Movement 113

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issue 1-13 | spring 2OO3

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MOVEMENI is the termly ma{azine

the Student Christian Movement,

distributed ftw of char{e to memberc

and dedicated to an open-mindd

expl o rati o n of Ch ri sti a n ity.

Editor: Liam Purcell

e: editor@movement.org.uk

Next copy date: 28 February 20O3

Editorial group: David Anderson, Liam Purcell,

Elinor Mensingh, Marie Pattison, Kate Powell,

Rebecca Hawthorne

SCM staff: Co-ordinator Elinor Mensingh; links

Worker Marie Pattison; Office Administrator

Rebecca Hawthorne

SGM office: University of Birmingham, Weoley

Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6LL

r (o121) 47t2404

f. (OL2L) 414 5619 mark faxes 'FAO SCM'

e: scm@movement.org.uk

Website: www. movement.org. uk

Printed by: Henry Ling Limited, Dorchester

lndividual membership of SCM (includes

Movement) costs f,15 per year (t1O if unwaged).

Subscription lo Movement only costs 97 per year.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in Movement

are those of the particular author and should not

be taken to be the policy ofthe Student Christian

Movement.

tssN o306-980x

Charity number 24La96

o 2003 scM

llevencnt

movement

feature:

introducinE

christianity

movement

reviews

platform David Anderson 3

newsfile 4

on campus 6

campaigns 7

diary 8

a headless chicken? Neil EIIiott 9

worldview: germany Ulrich Falkenha$en 70

disarmin$ actions Helen SteYen 72

celebrity theologian Matt Bullimore 73

small ritual Steve Collins 74

evangelism in a $lobalised world Tim Gorrin$e 75

marketing the gosPel 17

iourneying together John Vincent 79

radical discipleship Liam Purcell 2O

ties and binds Jim Cotter 2I

life in all its fullness? Niall Cooper 22

first among equals Claire Connor 24

if nobody speaks of remarkable things

by lon McGre$or 25

the beginning stages of...

by the PolYPhonic SPree 26

sweet sixteen directed by Ken Loach 27

a telling place by Joy Mead 28

shiP of fools 29

resources round-up 30

serpent 31

Have youl say - join Movement's editorial team

Movemlent is pui tog-etner by an editorial group including the editor, SCM staff, and student

representatives. There is a vacancy at the moment for a student representative on the group.

lf you would like to be involved in deciding the content and themes of Movement, and could

spare one afternoon a term for meetings, e-mail the editor at editor@movement.orA.uk.

Wanted! Articles, teviews, artwork

We want Movement to be as open as possible. All your ideas are welcome. Have you got somethind

to say? An issue you want explored? Ever fancied yourself as a writer?

Send your articles and ideas, or just your details if you'd like to write for us in the future, to the editor

at editor@movement.org.uk. All submissions will be considered by our editorial group.

platform

just war theory

ls the West waging a iust war, or iust a war?

Every time it looks like Western nations

are going to go to war, you get people -

often bishops who should know better -

who tell us that they think it is a just

war. But they don't often seem to say

what they think a just war is, other than

that they personally mean welland think

something must be done. People

arguing agaanst wars don't invoke just

war theory at all. But neither side seems

to understand what the theory is.

Just war theory requires that any proposed

military campaign fulfil seven conditions:

. There must be a just cause.

. The campaign must be declared as a

matter of last resort.

. The campaign must be declared by the

appropriate legal authority.

. The authority must have just intentions.

. The campaign must have a chance of

success.

. The consequences of the campaign must not

be worse than those of not campaigning.

. Only just means must be used in the

campaign.

We've had two debates in the past 2 years

over whether to go to war, first with Afghanistan

and then with lraq. What was worrying about

both debates was that proponents of the just

war seemed to believe that because the

campaign tulfilled the first condition (that there

was a just cause for war) and because they

believed it fulfilled the sixth condition

(something had to be done), it also fulfilled the

other fwe. Meanwhile, some of those opposing

the war seemed to believe that the only way to

deny that the conditions for a just war were

fumlbd was to deny that the attack on the World

Trade Centre was a just cause for any sort of

'action. (Whether it was a just cause for wa$ng

war on the Taliban is another question.)

It seems to me that if anything counts as a

just cause to go to war, then a direct

intentional attack upon innocent civilians is

such a cause. 'lnnocent' here means that the

civilians concerned are not directly engaged in

violent activity. lt does not matter whether or

not they are participating in or maintaining a

system that causes people's deaths: killing

them does not end the exploitation. lt is true

that Western policies towards the rest of the

world could be expected to provoke such an

attack: my GCSE geography textbook

predicted a terrorist attack L2 years ago. But

that is not to say that anybody deserved to die.

However, this still does not mean that the

other six conditions were satisfied. lt is not

clear that all the options for extraditing Bin

Laden were tried before going to war against

Afghanistan. lt is still not clear that the

consequences of the campaign were better

than inaction would have been: although the

Taliban were a fairly unpleasant regime and

Western newspapers were full of pictures of

women taking off their burqas with relief, it

seems that Afghans are still being threatened

by starvation, as well as by unexploded

bombs. lt is not clear that the campaign had

a reasonable chance of success: as I write,

Osama Bin laden is apparently alive and well.

Furthermore, while civilian casualties are

inevitable in any military campaign, the use of

just means requires that one sacrifice military

effectiveness to minimise civilian casualties.

But one cannot assess these claims properly

merely from the incomplete accounts in the

newspapers. The really troubling criterion is

that of just intention.

The requirement that war be waged with a

just intention is not a requirement that the

people going to war should mean well.

Everybody takes themselves to mean well. The

requirement means that those waging the war

should have a definite intention with which

they are going to war, such that once that

intention is realised they stop. lt was never

made clear what the intention in bombing

Afghanistan was. 'Ridding the world of

terrorism' is a definite end, with the problem

that it has no chance of success. 'Dismantling

Al Qaida' is also a definite end, although it's

not clear how far the campaign has achieved

it, given that Al Qaida is supposedly spread

through a large number of countries. As for

bringing Bin laden to justice, the campaign

has failed to do so, and no moves have been

made to establish an international court in

which he could be seen to be tried fairly.

Therc arc limits to just war theory, and with any

approach that applies rules withont refurcnce to

the people who will be directly aftcted by the

decisions made. But at least it is a start.

As I write, internationalweapons inspectors

are operating in lraq. I hope this means that

war will not be declared, unpleasant as

Saddam's regime may be. I

David Anderson

while civilian

casualties are

inevitable

in any military

campaign,

the use of

iust means

requires

that one

sacrifice

military

effectiveness

to minimise

civilian

casualties

rnember ot the rltovemert

edltorlal group

movementl3

NCWS

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new editor, new features

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This issue is the first produced by our new editor, Liam Purcell. We thank Julian

Lewis, now settling into life as a domestic goddess with his baby Melody Sunshine,

for his hard work as editor last year, and David Anderson for steppin$ nobly into

the breach as interim editor for issue 112.

Liam writes... Hi. Some quick

background: I graduated in

English Language and Literature

from Birmingham UniversitY in

L997, where a Buddhist tutor

introduced me to forensic handwriting analysis, t'ai chi

and, most importantly, publishing. I work in my 'day job'

doing design, production and editing on educational

websites, books and magazines for the publisher Christian

Education. But on Fridays, as my alter-ego Space Monkey

Productions, I do freelance design and editing work for

various small charities and a web design and music

company called Silent Space (www.silence.me.uk, if the

site's up by the time you read this).

And now I edit Movetnent as well. I already know the

magazine, as I've handled the design part of the job

alongside Julian and David for the last four issues. With

Julian's departure, I worked up the courage to take on the

whole job, and I'm enjoying the challenge.

quick guest'ons

What's your favourite Possession?

My PowerBook laptop. I like to pretend I'm not a geek because

Apple computers are for creative people. Honest.

What are you reading at the moment?

Doubts and Loves by Richard Holloway, as part of my crash

course in liberal and radical theolog/ and activism for this job!

What is your favourite film?

Clich6d studenty answer, I'm afraid - Withnail and /. And yes' I

can recite all thqbest lines parrot-fashion.

How do you relax?

I do a bit of t'ai chi and yoga, or offer myself as a practice subject

for my girlfriend, who's training in shiatsu massage. lt's a tough

job but someone's got to do it.

What's your favourite iourneY?

Going away on holiday with a car full of friends, camping

equipment and silly toys. The destination doesn't really matter.

What do you like most about yourself?

I have a calmer and more laid-back approach to life than some

people I've known.

I've already introduced a couple of changes: you'll find a

report on current campaigns that groups can get involved in

on page 7, and a round-up of recently published resources of

interest to SCM members on page 30. These will be regular

features. I want Movement to help SCM's membership around

the country by offering support for their activities and inspiring

them to get involved in bringing about changes in the world'

It needs to be a two-way process - we want your input'

Elsewhere in these pages you'll read about SCM's revamped

website. We're hoping that the site can support the

magazine by offering further resources backing up our

special features, to help you explore the issues further. And

we're planning an online discussion forum, which will offer

themed debates fired off by our features, and the opportunity

for you to respond to articles that excite or annoy you'

and discuss them with other SCM members around the

country. Comment, suggestions, criticisms and (especially)

new writing are, as ever, very welcome. Send all your

outpourings to me at editor@movement.org.uk. I

What do you dislike about yourselfil

I'm an idle slacker (see my answer to the previous question).

What's your favourite word?

It changes every week, usually to one I've invented myself.

Currently 'pendulumularity', which I'm sure should mean

something.

lf you could be someone else, who would it be?

President of the USA. Not that I really want the job or am qualified'

but it would be hard to do wome than the present incumbent.

When did you last cry?

Embanassin$y, while watching The Full Monty. ln my defence, I

was very tired and emotional at the time.

What are you scared of?

George Dubya Bush.

What do you never miss on W?

I like cult Channel 4 comedy like Spaced and Black Books'

Anything with Bill Bailey in it.

What music do you listen to most?

It varies enormously - from the Chemical Brothers and Bentley

Rhythm Ace to Spiritualized, Pulp, lndigo Girls, Tori Amos.

What pet hates do You have?

I'm a cantankerous old sod and witl grumble about anything.

Particularly advertising, the media and world politics'

4 |

movement

stop the war

As with mct potests, the number of

demonstratorc on the Stop lhe War

marcfi in September ditrercd wiHly

according to $rfio pu listened to

after the event. Scotland Yard

estimated ftat 4O,O(n peopb had

tumed ouq fut inqereed that figUrc

later to 150,0(n. On Sund4/, fte

Obsenry quoted tthe orgpnisers' at

250,000, while the Independent

quoted presumably different

organlses at 4(D,OOO.

To me, as one of those who gathered

at London's Embankment on 28

September for the march to Hyde Park,

one thing was clear - whatever the

dispute over quantity, the quality of

demonstrators was very diverse.

Protesters came from all across Britain

and included the UK lslamic Mission,

Socialist Workers, CND, the Scottish

Socialist Pafi, Saudi Arabia fuainst

War, lecturers, priests, trade unionists,

students and families with young

children. lt emerged that many people

were marching for the first time - a

powerful indication of the huge guff

between the govemment's support for

US-planned military action against lraq

and the wishes of people in Britain.

The message was clear - that an

attack on Bagfdad is not the way to

deal with Saddam Hussein's refusal to

complywith UN resolutions. The govemment's

dossier of evidence did not show

that the threat from lraq is any greater

now than 3 years ago, and those who

would suffer in the event of a war are

the lraqi people, who have already

suffered enough under sanctions and

dictatorship. There was also consensus

that American interest in lraqi oil

reseryes is not entirely coincidental with

the threat of military action.

At the time of writing, the UN Security

Council has just voted in favour of a

resolution which threatens'serious

consequences' if Saddam Hussein

does not disarm. These consequences

have not been specified, but American

and British leaders have not left much

room for doubt. So as time ticks away

for lraq, we must not let our guard

down. When the extremists push for

war, the moderates must be ready to

shout louder against it. I

f(ate Powell, Movement editorial glroup

NEWS

SGM AGM

On 16 November I was on a train at

stupid a.m. to get to Birmingham for

the AGM. There were those in our

chaplaincy who were convinced I was

mad, but 12 hours later I was equally

convinced they were the mad ones

for missing out!

The day started with a fascinating

address on inter-faith relations by Dr

David Thomas, an Anglican priest who

lectures in Christian-Muslim relations.

The AGM itself opened with reports

from the chair of General Council and

the Co-ordinator on the website, the

staff contracts and handbook, the stall

at Greenbelt, the Trade Justice

movement, and the annual conference.

The accounts were presented, and the

importance of every member taking an

interest in SCM was highlighted. Liam

spoke about Movement, and Silke

Lechner updated us on the world-wide

activities of the World Student Christian

Federation.

The elections for this year's GC and

its first meetlng were held, letting us

new members know what we had let

ourselves in for. A bit of a challenge

- let's hope we will rise to it!

The day finished in very sociable

style with cheese and wine. Many

thanks to SCM staff for organising a

great day - interesting, informatlve

and useful, but also great fun! I

Alice Grawford, SGM General Gouncil

the Cospel demands action

'Ghristian Aid?'The question was put to me accusingly, two months into my job as Student

Worker. 'Do you really think you are doing good 'aid' work if you are pushing Ghristianity

at the same time? Why can't you Ghristians just keep it to yourself.)'

I was speaking to

students at a

careers fair in

London, trying to dispel some of the

myths about the work of relief and

development organisations in

general, and Christian Aid in particular.

One look at the 'Christian' in the

title was all this guy needed to start

on a rant about how religion was the

source of all poor people's troubles...

'Actually, I'm not a Christian.'

'Oh,' he said. Funny how that

seems to quieten people.

'We work with people of lots of

different taiths. And we don't "push"

Christianity. lt's an important part of who

we are, and most of us are practicing our

taith through Christian Aid's wort. But

we are here to help end povefi.'

'So if you're not... then how come

you're working for...?'

It's a fair question... but kinda

obvious if you think about it. Loving

your neighbour. Respecting diversity.

Being inclusive. Even striving for

sustainability. These are values which

people here hold as central to

Christianity... and I figure they are

values that most people take to be

universal. Given that, how can

anyone not support Christian Aid?

To me these values, derived from the

gospel, require us to act, to speak out

against the inequality and suffering that

our neighbours experience. To what

extent do you agree? Enough, of

course, and I'm going to try to get you

to look at www.christian-aid.org/

worship and www.christian-aid.orgl

students, to try and encourage you to

act. Not enough? Well, hopefully you'll

give me another chance to explore this

idea (and persuade you!) in the next

issue. I

Patrick Dawes,

Ghristian Aid Student Worker

Look out fot Patilck's rcEulat cotumn,

$artlng In our rext tssue

movementl5

on campus

'{)tl gelrI)pLl.i

news from the universitY world

united and frghtin$

student campai$ners who attended the recent National union

of Students conference, along with others, includin$

supporters of the Gampai$n for Free Education, have come

together in a new student forum with the aim of developing a

broad campai$ning alternative in the student movement.

The Student Campai$n Forum have a website at

www.studentcamoaignforum.org.uk, where they set out their views and

goals. They say:

'We stand for:

. a campaigning, democratic union;

. fi€htin€lracism and fascism;

. solidarity with workers at home and abroad;

. against the privatisation of public services;

Wd@me to he Sar&tl C.mF g, Forun rebsile!

NEw! vistth€ ncw loruhs sedion.

sd6.#rlldEhn'b:orElG

d6lre6rdl)saw:ofttdd

. equality, civil liberties and human rights for all;

We're sorry that the anarchic black and red colour

scheme doesn't corne across on the printed page!

. a clean, safe, sustainable environment.'

They have discussion forums and details of upcoming events on the site. lf you're concerned about proposed

changes in the higher education sector, or just want to get involved in campaigning on other issues, it looks like SCF

could be a good place to start. We'll update you on future developments led by SCF, and other $roups such as People

and Planet, on the new regular Campai$ns page (see page 7). I

Uam Purcell, Movement editor

gfiassoots rcport: univercity of walest banSor

iUnty people came to hear Bishop John Shelby Spong, tot 24 years Bishop of Newark, New Jersey,

nunCn the Anglican Ghaplaincy lectures at the University in Bangor on Monday 7 October.

The God of the Bible is immoral and unbelievable, the brains at the church door?' There are different images in

Bishop said: a God who chooses some but not others, the Bible that we can use to talk of God: wind, love, rock'

who drowns his enemies in the sea, who abuses his son The footprints of God are not beyond the sky but in the

by demanding his sacrifice. This God is not worthy of bias in creation towards life, wholeness and consciousbelief.

A God who is seen as an invader from outside ness. He is beyond all images. We don't have to think of

and an examiner of all we do needs re-conceiving. lf him as a person. lf he is the source of life we need to live

God can interyene to help me why doesn't he interuene fully; if the source of love to love wastefully; if the ground

to help everybody? A God who does not interuene is of all being we need to make him more visible.

immoral. A God who cannot is not God.

We must get out of the stereotypical images of the past

We live the other side of Galileo, Copernicus, Darwin, not because they were wrong then but because they are

Einstein and Freud. Faith always changes its form and irrelevant now. Evil is not a condition into which we fell,

the church needs a wake-up call. Only in 1991 did the but is arrested development. Jesus challenges us to do

Vatican admit Galileo was rignt - almost 400 years too more than look to our own survival, the survival of our

late. We can explain miracles without the supernatural. tribe. He challenges our prejudices that exclude people

lf Jesus,ascended'into heaven we know he would not fromfullcommunitybecauseof their$ender,theircolour'

have gone anywhere but into orbit! There never was a their sexual orientation, and calls us to a new humanity.

perfecl creation. lt is evolving. Jesus does not rescue lhe Chaplaincy lectures have been launched in response to

fallen sinners but empowers a new humanity. 'l don't the events of 11 September 20o1: how can reli$ons and

want to be washed in ine btooO of anybody!' cuftures live peaceably togethef How can they be creative

Many reject the story because they reject the way we and credible in the 21st century? 'h was an excellent

have interpreted it. We need a new Reformation, a new begfnningl, saya the University Chaplain, Revd John Butler' I

Christianity for a new wortd. 'Do we have to park our

6lmovement

Anglican Ghaplaincy to the University of wales'

Bangor - an SGM'affiliated chaplaincy

campargns

cetrr)petigrt.J

faith and social justice cannot be separated

ln this new feature, we'll be reportingl on campaigns being run by SGM and other organisations:

campaigns on issues specifically related to student life, and on broader issues that we think concerned

Christians might feel moved to act on.

M E

tuople&Planet

People and Planet (www.peopleandolanet.org)

is a student organisation

running campaigns on a range of environmental and social

justice issues, often with impressive success. We encourage

you to get involved in their current campaigns:

Stop GATS, defend higher education

P&P is campaigning against the new General Agreement on Trade in

Services. GATS is being negotiated now in the World Trade Organisation,

and aims to open up a whole range of seruices to the WTO's free

trade rules and systems.

lf education is one of the seruices opened up in this way, public

funding for higher education could be made illegal as an 'unfair barrier'

to free trade, 'unprofitable' courses at universities could be shut down,

tuition fees would rise due to the need to compete, and academics

would have to rely on private funding, threatening their independence.

GATS could accelerate and lock in place the already alarming commercialisation

of education, which will be even more catastrophic in Africa

and the developing world than it will in the UK.

What you can do

P&P have prepared a detailed report on the implications, and now

aim to persuade the Higher Education Minister Margaret Hodge to

launch an impact assessment before signing higher education up to

GATS. You can co-operate with a P&P group or work in your own

group on the campaign, which has two stages:

. Get action cards from P&P, and send them to the Minister.

Pressure your Student Union and your lecturers' unions to get

involved too.

. Ask your university's Vice-Chancellor to write to Margaret Hodge.

All Vice-Chancellors have already received a copy of P&P's report

on GATS. P&P suggest you apply pressure to your VC by organising

a petition if necessary. lf that doesn't work, protest! P&P groups

nationwide will be arranging stunts and demonstrations in the runup

to ttge WTO's decision on GATS in March.

Kick the arms dealers off campus!

Many universities invest in arms companies, allow them to recruit at

graduate fairs, and even receive funding from them. ln some cases,

they may be investing in regimes which oppress international students

studying at those very universities. These are your universities, and

your tuition fees they're spending. They can be pressured to adopt

ethical policies in all these areas.

Trade tustice

Movement

SCM is a member of the Trade Justice

Movement, a group of organisations

concerned with the harmful impact of current

international trade rules on the environment,

democracy and the poorest people in the

world. The Trade Justice Movement calls for

fundamental change of the unjust rules and

institutions governing international trade, so

that trade is made to work for all. ln June

2002, the TJM organised the largest ever

mass lobby of Parliament, which was attended

by SCM members.

What can you do?

. Send a greeting to the new directorgeneral

of the World Trade Organisation,

asking him to make it more democratic.

See

www.tradejusticemovement.orE. ul

diary

5{ Fobrury

Sodd Rorpondbf,lly of/ln $c iortPrrollt f*cOftor

Spisska Kapitula, Slovakia

fhird seminar organised by the Gertral European Sub

Region ol the World Student Ghristian Federation. Plans

to establish a lorum for young people lrterested in

ecumenical, economic and Gertral European issues.

lf you would like to represert SGM at this evert, see

rvww. movemert.orq.uUdiarv.

8 Febntary

lnioFfrlli lppm*hc to fHcbn

Ammerdown Gonference and Retreat Gerte

An irter-faith day on the meaning and aims of mygticism,

its retevance to toda/s spiritual needs and tte

techniques and elqeriences of individuals and diflerent

laith groups.

t20 lincludes vegetarian lunch and relrcshmentsl

cr centre@ammetdown.org

21-Zl Fcblllty

S[oft.ild SptrlbellU

SGM's annual conference.

For details, see page 13 or

www. movemert,orq.uUAnnualGonf erenco.

21-2{ Flbrurt

Soilddild(201lil

The gathering ol the SPEAI( Network. A weekend of

ideas, vision, prayer and discussion, tollowed by a day ol

action: creative prayer and meeting illPs and other

decision-makerc.

E O2072494309

ei soeak@soeak.org,uk

r www.soeak.org.uk

rK, pftars for tIre sllmmer y&l

The Lingua Franca project is looking for voluntary teachers, who

are willing to:

. travel to Central or Eastern Europe during the summer;

. teach language tor 2-3 weeks;

. tearn and experience the history, religion and everyday life of

the hosting country.

The essence of Lingua Franca is that teachers, course organisers

and students mutually benefit from the language courses.

Teachers from different countries teach language for students in

Central and Eastern Europe. ln an ecumenical context, all pafticipants

share the histories and habits of their countries. As

'payment" teachers are fully hosted and get a unique insight into

the everyday life and cultural and religious traditions of the

hosting country.

The program was developed to help youth and students from

throughout the region learn with and from each other... break

down culturati tinguistic and historical barriers and help empower

young people to work together.

Experience a different kind of world!

Lingua Franca is a program of the World Student Christian

Federation, one of the otdest ecumenical organisations and one

of the few world-wide working student organisat,ons.

For more information and an application form, please contact:

WSCF Lingua Franca, c/o Evangelikus Egretemi Gyulekezet,

Maglar Tudosok Korutja 3, H-1118 Budapest, Hungary

e: wscf_lf@yahoo.com I Zsuzsa Rihay

LinElua Franca co-ordlnator

1{-16 ttdr

Wdkild TtlkWGclild

A weekend in the Sheffield inner city ashram. El0lore

some new realities; meet local actMsts and disciples; stay

with Ashram House memberc, ilo a toumeywalkabout.

ashram has produced lhe loumeyitrtroductory course to

radical Ghristianitv (see pages 19-201.

t40 lincludes accommodationl

Revd Dr lohn Vincent, Ashram Gommunity Office, 178

Abbeyfield Road, Sheflield 54 7AV

t0114 243 6688

15tfth

Prcar h Torrlr - llnfrfrhd Bntnll for tie girdt Todry

Maria Assumpta cedre, 23 Kensington Square' london W8

Pax Ghristi, the international Gatholic movement lor

peace, hold their fortieth anniversary conference'

t10 waged/tS unwaged

PilOrfttl Stlceplfs,Watfod Wry' llendon, Landon t{W4 4IY

20tl dt

Qdd Dryior tont

Ammerdown Gonference and Retreat Centre

Wth creative elements, sharing with others and time to

'be', find new strendh as lesus did in the desert.

t12 lincludes lunch and refreshmentsl

cg centre@ammerdown.org

7-13 lprll

USGF tttd ttc Ecunolcd llorunent - Dl*ovedlg our

rlotr ud looldlgto tltc ttttutt

fuand, Finland

The European Regional Assembly ol the World Student

Ghristian Federation. See unu&.EgyruIl9lc,l&Eiery

lor further details.

a date with Marie?

I am scribbling this as the 9.30 Virgin

train to Birmingham pulls out of

Edinburgh. I have just spent 3 days in

lovely Scotland meeting SCM groups at

Glasgow and Edinburgh. This is mY

favourite part of my job, not catching

trains in the freezing November fog that

is, but actually meeting SCMers.

So if you are planning your programme

and would like a visit from SCM it would

make my day if you were to get in touch. I

have visited lots of groups and you don't

have to be in a interesting city with lovely

art galleries for me to agree to visit. I can

turn up and chat to a group or bring a

workshop with me. My box of tricks

includes thought-provoking stuff on a wide

range of topics, including social justice,

body image, the environment, images of

Christ, mission, and many more.

Visiting helps me to keep in touch with

you and also to bring you the latest news

in what is going in the national movement.

For more details about my workshops see

www.movement.org.uldworkshoos or ring

OL21- 47t 2404 and chat to me about it.

And read about me in my guest starring

role in 'First among equals' on page 24.

8 | movement

headless chicken?

Where now for the Ghurch of England?

the church

As I write this, the Ghurch of England is

officially headless. Archbishop George

Carey, who has headed the church

through the ordination of women and

the decade of evangelism, retired at the

end of October, and Archbishop Rowan

Williams starts in January. Meanwhile,

the Church of England is wandering

around twitching like the proverbial

headless chicken (Proverbs 26:6).

Reform and the Church Society, along with

Forward in Faith, the right and left wings of

the church, are in a flap about Rowan's views

on homosexuality, among other issues.

lrrespective of his reassurances to them, they

are determined to find a liberal plot and are

in the of excludi themselves from

the church. A split of some sort seems

inevitable, then we can just remove the

entrails and roast the chicken.

I suspect there are two prime causes of the

problem - disappointment and (ssshh - are

the children in bed?) postmodernity. George

Carey was a big disappointment to the

evangelicals in the Church of England. They

hoped that now 'one of them' was in control,

everything would be OK. The NIV would be on

every lectern, the ASB would be binned, and

a revised BCP would bring us back to the

glories of our reformed foundation. But it all

went wrong. The decade of evangelism

promised much and delivered nothing.

Women got ordained (shock horror). Carey

disappeared from our TVs, and the future king

got divorced and wanted to be the Defender

of Faiths. Society kept turning away from the

church.

ln many ways George Carey was the last

modern arChbishop, and in that he 'fails'

because society has become a postmodern

one. The conseruatives in both wings of the

church see a liberal in Williams, maybe

because he is a theologian. They are wrong.

Rowan Williams is the first postmodern

archbishop of the Church of England. He is a

poet (even his name is poetic) and a prophet.

He accepts difference, but stands clearly for

his own deep understanding of faith. I believe

he understands the fundamental change that

has happened to our society. The issues that

the conservatives have are the issues of the

modernist with a postmodernist. (See the

critique of Rowan Williams'theology by Garry

Williams, tutor at Oak Hill College, London, at

www. lati mertrust.or9theology:of . htm.)All th is

makes me sure that Rowan Williams is exactly

the right person to help the Church of England

at this time of change. The next few years will

be very painful in the Church of England. We

will continue to shrink and lose both prestige

and finance. Failure will be an increasing part

of our experience. Major splits will occur. We

will not just feel like headless chickens but

trussed and roasted chickens. But out of the

fire and suffering, we may discover that we

are not a chicken but a phoenix. I

Nell Elliott

society kept

turning

away from

the church

Rowan Williams,

fully kifted out

to lead a beheaded

chicken into the future

. Noil Elllott is AnElllcan

chaplain at the Unlvelalty

of Gentral England

movement | 9

worldview

yv orl -,1 vie yY

reports from other student Christian movements

The German student Ghristian

movement, the ESG, was founded as

the Deutsche christliche Studentenvereinigung

(DCSV) in 1895. The DGSV

became part of the World Student

Christian Federation (WSCF) in the

same year. Since the DGSV oPPosed

the so-called 'force into line' of the

Third Reich, it was prohibited in 1938

by the Nazis. The colle$e groups

sought protection from prosecution

under the cloak of the institutionalised

Protestant churches. During this time,

the name'Evangelische Studentenge'

meinde' (rouglhly translated,

'Protestant Student SocietY')

developed. After the war, the 'Evan$elische

Studentengemeinden' of

individual college groups drew to$ether

as the successor organisation to the

DCSV, under the name 'Evangelische

Studentengemeinde in der Bundesre'

publik Deutschland' (ESG).

The ESG understands itself as a

community of lesus Ghrist and lives out

the liberating message of the Bible

Secrelary

Generrl

Office

Working

E*,tr

General

Assembly

ESG

Council

about 150 local SCMs in GermanY

Society

Assembly

ofKED

scholarship

holders

Student

Other

Regional

* Assemblies

Assemblies

Until 1967, this ESG existed as one organasation

in the two German states. ln 1967'

the organisational separation of the ESG'

into one organisation in West Germany and

one in East Germany, was decided and

carried out, without giving up the inner unit.

Up to the year 1989, narrow relationships

existed between the two organisations'

which were both members of WSCF. With the

union of the two German states the prerequisite

for a union of the two SCMs was

achieved.

The ESG fights for iustice'

peace and Protection of

Greation. lt works in an

ecumenical context

Shaped through German history, until

1945 the ESG always committed itself in a

politically progressive and critical wdY,

working outside the church. The special

situation in Germany after 1945 caused the

organisation to develop differently in East

and West. While the ESG in West Germany

kept sight of its autonomy outside the

church in the context of the student

movement of 1968, the ESG in the East

looked for critical proximity. However, basic

democratic elements were preserved in both

organisations.

The ESG understands itself as a

community of Jesus Christ and lives out the

liberating message of the Bible' lt fights for

justice, peace and protection of Creation. lt

works in an ecumenical context. lt is open to

everybody but not to everYthing.

Today about 150 groups ('communities')

are members of the ESG. Each group is

autonomous. The ESG is supported by group

members, the EKD (Protestant church of

Germany), and the government. The ESG is a

member of many other NGOs and involved in

a lot of activities, for examPle: >

10 lmovement

worldview

. Campaign for Clean Clothing - fair trade

of textiles and textile production in

accordance with human rights;

. Adivasi-Tee-Projekt - supporting a teafarm

for native lndians;

. CANAAL - Camerun-Namibia-Allemagne-

Project;

. International meetings;

. Ecumenical meetings and seminars;

. Seminars and conventions on different

topics relating to church and society

(violence in the Bible, development

politics, Europe, gender-gay issues, and so

on). I

Ulrich Falkenhagen

Secretary General of the Evangelische

Studentengemelndo in der Bundesrepubllk Deut3chland

{

rto

! 0b wscF !

Europe 04

gt Q'lrl trro'

SCM and the ESG are

both members of

World Student Christian

Federation Europe

The red cockerel

symbol of the ESG

Some different meanings of the red cockerel are

. The cockerel is a biblical animal which reminds Peter in the New

Testament of his betrayal of Jesus. ('Before the cock crows you will

have denied me three times.') Thus the cockerel warns the church

of betrayal, and shows it when it is rejecting Christ by its actions. We

should not talk our way out - neither in small matters ('That's not my

job', 'The responsible authorities should take care of that') nor in big

matters, where fear of people leaving the church often blocks the

solidarity with the poor and oppressed which is demanded by the

gospel. The cockerel should admonish us, but also we - as a critical

parish - need to admonish our church.

. The cockerel is well-known as the weathercock on church

steeples, where it shifts with the wind. Maybe the church 'trims its

sails to the wind'. But with the cockerel it is completely different.

It turns with its head against the wind: it crows always against the

wind! The cockerel should remind us to be suspicious of opinions

we are told to be normal and prevailing. We must clearly fight the

'normal'xenophobia and become active, for example.

. ln the age of Reformation 'the rapacious gang of peasants' (Martin

Luther) placed the red cockerel (fire) on the roofs of the lords they

were oppressed by. Whose side was Jesus on at the time, when

Luther was on the side of the lords? Whose side is he on today in

Latin America, in Africa, Asia, in all the issues of our 'two thirds'

society? ... Whose side are we on?

An open doo(? Migration in a European context

What do you think of when you hear the word migration?

Bnin dnin to the States - Aussie nurses and Indian computer technicians - Vbtnames e boat people - Refugiees

trn,pped in the Channel Tunnel - Voucherc - Asylum Seekers - Fortness Europe - Green Card - lnter-religious dialogue?

llout mary of your fan$y tnentets or tien& are 'lIXPlo Bitbtr' (or Webh, or Eglish, whatever) in ttre bt ttree generatiors?

Did any of your family emigrate abroad? ls Britain 'abroad' for you?

ls'economic' miglration more ot less important than 'political' migration?

Why do so many people want to settle in Britain? Why do people want to leave?

How important is Britain's past as a colonial empire for us today?

Ibputt**tHslteBiE*l ban ishtd,lrecan be tnrecfiocydontr,tipue leth? ()rdoes itglue us morcresporcllt1B

Did you know that in the 193Os Britain made it difficult for German Jews to immigrate?

Do you know how many Brits have grandparents who settled here because of the Second World War?

! aca

Action Reconcfratin Sentice

for Feace isthe UKbrancfi da

@rnn l{@ set up b sed(

rcconciliation with ofter

onties afterthe Secod u/ofi

!a lAhr. ln &itain tt€y hehed to

tebuf,d Itlo

Corcnuy Caffedral, fur

e.amplq and tpir UK otrce b

Contact: Anne Katrin Schef$uch, ARSP, 7 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 sES

t: O2476 222 487 . f: O24766:1 14 48

e: anne_katrin_scheffbuch@compuselve.com

movement | 11

rc$/ rpc to the cathedral.

ARSP annually sends about 150 long-term

volunteers to countries which were affected by

Germany in World War !1. Presently our volunteers work

in Bel$um, Belarus, the Czech Republic, France,

Germany, lsrael, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland,

Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The volunteers are mostly aged between 19 and 26

and work in a wide variety of organisations, where they

do work such as caring for survivors of the Holocaust

living and working with people with special needs oi

with refugees, community work, Holocaust education.

ln the UK ARSP currently has a group of thirteen

Polish and German volunteers.

A weekend seminar

All these stereotypes, images and questions are important. You have the

chance to think about the truth behind them. lf these questions interest

you, come to the seminar on migration organised by Action Reconciliation

Service for Peace (ARSP). The seminar will take place on 24-27 May next

year, probably in South Wales. As well as British students, the participants

will be young people from Germany and Poland who are currently working

on year-long volunteer projects in the UK. Their work ranges from

mediation programmes in inner city areas or the minimum wage campaign

(see page 221, to running the touring exhibition about Anne Frank that you

might have seen on your campus. Together we can address all aspects of

migration from our different European conteKs - on this island and on the

continent as EU members or candidates.

And even if you can't come to the seminar, all those questions we started

with should be more than enough for you to run a workshop evening in your

SCM group...

=-a

disarming acttons

disarming actions I

helen steven

A challenge too far

despenmftefiy

meed fi'trrtrt]F"e

wild folk

with

e hafllemgimg

lifestyles

. This is Helen Steven's last

column, as she is moving

on fYom the Scottish

Centre for Non-Violence to

work with the lona

Gommunity. We thank her

for all hev challenging

witingi in Movenlent, and

wish her every success itr

her new role. FYom next

issue, we will be featudng a

new column on activism'

written by Christian Aid's

Patrick Dawes (s€e page 5).

Sometimes we take the ProPhets for

granted and totally underestimate just

how wild and uncomfortable they really

were - including Jesus of course. John the

Baptist confronted the decadence of

Herod's lifestyle at the cost of his life. Or

take Jeremiah for example. People don't

get shoved into miry pits for being polite

around authority. Nor is one crucified for

being kind to little children and healing

the lame. They were all different to the

point of being not only uncomfortable, but

an actual threat to the established order.

Wherr John the Baptist's disciples came to

ask Jesus whether he was the one John had

foretold, Jesus asked them what they had all

gone out into the desert to see. What were

they expecting? Almost certainly not what

they got. A wild hairy man, living on an

unusual diet, who ranted at them all' telling

tlrem they were a bunch of snakes.

John the Baptist called people to repent. And

he was specific in the actual practical lifestyle

changes that people could make' Repenting

means turning again, giving up the old ways'

being radically different: stop cheating on your

tax returns, stop exploiting the poor, if you have

two shirts, give one away. So where is the difference

from our present day demands to drop the

debt, to scrap the IMF and the World Bank?

Except perhaps that it is not so much a question

of shirts any more - rather houses, cars,

estates, and the GNP of whole countries. A call

to change our destructive ways, such as was

made and ignored at Kyoto. 60,000 people are

flying to the World Summit at Johannesburg' To

wlrat end? How many of these are representa'

tives of vested interests determined to hold

back any change that might save the planet, but

damage their profits? We desperately need

more wild folk with challenging lifestyles.

Jeremiah was an out-and-out traitor to his

people. At a time of national disaster he got up

and told folks that they had it coming to them,

that worse would happen unless they turned to

the paths of righteousness. lma$ne Jeremiah

going public to the media on 12 September and

saying that the chickens were coming home to

roost for the rich countries of the capitalist

world; that this was just the beginning of the

terror they could expect. I suspect it migltt be

classed as un-American activity, insensitive to

the point of brutality, and downright treason.

Our world is being dragged to the brink of one

of the most dangerous times in its history to

serve the interests of corporate America, with

the UK following closely in its wake' What must

it be like for an lraqi citizen to hear daily a

discussion as to whether or not her country is

going to be brought to its knees, bombed to

oblivion? lt has been su€gested that Britain's

Trident nuclear submarines be deployed in the

Gulf, so that should the 'nuclear threshold' be

crossed, it will be Britain that becomes the prime

target and not the US. For many years now US

Strategic Air Command has been talking about

'full-spectrum dominance' of space, so that

targets can be pinpointed anywhere in the world

from space. This programme depends on the

telecommunications base at Fylingdales in

Yorkshire for its effectiveness.

So what are we doing about it? Recently I

heard of a Puerto Rican woman called Alexandrina

who protested at her home in Vieques being

used as a bombing practice range. She was

sentenced to 35 years in prison for anti-

American activities. At the present moment the

nofth coast of Scotland is being used for the

same purpose. So why are we not filling up the

jails? Where is our un-American activity? And let

us not stop at bein$ un-American, it is time we

were seen as being actively opposed to British

government policy. We can start with the letters,

but we cannot let it rest there. We can join the

Pledge to Resistance should war be declared on

lraq. We need to oppose injustice and wrong

until it hurts.

ln previous articles I have referred to Jesus'

direct action in the Temple, overturnin$ the

tables. lt is only in the last week after studying

with a colleague of Walter Wink that I began to

realise the tull extent of the Temple Riot. Firstly

the sheer size of the court of the Gentiles in the

Temple in Jerusalem was about three quarters of

a mile long, by half a mile. lt says that Jesus

stopped anyone from carrying anything across it!

How on earth did he do it? How did anyone

notice a few tables being kicked over in a corner

of such a huge area? How did he make himself

seen and heard? lt must only have been

because many other people joined in and it must

have become a full-scale riot, to the point where

he couldn't be arrested because of the crowd.

However, in spite of their challenging

behaviour, in spite of their uncomfortable words,

people still flocked to see these prophets. They

must have been attractive people, fun to be with'

living the life of God's kingdom to the tull. These

are the kind of people we are called to follow.

'Christians should be without fear, happy, and

always in trouble' (D Steere). I

L2 | rrovenrent

celebrity theologian

1*.,p

:iG

.+-,

2a't

-rt

Celebrity

Theologian

lohn Milbank

Who is he, and what does

he do?

The Francis Ball Professor of Philosophical Theology at

the University of Virginia. Previously, he was a Reader in

Philosophical Theology at the University of Cambridge.

What has he written?

He did his doctoral worl< on the ltalian thinl

small ritual

small ritual I

Whose story?

steve collins

Whose story

does the

music in

your church

embody -

your own,

or someone

elsets?

lf someone

elsets,

whose?

. Steve Collins is a wtiter

and web designer in

London, and is involved

in alternative worship

Since recorded music was invented a

century ago, all kinds of music have

become available to all of us. For the

first time in human history, we can

have any music we want, whenever

and wherever we want. We choose

from the $reatest varietY of music

available to any society in history. But

our choices are lar$ely determined by

which story we want to Put ourselves

into. Every genre of music embodies

and evokes its own story of social and

personal identity. ln listenin$ we take

part in those identities, even if only in

imagination. Rejection of music is

often about rejecting the identity it

weaves.

But if music embodies life-story, what

about the music in church? Whose story

does the music in your church embody -

your own, or somepne else's? lf someone

else's, whose? Thinking in terms of lifestory

takes us beyond the usual arguments

over 'good' and 'bad', 'contemporary' and

'traditional', and helps us see why musical

style and change are such fraught issues in

churches. The music we use in church can

be a potent representation of our story to

God. lf the music does not represent us,

belongs to another story, we could be

alienated at the point where we most need

connection.

The story embodied in our chosen music

is often an inner story that circumstances

will not allow to be expressed in any other

way. lf this is so it's all the more important

for us to use that music in our dealings with

God, for honesty and freedom's sake. lf we

can do this, church becomes a space of

liberation, where our hidden selves can be

expressed to God and to one another. We

can recover our sense of who we are, and

find strengfh to resist the pressures to be

otherwise.

But the musical menu available in most

churches is very limited by comparison to

the world outside. The music itself isn't

necessarily bad, but the chances are it's

alien both in style and in the way the music

is used. ln limiting the forms of music that

are permitted, churches limit the life-stories

that are permitted expression. Often it has

been forgotten that every story was

someone's story at some time in history'

and churches lapse into essentialism'

saying this story is the only story for

Christians, and to be a Christian you must

walk in it. ln cultures where there are few

musical stories this may suffice as an

argument, but in our own culture we are

aware of a great many musical stories, and

have already placed ourselves somewhere

among them as a part of our growing up.

Story isn't necessarily about following a

single genre. Mostly we weave several, and

creatively appropriate music from

seemingly different storylines into our own.

Nor is it just about musical style, which is

why Christian substitutes 'in the style of'

don't always work. We expect artists to live

up to the stories embedded in their music -

in short, credibility. lt's been said that the

job of the artist is to go through extreme

states on our behalf, so that we can work

through these things vicariously and

survive. lf so it's no wonder that 'Christian'

exercises in decency and moderation failto

heal us.

ln the light of all this, churches need a

much more complex approach to music

than they have generally demonstrated.

Music in this context is a means of

communication and expression between

ourselves and God. lf the music we use in

church represents us, then communion with

God takes place within our own story. And

since the music of our own story runs

throughout our lives, when we discover how

to make communion with God in it in one

place it can, potentially, be a vehicle for

communion with God anywhere, anytime

else. Church is no longer an event outside

our storyline, but an event within it.

I've discussed the issue of life-story in

terms of music, because music is its most

potent carrier in our society, and we all

understand the dynamic. But it's worth

asking the question of all aspects of

church, the liturgical, the visual, the

theological - whose story is this? lf not

mine, whose? Can I take it for my own' or

would it be a charade? And what would it

look like if re-embodied in my story? I

14 | movement

feature: i ntrod uci ng christian ity

introducin$,

christianity

Our feature this issue explores the various courses currently available which try to

introduce non-Ghristians to the church or to Ghristian belief.

The aim of all these courses is essentially to create new Ghristians - although, as

we'll see, different courses may create different kinds of Ghristian! The idea of

evangelasm, in this form or any other, can be problematic in our multicultural

society. So we start with a piece by theologian Tim Gorringe, exploring the deeper

implications...

evangettbm in

a €Iobattbed world

Can we spread the gospel whilst still respecting difference?

When delegates met in Edinburgh in

1910 for the lnternational Missionary

Conference, they were clear that their

agenda was 'the evangelisation of the

world in this generation'. No qualms for

them: the map was coloured red; the

sun never set over the British empire;

humankind was visibly caught up in the

great leap forwards, and the Christian

gospel had to leaven that. What

followed we all know: two world wars,

the Holocaust, and then the carving up

of the world for the profit of the multinational

corporations. As we approach the

l00th anniversary of that conference,

we are in a different world. ln this brief

article I willjust haghlight two points of

difference. First, though imperialism

remains a fact of life, there is a greater

cultural self-confidence on the part of

all humankind's constituents than there

was at that earlier time. We recognise

this in speaking of 'multiculturalism',

the demand that difference be

respected, and the insistence that

there is no Archimedean point from

which all standpoints can be assessed.

Does this mean, then, that evangelism

is just Western arrogance? The question

is serious, and posed to Christians by

many critics.

A sensitive response to this question has

been developed by the Jesuit Michael Barnes.

The heart of his proposal is to understand God

as involved in the experience of otherness.

We are all familiar from Matthew 25 with the

idea that we encounter God in our neighbour.

ln Barnes'terms, God is'the primary Other'. lf

that is the case, then openness to God means

openness to others, and this is at the root of

any Christian theolo$/. The aim of encounter

cannot be conquest or conversion. lt is simply

genuine meeting, the situation in which I

genuinely hear what the other has to say. This

is always fraught with difficulty, and never

perfectly realised. ln every kind of meeting we

always find ourselves in a 'broken middle', a

relationship which is always under negotiation.

Thinking of relationship like this, argues

Barnes, allows us to imagine a situation

where we can be passive in the face of the

other without being crushed by them. He

suggests that this is what we find in the

famous 'Christ hymn' of Philippians 2 which

speaks of Christ 'taking the form of a slave',

but accomplishing redemption precisely by

doing so. Christian theolory is rooted in the

story of the God who is Emmanuel, the Word

spoken in the 'broken middle' of the world,

who still goes on speaking through the spirit

which leads the disciples into all the truth.

What they share is what God can do in and

through human weakness. This is one form of

Christian mission in a multicultural world.

What about the situation of the imperialism of

the multinational corporation, backed up by the

might of US firepower? How does that affect our

concept of evangelism? Another Jesuit, Aloysius

Pieris ftom Sri Lanka, argues that evangelism )

Tim Gorringe

openness to God means

openness to others,

and this is at the root

of any Ghristian theology

movementl15

feature: introduci ng christianity

means quite centrally addressing a society in

the thrall of materialism, of Mammon. ln Jesus'

he argues, the irreconcilable antinomy between

God and Mammon and the irrevocable covenant

between God and the poor are made flesh. True

evangelism is to live this out in fellowship with

the authentic spirituality and liberative

dimensions of other reli$ons. Note, evangelism

does not mean in the first instance displacing

True evangelism is to live in fellowship

with the authentic spirituality and

liberative dimensions of other religions

. Tim GorrinEle has wotked

in parishos' taught

theology in south lndia'

worked a3 a college

chaplain ln Oxfold' and

lectuled at St Andrewg

and Exeter, where he is

now St Luke's Plofeseor

of Thoological Studies. He

was chaptain to SCM ln

the 1970s.

other reli$ons. On the contrary, Pieris argues

that each of the great reli$ons has its own

version of the Sermon on the Mount, the Truth

that sets us free from being tied to things that

cannot $ve us freedom. The Asian churches (but

why just the Asian churches?) have to experience

solidarity with non-Christians by witnessing

to the spirituality common to all reli$ons (by

practising the Beatitudes); and reveal their

Christian uniqueness in proclaimingJesus as the

new covenant by joinin$ the poor against

Mammon's principalities and powers that create

poverty and oppression. ln a $obalised world, I

would argue, that is as true in London,

Birmingham or Glasgow as in Colombo'

The attempt to serve Mammon, whether or

not in the name of God, is the decisive marker

of what is not of God's Spirit. Whatever frees

us from Mammon is of the Spirit. We experience

solidarity with such anti-Mammon forces

and we proclaim Jesus as the new covenant in

solidarity with the Poor.

lf this is a true account of evangelism it

follows that mission campai$ns which rely on

huSe quantities of money, or on the strength

of imperial orders, are confiadictions in

terms. What it actually means to make

disciples of nations is to baptise them into a

spirituality of nonacquisitiveness and

nonaccumulativeness which guarantees a

healthy, ecologically balanced sharing of our

resources. The cross is not, as it is for much

Protestant preaching, 'the price for sinners

paid' but the price fixed by the rich who refuse

to be evangelised by the poor. 'lf one day we

truly take up this cross as a body and go

underground and pay that price for the sake

of our intimidated masses, that day the world

will see the miracle it is yearning to see' a

church which has been evangelised by the

poor, and therefore, a church that has

become Good News to the poor, as Jesus

was'. As each religion discovers that in the

other which liberates from acquisitiveness it

discovers and renames itself precisely in and

through encounter.

Pieris warns that the liberating spirituality of

the religions is gradually being extinguished

by the wave of capitalistic techniculture that

has begun to shake the relisious foundation

of all cultures. 'The market economy (which

thrives on the quest for profit) and

consumerism (which plays to our accumulative

instinct) have enthroned Mammon where,

once, the human Person and the human

community as well as the earth on which we

live, were the sole beneficiary'. This is, I

believe, the key perspective in any contemporary

theoloSl of evangelism. Gospel is good

news, and this has to be addressed to the

situation of the day, in our case one where

the possibility of the continuance of life as we

know it is threatened by the rapacity of

present economic practices, as '2,000

concerned scientists' warned in 1996.

Reviewing my ATheologr of the Built Environ'

rnent, which examines these claims, John

Macquarrie dismissed it as the work of 'an old

fashioned Christian Socialist'. The question

we are left with, though, is what the gospel

can be today, other than a warning and a call

to repentance in the name of the God of life?

Evangelism in our context is, as it was for the

prophets, a sombre business, and it is

certainly not primarily about getting more

bums on pews. lt is, as it has always been, a

callto repentance, but not one which is made

in competition with other religions. On the

contrary, its primary concern is obedience to

the God of life, and engagement with all that

makes for death. I

Tim Gorrin$e

Movement 113

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