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The Freedom lssue
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Brother Paulo
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Political Prisoners
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Student
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Liberation Theology
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Pe
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wvvw'movement.org,uk

o
sddenr
Christian
Movement
SGM is a movement seeking
to bring together students of all
denominations to explore the
Christian faith in an open-minded
and non-judgemental environment.
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The Freedom lssue
"ltts a free country."
Think back to when you were a child. What were your dreams for
the future? Perhaps you flitted between wanting to be an astronaut
or a fireman as the whim took you. Or perhaps you had a more
strongly held ambition that you clung to throughout the years.
The message I rememberfrom my early childhood was one of hope
and opportunity. The Berlin Wall came down. Thatcher resigned as
Prime Minister. My working class parents went back to university
to train as a teacher and a furniture restorer. ln my early teens, the
dot-com bubble showed that any penniless whizz-kid with a good
idea could make millions. The youth of Britain were truly free to do
and be anything they set their minds to.
To an extent, that was true. I was able to attend a university of
my choice, to study anything I wanted. While there are differences
from how, as a child, I anticipated my life at age 25, on the whole
l've been able to make my own choices.
lntrod uction
Spare a thought for those without this luxury. As a child I had to
eat my greens because of those poor starving children in Ethiopia.
F' t
.,t
There have always been war-torn or povedy-ridden corners of the
globe. Think of the children in this country who have been conditioned
from an early age that learning is for wimps, or those who
jump straight into a low-paying and boring job because their family
needs the extra wage. The freedom I have always enjoyed comes
with a small measure of guilt attached. But like many of my generation,
I put it aside to face the difficult decisions my life requires:
,
what brand of shampoo to buy, or whether to go out for a few pints
when I have a deadline tomorrow...
Tom
The future of Movement
Movement magazine is currently undergoing a big change. We are
reviewing what goes inlo Movement and how it can best reflect
the movement as a whole. Whilst we are doing this review we
are going to produce one more magazine of this current format
before a big change for the summer issue. One big thing that has
already come out of this review is that we want our readers to get
more involved. You can do this by writing for Movemenf, sending
in photos or art, or by joining the editorial group that actually decides
what goes into Movement. To get involved with any of these
things or just to tell us what you think about Movement email
publications@movement.org.uk, or visit SCM's website at
movement,org.uk and chat with us on the blog or the forums.
Autumn 2010 n Movement . 3

News
Gelebrating the SCM community
Heslington Church in York hosted this year's
SCM AGM and summer gathering over the
weekend of 4-6 June. SCM members came
from all over the country to take pad in workshops,
worship, bible study and discussions
with the theme of Celebration at the heart
-
of the event, We were joined by speaker Theo
Hobson, who stimulated much debate around
the use of ritual and celebration in the church.
A new General Council (GC)was elected; you
can find out more about the new GC members
in the autumn issue of Grassroofs or on the
SCM website.
Hello to Lisa, our new Administrator
We welcome Lisa Murphy to the SCM office team as our new Administrator. She has a background in youth
work and administration. Lisa has also been a chaplaincy assistant and a member of the Catholic Student Forum
steering group, Lisa started working for SCM at the end of August, so we asked her to introduce herself:
Where do you call home?
l'm from Stoke on Trent originally, and even
though I haven't lived there for four years now
it's still where my heart is, Mainly because
people there pronounce 'book' 'look' and
'cook' the same as I do!
What is your favourite film?
I have too many favourites to choose from! lf
I could only watch one more film ever though
it'd probably be The Lord of the Rings.
What are you reading at the moment?
Probably emails!
What is your favourite word?
Chocolate. Especially in a sentence with 'do'
'you''want' and'some'.
What are you looking forward to most about
working for SCM?
Getting stuck in and meeting new people!
4 . Movement. Autumn 2010

I
Interview
utith Taiz6's
Brother Paolo
f
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I
Many readers of this magazine will know of the Taizd Community, an ectlmenical monastic
community which grew from the arrival of its founder, Brother Roger, in the French village
of Taizd duringWorldWar Il. Since the 1-960s, whenlarge numbers of young adults started
to visit, the community has developed a particular ministry of welcoming young people to
share its life of prayer, work and fellowship. In October, SCM and Taizd will be hosting a
weekend for students in Manchester (see back cover of Movem ent for more information).
Brother Paolo, who will be part of that, kindly agreed to be interviewed for Movement.
Where are you from originally, and what did
you do before coming toTaiz6?
I was born in Gloucester.In1,972, when I was 16,
I came toTaiz6 for a week with a group organised
by an Anglican youth chaplain. The experience
there and the thinking which was started within
me led to all sorts of things: getting involved in
several volunteer projects in Britain, and joining
SCM when I got to university!
How did you discern the call to become a
brother atTaiz6?
Through a nagging sense, on the one hand, that I
needed to discover a basis for my life, not just to
do interesting and good things. And on the other
hand, the discovery that prayer could be a kind
of "letting go" of my own ideas and projects in
order to see more clearly what was right for me
and what was my deepest desire.
How did your farnily and friends react to
your decision?
For quite a while after arrivingatTaiz6 to stay, I
kept a low profile! I needed to mark a new beginning.
When I had been atTaizl quite a while, over
two years I think, my father came to stay - just for
a few days. He had not been to church for about
25 years. He was timid at first, but very quickly
Autumn 2010 " Movement . 5

lnterview
It's when people
are free enough
to be able to ask
questions that
good changes
he was fascinated and began to feel at home. A
few months after, I phoned hom a Sunday,
because you phoned at weekends in those days,
when it was cheaper and they were out. Later
-
on in the day, they were in, and he explained
that they "must have been at church" when I
first called. Somehow, his short stay here had
removed little barriers which had been erected in
his life, and given him more space and freedom.
What might a typical day at Taizd involve
for you?
Well, we are together in the church f.or prayer
three times a day: B:15am, 12:20pm, B:30pm.
And most of the brothers of the community eat
lunch together in silence with music. Some
-
days I work in the pottery, but not doing anything
artistic, just preparing the clay for use! The
community earns its own living aside from what
visitors contribute for their
COme.
stay (which covers just the
cost of the youth meetings),
and the pottery we make and
sell is our main work. Very
often during the day I meet
with a group, a bible-study
group, or a work group, or a
group visiting from Britain.
Then, back in my room, where
there is both a bed and a table with an internet
connection, I may do some work on the community
website which I program. After the evening
prayff there is an open space: there is nothing
more on the timetable, and the singing continues
in a kind of vigil for those who discover, at
the end of the more formal part of the prayer,
that they want to remain and pray. Some of us
stay in the church in the evening for those who
want to speak about something personal.
Why do you think so many young people are
drawn to visit Taiz6?
Although many young people come in groups
especially the first time they visit, the majority
are somehow conscious that they are coming on
a personal journey of discovery: somehow this
stay will be connected with important things,
with the meaning of their life. When speaking
with young people who are already here, they appreciate
the freedom they have to be themselves,
to talk with anybody, to approach people from
different countries and backgrounds. Why the
connection with the young? I don't know for sure,
but I have an inkling that it is connected with a
"search for meaning". Such a search is strong for
young people who are beginning to take on more
complete responsibility for their own lives. And a
monastic commitment, if it is lived authentically,
also places us in a situation where, because of a
radical choice not to possess, we have to search
for meaning over and over again.
What do you think are the most important
questions for young people today to be considering?
I don't know. The important thing is, I believe,
for young people to be able to look on the world
and on their own experience, and dare to ask
fundamental questions. It's when people are
free enough to be able to ask questions not only
in words, but to take the first steps by the way
they live, without imposing them on anyone else,
that good changes come. That freedom though,
which is above all an inner freedom, needs to be
anchored in a sense of belonging. And, for many,
searching for that is one of the main questions.
Where do you think the future of ecumenism
lies?
There is only one God and one Christ. So the
unity that we seek is not anything we build, but
rather discovering the unity which already exists
in God. If we seek to discern Christ in others,
we shall be led together. Ecumenism - seeking
visible unity - also implies a trust in the Church
which is unfashionable. Timothy Radcliffe has
sometimes said that we live in an age of suspicion
and that we also need to learn to "suspect
the good". I think of the European Meetings
which our community organises annually for
f
6. Movement . Autumn 2010

lnterview
young adults as an exercise in
this. In the autumn we set out
to discover the hidden treasure
of the Church in some large
city (this year it is the turn of
Rotterdam). And each year, for
over 30 years now, thousands
of families offer free accommodation
to tens of thousands
of young people for 5 nights.
I ask myself: What other human
organisation, apart from
the Church, could provide the
focus for such an expression of
generosity?
What advice would you give about living in
community?
Community is a word which is used in many ways.
My own experience is that of a lifelong monastic
community. Because of the lifelong commitment,
there is plenty of time, we can be patient as we
grow in understanding both of ourselves and of
others. Three times a day we gather for community
prayer and I think of two things which
quite frequently happen in my own prayer which
directly affect the way I relate to the others. First
there is the astonishment at the beauty of life
which can break out within. When that happens,
differences and misunderstandings with others
are swept awayby something large and deep. It is
as Peter writes, "love covers a multitude of sins"
(1 Peter 4:B). And the second experience is the
consciousness of my own weakness and emptiness.
And that realisation burns - burns away,
gradually, a judgmental attitude towards others.
It is not a pious platitude to say that our life at
T aiz6. t ev olves around prayer: our community life
could not be anything like it is without it.
What is the place of freedom in vowed religious
life?
Women and men the world over continue to live
a vowed religious life with great freedom. If you
don't know this, it is probably worth going to
visit a religious community near you. You may
get a glimpse of a life, and a freedom, which you
did not suspect. Brother Roger, who settled in
Taiz6 in 1940, had an undoubted gift for fostering
a close-knit community in which, nevertheless,
each community member has the freedom
to be who they are. In the "Rule of Taiz6", which
he wrote in 1958, as well as in our community
life today, there are no superfluous rules to force
a kind of external unity. Brother Roger was
clearly conscious of the necessity for the freedom
of personal integrity when he wrote in the
short introduction: "This Rule contains only the
minimum necessary for a community seeking to
build itself in Christ, and to give itself up to common
service of God. This resolve to lay down only
the essential disciplines involves a risk: that your
liberty may become a pretext for living according
to your own impulses." Without that freedom
though, how could it be clear for anyone that
the centre of our commitment is not a rule book
or an ideal, but a deepening friendship with the
Risen Christ?
What are your hopes for the Taiz6lSCM
weekend in Manchester?
In a word: encouragement. When we try to hold
our lives open, and to live with generosity, we
need to know that we are not alone. We need
confirmation. And that comes to us in the peace
of prayet and the understanding of others.
( The church at
Taiz6. Photo by
Solveig Olsson.
SusannahRuilge
didn't expect auteek
inTaizd to lead
where it did.
Autumn 2010. Movement . 7

Freedom Featu re
I
m
T-l
I
reedom in my lingua franca called Filipino is translated as
L{ "Kalayaan." A word that is used often and mindlessly such as a
name of a national road., numerous streets, bridges, buildings,
of a pub, even a dormitory in a premier state university. I suppose
the reason for this obsessive use of the word is for people to be
reminded of its noble meaning, its history and intent. Sadly, this
practice has gone awry and lost its potency to a generation ofyoung
people who were born "free" and could not care much about the
sacrifices that generations of people have made to gain freedom for
themselves and the future in our country. The apathy and indiffer-
e
t
dt
;'r
ence that has engulfed the youth of today is indeed debilitating.
Freedom (and the lack or absence thereof) is one ofthose things that
we take for granted until it hits you right in your face. This dawned
I
TF
{rf I
.r# I
:fl
)tl
i!
I'
on me one day on February t2,20I0, when my 62year old uncle, a
retired medical doctor, was arrested by the Philippine Military with
42 other doctors, midwives, nurses while they were conducting a
training for community health workers on emergency response in
the outskirts of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Without the
knowledge of familyimembers and lawyers, they were brought to a
Military Camp, handcuffed, blind-folded, interrogated and tortured
for neatly a week. The Philippine Military was quick to accuse them
of taking part in armed rebellion saying that the medical workers
were conducting a training to make explosives and arrested them
without a proper warrant. Hell-bent on destroying the credibility of
my uncle and his colleagues, they launched a nationwide vilification
campaign against the 43 health workers. Without any warning, 43
q.,
people lost all their rights and freedom, including my uncle. At first,
I could not believe what had just happened. I was in denial of the
',+
situation until I watched my distraught aunt pleading to the government
to release my uncle on national television. I asked myself
I
)
l:
how could this happen, now that we live in a democracy, now that
we have freedom in the country.
I was making this comparison in reference to an earlier period when
my own father was arrested and became a political prisoner for
nearly 5 years during my childhood for participating in a movement
against the Martial Law of former Philippines Dictator Ferdinand
Marcos from 1972 to 1985. The period of Martial Law was considered
the darkest period in the history of my country, where almost
all the freedom and civil liberties of the people were curtailed.
Thousands were arrested, imprisoned, abducted, disappeared and
killed. The Philippine legislature was closed and mass media was severely
censored. I did not understand much of what was happening
Autumn 2010 . Movement " 9

F:reeelorn l:eature
back then. All I could remember was that I was
free to visit my father in prison once a week and
could play freely in the grounds of the Military
detention camp with children of the other political
detainees.
Death Sggms tO
be an acceptablg
Things have changed after the "Popular Uprising"
in February 1986, where I participated as a
young student member of the
StudentChristianMovementof
the PhiliPPines. With a PoPular
democraticgovernmentinplace,
consequenceofahostoffreedomsguaranteed
under the PhiliPPine Constitugxpfgssing
and tion of 1987 can be enjoyed
exgfGising yOUf bv the Filipino people' some
- with a relativelY high degree
fregdom of spegch of awareness, such as Freedom
andopinion.ofReligion.orsolthought'
-
TwentY four Years later, with
four democratic Presidents in
succession at the helm, political freedom seems
to have deteriorated gradually rather than improved.
Basic freedom and the civil liberties of
the people are constantly threatened and denied'
Here is why.
Freedom of Expression and Association.
While Filipinos can express their political
thoughts and sentiments in public, they run the
risk of being harassed, intimidated, abducted
and even killed for doing so. Such has been the
case for more than 1,,192 activists and human
rights defenders who have extra-judicially killed
since 2001. Under a democratic government of
President Gloria Macapagal Artoyo, they thought
they had the freedom to express their political
opinions, demand good governance and join political
mass movements. Most of the victims of
the killings belonged to the most progressive political
organization in our country representing
the farmers, students, workers, and even clergy.
Freedom of the Press.
Philippines is the second most dangerous place
for journalists to practice their profession, next
only to Iraq. As I write this article, three journalists
have been killed in a span of six days, making
a total of 103 journalists killed since 2001. In
November 2009, 56 members of the media were
brutally massacred by private armies belonging
to a powerful political clan in one province in the
Philippines. A culture of impunity exists in our
country, where death seems to be an acceptable
consequence of expressing and exercising your
freedom of speech and opinion, even for the
media practitioners.
Freedom of Movement.
Sure, Filipinos can travel anywhere in this age of
globalization. They are in fact everywhere in the
world, a good B million Filipino migrants work
and live elsewhere, other than their own country
of birth and nationality. This is propelled by the
Philippine Government's Labor Export Policy
(LEP), where 3,000 Filipinos leave the country
every day to work as domestic helpers, nannies,
nurses, factory workers abroad. Freedom of
movement is relative to those who can affotd it,
but it's hardly a choice for the millions of migrant
workers who leave their families back home to
earn a decent living for their survival. The reality
of the grinding poverty an estimated 30% of
-
the country's population live below the poverty
line and 1-0To of the 92 million population are
unemployed
-
overseas work.
has pushed many Filipinos for
What does Freedom really means for us today? Is
it merely the ability to exercise free will and make
personal choices? Christian praxis has taught us
much about the meaning of Freedom in the contemporary
world. Freedom plays an important
role in my identity as a Christian, it is central to
my understanding of God, in the same breath as
Justice and Peace. In Galatians 5:1-, "Freedom is
what we have-Christ has set us free! Stand, then
as free people and do not allow yourselves to become
slaves again" the awareness of freedom is always
placed within the context of people's experi-
10 . Movement " Autumn 2010

I
ence of struggle for liberation from oppression,
marginalization and bondage like the Exodus or
Salvation History in the Bible. It also means that
freedom cannot be separated from the practice
of justice and solidarity. In my opinion, personal
or individual freedom is meaningless when we
are unable to be in solidarity with the people
who are oppressed, marginalized and discriminated.
It also entails confronting the structural
and systemic root causes of injustice that deny
freedom in its entirety. My reflecting on freedom
is a Faith journey, it is an affirmation of my belief
that the God of justice and love is with us as we
walk in solidarity with the people in the margins
in our communities, the migrants and refugees,
politically persecuted, the minorities.
Two months after my uncle's arrest, I was finally
able to visit him in prison in the Military Camp
in the outskirts of the city. Since the arrest, we
have been relentlessly campaigning to stop the
torture and for their immediate release. In the
15 minutes that I was allowed to see him, no
words came out of my mouth. Seeing their miserable
condition inside prison and the sadness in
my uncle's eyes, I just broke down in tears. An
,*
?'1-,llr-rtt
enormous feeling of injustice was swelling inside
me, building-up like the molten lava from underneath
the Earth lookingfor a way to release the
tension, it came out as tears, flowing down my
face. I knew we were up against the most powerful
forces in the land, the Philippines Military
and the Government. The Government, in its
counter-insurgency plan called "Oplan Bantay
Laya" or Operation Guard Freedom, aimed to
wipe out rebellion at all cost, often at the expense
of innocent civilians, and the Military for
implementing the plan with total disregard of
human rights and civil liberties of the people.
Writing this reflection reminds me of the people
whose freedom has been taken away and who
have paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, like
my uncle and the 42 co-health workers in the
Philippines, the thousands of political prisoners,
and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Prize Winner
for Peace from Burma. Under house arrest and
physically constrained by the ruling Military
Junta, she chose to free her mind and spirit from
the debilitating control of fear to seek freedom
and democracy f.or her country.
^' Protestors
demand the
relese of the
43 imprisoned
health workers.
Photo by
Bulatlat.
NectaMontes
Rocas is from the
Philippines and
works for WSCF
Asia Pacific.
Autumn 2010 . Movement . 11

Freedom Feature
A Free Student Life
planning a life away from your parents for the first time? Hattie Hodgson has other
things for You to think about.
) Student life:
all about having
a room as messy
as you want?
Photo by Ben
Babcock.
f| xplore the notion of Freedom from a
H ,t.,d"nt's perspective the task seemed
-
LJ somewhat straight forward. I'm a student,
and I suppose my life is fai:.lry free. However,
when I actually sat at my desk, notes, references
and opinions by my side, I drew a massive blank'
What is freedom? For a concept so widely accepted
across the Western world as a fundamental
human right, it is very hard to pin down' Is
it to be free from something or free to do something?
What does it mean to be free? How does
this relate to me as a student? On one level, the
freedom I gained by moving out of my parent's
house is vast. I am living life on my terms for the
first time: free to stay in bed until midday; to
cook meals at obscure times and to let my bedroom
get as messy as I can bear. These practical
freedoms are liberating, exciting and sometimes
scary- they are the ones that often spring to
mind when we think about freedom as a student'
Frequently forgotten though, are the underlying
freedoms that make my life what it is. Freedoms
of speech, thought, belief and faith are often
taken for granted. Although, they are fundamental
to the lifestyle that most of society leads,
they are so ingrained in our society that they are
rarely thought about let alone questioned' There
is little doubt though that the lifestyle I have as
a student would be very different if they did not
exist.
If you have been paying attention to the SCM
website, you might have noticed the link on
the home page to a YouTube video made by the
members of the Student Christian Movement of
Zimbabwe.In the video, the students speak of
being arrested and even beaten for speaking out
against the obvious injustice theywitness around
them
- in particular when campaigningfor fairness
in the elections in 2008. It is apparent that
their lifestyle as students is
vastly different from ours; theY
do not experience the same
fundamental freedom that
we do. The president of SCM
Zimbabwe, quite aPtlY named
Innocent, is quoted on the
Christian Aid website saYing
'There is no freedom of sPeech
in Zimbabwe, because there is
no freedom after sPeech'. Individuals'
opinions are not welcome
unless theY are the same
t
12 . Movement'Autumn 2010

Freedom Featu r
t
as the state's. Despite this, the students of Zimbabwe
keep campaigning. In fact, proportionally
a lot more students over there fight to have their
voice heard -
SCM Zimbabwe has around 5,000
On l8th February 1943, however, they were
discovered. Arrested, immediately put on trial
and found guilty of treason, three of the group's
leaders were executed. Moments before he died,
members. Is it the lack of freedom that encour-
one of them cried out: "Let freedom live".
ages them to use their voices and campaign?
The life of a student denied freedom is certainly
Certainly it seems to be the case that, when
faced with an inhibition of freedom, students
are among the first to speak out. The Kent State
shooting in 1970; the Tiananmen Square pro-
very different to the lifestyle I experience. The
superficial liberties that are so exciting and important
to me and my peers are suddenly put into
perspective if you are not allowed to say what
tests in 1989, the uprisings in Iran in 2006: all
are examples of students acting to oppose injus-
you believe. The students in these circumstances
have to fight for their liberty rather than it being
tice. The student voice often provides one of the
handed to them on a plate. They are inspired to
most powerful oppositions in countries and regimes
where freedom is restricted. This is plainly
protest against injustice even though they may
face dire consequences for doing so. Even without
seen in the actions of the White Rose group.
Set up in Munich under Nazi rule, this group of
these restrictions, it does not feel as if students
in the UK are inspired in the same way. Certainly
students published and distributed leaflets con-
we do not use our combined voices as effectively
taining messages opposing the regime. The fi.rst
of these was a printed version of a sermon from
Bishop August von Galen, an outspoken critic of
the Nazi's actions, decrying the euthanasia poli-
as we might, with thoughts of the wider world
often becoming masked by a do-what-l-wantwhen-I-want
attitude. Young people arriving at
university are faced with such extreme libera-
a
cies that had just been implemented in concentration
camps. The Nazis shrouded their policies
with a great deal of secrecy, implementing a
vast array of censorship laws. By publishing the
details of the atrocities that were occurring, the
White Rose were not only educating
the people of Germany,
tion -
often with few contact hours, rules and
responsibilities -
that frequently they do not
know how to cope. With the student dropout
rate getting higher every year, perhaps the student
lifestyle in the UK is just too free?
,:T"t ;Fl. 1
Hattie Hoilgson
has just finished her
first year at Leeds,
studying Managing
Performance.
but also protesting against the
freedom of speech and belief
they severely lacked. They were
breaking the law and putting
l^i
themselves in incredible danger.
The group successfully kept
their anonymity and continued
their campaign for 5 monthsdistributing
leaflets as far as
Stuttgart, Vienna and Berlin.
.( The White
Rose resistance
movement before
their execution in
1 943.
Autumn 2010 . Movement . 13

Freedom Feature
The Truth Will Set You Free
phil Bradford discovers a brand of theology founded on freedom and dignity
Black Theologians:
Robert Beckford
(UK), Allan Boesak
(South Africa),
James H. Cone
(USA), Dwight
Hopkins (USA),
Barney Pityana
(South Africa) and
Cornel West (USA).
Dalit Theologians:
Vedanayagam
Devasahayam,
Arvind P. Nirmal,
M.E. Prabhakar
fflhroughout
I
I
history, people have striven
f"t freedom, seeking to escape from situ-
ations which enslave or constrain them.
Such quests have not always been especially honourable,
but fictionalheroes such as Don Quixote
embody a human desire to be independent and
free of subservience to outside forces. Freedom
is a major theme in Christian theology and has
a prominent place in the Bible, not least in the
most prolific of the New Testament authors. ?or
you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only
do not use your freedom as an opportunity for selfindulgence,
but through love become slaves to one
another.'So wrote Paul to the Galatians (5:13),
summing up the rather complicated approach
he takes to the issue of freedom throughout his
epistles. Freedom, for Paul, was found in submission
to Christ, even as Christ was the source of
our freedom. Christian freedom did not entail
licence to do whatever an individual wished.
However, Paul's opinion on the subject of actual
bodily freedom was somewhat more ambiguous
in a Roman Empire in which slavery was accepted
and widespread. 'Were you a slave when
called?'he asks in his letter to the Romans (7:21).
'Do not be concerned about it' is his advice. Exactly
what he counsels is unclear, because when he
proceeds to say' even if you can gain your freedom',
the Greek which follows can be translated to give
two entirely different meanings: either 'make use
of your present condition now more than ever' (i.e.
stay a slave) or 'availyourself of the opportunity'.It
is unlikely that he saw it as a pressing question.
What mattered to Paul, in his belief that the end
times were coming very soon, was that people
devoted themselves to living for Christ rather
than becoming distracted by worldly questions
such as being a slave or a free person.
As it became increasingly clear that Jesus would
not return imminently and that the world was
not about to end, the later New Testament
authors became decidedly conservative on the
issue of slavery and personal freedom. The author
of Ephesians commanded slaves to 'obey
your earthly masters with fear and trembling' (6:5;
see also Colossians 3:22), whilst the writer of
Titus thought that slaves ought tobe'submissive
to their masters and to give satisfaction in every
respect'(2:9). Throughout the middle ages, drawing
on Romans 13:1, it would be the themes of
obedience and submission to the king and the
authorities (above all the Church authorities)
which would be the most important in theology.
Even after the Enlightenment, there was no
widespread support for the freedom of humanity
as a whole, and Christianity in particular proved
reluctant to embrace the idea. In the debate
over the abolition of the slave trade, the Bible
provided support for both sides. The fact that
there is very little (if any) explicit condemnation
of the institution of slavery in the text, even in
the New Testament, was problematic for those
arguing that abolition was a Christian duty. The
anti-abolitionists could sustain their campaign
with Biblical evidence, and did so in the bitter
debates in the UKwhich resulted in the abolition
of the slave trade (1807) and slavery (1833) as
well as in the struggle which led to the Civil War
in the United States. Until well into the twentieth
century, the Christian churches continued
to maintain a doctrine of obedience and uphold
traditional teaching on the subjects of authority.
The greatest challenge to such teachings, and
with it to traditional or classical models of theology,
was an attempt to create theologies based
on the concept of human freedom and dignity,
14 . Movement. Autumn 20'10

Freedom Feature
il
which came in the second half of the twentieth
century. Perhaps the most significant movement
in this respect is liberation theology, which arose
in staunchly Roman Catholic Latin America. The
'founding father' of liberation theology is usually
considered to be the Peruvian priest Gustavo
Gutilrrez, whose Theology of Liberation (1971)
was the pioneering text which laid the basis for
the work of all subsequent practitioners in the
field. At the heart of liberation theology was the
idea of the 'preferential option for the poor', the
belief that God took the side of the poor and dispossessed
(which was supported theologically by
the Exodus narrative in particular). The emphasis
was placed on 'praxis': theology was informed by
action, not vice-versa. Liberation
theology was essentially
a struggle for freedom by the
majority of poor, often disenfranchised
peoples in Latin
America, which emphasised
that spiritual and material
liberation were inseparable.
It arose in the context of a
continent which was mainly
under right-wing dictatorships
whose basic policy was
to preserve the status quo and the rights of the
wealthy minority. Since liberation theologians
employed Marxist language and models, they
were deemed suspect by these regimes, and were
looked on unfavourably (against the backdrop
of the Cold War) by rabidly anti-Communist elements
in the United States. The most famous
casualty was Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of
San Salvador, a critic of the human rights abuses
of the El Salvadoran military authorities, who
was shot dead whilst celebrating mass in 1980.
Liberation theologians also encountered the displeasure
of the Vatican, especially after the election
of John Paul II in 1978: the Polish Pope was
unable to distinguish between the oppressive,
authoritarian Communist regime in his homeland
and the use of Marxist ideas in a region
subjected to right-wing dictatorships. The then
Liberation theology
was a struggle for
freedomn which
emphasised that
a spiritual and
material liberation
were inseperable.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger led the campaign
against the liberation theologians, and in 1985,
acting in his role as head of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, he imposed a one-year
silence on Leonardo Boff. To their credit, the
Peruvian bishops resisted Ratzinger's attempts
to bully them into denouncing Guti6rrez. It did
not go unnoticed that at the same time as the
Roman Catholic Church was demanding the
right for its own voice of dissent to be heard
in Communist Eastern Europe, it was acting in
exactly the same way as the Communist regimes
when the power dynamic was reversed. And the
Vatican's effort failed to prevent liberation theology
having a significant impact. Other oppressed
groups, such as the Dalits in
India, drew on such models
to create indigenous liberation
theologies applicable to
their own situations. Kim
Chi Ha, a South Korean dissident
and playwright, wrote
The Gold-Crowned Jesus as a
protest against the policies of
his government and the complicity
of the Korean Church.
In the English speaking
world, there were some attempts to apply liberation
theology to a Western context, particularly
in the work of scholars such as John Vincent
and Christopher Rowland in the UK. However,
although there was poverty, especially in the inner
cities, theological struggles for freedom were
principally created by oppressed minority groups.
In the United States, the civil rights movement
of the 1960s led to the development of a specific
tlpe of liberation theology: black theology. Its
proponents asked how classical Christian theology
could possibly address the experiences of
African Americans who were essentially treated
as non-existent and stripped of their dignity by
the racist policies of the southern states. Theologians
such as James H. Cone, the most famous
name in this field, maintained that a return to
Feminist
Theologians:
Kari Borresen
(Norway), Mary
Condren (Ireland),
Mary Daly (USA),
Mary Grey (UK),
Elizabeth Schiissler
Fiorenza (USA),
Dorothee Stllle
(Germany) and
Rosemary Radford
Ruether (USA).
Liberation
Theologians:
Leonardo Boff
(Brazil), Helder
Camara (Brazil),
Gustavo Gutidrrez
(Peru), Ronaldo
Muaoz (Chile),
Oscar Romero (E1
Salvador), Juan Luis
Segundo (Uruguay)
and Jon Sobrino
(Spain/El Salvador).
Autumn 2010. Movement. 15

Freedom Feature
Native American
Theologians:
George E. Tinker,
Robert Allen
Warrior and Roy I.
Wilson.
Queer
fheologians:
Marcella Althaus-
Reid (Argentina/
UK), Chris Glaser
(USA), Robert E.
Goss (USA), Gerard
Loughlin (UK),
John J. McNeill
(USA) and Elizabeth
Stuart (UK).
scripture was necessary, in particular a rereading
of the Exodus narrative and the story of Jesus
reaching out to the marginalised through the
eyes of blacks. Black theology, they argued, had
to arise from the specific circumstances of black
oppression. It was a theology which was also
important in South Africa, where the apartheid
regime's policy of white supremacy saw millions
disenfranchised and treated as second-class citizens
simply because of the colour of their skin.
At the same time, women also began to articulate
the way in which theology was essentially a
male-dominated discipline in the development
of feminist theology. Feminist theology emerged
principally from the late 1960s, because it was
only from this period that women began to obtain
the social and cultural freedoms which permitted
them to be taken seriously as theologians.
Despite massive strides towards equality, women
remained at a disadvantage in the secular world
(even in Western Europe, where in Switzerland
- for example -
they would not receive the vote
until 1971), and more so in the Church. Feminist
theologians challenge the forms of theology
which justify male domination and the subjugation
of women, including the use of solely male
language to refer to God and the argument that
only men can serve as leaders in the church. As
with other forms of liberation theology, feminist
theology seeks to challenge the use of theology
as a means to preserve established powers and
hierarchies, in this case the tradition of patriarchy
which permeates the churches. As it is the
Roman Catholic Church which has been most
resistant to the idea of women in the priesthood
and positions of leadership, a significant number
of feminist theologians come from that tradition.
Queer theology developed slightly later. Again,
the starting point was the discrimination experienced
by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
people at the hands of the dominant heterosexual
majority. It involved rereading Biblical texts
from the perspective of minority, against the
setting of the civil gay rights movement which
saw the gradual decriminalisation of homosexuality
in the West and the end of homosexuality
being treated as some form of illness or deviancy.
It also stressed the way in which sexuality (and
consequently theological discussions of sexuality)
was intricately tied up in social and cultural
prejudice. However, more recent queer theology
is not simply defensive, but instead seeks to
build a positive theology which derives from the
experience of LGBT communities and examines
sexuality anew.
Still other groups, although far smaller in number,
have also started to articulate theologies which
deviate from historic orthodoxies. One of the
most interesting of these is Native American
theology. Whereas liberation theology associates
strongly with the Israelites in the Exodus stories,
Native American theology identifies with the Canaanites,
a people exterminated by the Israelites,
'God's chosen people'. The idea of being 'God's
new elect'was a common one in early modern
Europe and was inherited by those who settled
in the New World; the rhetoric of 'divine plan'
underpinned the European expansion across the
North American continent, at the expense of the
indigenous peoples. Native American theology
seeks to address the consequences ofthis and ask
what it means to be those who find themselves
not to be part of a self-declared divine elect'
Naturally, these theologies meet and overlap,
and the sketch above touches only on some of the
major developments in theologies dealing with
the issue of freedom. They have, of course, been
criticised, and many scholars question whether
liberation theology in particular still has a role
in a post-Communist context. But in a world
in which thousands of millions still live in poverty
and in which women, LGBT people, ethnic
minorities and other groups are still treated unequally
or even persecuted (especially within the
churches), it is easy to see that these theologies
of freedom have a continuing and crucial role in
the struggle to assert the value of each and every
human life on this planet.
lt
'fi
ill
4
16 . Movement . Autumn 2010

Mary Grey asks: ls Liberation Theology still relevant for the 21st century?
I r
,l
\
l
L
t
/-l ome years ago, the "founding Father" of
):':,",'*:*",","T';::J::T:"1"i'"':i:
national Conference what he, the "founder", now
thought of Liberation Theology's achievements.
He replied: "The poor are even poorer and the rich
care even less."
Does that mean that Liberation Theology has
failed and is no longer a valuable tool in the
search for justice, freedom and an end to the
vicious spirals of poverty suffered by the poor
Southern countries? Will there be a straightforward
answer to this question?
Dramatic beginnings and key moments
Liberation Theology began with great promise
in Latin America. Even at this distance it seems
to have been an almost incredible fact that the
entire Conference of Bishops of Latin America
(CELAM) committed themselves as a continent
to Liberation Theology at Medellin (Columbia)
in 1968 and then again at Puebla (Mexico), 1979.
Of course, the context of oppressive military
dictatorships and regimes was a catalyst, and the
thousands of ecclesial basic communities was a
source of great support. These both embraced
"option for the poor" with enthusiasm, and were
witness to Liberation Theology's methodology of
empowering people at the grassroots level and
encouraging them to become agents of their own
destiny.
From the outset, it seemed that this way of doing
theology would not be confined to Latin America
alone. Many different countries began to develop
their own insights as to the embedding of Liberation
Theology in their own settings. For example,
Title image by
Luiz Baltar.
Autumn 20'10 . Movement . 17

I
Freedom Feature
in India, it has taken a more pluralist character,
since Christianity represents only around 4To of
the population. Even within India there are many
varieties: Dalit Liberation Theology has emerged
as the voice of the "former Untouchables" who
claim to be excluded by the dominant Caste
Hindus. Whereas there are links with the Black
American struggle for equal rights, and with
South Africa's apartheid struggle, many would
claim that Liberation Theology has not taken
root in a major way in the African continent. Yes,
freedom and justice are crucial, but cultural concerns
are more prominent for African identity.
There are two more key moments: the first was
called by Virginia Fabella, (a Filipina theologian)
"the irruption within the irruption" in New Delhi
-
in 1981 at the Conference of the Ecumenical Association
of Third World Theologians. Women
protested that they were doubly oppressed
- by
society's structures and by their own men folk:
the very categories of Liberation theology had
ignored the specific ways in which women experienced
injustice. So Feminist Liberation Theology
was born, and has steadily developed its own
networks regionally and on an international level.
But there was another forgotten dimension -the
earth itself. After the Earth Summit in 1992 the
renowned Liberation theologian, Leonardo Boff,
underwent a conversion, in which he recognised
that the earth was the fundamental focus for
liberation. This was spelt out in his book, Ecology
and Liberation
-
a new Paradigm. As Sallie
McFague
- a feminist liberation theologian -
proposed, nature is the new category of poverty.
It seemed that Liberation Theology was unstoppable:
even in the UK there was a movement
called British Liberation Theology that brought
together disparate groups working with Liberation
Theology methods in diverse ways.
Storm clouds gather
But it was not to be plain sailing as storm clouds
gathered from different quarters. First, Vatican
opposition has made a powerful impact. Not only
was the criticism of using Marxist categories a
major one, but because of the official opposition,
(The Vatican Instruction was written in 1984 by
the future Pope, then Cardinal Ratzinger), but
the appointment of conservative Bishops and
heads of seminaries in Latin America made a
damaging impact. Theologians like Leonardo
Boff and Jon Sobrino (a Jesuit) came under Vatican
scrutiny. The categories of Liberation Theology
also came under fire. "Praxis" was thought to
be too Marxist in tone; "option for the poor" was
considered to be too particular and reductive for
theology, too exclusivist what should happen
-
to the rich? Did God not want them too? The
idea of the "poor" taking power, was thought to
be too similar to Niezsche's "will to power". What
happened to the peaceful and other-worldly attitude
of Christ to power?
There were also internal critiques within Liberation
Theology itself. Had the theologians become
too involved in "talk" and not in "action"? In
interpreting the world and not changing it? In
any case, in Latin America, politics had moved
on: some military dictatorships such as Chile
-
had given way to socialist governments. The
-
war in El Salvador and Guatemala was over. At
the same time, Pentecostalism seemed to have
overtaken Liberation Theology in popularity in
Latin America; whereas in Europe after 1989,
and the fall of communism, capitalism appeared
to reign supreme. There was now no alternative
system. The 1990s became a decade of crisis for
Liberation Theology. What could be salvaged?
Signposts for the future
The first point is that there is a fundamental
authenticity about the approach of Liberation
Theology. The Bible is permeated with the need
to work for justice for the poor and vulnerable,
from the teaching of the Jewish prophets, to
Mary's Magnificat and the Sermon on the Mount.
Catholic Social teaching from the Encyclical Rerum
Novarum in 1893 has focused for more than
a hundred years on social justice. Christian his-
18 . Movement . Autumn 2010

Freedom Feature
tory is full of prophetic figures from all denomi- Clearly a Human Rights-based approach will have
nations who protest against abuse of power and a place in this new direction that Liberation Thestructures
that oppress the poor, from Francis of ology takes. It may be flawed and inadequate, but
Assisi, to the origins of Quakerism, to the Peace it has taken a long historical struggle to achieve
movements that emerged after the World Wars and at the moment is the only international lan-
I and II.
guage of justice and freedom that we can share.
secondly, it is unarguable that Christian NGos ..t^"''
t argue that we need more and propose that
(christian Aid, Cafod, Tearfund, sciaf in the uK "Reconciliation" is the place to which Liberation
Theology brings us' Reconciliation has had a bad
and. agencies like Misereor in Germany), have
press with, activists because it has sometimes
been inspired by the methodorogy of Liberation
Theology both in their educational programme, -""t: a, sell-out with regard to justice' People -
women have been forced to forgive
and projects. They have been able to move on :to":ottl -
f1r the sake of peace' Yet' rightly viewed' I see its
from a more patronising approach of "helping the
because it both offers the goal of the
poor" to enabling poor communities to b"irrr" :Too:t""t",
otltt* of peace and justice as well as the way
agents of their own transformation. Liberation
n *: freedom struggle may be lost or won'
analysis has also been able to reach out beyond lt
warri:lg factions then need to learn how to
Christian categories to enable .o"litior* in :ut
secular society: Jubilee 2000
live together in one land' Rwanda is a poignant
case in point. The Tutsis unmight
not have been able to Reconciliation has a", nr"r,a"r,. n",rt Kagame
be such a success without its
base in Liberation Theology had a bad pfgss
were able to end the formal
- "cancel the debts"being a With aCtiviStS :;Tj;:";"i;:U;::*:;
biblical principle drawn from
Leviticus 19. because it has the Hutus who slaughtered
- their families so brutally?
Thirdly, it is also true that SOmgtimgS mgant a
- This turns the argument
Liberation Theologv can sell-out with rggard ,o *" ,rr.,e of power and
learn from some of the criticisms
to adopt a more flex-
ible approach if it is to be of
tO iuStiGe'
violence' To struggle under
he inspiration of Liberation
*"-".ltt re-named as Reconciliation theology'
use in widely disparate contexts that bear little
resemblance to its own origins. For example, the or Liberation for the long haul - the name may
not be the,vital category- is to re-think the kind
Exodus symbol has been widely used. There has
of power that is effective in achieving the goal of
been a call for a new Moses to lead the oppressed
out of "Egwt" to the promised Land. But what n."it"'It is to admit the truth-force of the nonmeaning
has this, for example, in the context :i"t":t
of the current Palestinian suffering, where the
t::lttt"' practiced by Jesus' and others'
like c.aldhi' inspired by him' The patient livingindigenous
people do not want to go, but to have
out of alternate forms of power as non-violence
their right to stay in their own land recognised? may be ker to the practice of reconciliation
fe
what meaning has Exodus in the contemporary in pursuit of justice' As I hinted in the beginning'
are not simple: struggling with com-
enslavement to and idolatry of the Market, to tl" Tt*"1t
money and profit? would not "Babylon" be a bet- l*Ttlt ld.ambisuity
may be part of the answer'
christian terms what we can trust' is that
ter symbol, in the sense of idolatry of the "Beast" 1"1'
God is :"
in the process of reconciliation' as God
of the Book of Revelation?
was in Christ, reconciling the world to God's self.
ProfessorMary
Grey is an ecofeminist
liberation
theologian and professional
research
fellow at St Mary's
University College,
Twickenham.
Autumn 2010 . Movement . 19

ee
Perspectives
JamesTebbut
is...
il ll yexperiencesinPrisonandUniversity munity, and a working with others. I cannot
l\ / | Chaplaincies (there were some differ- now imagine being a chaplain in anything other
I V I encesl) would suggest that chaplaincy than a multi-faith team; and as part of a wider
can be offered in an infinite variety of contexts Student Services department; and in network
and ways. For me, though, the offering of care or partnership with congregations and student
and safe space would be two core principles.
'care' means valuing each member of the institu- :""tt:"t
societies (not least the wonderful SCM!). Whilst
of course arise with multi-party worktion
without exception, and
ing' the diversity involved can lead to a greater
responding appropriatery to ,Safe spacet is #::':::"#,lrlll "*|]-
their needs with as much love
andskilledlistening"r.""o" Something that We ::'":,:T::]::::,*t"T::
chaDlarncv snould not restrrct
musteredordeveloped' Iusu- can all carry with
,n.-r"trr", to a single buildally
failed!; and of course only
managed to .o.,r,".t ;; us as part of our
ing' the work of chaplaincv'
sma' proportion of the Uni- discipleship. ;Jj:1il:';:1;11T::
versity's 30,000 staff and stuconfined
to chaplains alone.
dents. Nonetheless, pastoral encounters were at
the heart of my chaplaincy experience. It might Thus whilst the Chaplaincy itself can hopefully
involve a chance encounter on the way to the Un- be a safe place, 'safe space' is something that we
ion shop, or the longer accompanying that was can all carry with us, as part of our discipleship
sometimes required. It might involve a familiar and the people that we become. The meaningful
face and faith perspective, or sometimes neither. conversations over a cup of coffee, or the SCM
Ithinkof conversationswiththosenewlyarrived meeting or meal, or the Chaplaincy Eucharist,
from China, for whom 'God', let alone 'Christian- are all moments when, with care, we can become
ity', was an alien concept, yet who needed to be safe enough together, and therefore free enough,
aff,rmed and welcomed without precondition; or to explore life's meaning and faith's possibilities.
I think of British and foreign students homesick It is those moments that we can know that we
beyond measure, or facingdomestic violence, for are caredfor and loved, above all by the God who
whom the Chaplaincy service, through adver- invites each of us to share in God's ministry, by
tisement or referral, became an initial safe space. challenging spaces that are neither free nor safe,
Like listening, 'safe space' also requires skilled .,ililJ:-:lturing
reflection as to what it might truly mean. As
a minimum, it does not involve imposition or
pressure, but it does involve hospitality, com-
spaces that are' in order that all
"may rrave trfe, and life in all its fullness".
20 o Movement . Autumn 2010

ON
ChaV/ai
T,'r my own fault -
I
I always wanted to be a
university chaplain. It's not that I had any
I rr"ry clear idea what they did, exactly. It was
more that the chaplains I met during my own
student days and after tended to be the kind of
Christian I wanted to be- open to questioning,
sympathetic but challenging, able to analyse and
discuss faith without reducing it to an academic
exercise. If vocation ever makes sense, then academic
chaplaincy made sense of who I was and
the Church I wanted to belong to.
One term in, it's still making sense. There's been
a lot to get used to: adjusting to the difference
between institutions (I was a student at Cambridge
at the end of the 1980s, which shaped
my assumptions about chaplaincy in ways which
don't always translate to a bigger and younger
university); working with expectations (mine,
my church's and my university's) of what a chaplain
is. The world, the church and the 'academy'
have all changed radically in the 20 years since
my graduation, and the role of faith in those
places has shifted in huge ways.
Cultural changes affect the way it's possible to
do chaplaincy, too. Do chaplains still prop up the
college bar all night or would today's anxious,
-
deadline-ridden, career-focused students have
gone to bed hours ago? My own college chaplain
made a point of visiting every first-year student
in their room. Concerns over privacy, not to
mention the dreaded swipe-card access system,
make that approach unthinkable now
Some things don't change. The struggle between
certainty and doubt, doctrinal basis or dangerous
liberalism, looms as large as ever. There's still
a place for discussion, for passionate argument
about points of principle, and the chaplain still
has a valuable role, not in giving answers or controlling
the debate but in helping create spaces
for the right questions to emerge- but while I'm
convinced that 'just sitting talking' adds value
to the university experience, it's not a value you
can easily quantify. Whether your university is
an ancient seat of 'religion and learning' (however
much the fellows hate that description) or a
monument to secular rationalism, chaplains are
the ones who ensure that other voices are heard.
But whose voice? Is chaplaincy still inclusive and
welcoming to the unhappy, the inadequate and
the dorky, or are they all locked in their rooms
communing with Facebook? Chaplaincy would
probably collapse overnight without electronic
communication, but someone also needs to
be available in the middle of the night for the
student desperate to communicate with a real
human being.
Now more than ever, perhaps, chaplains enable a
debate to take place, within and beyond the university,
about what it means to be human, and
the role of faith in encouraging us to discover our
humanity. Chaplains have always known that
religion is at its most alive on the margins, both
of the church and of society. Our role is to make
that a bearable place to be and to encourage
-
the rest of the church to catch us up.
RowanWilliamsis
Anglican Chaplain
at York University .
Autumn 2010 . Movement. 21

AnilyTreharneis
a Ph.D. student at
Southampton, and
is actively involved
in their SCM group.
uring my time at university in Southampton,
I've been privileged to be part
of the Chaplaincy community here.
I've seen our chaplaincy change from being a
building only inhabited by user groups to an active
community of people from many different
backgrounds, ages and courses. Being part of
this community has helped to shape who I am
now, what I believe and has given me some of
the best friends who I hope to keep for a lifetime.
The sense of community support was something
that got me through some of myworse times and
I know that's true of manY others'
Of the people I've met in Chaplaincy, the overriding
feeling that they have is one of welcome and
of a community that will support you no matter
what has gone on in your life. It's important to
share in the good times as well as the bad. Some
have described our Chaplaincy to me as being
like some of the earliest Christian communities.
A group of people who eat, drink, socialise and
worship together, living out Christ's message of
loving our neighbour as ourselves. For me, the
purpose of a Chaplaincy should not just be about
providing space for worship on campus or support
when you are down although it should do
both of these things. It should be about nurturing
an active community that people can interact
with, not just'providing a service'. Obviously all
Chaplaincies provide an element of pastoral support
and this is a vital part of their mission on
campus. However, I know many people who've
drawn support not only from our Chaplains but
also from our community and for some, that's
why they're still at university and feel able to
complete their studies.
Chaplains are, of course, a vital part of any Chaplaincy.
They offer the Chaplaincy their wisdom,
expertise and pastoral support. The most effective
Chaplains I've seen have provided all these
things whilst also enabling students to form
communities to support this vital work and going
out into the university and engaging with
students in their own environment. For many
students, this is often the pub. I often wonder
how many deep, life changing conversations I've
had in church compared to over a cup of tea or a
pint with a good friend.
Our largely but not exclusively Christian community
has brought many to consider Christianity
in a new way. Our communion services have
offered people a taste of experiencing worship on
a smaller, more intimate scale and in a different
way to being part of a large church where it can
often be diff,cult to find your place. After finding
a home in Chaplaincy, some have decided to
become Christians, having a sense of belonging
before they believe. It is also important to me,
however, that non-Christians also continue to
feel welcome and not constantly feel like we're
trying to convert them. A community based
around simply telling people things that they
must then believe lacks a respect for individuals
who should be made to feel welcome. Some
have said to me that they've felt some churches
are only being nice because they wanted them
to become Christians, not because they valued
them individually and genuinely wanted to interact
with them. This, I think, is one of the main
challenges faced by Chaplaincies' How to provide
a space for Christians to meet, socialise and worship
on campus but being a community that is
inclusive of those who are not Christians.
A11 the people I've seen who've interacted with
the Chaplaincy community have grown as individuals
and often in faith. For me, Chapiaincy
has been a place to laugh, love, pray and learn'
It has helped me to find inner confidence that I
never knew was there and deepen my relationship
with God through seeing Him working
through other people. I hope that other students
will be able to experience Chaplaincy in this way
for many years to come.
22 . Movement . Autumn 2010

Capable of Perfection?
John Delap reflects on the value of faith in modern society
Articles
was raised in a Roman Catholic household,
I but I fell awav from the Church while I was
,t.rd"rr. t, *", a good many years before
^
J
I
I found myself warming to the idea of Christianity
again. My resistance was partially influenced
by the widely held (and loudly trumpeted) belief,
among the intelligentsia at university, that while
religious freedom ought to be paramount in a
secular democracy, those who chose to partake
were those looking for a reassuring "crutch" to
get them through the day. To be sure, I remain
utterly committed to participating in a diverse,
pluralist society where faith of all kinds can
flourish, but, at the same time, I have slowly
become convinced that coming to faith of one's
own can be far more freeing than the secular
alternative.
As a Roman Catholic, I am somewhat uncomfortable
reading and interpreting the bible for myself,
but in my journey back to faith I found myself
searching for passages which would convince me
of its worth. I often struggled with those passages
that come across as strongly worded commands,
which, at first glance, seem to leave little
to the imagination. One passage that struck me
with its seemingly severe tone was Romans, 12
1-2, which reads: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers,
in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God
- this
is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform
any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformedbythe renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God's
will is
-
his good, pleasing and perfect will".
A command to "offer your bodies as living sacrifices"
may sound rather scary, even threatening
to some ears. It certainly did to mine. However,
a more philosophical reading of this passage may
yield some useful guidance. If we understand
these verses as an exhortation to use our time on
Earth to serve our fellow human beings the text
may serve as a point of reference as we wrestle
with the age-old question of "Why are we here?"
Refusing to conform to the materialist "pattern
of this world" by using one's time and privilege
to focus on the vast inequalities faced by human
beings on this planet is, perhaps, the most freeing
action a human being can take. By doing so,
those nagging questions of purpose evaporate,
leaving us free to address the urgent needs of
our brothers and sisters without being weighed
down by our own selfish concerns.
Now I'm treading on thin ice. The language
of selfishness is exactly the sort of language
that used to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Of
course, nobody wants to be called "selfish," but,
in the search for freedom, it does no harm to
be reminded of the fact that we are imperfect
creatures. The final sentence of this passage underlines
the fact that, as human beings, we can
only "test... what God's will is" by doing what we
are capable of during our time on Earth. Human
beings are NOT capable of perfection. Only God
is capable of that. As such, Christians are freed
from the expectation of perfection. We can only
do what we can which, by God's good grace, will
permit us to keep "renewing our minds." This
is a profound understanding of freedom. Profound
enough, at least, to provoke this doubting
Christian into considering Christianity as freedom
worth a second look.
JohnDelapis a
Roman Catholic
livingin Dublin,
lreland. Originally
fiom New York City,
John studied at
the lrish School of
Ecumenics- He got
toknow British
SCM folkthrough
WSCF Europe, and
is now a regular at
British scM events.
Autumn 2010 . Movement. 23

Columns
Ten Propositions on Freedom
Propositions . Kim Fabricius
KimFabricius is a
New Yorker, a basebaII
fan and URC
chaplain at Swansea
University. Kim's
book, Propositions
on Christian
Theology: A
Pilgrim Walks
the Plank, is still
available.
ne. An intellectual history of Europe reformation ended in terror and tyranny
since the Enlightenment could be written
with the title "The Decline and Fall
of the Concept of Freedom". The nadir has now
been reached with the banality
of freedom as "choice". From
life-style and shopping, to
schools and hospitals, to our
bodies and death itself, the
mantra is "choice". Such an understanding
of freedom "presupposes
a blank will looking
out at a bundle of options like
goods on a supermarket shelf " (Rowan Williams)
A more vulgar anthropology is hard to imagine.
Two. Nor a more dangerous one: for "freedom
of choice" read "will-to-power" and social nihilism.
And all the more dangerous for the rhetorical
force of the word "freedom", with its claim
to ideological innocence and, indeed, quasireligious
righteousness. Here a hermeneutics of
secular suspicion is de rigueur but so too is a
-
hermeneutics of theological retrieval and reconstruction.
Three. Writing at the beginning of the Cold War,
Isaiah Berlin famously plotted a pre- to post-
Rousseau trajectory of freedom. Initially Berlin
"a blank will
looking out at a
bundle of options
like goods on a
supermarket shelf"
rcferced to these two types of liberty as the "lib- nonsense
eral" and the "romantic", the former understood
as the absence of obstacles to thought and action,
the latter understood as self-expression and -actualisation.
Later, in a seminal inaugural lecture
at Oxford in 1958, Berlin recast these concepts
as "negative" and "positive" liberty. Berlin did
not reject positive liberty as such, but he observed,
historically, a "strange reversal": what
began (for example in the French Revolution) as
Four. Berlin was attacked from both left and
right. The right resented his challenge to liberal
elites and disputed his
claim that the values of
freedom and truth may be
incompatible, and his insistence
that liberty should
therefore be disconnected
from projects of liberation.
The left argued that his
critique of self-realisation,
while right about Rousseau, was a distortion of
Kant; and that while on target about Stalinism, it
left laissez-faire regimes to run amok.
Five. Needless to say, theologians must look on
these internecine secular polemics with astonished
detachment. The scene really is Pythonesque.
How, we wonder, can these philosophers
be unaware of the elephant in the room? Because,
they think, the beast has long been banished to
the Reservation for Otiose Deities. But why the
enforced exile? Because they think that divine
and human freedom is a zero-sum game, an exercise
in irreducible agonistics. Because, in short,
they have a pagan notion of divine omnipotence
and presume the Trinity to be a mathematical
Six. Herbert McCabe (following Aquinas) : "God's
activity does not compete with mine. Whereas
the activity of any other creature makes a difference
to mine and would interfere with my freedom,
the actMty of God makes no difference. It
has a more fundamental job to do than making
a difference. It makes me have my own activity
in the first place. I am free.... Not free of him
(this would be to cease to exist), but free of other
24 . Movement. Autumn 2010

Columns
creatures. The idea that God's causality could
interfere with my freedom can only arise from
an idolatrous notion of God as a very large and
powerful creature -
a part of the world."
Seven. The inevitable and predictable upshot
of this oppositional understanding of human
and divine freedom is an antagonistic reading
of human freedom over against nature, other
individuals, and society as a whole. And thus the
"convention" of freedom as human autonomy,
pre- or post-Rousseau, personal or political, is
unmasked as "destructive of the very reality of
liberty which it seeks to uphold and defend....
What is required is a gospel-derived account of
freedom as that which creatures discover in fellowship
with the free, self-bestowing God made
known in Christ and in the Spirit" (John Webster).
Eight. The starting point for such an account
will be freedom as divine gift, the gift of me and
the gift of others. I am free to be the unique person
the Father has created me to be, freed by the
Son from the false self I have become, enslaved
to sin and death, freed for life in the Holy Spirit
who perfects human freedom. The Trinity sets
me free from self.-concern, above all the selfconcern
of. fear. But in the same dynamic movement,
the Trinity sets me free for other people,
given to me to love. Evangelical freedom is thus
not the "freedom" to do what I want. "What kind
of power would that be! Man becomes free and
is free by choosing, deciding, and determining
himself in accordance with the freedom of God.
The source of man's freedom is also its yardstick"
(Karl Barth).
Nine. Luther: 'A Christian is a perfectly free lord
of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly
dutiful servant, subject to all." The relationship
between freedom and obedience is not antithetical
but dialectical. Ben Quash suggests that Karl
Barth "wants the creature to have the obedient
embrace of freedom," while Hans Urs von
Balthasar "wants the free embrace of obedience."
Both, however, are agreed that the free creature
is characterised, above all, by joy and thanksgivirg
-
and by prayer and praise.
Ten. Finally, a theological account of freedom
must have not only a relational and social but
indeed a political dimension, a baptised version
of Isaiah Berlin's "positive liberty". The Old Testament
paradigms are the exodus from Egyptian
slavery and the return from Babylonian captivity.
In the New Testament Jesus reconfigures Isaiah
(of Jerusalem, not Berlin!) with his Jubilee
manifesto (Luke 4:18-19, cf .Isaiah 61:1-2). lhe
freedom of the children of God is more than political
freedom, but its telos cannot be less than
political freedom. When Western missionaries
translated the Bible into African languages, for
"redemption" they often used words that meant,
literally, "God takes the chains from our necks."
Libertas is a package deal even if the package
-
is finally unwrapped only in the civitas Dei.
v "The Creation
of Eve" by
William Blake.
Autumn 2010 . Movement. 25

Columns
L I Iv
ng
in the Real World
We Fought The Law . Symon Hill
SymonHillis a
freelance writer,
trainer, consultant
and teacher of
theology, and
associate director
of the thinktank
Ekklesia. His new
book, The No-
Nonsense Guide
to Religion, is ouf
now.
f you've ever campaigned for political change
J
I you've probably had someone tell you to "live
I in the real world". People say it to me all the
time, meaning I should accept the world as it is
and not try to change anything.
It is arrogant, as well as absurd, to look at society
in our own place, time and culture and say that
only this is "real". Supporters of capitalism tell
me I am unrealistic in wanting a different economic
system. But the banking crisis of 2008
was caused by the unrealistic lending of bankers
who seemed to live in a fantasy world of endless
money. "Real world" enthusiasts say that nonviolence
"doesn't work". They then defend violence,
which has been spectacularly not working for
centuries.
As Christians, we are called to a vision of the
Kingdom of God which is mindbendingly eternal
andyet thoroughlygrounded in the challenges of
everyday life. Jesus' teachings are realistic. They
are radical and
- to put it mildly -
easy to follow. But they are realistic.
not always
Jesus has been a profound embarrassment to
Christianity. The later portions of the New Testament
reveal a gradual move away from the radicalism
of a messiah who socialised with outcasts
and denounced the powerful. Slavery and sexism
are justifiedin Ephesians and lstTimothy (which
carry Paul's name, although most scholars believe
he didn't write them). In the fourth century,
the Roman Empire domesticated Christianity,
beginning centuries of Christendom in which
the church was allied with political and cultural
power. Arguments appeared to excuse Christians
from following the Sermon on the Mount
- it
was claimed that Jesus' ethical teachings apply
only to priests, that they relate to private life
but not politics or that Jesus deliberately gave
instructions we could not live up to as a way of
showing our sinfulness.
As Christendom fades in our multifaith society,
we have a great opportunity to look again at
Jesus, without being so compromised by wealth
and power. This does not mean Jesus'teachings
are straightforward or easy. We have to wrestle
with them thoughtfully and prayerfully.
Take Jesus' teaching, "If anyone hits you on the
right cheek, turn the other also" (Matthew 5,39).
Outrageously, victims of domestic abuse have
been told to endure it on the grounds of this
passage. Slaves were taught to accept beatings
because of it. At the same time, Christian politicians
have justified war by saying that Jesus was
speaking about private relations, not political
ones. These interpretations condone oppression
while encouragingits victims to accept it.
If I thought that Jesus had taught such things, I
would never follow him.
But who was Jesus speaking to? To hit someone
on the right cheek (with the right hand) requires
a backhanded slap. Backhanding in Jesus' time
was the way people disciplined supposed inferiors.
Slaves were backhanded by their "owners",
wives by husbands and Jewish civilians by Roman
soldiers. When backhanded, these people
could cower in submission, perhaps eventually
hating themselves as well as their oppressors.
lf I thought that Jesus had taught such things, I
26 . Movement . Autumn 2010
would never follow him.
)

Columns
Or they could resort to violence. Instead, Jesus
encourages people to assert their dignity and
equality by calmly facing the aggressor and making
clear that the attempt to humiliate them has
failed.
The message of Jesus does not conform to our society's
expectations. We are used to a choice between
violence and passivity, yet Jesus promotes
a third option of nonviolent resistance. We are
familiar with hero-worship, but Christ says that
the greatest among us will be our servants. In a
world that says we must be "successful", Jesus
calls us to leave behind the self that is defined in
terms of a hierarchical system, so that we might
find our real self fulfilled in God's kingdom.
treat all people as our equals, we testify to the
truth of human equality. When we manage to
live nonviolently, we demonstrate the truth that
nonviolence can work. Acts of repentance and
forgiveness witness to the possibility of meaningful
change, in people and in the world.
These truths are far more real than a reliance
on violence, the worship of markets and the
ephemeral moral preferences of our own culture.
As Christians, we have no choice but to stand
against society's priorities and seek God's help as
we work for change. This is because the dominant
values around are not only morally abhorrent but
also contrary to the reality to which Jesus calls
us. And I for one want to live in the real world.
Witnessing to truth involves acting in accordance
with the realities our society denies. If we
Autumn 2010 . Movemenl . 27

Reviews
'n' f,lE!f,EEf,EEG[EEl 'o
RELIGIOlI
Symon llill
The No-Nonsense Guide To
Religion o Symon Hill
,b,*
'Iales lhe dobale lo a fiigher. more
rerarding and insighllul lcYel'
liauddin Sardar
l{pw lnlprnition.liri
T',re had good experiences
I with the No-Nonsense
I
".rrd"
series. They provide
a short introduction to a
topic which is understandable
without prior knowledge
of the issue but is not dumbed
down. The No-Nonsense
Guide to Human Rrghfs was
great introductory reading
for a human rights module
I took last year. This guide,
written by Movemenf's own Symon Hill, tackles
the issue of religion. Considering how many
topics could come up in a guide to religion, the
guide does a good job of covering a wide range of
debates. It looks at variation inside religions and
between religions and how they deal with issues.
The guide conducts an interesting political, sociological
and philosophical analysis of religion
in areas ranging from freedom of religion to just
war theories.
The main message that the guide tries to convey
is that most common assumptions about religion
are wrong. Religion is not always people in
positions of power, claiming that only they know
the truth and oppressing anyone who disagrees.
What religions believe and how they interact
with society differs from place to place. This is
argued convincingly with examples taken from
across cultures which clearly illustrate the point.
If you've ever met someone who needed to be
persuaded of this then buy this book and give it
to them.
On the other hand, if you already have a decent
understanding of an area then some of the guide's
ideas may grate slightly. For me, the perspective
that truth and fact can be separated from each
other was a little annoying; however this view
could be appealing to someone who hasn't had to
sit through lectures on epistemology and ontology.
But even as someone who has studied some
of the topics covered in this book it still provides
an interesting take and a wider perspective on
each of the debates. It's a great pocket sized
introduction to the hot button issues of how
religion interacts with society, but don't expect a
deep drill down into any of the debates.
Tim Stacey
LGB Christians don't need
another book which rants
about their sinful state, nor
do they need an overly sympathetic
'comfort-book' that hides
many of the controversial facts
and opinions about homosexuality
and Christianity. Thankfully,
Living it Out is neither of the
Living lt Out o Sarah and
Rachel Haggor-Holt
above. This is a refreshingly honest
book which is neither an instruction manual
nor a bitter diatribe against either side of the
debate. This book draws from the personal experiences
of over sixty people as well as discussing
important biblical, and other, points. As such, it
is a must-have addition to the bookshelf of any
LGB Christian and their supporters as well as
people who wish to learn more about this important
issue.
28. Movement . Autumn 2010
ChloeYoung

Reflection
Night Prayer on Freedom
Adapted by Sarah Henderson from a prayer by Jo Merrygold and Sarah Armstrong
Something to listen to...
On arrival, make yourself comfortable and settle into a time of worship as we listen to a piece of music
Suggested music: World Turned Upside Down BiIIy Bragg
-
In 1649
To St. George's Hill,
A ragged band they called the
Diggers
Came to show the people's will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed
reclaiming what was theirs
We come in peace they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the lands in
common
And to make the waste ground
grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it will be
A common treasury for all
The sin of property
We do disdain
No man has any right to buy and
sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Spring up at their command
They make the laws
To chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship
The God they serve
The God of greed who feeds the
rich
While poor folk starve
Something to make us think...
We work we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to the masters
Or pay rent to the lords
Still we are free
Though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for glory
Stand up now
From the men of property
The orders came
They sent the hired men and
troopers
To wipe out the Diggers'claim
Tear down their cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed
But still the vision lingers on
You poor take courage
You rich take care
This earth was made a common
treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
A11 people one
We come in peace
The orders came to cut them down
One day they came and they took the Communists
And I said nothing because I was not a Communist
Then one day they came and they took the people of the Jewish faith
And I said nothing because I had no faith left
One day they came and they took the unionists
And I said nothing because I was not a unionist
One day they burned the Catholic churches
And I said nothing because I was born a Protestant
Then one day they came and they took me
And I could say nothing because I was as guilty as they were
For not speaking out and sayrng that all men have a right to freedom
On any land
I was as guilty of genocide
As you
All ofyou
For you know when a man is free
And when to set him free from his slavery
So I charge you all with genocide
Autumn 2010 . Movement . 29

Reflectron
Something to sing as we pray...
Oh, Freedom
Oh freedom.
Oh freedom
Oh freedom over me,
And before I be a slave
I'11 be buried in my grave.
And go home to my Lord and be free.
No segregation
No segregation
Something to read and reflect on...
A collection of quotations about freedom should be made available. Encourage participants to look at the different
quotes, select one that strikes them and hold on to it. If individuals are willing, they can read the quotes out.
Something to meditate oh,..
Please spend some time thinking about freedom and bringing your thoughts to God in prayer. Think about your quote
and those that you've heard. Listen to the music and read the lyrics if you want. This time will end with a guided prayer.
Suggested music: I Wish I Knew (How It Felt To Be Free)
-
No more segregation
Over me
And before I be a slave
I'll be buried in my grave.
And go home to my Lord and be free
No more weepin'...
No more shootin'...
There'll be singing...
Oh, Freedom...
Nina Simone
I wish I knewhow
It would feel to be free
I wish I could break
All the chains holding me
I wish I could say
All the things that I should say
Say'em loud say'em clear
For the whole round world to hear
I wish I could share
All the love that's in my heart
Remove all the bars
That keep us apart
I wish you could know
What it means to be me
Then you'd see and agree
That every man should be free
I wish I could give
All I'm longin'to give
I wish I could live
Like I'm longin'to live
I wish I could do
All the things that I can do
And though I'm way over due
I'd be starting a new
Well I wish I could be
Like a bird in the sky
How sweet it would be
If I found I could fly
Oh I'd soar to the sun
And look down at the sea
Than I d sing cos I know - yea
Then I'd sing cos I know - yea
Thenldsingcoslknow
I d know how it feels
Oh I know how it feels to be free
Yea Yea! Oh, I know how it feels
Yes I know
Oh, I know
How it feels
How it feels
To be free
Something to sing and inspire us...
Inspired by Love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,
informed of God's own bias, we ask him once again:
'How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long dare vain self interest turn prayer and pity blind?'
From those forever victims of heartless human greed,
Their cruel plight composes a litany of need:
'Where are the fruits of justice? Where are the signs of peace?
When is the day when prisoners and dreams find their release?'
From those forever shackled to what their wealth can buy,
the fear of lost advantage provokes the bitter cry,
'don't query our position! Don't criticise our wealth!
Don't mention those exploited by politics and stealth!'
To God, who through the prophets proclaimed a different age,
we offer earth's indifference, its agony and rage:
'When will the wronged be righted? When will the kingdom come?
When will the world be generous to all instead of some?'
God asks, 'who will go for me? Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome, will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?
Amused in someone's kitchen, asleep in someone's boat,
Attuned to what the ancients exposed, proclaimed and wrote,
a saviour without safety, a tradesman without tools
has come to tip the balance with fishermen and fools.
Something to release Lts...
Closing words ot apray{ are said,
30 . Movement . Autumn 2010

They who would give up an eesenliallibefty for
lern?orary eecurily, deserve neither liberay or
eecuritY
benja minFranklin
ltisnot thefactof libertybutthe way in which
lib ert y is exercised that ult'imately delerminee
wh eth er lib e rty it s elf surviv e s.
DoroahyThom?son
The only waylo make sure peopleyou agreewith can
opeakieto eupportlhe righte of peopleyou don't
agreewiih.
EleanorHolmes Norton
All religione, arf,s and gciences arebranches of the
same t ree. All these aepiratione are direct ed toward
ennobling man's life, lift ing it, from lhe sphere of mere
phyeical exist ence and Ieading the individual Iowards
freedom.
AlbertEinstein
None are so hop eleeely enelaved as those who t aleely
believelhey arefree.
Goethe
Freedom is not eomet'hingt'hat anybody canbe given.
Freedomis something peopletake, and people are ae
free as they want, t'o be.
JamesOaldwin
LiberLy without- learning ie alwaye in peril and learning
without lib ert y ie alw ays in vain.
JohnF Kennedy
And as we let our own li6ht shine, we unconeciouely
give other people permieeionto do Ehe same.
Aswe areliberaledfrom ourfear, our ?resence
auto m at ically lib er atee ot h er s.
MarianneWilliamson
Where the 1pirit, of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 CorinthianeS.lT
After I asked him whal he meant, he replied that
treedom consisted of the unimp eded right, t o get
rich,to usehis ability, no matber whatthe cost t'o
ot here, Ao win a dv ancemeni.
Norman Thomae
None who hav e alw ay s b e en f re e can under stan d the
terrible f aecinaling power of lhe hope of freedom to
t'hose who are nol free.
?earl9Buck
For you w ere called io f reedom, broihers and sist ers;
only do not use your freedom ae an opporl'unity for
self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to
one another,
Galatians5.13
You can only protecA your liberties in this world by
p r oteclin g t h e oth er man's f r e e dom. You can o nly b e
freeitl amfree.
ClarenceDarrow
W e s e ek e a c ?
e, kn owin g th at p e a ce is th e climat e of
lreedom.
DwighvD Eisenhower
Your lrue iraveller finds boredom rat'her agreeable
than painful. lt is the symbol of his libert'y ' his
exc es siv e f r e e d om. H e a c c eple his b o r e dom, when it
comes, not merely philoeophically, but' almosl with
pleaoure.
Aldous Huxley
Those who profeeo to f avour freedom and yet
depreciale agitalion, are people who wanl crope
without ploughing ihe ground; i,lhey want' rain wit"hou1"
Ihunder and lighl"lning; they wanl t'he ocean wilhout
the roar of itsmany waters.The etrugglemaybe a
moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be
boih. But it, must be a st ruggle. ?ower concedes
nolhing wilhout a demand; it never has and it' never
will.
FrederickDouglaee
The average man does notwanttobefree.He eimply
wanlstobe safe.
HLMencken
Freedom is what you do with what's been done lo you.
Jean-?aul1art're
A free race cannoi be born of slave mot'here.
MargaretSanger
It ie by the goodneee of God that in our counlry
we have these three unepeakably precioue thingo:
freedom of epeech,freedom of conscience, andthe
prudenc e to pr act'ic e neithen
MarkTwain
Liberty, t aking the word in it's concrete sense,
consist s in the abilily to choose.
1imoneWeil
There is a wonderful mythical law of nat'ure that'
lhe three lhingo we crave mosl in life
- happineee,
freedom, and peace of mind are alwaye albainedby
-
giving ihem Lo s ome o ne els e.
?eyton Conway March
It we do nolbelieve in freedom of speech for lhose we
deepiaewe do not'believeinit at all.
NoamChomekY
Give him no freedom in his youth,
and do notignorehis errors.
Ecclesiaslicus 30.11

IPrayers of freedomt
Tai z6 and SCM Gatheri I g
22-24th October 2O1 O
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St Peter's House Chaplaincy, Manchester
Join us for a weekend of prayer, workshops and
community in Manchester! Br. Paolo, who has been a
member of the Taiz6 community for thirty years, will be
with us to share his reflections on the theme of 'Prayers
of freedom'.
'Where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom'
(2 Corinthians 3.17)
Be part of something inspiring.
Friday: arrivals and registration (from 16.30), evening
meal and welcome.
Saturday: take part in workshops, small groups,
Bible study, volunteering and creative activities. The
main event (at 19.30) is a Taize prayer at Manchester
Cathedral.
Sunday: join with local churches for services in the
morning, followed by lunch and departures from St
Peter's.
Suggested contribution to cover costs e2O or ?25
(with C5 going to a travel bursary fund). Simple food
and accommodation will be provided. Travel bursaries
are available.
The weekend is open to all young people aged 1B-28,
and SCM members. 17 year-olds are welcome to
participate in the Saturday daytime programme. All
ages are welcome at the Cathedral prayer.
Get in touch if you can help with music, singing,
cooking, stewarding or workshops.
For more info and to book online please go to
www.movement.org.uk/taize or contact the SCM
office on scm@movement.org.uk / 0121 200 3355.
Please book early as space may be limited. Join the
Facebook page here: http://bit.lylscmtaize.
Taiz6 is an ecumenical monastic community in
France, made up of around a hundred brothers from
many different countries. They want their life to be a
sign of reconciliation between divided Christians and
in situations of suffering. For over 50 years young
adults have visited in large numbers for retreats and
youth meetings. Taiz6 chants are a form of musical
contemplative prayer popular throughout the world.
www.taize.frlen