices and communities. It suddenly struck me that real
transformation comes when we mobilise communities, not individuals - and that
most of my peers, who were non-religious, weren’t really part of communities
of deep connection and accountability. So, knowing that non-religious people
like myself needed the same pastoral leadership, I thought, why not train to be a
minister for non-religious people!?
Could you tell us a bit more about your research into how Millennials
gather outside of religious communities? What key message do you think
we could take away from your findings?
We’ve found that Millennials gather in all sorts of ways that look quite religious.
For example, in CrossFit gyms you see the kind of formational behaviour
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You can count some of our members as fans of your
podcast, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. The podcast
looks at how reflective reading practices can illuminate
popular fiction, but is there anything readers of sacred
texts can learn from how fandoms engage with texts?
Are there already similarities you’ve noticed?
We think about sacred reading quite differently from fan
reading, fan fiction and fan theories. Both are wonderful, but
they are different. Often fan reading focuses on interesting
new theories, or plot questions and difficulties (Hermione’s
time turner!) - while sacred reading is really about applying
the text as a mirror for our lives. Sacred reading asks what
can we learn about how to live from engaging with these
texts with rigor, and in community. We trust that the more
time we spend with the text, the more we will learn about
ourselves and the world around us. So, the practices like
Lectio Divina and Havruta, are really tools to help us navigate
our own experience and questions using the images, stories
and metaphors of the text.
What chapter are you most looking forward to reading?
What chapter have you most enjoyed so far?
I can’t wait for the end of book four, when Voldemort
returns. I think the embodiment of evil is such a fascinating
idea!
As for the most enjoyable chapter so far, perhaps the
episode where Hermione encounters the troll in book one.
By engaging in the sacred reading practice that week, we
totally changed our perception of why Hermione chooses to
become friends with Harry and Ron. I love it when we get
a new insight!
We heard that Jeremy Corbyn sent you a message
after your wedding! How did you feel?
It was a lovely gesture. I especially appreciate his references
to the activist tradition of Massachusetts, where I live now!
Who else talks about social justice history in a sixty second
wedding video?!
that extends far beyond simply physical fitness - those
communities are just as interested in forming you ethically
also. ‘The way you show up in the gym is the way you show
up in life’, they often say. You see new mums’ groups,
funerals, improv comedy shows and baby showers all taking
place in these gyms. People meet their partners and bring
their kids to classes. They drive one another to the hospital
or raise money for cancer charities together. What looks
like a fitness group is actually a deeply engaged community
- some are now even getting involved with electoral politics
together!
The big take away from communities like this and others -
maker-spaces, co-working spaces, social justice groups - is
that secular leaders are being asked to perform very pastoral
roles in the lives of their ‘congregants’. They’re asked to
officiate weddings, counsel people through bereavement,
give advice on ethical quandaries - in short, perform all
sorts of jobs they’ve not really had much training for! So, a
key part of my work is trying to build the infrastructure that
will support this new generation of spiritual leaders.
You’re the Co-Founder of two great social justice
organisations - UK Youth Climate Coalition and
Campaign Bootcamp. What has inspired you to start
these organisations and how do you hope they will
make an impact in the world?
I’ve worked especially with young people because we/
they (I’m 30 now, so not sure if that still counts as young!)
are perhaps the most untapped resource to push through
change. Young people are nearly always at the forefront of
social movements because they will often have the most
at stake, and the least to lose, by putting everything on the
line. Crucially, young people are able to hold the tension
between what is and what could be in a productive way, and
not get downtrodden by cynicism and bitterness. Reading
about previous movements for change - anti-colonial
movements, gay liberation movements, even movements
that we forget now like the temperance movement - I find
absolutely inspiring. We’ve changed things before, so we
can change them now.
What general guidelines would you give for people
wanting to use your approach with other texts?
Firstly, trust the text. We practice the belief that the text
is not just ‘entertainment’, but if taken seriously, can give
us generous rewards. Trusting the text doesn’t mean we
understand the text to be perfect - either in construction or
moral teaching - but that it is worthy of our attention and
contemplation. A guiding principle is that the more time we
give to the text the more blessings it has to give us.
Secondly, use rigour and ritual. By reading the text slowly,
repeatedly and with concentrated attention, our effort
becomes a key part of what makes the book sacred. The
text in and of itself is not sacred, but is made so through our
rigorous engagement. Particularly by rigorously engaging
in ritual reading, we believe we can glean wisdom from its
pages.
Thirdly, read it in community. Scholars of religion explain
that what makes a text sacred is not the text itself, but the
community of readers that proclaim it as such. The same
applies for us. We started reading Harry Potter in community
in Cambridge, Massachusetts in September 2015 and
are excited to be expanding that community through this
podcast!
If you could give students one piece of advice, what
would it be?
Don’t wait for anyone to give you permission. If you’ve got
an idea and are passionate about changing something - just
go for it. The world doesn’t need you to hold back.
If you could live in any period of time, which would you
choose?
The Regency Period. Finally, an age where men’s clothes
were beautiful!
Casper blogs at caspertk.com, and you
can find out more about the Harry
Potter and the Sacred Text podcast at
www.harrypottersacredtext.com
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CAMPAIGNS
THE REFUGEE CAMPAIGN
The SCM Refugees campaign has been running for two years now, and as it comes to
an end, we look back on the successes and challenges of working for equal access to
higher education for refugees.
The SCM Refugee Campaign began with one specific
purpose: to join STAR (Student Action on Refugees) in
their ‘Equal Access’ campaign to get bursaries for asylum
seekers to go to university. They have had some success
with the campaign, with many universities adopting the
bursary scheme 1 .
In the end, SCM’s campaign became far broader. Faith in
Action Project Worker, Ruth Wilde, delivered workshops
on the issues faced by refugees to student groups around
the country, which led to students finding their own ways
of making a difference for refugees in their own area. In
Durham, students became involved with a student refugee
campaigning group which already existed on campus.
We also had a ‘Refugee Action Reflection Day’ in February
2016 in Birmingham, and invited refugees to speak to
students about their experiences. Two more similar
opportunities for students to meet and speak to refugees
followed- at the SCM gathering in Glasgow in October 2016
and at the SCM Summer Gathering in June 2017 in Leeds.
The ‘Equal Access’ campaign itself didn’t have as much
take-up or involvement from SCM students as we had
hoped, but it was very encouraging throughout the year to
see students being proactive in refugee campaigning and
volunteering. All in all, the campaign has been a brilliant
way to bring attention to the plight of refugees around the
world and particularly in the UK. If there’s one thing we’ve
1
http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/resources/access_to_university
all learnt in the last two years, it’s that the suffering and
struggle does not stop once asylum seekers reach our
shores!
What students say:
‘Over this academic year, Ruth came twice to lead workshops
about the SCM Refugees Campaign, and to do some faith
reflection with us. We found it really helpful to systematically
look at the power dynamics that are at play in the refugee
crisis, and some examples of where our faith and scriptures
talk about how refugees are treated. I found one exercise
particularly moving, where we took statistics and facts
about the refugee crisis and read them aloud prayerfully as
a group. It really made it hit home that there are real people
going through real suffering, and put into a bit of perspective
the extent and scale of the refugee crisis.
As a group we came up with some actions we could take,
including organising donations for refugee charities, and
building links with refugees locally. One of SCM’s Link
Churches works closely with the local Syrian community,
and at our national gathering in Leeds we spent an evening
sharing an Iftar meal with them and getting to know them a
little bit. We also learned to say hello in Arabic, so that when
we meet refugees if they speak very little English we can at
least greet them, and we put something on our society’s
Students’ Union page that says we welcome refugees.’
Emma Temple, SCM Leeds
CAMPAIGNS
END HUNGER UK
SCM joined with other charities for the End Hunger UK
campaign at the start of the last academic year, and we will
continue to work on the campaign for the next 12 months.
We take a look at where the campaign is headed next.
In phase one of the End Hunger UK
Campaign, SCM students and supporters
got involved in the ‘plates’ action. The
idea was to write what you think the
government should do to end hunger and
food poverty in the UK on a paper plate,
and then tweet a picture of yourself
with the plate using the #EndHungerUK
hashtag. This was a simple and popular
action with students around the country
and lots of people took part.
As well as the simple plates action, there
was also the opportunity to join in with
a ‘Big Conversation’ about food poverty
and hunger in the UK. These took place
all over the country and involved people
from churches and student groups, as
well as volunteers from food banks and
the people who are forced to use the
food banks. SCM helped to organise ‘Big
Conversations’ at All Hallows Church in
Leeds and at St Bride’s, Liverpool.
16 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156 17

The second phase of the campaign will involve more direct
lobbying of MPs, beginning with a public witness gathering
and picnic in October outside the Houses of Parliament.
This summer, there was also a big campaign to end holiday
hunger for children.
The three areas which the campaign partners have decided
to focus their lobbying on this year are:
1. A commitment to measuring the scale of the
problem of hunger in the UK
2. A commitment to tackling child malnutrition via the
UK’s Healthy Start programme and food provision
for 365 days of the year
3. A commitment to reviewing the benefits system
to ensure that it does not cause undue harm or
destitution to those affected
Check out the campaign web page www.movement.org.uk
/end-hunger-campaign and like the SCM Facebook page
for more updates.
What students say:
‘The Christian societies from the University of Birmingham
are attempting to reduce food waste on campus, and are
working towards becoming a zero-waste university. This
started when the Methodist Society started a project
collecting left over sandwiches from several food outlets
on campus and donating them to a homelessness project.
With active members of the project graduating this year,
it quickly became evident that the efforts of a small group
from MethSoc would not be enough to sustain or expand
the project. In order to make progress towards creating
an established food waste policy across campus, Ruth
from SCM aided us in gathering members from Catholic
Society and Anglican Society to help develop the project
further.
The new group then met with Gisela Stuart, the MP for
our local constituency at the time, to ask about the
issue of food waste not only at the university, but in the
surrounding areas such as Selly Oak. Gisela advised the
group to look inwards at the university first, to establish
a system on campus before looking beyond it. Her advice
led the group to a meeting with Ben Bailey, Director of
Student Services, who gave extremely useful advice on the
process the group needed to follow in order to reach the
ultimate goal of a zero-waste university. He particularly
emphasised the need to have evidence of the food waste
problem on campus. In a follow up meeting, we discussed
creating a rota for collecting the sandwiches from the
two outlets that already participated in the scheme, and
expanding out to other cafes on campus. So far, collecting
detailed statistics is working well, and the group plans to
meet again in September to discuss ways to make the
project an official campaign.
Personally, the project means a great deal to me because,
as a Christian, caring for the environment is something
I believe God wants us to do our part in. It is exciting to
consider a future where the University of Birmingham
consciously considers the amount of waste it produces
and ensures that it is minimised as much as possible. A
waste-free university is however a long-term goal, with the
campaign, for now, striving to become more sustainable.
Demi Jones, Birmingham MethSoc
CAMPAIGNS
CLIMATE: LOVING
THE EARTH
At our AGM in June 2017, SCM members voted to make climate change SCM’s
campaigns focus for the next two years. What will this new campaign look like?
The catastrophic effects of man-made climate change
on the earth in what is termed the ‘anthropocene age’ are
well-known and have been well-known for a while. Since
the 1970s and before, many groups and individuals have
been trying all sorts of different things to lessen the human
impact on the environment, including changes to diet, using
and encouraging the use of public transport, and supporting
Green Energy initiatives.
Our Christian calling
One of the most ecologically damaging ideas in history has
been the idea that the Bible tells us that we humans must
have ‘dominion over’ all other things on the planet. Tragically,
this passage (Genesis 1.26-28) has been badly mis-translated,
as Noel Moules’ excellent article for SCM on page 33 points
out: the original Hebrew can only mean ‘dominion with’ and
never ‘dominion over’, and the meaning of the phrase is much
closer to companionship and cooperation than to submission.
Jesus himself was fond of using nature imagery in his
teaching, and one particular passage is very beautiful, where
he commends the birds and the lilies for their faith in God’s
providence: ‘Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow
nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father
feeds them... Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his
glory was not clothed like one of these’ (Matt.6.26-29). The
artist Stanley Spencer painted a wonderful picture of Jesus
‘considering the lilies’- well worth a look!
The SCM campaign
SCM believes that this crucial issue deserves our attention
at this moment in time. We are also excited that there are
so many brilliant initiatives out there tackling climate change
that students can get involved in. We will be encouraging
students to take part in the Climate Coalition’s ‘Show the
Love’ campaign in February, and to join in with Christian Aid’s
‘Big Shift’ campaign to get the high street banks to divest
from fossil fuels.
As well as these campaigns, SCM will be running our own
‘SCM Green Challenges’ campaign from October to March,
with a different challenge each month. There will be a
leader board each month and awards at the end! Keep an
eye on the SCM Facebook page and website for more
information. If you want to join the SCM Green Challenge- for
one month or for all six months, send Ruth an email now:
ruth@movement.org.uk
Take a look at the campaign web page for more details of
how to get involved: www.movement.org.uk/loving-earthcampaign.
You can also book a workshop on Loving the Earth for
your group with Faith in Action Project Worker Ruth: www.
movement.org.uk/loving-earth
18 MOVEMENT Issue 156
MOVEMENT Issue 156
19

CLIMATE CHANGE:
TEMPTED TO DESPAIR?
What comes to mind when you think of ‘climate change’? For many of us, the term conjures up pictures
of polar bears clinging to ice-sheets in an other-worldly landscape. Or factory chimneys spewing out
smoke in an industrial heartland. It might evoke images of placards, and protesters in tie-dyed tee
shirts, or impossibly boring slideshows full of graphs and acronyms (CO2, CFCs, COP…).
Whatever the imagery climate change brings to mind, it
bears, for many of us, little resemblance to our daily lives.
Rather than a clear and present danger, it appears bleak, vast,
confusing, and far away. In other words, climate change has
an image problem.
There’s a problem too in the language we use. In a recent
survey 1 among political conservatives in the US (specifically,
Republicans), a full 74% reported that they were believers
in climate change. Yet in the same study, only 66% believed
in ‘global warming’. Why the discrepancy? Clearly, such
terms are now freighted with all sorts of polarised political
associations, leading some to drop the ‘global warming’
terminology altogether in favour of resonant alternatives like
‘global weirding’.
See no evil?
In churches as elsewhere, our language can speak of being
pretty confused – or conflicted – when it comes to the threat of
climate change. Doesn’t ‘fixing our eyes upon Jesus’, as one
hymn suggests, cause the things of earth to seem ‘strangely
dim’? We might also ask whether the environmentalist
cause – with all its familiar ‘doom and gloom’ imagery – is
compatible with Christian hope of ‘future glory’. Are we to
‘fill the earth and subdue it’ (Genesis 1:28) or ‘tread lightly’?
These are valid questions but, if we’re honest, they are not
difficult ones. As John Stott points out, ‘It would be absurd to
imagine that he who created the earth then handed it over
to us to be destroyed.’ Asked whether we care for earth or
heaven, the Christian’s answer is simply, ‘yes’.
Whatever our perspective, it is increasingly difficult today to
ignore the accelerating consequences of climate change.
Mitch Hiscox of the Evangelical Environmental Network,
for example, notes that ‘We have not lived a month below
the twentieth-century average temperature since February
1985.’ Meanwhile, 2016, 2015 and 2014 represent the three
hottest years since records began.
These are not abstract problems. With each new ratcheting
of our planet’s thermometer, entire societies and populations
are affected, including our own. Hiscox estimates that ‘around
5.5 million people’ – roughly equivalent to the population of
Norway – ‘will die prematurely from breathing polluted air’
this year. Meanwhile the effects of erratic weather – drought 2 ,
flooding, migration and even conflict – often lay heaviest on
the backs of poor communities.
It all begs the question: How do we love our neighbour –
or indeed, our future children – in light of such far-reaching
changes?
Fear no evil
While many might look on with panic at the rising tides of
climate change, we do well to listen to the words of Isaiah: ‘Do
not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.’ Rather than being
‘tempted to despair’, our hope empowers us to act. ‘I can do
all things,’ said St Paul, ‘through him who strengthens me.’
Reflecting on her famous ministry among the terminally ill
in Calcutta, Mother Teresa stated that she often felt her
efforts to be ‘just a drop in the ocean’. Instinctively, many
of us might say the same thing about our efforts to be ‘ecofriendly’:
a reusable cup, a letter to our MP - what’s the
difference? Yet as Teresa continued, ‘the ocean would be
less because of that missing drop’. By the grace of God,
such daily droplets add up to touch the lives of millions.
Why should ours be any different?
‘God has chosen to build his church,’ writes Paul Tripp,
‘through the instrumentality of broken tools.’ For all our
feelings of insignificance in the face of climate change, we
have no cause to despair. As members of Christ’s body,
we’re always mightier than we think.
What next?
1
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climatechange-language-idUSKBN19D1JN
2
http://www.tearfund.org/en/2017/06/when_the_rain_doesnt_fall/
If you want to figure out the steps you and your church can
take in response to climate change, here are a few great
ideas to get you started:
• Pray. Individually and collectively, ask for wisdom and
guidance as you seek out new opportunities to respond.
Pray for those already hardest hit by climate change.
• Tread lightly. Reflect on how day-to-day practices by you
and your church affect God’s creation. Your diet, your
clothes, your travel – even energy bills and investments
are a great place to start.
• Speak up. Whether you’re well connected or not,
there are countless ways you can build awareness and
influence with others around you. Write to your MP, host
a film night or clothes swap, or hold a Creation Sunday
service in your church. You could even host a Bible study
in your home group, or write a blog as you begin your
journey.
• Join a campaign. If you’re internet-savvy, you’re only
ever a few clicks away from many influential national
or international campaigns confronting climate change.
Recent popular campaigns have scored some impressive
victories to protect those hardest hit by climate change;
everything from technological innovations to Church
disinvestment from fossil fuels, and even changes in
international law.
• Get in touch! Operation Noah is passionate about helping
churches and individual Christians respond to climate
change. Go to our website at www.operationnoah.org
for new resources and training events in 2017.
Stephen Edwards is a Campaigner at Operation Noah
20 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
21

This Bible study focusses on the creation story from Genesis, looking at each
stage of the story in turn. It doesn’t matter whether you believe creation occurred
exactly as its written here, or don’t believe any of it - the idea is to use the story
to think about how the world was in the beginning, and how it is now, and what
might happen next in the story. Is the picture of the earth given in this story a
model for how the world should be forever, or is it a starting point from which it
will change and grow into something new?
BIBLE STUDY
ALPHA &
OMEGA.
BEGININGS
AND ENDINGS
The study can be adapted to the needs of your particular
group. You might want to focus more on times of silence
between readings and questions, allowing time for
personal reflection, or to concentrate on the questions and
discussion, maybe with additional questions you think of as
you go along. It can be used by groups of any size, or even
by individuals, as a basis for reflection or prayer.
The creation story
Genesis 1:1- 2:3
Start off by reading the above passage all the way through,
taking time to think about the story as a continuous narrative
before you look at each section in detail. You might want to
read it more than once, to focus your thoughts. If you wish,
and it is appropriate to your group, leave some time for
silent reflection before looking at sections of the passage
individually.
As it was in the beginning:
the world comes into being.
Now take each passage below in turn, reading it aloud again
in the group. After you read each passage, leave some time
for thought and reflection, encouraging people to comment
on their reactions to the passage if they wish.
Then follow on with the questions. It’s up to you whether
you use all, some, or none of the questions for each
passage. If you’ve had a lengthy discussion based on initial
reactions, you might want to skip some or all. This decision
is entirely up to the leader, based on the dynamics of the
particular group.
Genesis 1:1-5
• What does the beginning of the creation story make
you think of?
• Think about the statement in verse 2: ‘the earth was
formless and empty’. How does this make you feel
about the world then, and now? Is it a positive or a
negative image?
Genesis 1: 6-8
• Reflect on this image of the sky which the story
presents. If you feel able to, share your thoughts with
the rest of the group.
• Would we usually think of the sky as the absence of
something? Is this different to the image we are given
here?
Genesis 1: 9 and 10
• Think about the newly created land and sea in this
passage. What would they have been like without any
living things?
• The ‘dry ground’ that appears in this passage is created
by gathering the seas away from it. What changes has
it gone through since then that have shaped it into
what we see today?
Genesis 1: 11-13
• The plants are the first living things to occupy the earth.
What impression does this give you of their significance
to the planet?
• Even then, there was a great variety of vegetation
filling the land. This variety has been altered and reshaped
over the years by humans; breeding and
adapting species to meet our needs. Is this our part in
22 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
23

the creation story, or a disruption of the balance of life
which God created?
Genesis 1: 14-19
• The sun and moon are probably the most constant part
of creation. How does this constancy fit in with the
ever-changing nature of our world?
• These ‘lights in the sky’ are to be signs, marking
‘seasons and days and years’. How important is this
when the seasons are constantly changing as they
seem to be?
Genesis 1: 20-25
• Reflect on the creation of the creatures of the world.
The variety of life, which multiplied and filled the earth.
How does this make you feel about the animals we
share our planet with today?
Genesis 1: 26 and 27
• If God created humans ‘in his own image’, and gave us
‘authority over all living things’, where then is our place
in the life cycle of the planet?
• In the creation story (and also according to evolutionary
theories) humans were created last. We appeared
long after the plants and animals had ‘multiplied and
populated the earth’. How, if at all, does this change
your thoughts about the previous question?
Genesis 1: 29 and 30
• The trees and seed bearing plants are given to humans
for food. Does this point to the fact that the rest of
creation is there to meet our needs, humans being the
pinnacle of creation and the ‘top of the food chain’?
• The plants are also food for ‘all the beasts of the earth’
as well as people. Does this change your response to
the previous question?
Genesis 1:31 -2:3
• At each stage God was pleased with his creation,
proclaimed that it was good, and blessed it. The world
we live in today is very different from that we are shown
in this story. Is our world today one with which God
would be pleased? Why?
Is now and ever shall be?
Continuing the creation story
The account of the creation stops at the end of this passage,
but what happens then? God the father, the creator, is
beginning and ending, he is ever present, so we are told.
Does he stop creating at the end of the second verse of
chapter 2?
Reading this passage it is easy to think so; the world came
into being, God was pleased, and stopped to rest and
admire his handiwork. But the world we live in is far from
constant. It has changed in many ways, some more rapid
and more noticeable than others, and is still changing now.
This is something we cannot dispute. Have a think about the
following questions:
• Our world is dynamic and constantly changing. Is this a
positive or a negative thing?
• To what extent can/should we try to prevent these
changes from taking place?
• Is the creation of the world still continuing today, and is
God involved? What is our part in it, if any?
World without end.
Closing the session.
Think about the stage the world is at in the present,
and where it will go in the future. God was there at the
beginning, and will be till the end of time. If it suits your
group, you might want to have a short prayer time, and/
or say the prayer below to remind you of this ever present
God, and to finish off the session.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end,
Amen.
THE LONG READ
EUCHARIST,
CREATION AND
RESPONSIBILITY
24 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
25

The bread and wine that we use to celebrate the Eucharist
is often taken for granted, with little thought given to how
it is made. Dr David Grumett explores the complex journey
from field and vineyard to the altar.
When we receive
communion, we
should give thanks for
the people who have
produced our bread
and its ingredients, as
well as our wine, and
pray for them. Many
have contributed to
making our worship
possible.
In the Eucharist, bread and wine
are offered up and received back as
spiritual food and drink. The material
elements, and we the recipients, are
both transformed. This worship, which
is central to our identity as Christians,
is also called Communion or the Lord’s
Supper. However, regardless of the name
used this worship reminds us that, in our
faith, our bodies are as important as our
minds. We’re people who eat and drink
as well as people who think and pray.
Without settled human communities
neither bread nor wine would exist,
but such communities are fragile and
threatened by war and greed. When
we receive communion, we should
give thanks for the people who have
produced our bread and its ingredients,
as well as our wine, and pray for them.
Many have contributed to making our
worship possible.
The most basic ingredient of bread is
grain, which is used to make flour. If crops
are to be planted, grown and harvested
on fertile land, a peaceful society is
necessary. Yet in countries as far apart
as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia,
Mozambique and Columbia, landmines
have made large tracts of arable land
highly dangerous to farm. Also, a mill
is needed to grind the grain into flour,
which is a long and laborious task if
done by hand. This is a big investment
and so requires community cooperation,
funding and stability. Moreover, when
farming crops we need to respect our
limited resources. Yet over the past four
decades, soil erosion caused by strong
fertilisers, intensive ploughing, genetic
crop modification and pollution has
destroyed a third of the world’s arable
land, with Brazil being especially hard hit.
And while about a tenth of the world’s
population goes hungry, a good third of
the global grain supply is fed to animals.
Adding salt to bread improves its flavour
and texture, and helps to preserve it.
But in countries like India and Uganda,
climate change is affecting the salt pans.
Water flows into them from the sea or
tidal salt lakes and evaporates in the hot
sun to leave salt, but increased rainfall
during formerly dry seasons disrupts
this natural cycle. In the Mediterranean,
the taste and structure of bread is also
enhanced by the addition of olive oil.
Olive groves are often many centuries
old, yet in Palestine a million trees have
been destroyed over five decades of
conflict. Recently in southern Italy, many
trees have been killed by the Xylella
bacterium, with a lot more felled in
attempts to prevent its further spread.
Alongside flour, water is essential in
bread, holding the other ingredients
together to make dough. However, armed
conflicts in the Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and
Iraq have undermined water filtration,
pipeline and distribution systems, as well
as the energy plants that power these,
limiting access to water that is safe to
drink and use for household tasks. In
Honduras, western Sudan and parts of
India, dozens of people have been killed
in clashes between opposing groups over
water access and disputes about dams.
After the grain, salt, oil and water have
been combined with leaven, kneaded
and left to rise, a bread oven is needed
for baking. Until recently, this would
have been shared between households,
requiring cooperation and so making
baking a community activity.
So much for the bread, but let’s not
forget the wine. Unlike olive trees,
grape vines are replanted every couple
of decades to maintain their vigour.
However, because they flourish in
particular soils, aspects and altitudes,
they have often been grown on the same
sites for centuries. So a good vineyard
depends on family continuity and political
stability. Moreover, the grape harvest is
a community effort, with much work to
be done within a short time. A winepress,
which may well be used by several
producers, is needed to extract the
juice from the fruit. The Saade brothers,
who are Christians, tend a vineyard in
war-torn Syria while a lot more wine is
produced in the famous Bekaa Valley in
neighbouring eastern Lebanon, which
Hosea praised for its vintage almost
three thousand years ago. However, the
peace of this fertile but violent region is
again threatened, this time by the Syrian
Civil War just across the border.
Today there are more individual acts of
communion by Christians worldwide
than ever before. Roman Catholics now
receive the bread, parish communion
has become the norm among Anglicans,
and Lutherans are increasingly likely to
celebrate the Lord’s Supper. However, in
most churches little thought is given to
where the bread and wine come from.
Most of the bread used in churches in
western Europe and the United States is
mass produced in factories. But things
are different in the Orthodox churches
In the
Mediterranean,
the taste and
structure of bread
is also enhanced by
the addition of olive
oil. Olive groves are
often many centuries
old, yet in Palestine a
million trees have been
destroyed over five
decades of conflict.
26 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
27

If communion wafers
are the norm in your
church, could baking
fresh bread be tried
instead? Could your
church source its
communion wine from
a producer who really
needs support? After
the Eucharist, could
bread be blessed and
taken to people in the
community?
in countries like Russia, Greece and
Egypt. There the communion bread is
baked on the morning of the worship,
sometimes from defrosted dough,
as I once saw when staying with a
Russian priest-monk on the Black
Sea. This bread is like a small bread
roll. Being risen and warm, it reminds
worshippers of Christ rising from the
tomb by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In my own church, bread is used from
a sliced loaf that is cut into small cubes
with a sharp knife. Although the bread
is made in a factory, this connects
the bread of the Eucharist with the
bread I eat day by day. It could be
described as ‘ordinary’ bread, but
once we realise that producing any
bread or wine requires natural fertility,
political stability, human cooperation
and the application of technology,
such a term seems inappropriate.
All bread is special as a result of the
natural transformations it undergoes
as it is made. Its further spiritual
transformation in worship continues
these.
In many churches, the priest or minister
aims only to provide sufficient bread
for the number of people present.
This enables the worshippers to be
counted and the number recorded in
the service register. But this results in a
calculating and potentially ungenerous
approach. In Orthodox churches, just
like in medieval churches in Britain,
more bread is offered than was
needed for the formal worship. The
surplus receives a simple blessing and
is distributed at the end of the service
to anyone who wants it, whether for
themselves or to take to the homes
of people unable to be present. This
bread may also be received by people
who aren’t members of that church.
At an Orthodox liturgy in Moscow, I
remember being invited inside the
icon screen, where the clergy were
gathered, to receive this blessed
bread from the Bishop. That was a
great privilege.
When it comes to worship, churches
can very easily get set in a particular
way of doing things. Tradition is no bad
thing because it connects us with the
history of our faith and its accumulated
wisdom. But it can be good to try
something new. If communion
wafers are the norm in your church,
could baking fresh bread be tried
instead? Could your church source
its communion wine from a producer
who really needs support? After the
Eucharist, could bread be blessed and
taken to people in the community?
We have the potential to act as leaven
in our churches, prompting them to
make new connections with society,
politics and nature.
Dr David Grumett is the author of
Material Eucharist, published in
2016 by Oxford University Press, and
is a Fellow in Christian Ethics and
Practical Theology in the University
of Edinburgh.
WE ASKED SOME CURRENT STUDENTS
FOR THEIR UNI SUITCASE ESSENTIALS:
My Uni
Suitcase
‘Stuff to make your room
homely. For me that’s
my figurines, comic books
and star trek duvet
and pillow set.’
ROSINA PAIGE
‘Blankets! I get cold easily,
and any time I’m working
in my room, I’ll always be
snuggled under a blanket!
Oooh, and a kettle; inviting
people over for tea is a really
good way to make friends!’
‘A doorstop. It’s nice,
especially in the first week,
to have your door open to
chat to your new flatmates
and it’s also useful
when moving in!’
PHILIPPA JEFFERIES
REBEKAH BLYTHE
28 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
29

‘Don’t bother with a
complete cutlery or crockery
set, just get a mix from
a charity shop - it’s way
cheaper and won’t match
everyone else’s.’
JACQUE HALL
‘Pack clothes for one season
at a time to save space -
don’t take summer dresses
with you in first term!’
HANNAH BRISTOW
‘Don’t take any more than
two plates and two mugs
- it will mean you actually
have to do the washing up
more often!’
NATALIE GIBBS
‘Tea!! And a favourite mug
from home. Also, fairy lights
and a bottle opener.’
JADE CONSTABLE
‘It’s really boring,
but an extension cable
can be useful.’
LIZ MARSH
‘It’s not a small thing, but
if you have a printer you’ll
make friends quickly!’
ALEX AKHURST
‘Your favourite bedding.
It will help you feel
at home more quickly.’
RACH COLLINS
‘Earplugs!
Good headphones,
a sharpie and a
label-maker to
avoid ‘borrowers’’.
EMILY WHEELER
‘A door wedge so that I could
prop my door open. That
way people knew I was in
and could pop in to say hi.’
SHANIKA RANASINGHE
‘A couple of shopping bags.
I still haven’t needed to
buy a single bag since
going to uni.’
MATTHEW SMITH
OUR LADY WHO
BRINGS DOWN WALLS
30 MOVEMENT Issue 156
Our Lady Who Brings Down Walls is an icon of Christian
resistance written on the Separation Barrier between
Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Made at the request of local
Christians, the icon depicts Mary weeping over the separation
that exists between communities in the Holy Land. With one
hand she touches her forehead, a sign of the pain that she
feels, while her other arm remains open as a place of refuge
and safety. The beauty of the icon is a stark contrast to the
concrete wall on which the icon is painted. The icon of Mary
reflects the prayers of many that one day the wall will come
down.
Construction of the Separation Barrier between Israel and
MOVEMENT Issue 156
the West Bank began in 2005 after the increase in violence
between Israelis and Palestinians during the Second
Intifada. For Israel, the ‘Separation Wall’ provides security
by regulating the entry of Palestinians from the West
Bank into Israel. In most areas, the Separation Barrier is
comprised of an electronic fence flanked by barbed-wire and
trenches. Where the barrier passes through urban areas, like
Bethlehem, the fencing is replaced with a concrete wall six
to eight metres high. The proposed route of the Separation
Barrier is 709-kilometers long, with 85% of the barrier
running through the West Bank and not the Green Line
between Israel and Palestine. By taking Palestinian land and
restricting access to relatives and services on the other side,
31

the barrier prevents the economic development of the West
Bank. For this reason, many Palestinians refer to the Barrier
as the ‘Apartheid Wall’: a term originally used in South Africa
to denote the segregation of people on the basis of race and
ethnicity.
In Bethlehem, the Separation Barrier has significantly
reduced the number of tourists, the town’s largest industry.
The wall, military checkpoint and signs warning of ‘risk to
life’ have led many to avoid visiting the place of Jesus’ birth.
This is despite the fact that Bethlehem is only six miles
from Jerusalem. The concrete wall that isolates the town is
covered in graffiti, most of which is painted by international
visitors. Within the context of the ongoing religious-political
conflict and on a wall that physically separates communities,
the icon of Our Lady Who Brings Down Walls is a poignant
image for reflection.
Within Eastern Orthodox churches, icons are understood
as ‘windows to heaven’ because they offer a glimpse of
eternal realities. The word icon comes from eikon, the Greek
word for ‘image.’ An icon is an image created for religious
veneration that creates a space for an encounter between a
person and God by showing something more than what we
see in our daily lives. Icons usually depict Christ, the Virgin
Mary, the saints and angels, and are used for reflection
during prayer. Although traditionally more common in
Eastern churches, icons are also used in Catholic and some
Protestant churches.
Our Lady Who Brings Down Walls is an icon of hope written
on the concrete reality of present divisions. By reflecting on
the icon of Mary we are invited to acknowledge the reality
of suffering and separation but also to pray for a reconciled
future without conflict. In our encounters with others it is
easier to notice what divides us than what unites us. This
emphasis on difference is sadly all too often increased when
religion is involved. However, the fact that Our Lady Who
Brings Down Walls depicts Mary provides an image that has
the power to unite.
As a Jewish woman, Mary is venerated by both Christians
and Muslims. In her historical identity as a Palestinian
Jewish woman she is a place where three religious
traditions converge. As a Jew, Mary kept the Law and
lived in expectation of the coming Messiah. As a mother,
she raised her children in the Jewish faith and because
of her motherhood is revered by Christians and Muslims.
Surprisingly there is more mention of Mary in the Quran than
in the New Testament. In her historical particularity, Mary
is a universal figure. Through her identity, Mary invites us
to recognise that we share something with other traditions.
While theologians have debated the person of Mary
throughout history, at the core of her identity Mary is a
person who said ‘yes’ to God. She heard the call of God
in her life and responded. In her response, Mary partnered
with God in the work of salvation by becoming the mother
of Jesus the Christ. Although Mary holds a unique place in
salvation history for both Christians and Muslims, her choice
to partner with God in the world is one which we all are
invited to make. In the Luke 1:46-55, a text known liturgically
as the Magnificat, Mary speaks of her place in the work of
God: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices
in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the
lowliness of his servant.’ Mary speaks of God, referencing
the prophetic motifs of the Hebrew bible, as the one who
takes the powerful from their thrones and raises the lowly;
God who fills the hungry and sends the rich away empty;
God who is a promise keeper. God is a God of justice, who
invites us to join in the work of liberating and redeeming
creation from injustice. The Magnificat, like Jesus’ reading
from the Isaiah scroll in Luke 4:17-21, gives us an image, an
icon of the coming Kingdom of God. The question which God
asks of us is whether we will choose to live and work for this
vision of the future?
The icon of Our Lady Who Brings Down Walls grieves for the
separation of the children of God. Yet by reflecting on the
person of Mary we encounter an identity and a vision that
transcends these divisions. Mary, a first century Palestinian
Jew revered by Christians and Muslims, presents us with an
image of someone who says ‘yes’ to the work of God in the
world. A work that recognises the physical barriers and pains
in the world but seeks a future of reconciliation and justice.
Ross Jesmont is the current Convenor of SCM’s General
Council, and is a PhD student researching the Pneumatology
of Edward Schillebeeckx at Durham University.
FIRST STEPS
CHRISTIAN
ECO-THEOLOGY
How is ecology central to our Christian discipleship? Noel
Moules outlines the foundations for an eco-theology to underpin
environmental activism.
The global ecological crisis is first and
foremost a spiritual crisis. We will not see
the deep long-term transformations which
are necessary unless we see spirituality
as foundational. Spirituality is the essence
of every expression of life-giving shape
and significance to each relationship. It is
expressed in love, justice, beauty, and all
other life-giving values. For many (not all) it
is sourced in the divine 1 . This is certainly true
for Christians, who see it uniquely incarnated
in the person of Jesus.
Ecology is central to our mission and our
Christian discipleship. Jesus instructed us
to ‘Proclaim the good news to the whole of
creation’ (Mark 16:15). Ours should be a
distinctive voice at the centre of the global
conversation on eco-spirituality. Eco-Theology
puts forward a biblical understanding of what a
Jesus-centered response to the environment
ought to be. Ecological issues are of course
numerous, but an initial Christian theological
response can focus on just two.
32 MOVEMENT Issue 156
MOVEMENT Issue 156
33

Challenging dualism,
living by shalom.
Dualism is the concept of dividing an understanding of the
world into two opposed or contrasting aspects, e.g. spirit
and matter; humans and nature; body and soul; heaven and
earth. It has no real biblical basis, yet has influenced Christian
thinking, especially eco-thinking, for more than 1500 years 2 .
Christian dualism argues that: heaven is the sole dwelling place
of God; our ultimate destiny is heaven; this earth and cosmos
will be destroyed by fire; and there will be a new heaven and
earth. Interest in this environment is therefore meaningless:
the earth is to be exploited.
Challenging this, the central biblical concept of reality is
summed up in a single word: shalom. Usually translated
as ‘peace’, but more accurately, ‘wholeness, integration,
completeness, everything moving together in dynamic
harmony’, shalom is the message of Jesus (identical to the
‘kingdom of God’); and it should be our message too 3 . Shalom
is about all relationships, and proclaims creation’s destiny. We
will all be part of a renewed creation, not somewhere else but
here 4 . Shalom works for the physical wellbeing of all things
without exception, challenging injustice in all its forms. Shalom
is the Christian’s ecological mandate.
Challenging dominion,
living by ‘meekness’.
The single most eco-destructive biblical idea has been the
belief that God gave humans ‘dominion over the earth’ (Gen
1:26,28 ). The traditional interpretation is wrong. The Hebrew
1
Humanists, though atheists, frequently speak of ‘spirituality’ as ‘that which lifts the spirit, touches the higher elements of the mind,
connects with the need to be part of something much larger than ourselves’
2
For example the phrase ‘heaven and earth’ is a merism, a biblical way of speaking about their totality and completeness, the complete
opposite of setting them against each other or even contrasting them.
3
See Isa 9:7; Lk 10:5, 11; Acts 10:36; Eph 2:17 et al
4
Peace / shalom on earth (Isa 11:6-9; Lk 2:14), New Jerusalem comes down to earth (Rev 21:2)
5
See Douglas-Klotz N. 2003, The Genesis Meditations: a shared practice of peace for Christians, Jews and Muslims, Quest Books; 266
6
See the significance of the word ‘with’ (implying close relationship) in Mk 1:13; Job 5:23; Hos 1:18 et al
7
Mat 5:5 quoting Ps 37:11; see also Zec 9:9-10 where the words ‘dominion’. ‘meekness’ and ‘shalom’ are all used together.
8
See F Hauck and S Schulz article ‘Praus’ in Kittel G and Friedrich G (eds). 1968, ‘Theological Dictionary of the New Testament’,
Eerdmans; 645-651 and Barclay W. 1956, ‘Gospel of Matthew (Vol 1) The Daily Study Bible, St Andrew Press, Edinburgh; 91-93
9
See Mk 4:35-41; 11:1-11; Lk 12:24,27 et al
phrase v’yirdu can mean ‘dominion with’, but never ‘over’ 5 . We
are meant to ‘image God’ (Gen 1:26) by ‘living with creation in
shalom’. We are called to companionship with creation (Gen
2:18-19). Here the word ‘with’ is one of the most significant
words, from an ecological viewpoint, in the whole of scripture 6 .
Jesus interprets dominion using the concept of meekness;
‘strength under perfect control’. He says, ‘The meek shall
inherit the earth’ 7 . A biblical understanding of meekness holds
together in a single concept, three seemingly incompatible
ideas 8 :
1. Selfless anger and rage against injustice
2. Serene poise of deep and strong self-control
3. Simple gentleness energised by love and compassion
Jesus continually demonstrates these: by stilling the storm;
riding a wild donkey-foal into Jerusalem; and using flowers and
birds as examples of God’s character and love 9 .
So, beginning with two foundational ideas, Christian ecotheology
enables us to focus our thinking and understanding,
setting the faith in action agenda regarding ecology and the
environment.
Noel Moules is a teacher, author and activist for peace and deep
ecology. He is the author of ‘Fingerprints of Fire, Footprints of
Peace: a spiritual manifesto from a Jesus perspective’ and his
new project is www.christiananimism.com
TIME TO BE
CREATURE KIND?
Christianity has a bad name among those
campaigning for animal rights. In Peter
Singer’s 1975 landmark book Animal
Liberation, he complained that Christianity
problematically united Greek and Jewish
ideas about animals and spread the idea that
only human life mattered. Many Christians
seem happy to take Singer’s word for this,
believing that their faith gives them no
reason to be concerned for animals.
That wasn’t the view of the 180 people
who gathered in London this past March
In the nineteenth
century British
Christians, together
with a prominent Jew,
lobbied successfully
for the first legislation
against cruelty
towards animals, set
up the organisation
that became the
RSPCA.
for a conference entitled ‘Is Christianity
Good News for Animals?’, in what may
well be the biggest gathering on this topic
since the late nineteenth century. At the
conference I argued that many Christians
are concerned about animals, but their
concern is disenfranchised: their churches
don’t help them understand why they
should be concerned about animals, leaving
a gap between their faith and their love of
animals.
It’s odd that people don’t naturally think
about the connection between Christianity
and animals, because in the nineteenth
century British Christians, together with
a prominent Jew, lobbied successfully for
the first legislation against cruelty towards
animals, set up the organisation that
34 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
35

The lack of
Christian concern
for animals is
disastrous at
a time when
the industrial
intensive farming
practices condemn
billions of animals
to unnecessary
suffering.
became the RSPCA, and at the end
of the century were at the forefront
of campaigns against the horrific
cruelties of vivisection. They drew on
long traditions in Christian thinking
that humans were entitled to use
animals where necessary, but should
regard them as God’s creatures and
not subject them to any unnecessary
cruelty. Many stories of Christian saints
make clear that compassion to animals
is a sign of Christian holiness.
The lack of Christian concern for
animals is disastrous at a time when
the industrial intensive farming
practices condemn billions of animals
to unnecessary suffering. Broiler hens
probably have it worst: bred to reach
slaughter weight in only 30 days,
they are raised like crops in windowless
sheds with human care reduced to daily
patrols to remove the dead. Their legs
are too weak to support their unwieldy
bodies, which causes them great pain
as they grow. Pigs, intelligent animals
with complex social lives in the wild, are
similarly condemned to short lives in
monotonous sheds, where their tails need
to be cut off to avoid them attacking each
other out of boredom.
My CreatureKind project challenges
Christians to reconnect their faith with a
concern for their fellow creatures of God,
and think about what that means for the
animals we consume. We’ve just released
a free six-week course with video
presentations, Bible studies, and
discussions. Each week starts with
a simple meal and we’ve had great
feedback from pilot groups, with
participants reporting that they both
enjoyed the course and came out
thinking differently about their faith
and practice. If your church or SCM
group might be interested in running
the course, you can access the materials
via the website below. If you have other
queries, or would be interested in inviting
a CreatureKind speaker to a meeting, do
be in touch with us.
WHY I
PUT MY
FAITH
INTO
David Clough is Professor of Theological
Ethics at the University of Chester,
author of On Animals Volume I:
Systematic Theology (T&T Clark,
2012), and founder of CreatureKind
http://becreaturekind.org.
ACTION
We asked four SCM members to reflect on how their faith
has led them to work for social justice. Here are their stories.
36 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
37

KENNeTH
Kenneth Lo is a student in Hong Kong. His involvement
with the SCM there has led him to work for social justice.
Chloe
Chloe Scaling is a student in Durham, and is a Quaker.
She explains why her faith prompts her to take action.
As a student, it can be difficult to get
involved in action for social justice,
no matter how much our faith may
inspire us to. It’s easy to feel inspired,
but more difficult to make ourselves
act. We make excuses, saying we
don’t have the money to donate or
the time to commit to volunteering.
I’m definitely guilty of this, so I’d like
to challenge myself and anyone who
reads this to at least buy an extra tin
of beans or packet of pasta to donate
to a local foodbank next time they go
shopping.
Quakers have a testimony to equality
in all its forms, but often I feel like
we’re not very vocal about this.
Though Durham’s 2017 Pride event
was surrounded by controversy, we
wanted to march to show solidarity
with the LGBT+ community. I hope
that next year’s Pride will be more
inclusive and accessible so that
Friends feel less conflicted about being
a presence at the event. Attending the
Pride march with a Pride flag reading
‘Quakers for equality’ is faith in action
for me because the Bible and Quaker
tradition emphasise the equality of all
people.
Another action I was involved in
recently was a Quaker witness
against fracking which took place on
top of Pendle Hill, Lancashire. The
environment is a key issue for me, but
apparently not the government. It’s
important to make our voices heard.
Quakers recognise that the earth is not
ours and aim to live more sustainable
lives. This testimony to sustainability
inspires us to act.
A final way my faith inspires me to
action is the idea of speaking truth to
power. As citizens, we have to hold our
MPs accountable and tell them about
issues we care about. In a way, the
transient nature of student life means
that it’s a perfect time to write to your
MPs, as you may have more than one
representative in parliament. Write to
both and make your voice heard.
I’d like to
challenge myself
and anyone who
reads this to at
least buy an extra
tin of beans or
packet of pasta
to donate to a
local foodbank
next time they go
shopping.
In Hong Kong, SCM members are usually
marginalised by mainstream churches
in due to their active involvement
in a social justice movement. As a
member of an evangelical church since
childhood, I could never have imagined
how SCM has transformed me in less
than two years.
SCM has provided me with exposure
to various marginalised groups in
the society, including homosexual
Christians, sex workers and homeless
people. These experiences have
inspired me that God’s love is not
limited to Christians who care only
about the issues within their own
churches; His love is for all people,
particularly those who are oppressed
due to the unjust social system. Many
SCM members have solid theological
background, helping me a lot in refining
my religious value. Therefore, I believe
that churches should have active roles
in social issues, and never conspire
with the political power in maintaining
the social structure that has no respect
on human dignity.
After being nurtured by SCM for a
while, I started to put some of my
theological reflections into practice.
Last Easter, I coordinated a workshop
on the biblical view on suicide. Given
the increasing suicide rates among
Hong Kong youngsters recently, it
became a burning question for me to
reflect on this social problem. Instead of
making judgments by citing ‘thou shalt
not kill’ from the Ten Commandments
and thinking that everything is solved,
we need to bear the complexity
of the scriptural interpretation in
mind. Christian churches as caring
communities should embrace the
despair of those who suffer, instead of
blaming them.
What’s more, the socially active SCM
in Hong Kong has inspired me to take
care of the deprived people, bringing
me to a current project working
with homeless people. Here, some
organisations aim to provide cheap
hostels to street sleepers, but the
service fails to scale-up due to the lack
of financial support and management
personnel. Many Hong Kong churches
have plenty of financial support and
a comprehensive social network that
could be utilised to manage a hostel.
At the moment, I am working with an
organisation to promote a collaborative
model of churches and others working
together to support and run hostels.
Thank you SCM Hong Kong for all the
valuable memories. I look forward to
fighting for social changes with all my
dearest friends.
These experiences
have inspired me
that God’s love is not
limited to Christians
who care only about
the issues within their
own churches; His
love is for all people,
particularly those
who are oppressed due
to the unjust social
system.
38 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
39

JULIA
NiCK
Julia Chabasiwicz is a student in Leeds. For her, taking
action has strengthened her faith.
Nick is a student in Sheffield, and was co-chair of the
SCM group there.
I would be lying
if I said that
faith inspired
my action. It
is seeing the
impact that
my action has
on myself and
others that
strengthens my
faith.
I came to the UK to study two years
ago. It was a time of thrill, adventure
and challenges. Due to me being
raised in a very Catholic country, my
spiritual life had been largely driven by
guilt and ritual, and I was exhausted
with the constant feeling of shame. I
felt that my faith could not progress
if I did not abandon it for a while,
distance myself from it and then make
conscious choices about my religion.
I immersed in the new, exciting
environment and tried to meet as
many people with different opinions
and values as I could.
At that time, one of the very few stable
points in my life was volunteering for
Student Action for Refugees. Every
Saturday, I would take part in threehour
long English language classes for
refugees and asylum seekers. Getting
to know these people and their
stories, and trying to help them in the
best way I could, was a challenging
and humbling experience, yet it
gave me a sense of satisfaction and
inner peace. At the time I wasn’t
attending church regularly, but I’d
always show up to STAR with a
church-like discipline, regardless
of my mood, university deadlines
or hangover. It became my
bottom-line moral standard, almost
like saying to myself ‘you can do
anything, UNLESS it makes you skip
volunteering’.
At some point of the second term, I
started feeling ready for accepting
faith again and coming back to the
Church. It so happened that my local
church, All Hallows’, was a very open
place, strongly oriented towards social
justice and action. The services were
paired with leading a community payas-you-feel
café and various events
and campaigns. I came to one service
out of curiosity, and stayed.
Jesus’s words ‘whatever you did for
one of the least of these brothers
and sisters of mine, you did for me’
are usually presented as an argument
for helping other people. However,
I would lie if I said that faith inspired
my action. I was volunteering simply
because I felt that was right. Only the
light I saw in the people I was working
with reminded me of Jesus and the
inner peace and joy that faith may
bring to a person. It was seeing the
impact the action had on myself and
on others that inspired me to believe
and continues to strengthen my faith.
‘Faith by itself, if it does not have
works, is dead.’ James 2:17
I found this verse when I was a young
Christian, and nothing in the bible has
influenced me more. I had felt that for
all our talk of Christian love, the brutal
reality is that loving someone and
doing nothing isn’t useful to the person
in need. Our love for others needs to
be active, it needs to be practical, it
needs to meet people where they are
at to be a useful sort of love. Often it
needs to challenge injustice to make
sure that the person in need doesn’t
have to be in need again. The verse
confirmed everything I had begun to
believe – that our faith requires works,
and this is love in action.
I started to practice this when I was
at University. I became co-chair of
the campus Amnesty International
society, helping to raise awareness
on a variety of issues, from the death
penalty to LGBT+ rights in Russia.
It was when I started to learn more
about the issues that asylum seekers
face that I really felt I was putting my
faith in action. Those who are refused
asylum can be left in limbo for years,
not granted permission to remain in
the UK but often not deported because
their home country is too unsafe.
They are not offered any money or
housing and are not allowed to work,
instead having to rely on charities and
community groups for housing and
support. This policy purposely denies
people the opportunity to contribute
and make their life better, punishing
people that have tried to escape one
hardship by forcing another upon
them. The current system is, in no
uncertain terms, evil. I have never
been so angry at anything else in my
life.
Challenging this system is a way of
speaking out against injustice, and
helping refused asylum seekers I
think is love in action. I volunteered
for a charity that supports asylum
seekers monetarily, and I tried to
point them towards local services
where they could find more fulfilment.
I volunteered for a group of
lawyers who helped make
appeals. Eventually I set up a
group that helps to campaign for
scholarships for asylum seekers
at the University of Sheffield,
which was a policy the University
eventually adopted. Love is active,
it’s often hard, but as Christians, it
is our duty to try and have love in
action.
Our love for others
needs to be active, it
needs to be practical,
it needs to meet
people where they
are at to be a useful
sort of love.
Often it needs to
challenge injustice
to make sure that
the person in need
doesn’t have to be in
need again.
40 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
41

REVIEWS
OCEAN OF
LOVE OR SEA
OF TROUBLES?
CAN WE FIND GOD IN A
SUFFERING WORLD?
More often than not, books which
promise to provide a Christian
response to suffering are theodiciesphilosophical
attempts to justify the
existence of suffering with a benevolent
God. But Harris’ book is not; it is an
exercise in pastoral theology, informed
by his own research on Biblical Studies
at the Lincoln School of Theology and
his experiences as a Methodist minister.
Harris structures his thesis on the
ambivalence inherent in the Christian
doctrines of the world: on the one
hand the world is an ‘ocean of love’; on
the other hand, it is a ‘sea of troubles’
(Harris, 2017, p.5). This paradox in
the world (kosmos), Harris tells us, is
at the heart of St. John’s Gospel (John
3:16-17).
In the first section of his book, Harris
sets about the task of challenging
a flat and lacklustre ‘materialistic
understanding of reality’ (Harris,
2017, p.14) by demonstrating the
abiding signs of God’s love for creation.
As the book is derived from a series
of lectures that Harris delivered for
the Lincoln Cathedral Lent Talks, it
can, at times, feel disjointed. However,
the strength of this book lies with the
developed reflection on the Biblical
and the Christian tradition’s responses
to suffering in sections two and three.
This is where Harris begins to blossom,
as he draws on his considerable depth
of learning on the Old and New
Testaments.
In the final chapter of his work, Harris
draws from his interviews conducted
in a hospice with Christians who, ‘have
known acute pain and suffering in their
lives’ (Harris, 2017, p.145). The book
is worth reading for this integrative
pastoral theology, but more abiding is
that it conveys the Incarnational reality
of the One who became incarnate as
a child, and, as a man, suffered and
died upon the cross in an act of infinite
kenotic love. In giving the final word to
the cross, Harris’ book is worth reading
because it challenges the purposes of
theodicy and claims that, in the light
of the cross, suffering does not prompt
the espousal of easy answers, but poses
a prayerful exploration of the paradox
of a fallen world which is the subject of
infinite divine love.
THOMAS RUSTON
Ocean of Love or Sea of
Troubles? Can We Find
God in a Suffering World?
Geoffrey Harris
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1498238045
THE WAR
OF GODS
RELIGION AND POLITICS
IN LATIN AMERICA
With the ascendancy of the far-right
and the response in the growth of
radical left-wing movements in recent
years, Christians need to think hard
about our response to the signs of the
times. One excellent resource for this
is Michael Löwy’s The War of Gods, a
sociological study of Latin American
liberation theology - or as he prefers to
call it, ‘liberationist Christianity’ – by
a non-believing specialist. In Latin
America, Christians responded to the
Octavia’s Brood: Science
Fiction Stories from Social
Justice Movements
Edited by Adrienne Maree
Brown and Walidah Imarisha
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1849352093
injustice created by the combination of
capitalism, colonialism, and military
dictatorship by actively participating
in work for revolutionary change.
A short if not always easy read, The
War of Gods eloquently describes the
unique interrelation of political and
theological conditions from which
liberationist Christianity emerged,
and its continuity and discontinuity
with previous Christian and left-wing
movements. This is worth the time of
any Christian committed to justice
and looking to understand our role in
secular politics.
JONATHAN MURDEN
OCTAVIA’S BROOD
FICTION STORIES
FROM SOCIAL JUSTICE
MOVEMENTS
“Whenever we try to envision a world
without war, without violence, without
prisons, without capitalism, we are
engaging in speculative fiction.”
Walidah Imarisha
Octavia’s Brood is a collection of
short stories that explore what a more
just world could look and feel like.
Experienced science fiction writers and
activists wrote short stories for this book,
and some had never written fiction before.
Each author brings a unique perspective
and the stories they created explore
and re-imagine reality. In each story, a
complex world unfolds, sometimes very
The War of Gods: Religion and
Politics in Latin America
Michael Löwy
Paperback
ISBN: 9781859840023
close to the world we live in, sometimes
far removed. But one can always learn
something about how people live together,
treat each other and how things could be
and should be different.
Together the stories form a rich collection
of alternatives and have a huge potential
for change. I am sure that anyone could
find a story in this book which captivates
so much that one is sad when it ends. So I
encourage you to read it. It will challenge
you to imagine and dream of a different
world. And when you find the short story
that makes you sad, because it has ended
too soon, make sure to look up the author
and read one of their full books.
JULIANE BORCHERT
42 MOVEMENT Issue 156 MOVEMENT Issue 156
43

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student christian movement
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