_ "s/
Career options
for Afts students
1r'
,. ..i
: .',
ftIOUEIIIENT Publisations take
on the subiects that others
would rather brush undcr the
Cafpel...
MOVEMENT Publieations rePresent
a pioneering approaeh ts ehristian
understanding. They use their
independ ence to explore issues on
the eutting edge of faith with the next
generation of Christian thinl
Morag Foster explains her retuctance reveal that she was a Christian in recent
University elections. Does the [abe[ 'Christian' do more harm than good?
How much do others reatty need to know about you?
Stand u
an
e categorfsed
trffi"v*r*,ffii#'
becoming a bit of a political prostitute.
People I hadn't seen for weeks became
suddenly fascinating; I went to every
obscure society that I'd joined six months
ago and faked faithful attendance. I even
went drinking in the Union for a couple of
nights.That wasn't the major struggle of the
last fortnight, though. What bothered me
the most was how much the voters needed
to know about me. Was it wise to come out,
and did they need to know that I'm a
Christian?
It's an interesting debate. Someone
once told me that coming out as a Christian
in the gay community carries almost as
I don't buy the lie that students
are open-minded, compared to
the rest of the poputation.
Most of them are just younger.
much stigma as coming out as gay in the
church. My experience to date has tended
to find the gay community a little more
hospitable than the church, but I know
that's not true for everyone. However, this
University is neither the church or the gay
cornmunity. And I don't buy the lie that
ffi
lssue 109
Summer 1999
Moyement is the
termly magazine of
the Student Christian
Movement, distributed
free of charge to
members and
dedicated to an openminded
exploration of
Christianity.
students are open-minded, compared to the
rest of the population. Most of them are just
younger. I study in a fairly rural area, in an
institution that is known for its sports based
courses, a place that's not particularly gay
or Christian friendly. I had the feeling that
mentioning
either
attribute
wasn't
going to go
down too
well.
I came out
at hustings
in the end,
by accident. I was asked for the one person
who I would take to a desert island. I
answered honestly. Some people applauded
but the atmosphere in the room changed. I
wasn't sorry I'd done it, but I don't doubt it
affected the final result. ln the end, I never
mentioned my faith. I could argue that it
Edltorlal address
22 Dowanside Road,
Hillhead, Glasgow.
G12 gDA
r (0141) 334 7169
e: movemag@aol.com
SCM central office
Westhill College,
14/ L5 tffeoley Park Road,
Selly Oak, Birmingham.
829 6LL
r (0121) 47!2404
t: (OL2L} 474 125L
e: SCM@charis.co.uk
movement 1
Editor: Tim Woodcock
Editorlal board: Diccon Lowe,
Stephen Matthews, Sara Mellen, lrfan
Merchant, Carolyn Styles
SCM staff
Coordinator - Carolyn Styles
Project Worker: Groups - Craig Cooling
P roject Worker : lvbntesltip
Dercbprnent - $ephen Maflhelw
Disclaimer: The views expressed in
Movement are those of the particular
author and should not be taken to be
the policy of the Student Christian
Movement.
didn't come up among the candidate's
questions, but it made me feel a little
ashamed of myself. We've been taught,
particularly those of us who are survivors of
evangelicalism, that God is to be trumpeted
in every area of our lives; everyone we know
should know what we believe. I'm still
shedding that sense of what I 'should' and
'shouldn't' do, but my parent's faith still
casts a long shadow.
I lost the election. lt wasn't as upsetting
as I thought it would be, although it would
have been nice to see how good I would
have been at thejob. I'm still left, though,
with some nagging questions. lf I was
standing again, would I use the word
'Christian' of myself? And why is it easier to
admit to having a girlfriend than to mention
that I'm quite fond of God? They both carry
roughly the same amount of baggage, as
labels go. But it was easier to admit to
being a sexual deviant than it was to
confess to having a set of beliefs that many
regard as archaic, or simply irrelevant. I'm
frequently on my soapbox about gay rights
- but the days when I would get up in public
and shout about my faith are long gone.
That's not necessarily a bad thing,
considering the reaction that shouty
Christians generally get. But I do still wonder
how God feels about my reluctance to stand
up and be counted. I can't help feeling that
He would have voted for me, though.
,1t
Morag Foster was standing for an Executive
position at Glamorgan University,
Membership fees:
tls(waged)
f 10 (unv,tagedlstdens)
Next copydate
2nd Augnst L999
UrEdicibd mabdal lrchome.
Askforguidelines.
Ad\ertki€cogrdab
th At€Ust 1999
rssN 0306980x
Ctnrity Nlo. 241896
@19SgSC[4
--- a
Craig Cooling
returns unscathed
from this year's
joint conference:
"Apocalypse Now!"
Newmnru Httt, BlRlltrueHRru
Srx-7rH MAncH 1999
E*iillu1;u*#***,
all things millennial: heaven and hell'
angels, cults, apocryphal imagery and the
book of Revelation through the usual mix of
speakers and base groups but coupled with
some of the most creative workshops ever
to come out of Birmlngham.
NEWS
from
scM
in
Britain
and
beyond
A11 in the Apocalypse together
The main speaker, Maggie Roux, is a
senior lecturer in Film Studies at Trinity and
All Saints College in Leeds. Maggie focused
on the use of apocryphal images in film.
Scenes from the Terminator, Deep lmpact,
Omega Man, Planet of the Apes and many
more describe the end of the world and
what it is like to be there. There is a spate of
apocalyptic themes in film being produced
presently and consequently there is a great
wealth of imagery available. Maggie was
very well received and everyone agreed that
it was an excellent, challenging and
insightful introduction. ln the afternoon we
ran workshops facilitated by staff workers
and by David Bryant, lecturer in theology at
Queens College in Birmingham.
Saturday night produced a rapturous
juxtaposition of a traditional ceilidh and
funky disco (the ultimate cheese), which
against all the odds, was loved by all' On
Sunday we celebrated a shared ecumenical
worship - for which the joint conferences
are remembered.
ffi
The conference was an overwhelming
success both as a time for reflection on the
forthcoming millennium and thinking over
apocalyptic imagery, and also as a weekend
that was fun and provocative. We had as
much fun as Dorothy did in discovering the
Yellow Brick Road. The conference was once
again very well attended thus suggesting
that SCM is still relevant; its questioning is
vltal to what will define Christianity in the
new millennium.
cAt,r t-ortrl Y trn! s
o
o
b
i(t
o
b f,
o l
o
S
€
movement 2
t Camp Looney Apes (it's a/most an anagram)
< tmage des@ned for the conference
-oner
Aates to rememos
. 18-20 June
Retreat - Bainesbuty Manor, near Bath
. 30 Au9ust - 9 SePtember
WSCF General Assembly: "Behold I make all
things new". Beirut, Lebanon'
. LL-L7 September
WSCF European Regional Assembly - A$ape' near
Turin, ltaly.
. lr}-t2September
Training Event 1999 - St Clarat Youth Retreat
Centre, near Huntingdon, Cambs.
Go away!
l: SClvt's annual retreat will from 18-20
June at same place as last year:
Bainesbury House, 'somewhere near Bath'.
It promises to be a mellow weekend
amongst scenic surroundin$s: full of
communal cooking, walks and frisbee and
impromptu worship. lt costs €,1O plus
shared food bill.
ll: wscr-Europe organises conferences for
students across Europe. lts motto is: "The
bible in one hand and a newspaper in the
other"; it is also committed to pioneering
ecumenical work at a time when the
churches seem almost ready to give it up.
There are two main ways to be involved:
one is by attending a conference as a
delegate. Another is to get involved by
planning an event (being on a Prepoom).
You will be asked to represent British SCM,
which means having some background
knowledge, being prepared to answer
questions and - mostly importantly - taking
a drink from your native country for the
cultural evening.
Recent events have been in Belarus,
Romania and France. Travel is reimbursed;
the conference fee is negotiable. However
often the information rarely comes in time
to approach people with much warning. lf
you would be interested in attending such
an event pass your name to the SCM's
national office.
lll: far less likely but still not impossible:
the students of Togolese SCM invite you to
Publications
Body building
Movement publicatlons ls startingwork on the next resource. lt
will be on "the body" and will contain reflections, workshops,
discusslon sta,ters. lt will look at ideas of disability, healing,
beauty, health, sexuality. Will the church ever strike a healthy
balance among body, mind and spirit? Su*gestions on how
to approach these topics are welcome: drop a line to
movemag@aol.com.
Previous resources have included The Crying Game (on
West Africa. They are organising a two-week
international camp (starting on August 6th)
with an informal two week exposure tour
after this. lt costs $300. NB - Togo is
French-speaking but most students speak
English.
Contact Ruben Lawson-Lartego, who is
currently studying in Britain, at
eap987@reading.ac.uk
Sowing the seeds...
lf are involved in running a local SCM or are
thinking of setting one up this is for you.
The 1999 Training Event in September, just
before the new academic year, will explore
your hope and fears of group work:
planning worship, building group identity
and running and facilitating meetings. And
the venue (St Clarat Youth Retreat Centre,
Huntingdon) has both bed and showers.
Surely an SCM first.
Thank you Graham
February 6th saw the demise of Scottish
SCM as a separate body. lt was a sad but
necessary day: Glasgow and Edinburgh are
currently the only groups meeting regularly.
A special thank you must be said to Graham
Monteith; the 'Dr Rev' worked patiently and
against-the-odds as the Honourary
Secretary for 3 years. He is now devoting his
time to the disability movement. And also a
mention should made of the many Senior
Friends for their behind-thescenes
work.
oV
Poorts
Death), No More Mr Nice Guy and Just Love. They are known for their
accessibility and word-of-mouth popularity. Expect publication of next one late in 2000.
Movement gets funky...
Since the editorial offtce moved to Glasgow, Movement seems t0 have acquired a club-night in its honour.
Keeps reading and you too could have a haircut like that... and it doubles as a portable filing system too.
Eurotrash
Aneweditionof Mozaik, thesomewhatsporadicmagazinefromWSCF(Europe),is
out. WSCFIs anelwork
ofSCMs or equivalent froups across the world; the pan-European magazine was founded in 1994 by
former Movement editor and self-confessed matazine freak Michael Feakes.
ln the current issue there are articles on images of student
activism from the 60s (Pratue, Paris) and the nineties. lt
MOZAIK
Magazine of the World Student
Christian Federation (Europe Region)
contains a survey of Easter celebrations from across Europe.
lncludintthis tem from the Czech Republic: "0n Monday, all
the men make themselves a sorl of whip from willow
branches. 0n the top they add ribbons for decoration. They
chase the females and, as they run, the males give them 'stroke! on their backsidesl' Ihis ls perhaps the
best way to persuade Tory MPs that European integration is no bad thing.
Mozaik 99 is available from the Bimingham office, with a 38p SAE.
One of those strange offers that passes
through the office and is of relevance to
those with an interest in church music or
organ playing: a good while ago Stephen
Rhys and King Palmer wrote a book called
The ABC of Church Music. (H&S 1967). Mrs
Rhys has an excessive number of these
books in her house and is kindly offering
them free of charge to any one who is
interested. The ABC of Church Music is
described as "[a] practical book for anyone
having anything to do with worship, singing
and organ music. lt discusses the place of
music in worship, the nature, performance
and accompaniment of hymns, chants and
plain song." lt is now out of print but
available for the price of postage (f.1.00
worth of stamps). lf you would like a copy,
contact Carrie in the office who will put you
in touch.
Stephen M atth ews, SCM's membership
worker, has just been given an Millennium
Award by CAFOD. Well done sir! He will
travel to South Africa for three weeks in the
Autumn to look at various social projects. lt
is "a fact-finding and publicity mission" and
he's hoping migiht be able to arrange
afternoon tea with Ne/son Mandela.
Hopefully this experience will feed back into
his work with SCM on his return.
Congratulations also go to Norwegian SCM,
one of the largest
Y,I
in Europe, who
have just
celebrated their
rel
100th birthday.
Regional Secretary
Andreas Havinger
writes: "Under the
title Across A//
Borders, the celebration began on Tuesday
16 February and ended with a festive
worship service in Oslo Cathedral the
following Sunday. ln between there were
parties, concerts, cabaret, the SCM's
regular Friday liturgy and a reception for
several hundred students, past and
present. Highlights were an updated version
of the SCM's techno-mass, celebrated in an
Oslo club and turning one of SCM's offices
into a caf6 for the duration of the
celebrations."
movement 3
A recent articte in the cathotic student council newsletter Grapevine caused a
furore. ln it a heatth worker advocated that students shoutd practice safe sex;
as resutt the cathotic press disowned its student body. Here stephen Matthews,
a Roman Cathotic, writes in sotidarity with CSC's position'
Condemnations and condoms
EWARE OF wOtlEN - TIIEY
will make you lustful. They will fill
you with desire and tempt You
into sin.
The language of the medieval church is
extraordinary, but it is more surprising that
such a polemical attitude still influences us'
The church has for centuries advised us on
how to have sex' And until this day the
institutionalised church tries to
maintain control over our
expression of
ChristianitY.
When the
Catholic Student
Council wrote about
relationshiPs in their
magazine GraPevine, The
Catholic Herald resPonded
from on Hi$h. ln the article
a health worker - in their
professional caPacity and in
the context of a debate -
recommended the use of
condoms. The GraPevine article
is said to give a whollY unreal
impression of restraint and
responsibility and lhe Catholic
Herald insists we should rather ask
questions of marriage.
A brief glimpse into history will reveal
occasions when the church becomes
passionate when it attempts to deal with
sex. Augustine - probably the most famous
Father of the Church who couldn't handle
sex - scurried from a life of temptation into
the welcoming bosom of the church' As a
voice of the church he spouted polemics
against the lustfulness of women. lndeed
the commandment from God that we have
most positively fulfilled, that we 'go forth
and multiply', the church has constantly
questioned and tried to control. Sex can be
dangerous; maybe, if we didn't talk about it
so much we m'ght do more about it?
The church has alwaYs confused me
about sex yet our problem is really in not
questioning the churches' confusion' Sex
may be widely spoken about but is also a
taboo subject, particularly within religious
circles. Swear words are formed from the
language of sex, and a prudish attitude to
such language continues to enforce the
notion that sex is taboo' Why should we feel
guilty and disown our sexual desires?
The church's inflexible stance on
contraception serves as a reminder of it lost
relevance to our lives. The Church ready
condemnation of those who even mention
the use of condoms - regardless of the
context - is uncaring.' outdated pomposity'
That the church can be seen to so readily
condemn those who merely mention the
use of a condom, even without direct
prescription to use it in an article
concerning sexual health'
is uncaring.
Students are aware of
safe sex camPaigns
promoter bY their
student union
welfare office. For
the churches then
to reject the use
of condoms
suggests its
message is
more
concerned
with
denying
sexuality
and the responsibilitY
for one's own
body. lf we are to give control of
our bodies over to the church it means
we are not to have sex, and when we do we
are to be married bY the church and
pregnancy is not for our control'
It is convenient to declare that life-giving
is God's, but this denies the difference
between men and women. Women can
conceive and give birth - simply because
men cannot does not mean that therefore
conception should be consigned to what is
"other" - namely God. We need to end this
denial and recognise that conception and
child-birth is of a woman' There needs to be
a developing understanding ofthe condom
not simply as contraception for men, but
also for women: allowing woman to regain
control of their bodies, of their life-giving
force, of their womanhood.Women need to
be able to say "no" to pregnancy and equally
to be able to express their pregnancy when
they wish.
Suggesting that abstinence from sex as
the only alternative to what The Catholic
Herald describes as the "unpleasant
consequences" of sex is naive and
misleading. Women reclaiming their virginity
reinforces the idea of male conquest, and
they condone the lack of sexuality in
women. Although women may no longer be
viewed as temptresses of lust, they remain
an unnamed aspect of sexual expression,
still denied responsibility for their bodies
and the expression oftheir womanhood'
movement 4
Sex in and of itself is not evil and it is
not a sin. lt may be viewed as a sacrament
of lifegiving and our continual response to
God's first commandment - to 'go forth and
multiply'. lt is the misuse of sex that should
be considered sinful. Rape is more than
intercourse and shouldn't be restricted to
mere penetration. Rape is the use of sexual
lust to oppress, and to control another's
body for one's own end. The church must
not be guihy of rape - of seeking to control
and oppress our bodies - and therefore
must permit the use of contraception: to do
this the church must listen to the cries of
"no" and "you're hurting me". With this
responsibility of using contraception comes
our right to say yes or no - and mean it -
without needing escape clauses. This
responsibility needs to be accepted, just as
a woman who says no to pregnancy needs
to be accepted. No means no: it doesn't
mean we have to rob her of her sexuality'
simply because she says no to pregnancy'
It was alright for the Virgin Mary' she
became pregnant but skipped the sex' Yet
the Virgin birth is no more than an illtudged
metaphor that aimed simply to highlight the
importance of the new-born but it has
wrought extreme consequences' lt is time
we stopped conforming to the view that we
have no control over sexuality: there is a
hidden agenda. Promoting our supposed
lack of control actually gives control to those
who promote the message, it is time we
claimed this control back for ourselves' Ihe
Cathotic Herad suggests that the world
must be brought into conformity with their
view of Catholicism. Yet even the prevalent
idea that if we can't control ourselves then
we must address the problem - and maybe
only then contemplate using a condom -
does not reach deeP enough. We must
challenge the notion that this scenario is
one of lack of control, rather it is one of
reclaiming control.
Give people a chance to say no and let's
begin with the option to insist on using a
condom. When I say "yes" to sex, but "no" to
pregnancy, I can do something about it' I
will take responsibility and not rely on
others. Despite the condemnations of the
Catholic Press I will enjoy sex and "have a
condom handY".
Stephen Matthews is SCM's Membership
Development Worker.
SEE ALS0 PAGE 1 6: Rick Garland on 'barebacking" -
Erowing subculturc in which one pursues casual sex
the use of condons. WhY?
7
I
$l l;,ml:n;
RurH Hnnvrv
WERE TWO ilOTETIIS ITI
the morning worship at the World
Council of Churches Assembly in
trHERE
Harare in December last year
which moved me profoundly. The first was
when we were reflecting on the image of the
grain of wheat which dies in order to bear
fruit. We were invited to move to a number
of cloths located around the tent (we were
upwards of 3 000 people each morning
gathered in a huge blue 'Big Top'). There we
had to write the name of someone, or a
group of people who had given their lives to
follow Jesus, in the certain hope of
resurrection. We moved slowly, taking our
time, not rushing those in front, waiting for
our turn to pen the name of the
'disappeared', the martyred, the brave.
These 'banners' were then taken to the front
where they were displayed for all to see.
Some of the names were read aloud to the
gathered worshippers. Some of the names
were unfamiliar, in languages difficult to
The liturgical tourist
understand, but we were united in prayer at
a level which transcended boundaries of
language, tradition and liturgical
'correctness.'
The second moving moment was when
we were led in singing 'He's got the whole
world in his hands'. This is a song I have
sung since I was 4 years old; a song
hackneyed beyond belief, complete with the
'actions' and the blank, bored stare as the
words are repeated again and again. Yet
our leader was a young man from the USA
who sang it with such feeling, such passion,
such energy of a true spiritual that it
became a new song for me: it became a
song of unlty that moved me to tears. And
we didn't have to do the actions (thank
God). We were united in prayer,
transcending the boundaries of language
and of tradition. Ecumenical worship is alive
and well.
There are many ways of worshipping
together. One is simply to share the 'best'
liturgical offerings from each denomination.
There is merit in this approach: for those
who are not used to Anglican evensong,
Roman Catholic mass, Orthodox vespers,
Reformed meditation, this style gives us the
chance to be liturgical tourists. And this
inter-denominational approach to worship
allows us never to forget the pain of the
division which we encounter at the table,
a pain which we did not tackle head on in
Harare. Experiencing stark contrasts and
painful separation while remaining true to
traditions is an important part of our shared
prayer and worship life.
What this inter-denom inational approach
lacks, however, is the opportunity to
experience that greater sense of belonging
together in faith which transcends traditions
and taps in to the Tradition of prayer,
sharing and praise which is ours,
collectively. The fear of an 'ecumenical mishmash'
is what, quite rightly, puts many off:
we might simply end up with a weak, watery
version of a number of traditions, meshed
together into a liturgical equivalent of lentil
goo. But this need not be the case.
What happened in Harare confirmed yet
again, for me, that in worship as in no other
part of our ecumenical journey it is possible
to find a common sense of belonging in
faith. Through shared action, through
singing new songs together, through the
repetition of key liturgical acts like the entry
of the word, confession, intercession we
move beyond the spectator/ performer axis
into a new way of worshipping together
which may be the key to renewed
ecumenical dialogue in these countries and
around the world.
God of surprises
Over the next five pages you will find three essays that
explore something surprising in our understanding of God:
an unexpected change in direction. Things don't stay in the
boxes we put them and theology rarely goes to plan...
David Muir explores issues for the Black church in Britain. The need to
replace apathy with anger and courage were brought sharply into focus
by the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the subsequent inquiry.
Matt Bullimore discusses the limits of liberalism - the path of most
academic theolos/ - and examines tradition and how it can be
appropriated by radical theolos/.
John Bentham, until recently a vicar in inner city Nottingham, finds old
barriers are breaking down. He suggests that evangelicals serve as a
model for social action in local communities.
One thing I underctand now is that one's intellect alone won't pull one
through, and that the greatest seryice it can perform is to open a
window for that thing we call the dMne spidt. lf one Eusts to it alone
it's like trusting to an artificial system of vendlation - conect in theory
but musty in practice. How I wish it were as easy to throw everything
open to the spirit of God as it is to ftesh air.
HrrDA CLARK (1908)
FROM QUAKER FAITH AND PRACTICE
movement 5
lt
R. David Muir of the Black Churches Civic Forum argues that the Stephen
Lawrence enquiry was a defining moment in British history. We know that we live in
an ,,institutionat[y racist" society; the virtues of mutti-cutturatism are under threat.
What shoutd be the response of Christians and, in particula6 Btack-Majority Churches?
Mlxed up
unrilc flE Frlnurnv mlr'
term school holidaY I took mY five
year old daughter, Shani, to
Castle Aquatics on Well Hall Road
to buy a light for her fish tank. The shop is
very near Stephen Lawrence's Memorial
Plaque. I finally decided, goaded by her
persistent questions after Neville Lawrence
came to visit us and then seeing him on
television constantly, that I needed to show
her the Plaque and explain to her what had
happened to StePhen.
The experience was Painful, but
necessary. How do you explain to a five year
old that a young man was killed simply
because he was Black? How do you begin to
explain what racism is and how it debilitates
and disadvantages Black and ethnic
minority people in Britain? . lt was not easy'
but I had to struggle to articulate the truth I
knew in ways my five year old daughter
could understand. She responded with
sadness and the poignant innocence of her
age: "Dad, if you know anything about it you
How do you exPtain to a
five year otd that a Young
man was kitted simPtY
because he was Btack?
should tell the police. Those boys who killed
Stephen should be in prison"' Out of the
mouth of babesl
ln the wake of the publication of the
Macpherson Report into the murder of
Stephen Lawrence the question is: Where
do wil go from here?
Three things immediately spring to mind.
Firstly, we must not despair. We must
not lose hope in the vision and virtue of a
multi-racial society in spite of the experience
of the Black community in its encounter
with the Criminal Justice system. When you
see Black people continue to be five times
more likely than whites to be stopped and
searched by the police; more likely to be
charged; more likely to be denied bail; more
likely to suffer injury and deaths in police
custody; more likely to be jailed if convicted
and less likely to be granted parole' it is
easy to lose hope under the sheer weight of
rampant discrimi natory practices.
GOD o
But we must not succumb to this
particular temptation known as despair.
Even against the odds we have to prophetically
raise our voice, register our protest
and reassert our Christian commitment to
the vision and virtue of such a society.
Christians have an important role to play
in the construction and maintenance of this
vision; and the history and institutional
cohesion of the Black-Majority churches in
the community place them in a unique
position to challenge racial and social
injustice.
It was the recognition of the important
role of the Black-Majority churches,
especially their moral, institutional and
potential political resource in
salting and lighting the
architecture and
maintenance of a virtuous
multi-racial society, that the
Black Christian Civic Forum
UK was founded. The Forum
was launched in the House
of Commons on MondaY
18th January, Martin Luther
King Day. lts main aims are to 'promote
citizenship and pursue justice' by engaging
the Black-Majority churches, and the wider
Black Christian constituency, more effectively
in the social and political process.
By providing a platform for social action,
civic participation and political education
the Forum hopes to engender a new culture
of Black Christian social and political
participation and radical commitment to a
just and socially inclusive vision of modern
Britain.
Secondly, the churches must creatively
and prophetically get more involved in the
social and political structures of our society'
This is the old Gospel injunction to be 'Salt
and Light' and the 'leaven' of transformation.
As the dominant and most cohesive
institution in the Black community, the
Black-Majority churches must take stock of
its position and priorities. lt must use its
resources and institutional strength to affect
change in the wider community. This' of
movement 6
It all goes back to a spring evening in
1993. Late on 22 April an 18-year-old A-
level student called Stephen Lawrence and
his fiiend Duwayne Brooks were making
their way home after spending the day
together. The boys were ]ushing to catch a
bus in south-east London - Stephen was
already late - when they were confronted
a gang of white youths. the gang set upon
Stephen, A stunned and helpless Duwayne
brieflywatched in paralysed silence, before
he was chased off by one of the white
youths. Stephen managed to scramble
as Duwayne urged him to "just run ". But
he had been beaten badlY and was
bleeding profusely. He collapsed after 200
yards in a pool of blood and died.
Despite receiving numerous tip-offs
within hours of the murder as to those who
might have been responsible for the attack'
officers adopted a lacklustre approach to
the investigauon. Nobody has since been
convicted of the murder.
ln July 1997 the new Home Secretary
JackStraw had announced therewere
would be a public inquiry and appointed Sir
William Macpherson to chair the hearing.
Evidence from the inquiry kePtthe
Lawrcnce case in the headlines for much of
1998. Ihis February the Macpherson repoft
into the racist m urder of Stephen Lawrence
has published: it labelled London's police
force'institutionally racis( and condemned
offi cers for'fu nd a me ntal e rrorg.
Tony Blair said: ' lt will ceftainly lead to
new laws but more than that itwiil bring a
new eta of race relations," Jack Straw
welcomed the lon(-awaited findin$s and
promised sweeping iudicial retorms, most
crucially extendingthe Race Relations Act
to cover the police. Most controversially,
however Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul
Condon has denied the claims and refused
to res,gn.
Stephen's mother Doreen Lawrence said
the reportonly 'scratched the sutace.
Black people are still dying on the streets
and in the back of police vans. "
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course, will mean radically rethinking its
social and political agenda. Speaking at the
conference organised by BCCF on 20th
March on 'The Black Christian Response to
the Macpherson Report' Paul Boateng
(Minister of State at the Home Office)
encouraged Christians to seize the moment
offered by Macpherson to help shape the
social and political agenda on racialjustice
and community regeneration.
Black Christians can no longer politically
operate in splendid isolation. On the major
issues of our day the church must rise up
and be counted. Bishop Desmond Tutu
reminded us many years ago that silence in
the face of 'unjust conditions' is 'fatal to the
Church's witness to the world'. Many second
and third generation African-Caribbean
Christians have interpreted this silence as
biblically unsound and socio-politically
untenable. Silence on the part of Christians
is in danger of being interpreted as
indifference; and indifference will be the
precursor to viewing the church as
irrelevant.
lf the death of Stephen Lawrence, and
the lnquiry and report arising out of it, truly
constitute a defining moment in British
history and racial discourse, I find it
inconceivable that our churches can
continue 'business as usual'. Every church
needs to have a copy of the conclusions and
recommendations of this important Report;
every church needs to consider the
implications for the church and society.
Thirdly, we need new perspectives, new
tools, and new narratives of ascent to take
us into the next millennium. At the
beginning of this century the renowned
African-American scholar WEB DuBois
stated that the problem of the Twentieth
Century was 'the problem of the colour line'.
Nearly a hundred after DuBois' observation
Macpherson reminds us that racism is still a
problem. And the problem goes far beyond
the Metropolitan Police as the Report
acknowledged: "We all agree that
i nstitutional racism affects the Metropolitan
Police Service, and the Police Services
elsewhere. Furthermore our conclusions as
to Police Seryices should not lead to
complacency in
other institutions
and organisations.
Collective failure
is apparent in
many of them, includin! the Criminal
Justice systern" (Sect 46.27)
ln defining'institutional racism'
Macpherson says it is: "... the collective
failure of an organisation to provide an
appropriate and professional service to
people because of their colour, culture or
ethnic origin... which amount to
discrimination through unwittingl prejudice,
ignorance, thought/essness, and racist
stereotyping which disadvantage minority
ethnic people" (Sect.6.34)
Ail rssrffitlL pART oF fitE roola
that we need in constructing these new
perspectives and new narratives will be the
courage and boldness to define, and
redefine, ourselves by the best that is in us
and not by the worst that has happened to
us. The life and struggles of Equiano (an
eighteenth century African who was
kidnapped from West Africa at the tender
age of ten, sold into slavery and later
became an author and a leading Abolitionist
in England) is instructive in this respect.
Education and greater civic participation will
help us define and design ways in which we
want to engender change in ourselves, our
churches and in our communities. For some
of us this may mean joining political parties,
the Metropolitan Police force, the
magistracy and other sections of the
Criminal Justice system, standing for local
elections, becoming school governors, using
We urgentty need responsibte
and prophetic citizenship.
our church halls and premises for
recreational and educational activities, and
making more effective use of the pulpit to
preach and teach about social and racial
justice. Whatever route we take we do so in
the knowledge that informed Christian
intervention and civic participation is both
urgent and redemptive. ln short, we need an
insurrection of Christian militancy against
apathy, indifference and injustice in our
communities.
ln Matthew 25 Jesus intimates that one
does not have to be a Christian to do good
and care for the stranger, the destitute and
those on the margins of society. However,
one's place in the Kingdom is seriously
called into question if one neglects the
welfare of one's neighbour. This is the
challenge for all of us; it is that sacred and
serious juncture where faith and justice
meet; where prayer and politics become
instruments in the removal of barriers to
equal opportunities for participation in, and
contributions to, the wider society by Black
and ethnic minority communities.
St. Augustine said: "Hope has two
beautiful daughters. Their names are anger
and courage; anger at the way things are,
and courage to see that they do not remain
the way they are."
The death of Stephen Lawrence is both
a mirror and a metaphor of our society and
some of its institutions. Christians must be
angry (call it 'righteous indignation' if you
will) when they see injustice; they must also
display courage when called upon to
challenge it. This form of responsible and
prophetic citizenship is urgently needed,
allowing us to align ourselves anew with
Hope's two daughters and advance the
values of the Kingdom of God as we move
into the next century.
R. David Muir is Director of the Black
Churches Civic Forum. lt is a coalition of
churches that was set up in February and
hopes to provide a platform for social
action, civic participation and political
education.
SEEA|SO PAGE 27: lnteview with Simon Hughes, MP:
The worst moment of his career, which really made him
sick, was a 'race marcll in his constituency, which nearly
developed into a local civil war!'
movement 7
After three years studying theotogy Matt Bullimore has found that liberalism is a
dead end: a constant discarding of doctrines. He suggests we draw inspiration from
the history books because being rooted in Tradition doesn't mean going backwards.
Tradlcallsm
trli*l*Tfr'*i'*'ffi*
"What is wanted is a deeply religious liberal
party... . The great evil is that the liberals
are deficient in religion, and the religious
are deficient in liberality". Splendid, I
thought, that would fit just lovely with what I
want to write in Movement. l've been a bit
worried about liberality recently. lt makes a
change; I used to be worried about nothing
apart from those who are, indeed, deficient
in liberality.
Let me begin with a little story about an
SCM planning meeting that we had in
Cambridge. An old SCMer had come along
and was a little perturbed about the
argument that broke out about the Trinity,
its doctrinal history and the consequences
of getting it 'wrong'. NoW I admit that
Cambridge SCM is, for better or worse, and
usually for worse, mostlY made uP of
theologians, and such arguments are
common. Yet, the aforementioned gent was
surprised that as a group we actually
concurred that God is three in one' "When I
was at SCM", he cried, "we used to argue
over whether or not God even existed!"'
So what? My Point is that SCM is an
evolving organisation, a Movement (eh,
Tim?) and that is good. Many of you may
know the history of SCM, its natal
involvement in the ecumenical movement'
I find that Liberatism has
nothing to dig its heets into.
I want something with a bit
more batts than toterance,
human rigtrts and an
Entightenment scePticism.
and its gradual radicalisation in the 1960's
and, I'm afraid to say, it's gradual decline in
numbers over the last few years (certainly in
Cambridge anyway). Our group is now made
up of about twenty regulars, and a good
majority of them would claim to be a
member of a mainstream denomination, I
would say, and most of them are quite
devout, serious Christians (l'm going to be
murdered for this). We see ourselves as a
liberal group who want to get involved in the
social and political arenas of life and want
to Get Something Done. Yet, not many of us
would want to be outside of our particular
churches and may even see them as
particularly helpful starting points' There
seems to be a turn towards traditional
religious expression and an adherence to a
historic tradition. Perhaps a conservative
turn? Well, I'm in deeP now, so let me
continue. Traditionalism, Conservatism,
Dogmatism - they're scary words and I too
would want to be rid of them. As the quaint
proverb goes, "Traditionalism is the dead
faith of the living, so bin it, but Tradition is
the living faith of the dead, so honour it"'
So, what am I trYing to saY? I find that
Liberalism, with what I think of as its kind of
pick and choose mentality, has nothing to
dig its heels into. I was pretty darn Liberal a
couple of years ago, and I jettisoned most of
the doctrines I'd ever heard of - there was
nothing safe from my quest for truth - no
resurrections, miracles, or virgins (?!)' I
knew best what was
what more so than
did 2000 years of
tradition, thank you
very much. Lately,
however, l've wanted
something with a bit
more balls than
tolerance, human
rights ethics and an
Enlightenment
scepticism. I wanted
something that did
not refuse the
religious, or that
which pertained to God, and was properly
speaking theologic-al. That is, something
that actually used words about God, and
from God. I wanted something a bit bigger'
and I found revelation. What if I took these
stories in the Bible seriously? What if I tried
a bit of faith, and added a dash of humility?
What if I turn around and say to the secular
"l refuse you!" and say that pandering to
society and culture may be bad because
most of what we live and think is quite often
defined against the religious aspects of
historic society.
I nlxr I nev se llr TnouBLE wtll
certain words again. l'm not suggesting that
we read the Bible literally, and I think that
kind of approach is as Modern as is the way
that many Biblical scholars ransack the
texts for history and a little bit of certainty
about what'really' happened. When I say
Modern I mean that they have the same
philosophical womb, being birthed around
about the sixteenth century. Both
approaches seem to manifest a scientific
way of looking at texts - be it through
historical and critical tools, or through the
'a + b + c = salvation' mentality. What
about using (not going backto) the way
medieval and earlier writers used to read
the texts allegorically, morally, and hopefully,
whilst paying attention to the movement
and integrity of the received story as it is
found in the text. What context could this
be done in? I think that we need an
interpretative community fuelled and guided
by the Spirit - the Church - to help us get
beyond individualism in its many guises. I
don't want to submit to an unhelpful
ecclesiastical authority, as much as the next
movement 8
SCMer certainly doesn't want to. And I think
many of our churches are up the proverbial
creek without so much as a pulpit to stand
on (if you may so permit me to mix my
metaphors). I think that any Church that is
willing to be part of the history of Christian
communities, with its failures and
scruffiness and its glorious moments, would
be a legitimate reading community. And
that is not to say that more recently
established churches can't do that! I think
that there are resources that we can rescue
(such as strategies of learning, aspects of
spirituality, and lessons already learnt as
history repeats itself again) and there are
ways of being a community that manifest a
true difference (in radical antipathy to the
secular), and ways of simply being Christian
that we can learn from the past, and apply
now.
Take the 'gay issue'. I've been reading
some Queer theory and trying to find a way
forward. I think that our churches are
heterosexist, patriarchal, and generally
unwilling to listen - playing Tony Blair,
pimping Family Values, and generally
compromising themselves for the middle
class vote. As any other time is as guilty of
abuses as we are, how does the tradition
help here? The way is perhaps to ignore
and forget the authority that society thinks it
has. Time to leave equal rights (the cry of
Enlightenment Man) for a minute, and time
to deny the crippling authority of
authoritarian churches, and time, I think, to
be theological and work out where the idea
that'heterosexuals are best' came from,
time to ask why we have such an
essentialised way of thinking about gender,
and time to read the texts of the Bible and
our common inheritance for their tales of
liberation, of hope, of suffering and
resurrection, and to see that we all dwell in
Christ, howsoever he constitutes us. For
example, St Augustine may not be shit hot
on sex, but read the way he remembers
himself being constituted, as he is actually
being re-constituted, in the very act of
writing his prayer in Ihe Confessions. He
shows us that we are all ongoing stories
made and nurtured through the tragedy and
comedy that makes up our lives, even at
this moment - only truly made when we
participate in the life of God.
Enough already, and maybe so. I hope
some of you will see where l've been coming
from, and that some of you will find it
odious. That's the way we get talking, I
suppose. I think that a truer religiosity with
a thinking Iiberalism (small 'l') will perhaps
join together in rather strange, unexpected
and traditional ways to forge something
wholly more radical, something wholly more
Real.
Matt Bullimore is a final year student and
co-leader of Cambridge SCM.
{ Do you agree? ls liberalism bankrupt?
How can we "forge something wholly more
radical, something wholly more Real"?
Movement would like to hear your opinion.
The received wisdom is that evangeticals are onty interested in souls, whitst tiberats
are into social action. But John Bentham argues that 'evangelicats are now
swinging down from their chandetiers and rolling up their sleeves.'
Evo-lutfon
Eilm*tf$**ffi;
there are still some who find it hard to
betieve. The jibe that we evangelicals are so
interested in'souls' that'bodies' don't
concern us, is an accusation that has had
truth in it at some times in our history.
There has been, however, at least 23years
of gradual change, to the point that even
charismatic evangelicals are now swinging
down from their chandeliers and rolling up
their sleeves.
A further complication is that the word
'evangelical' is notoriously difficult to define
these days. The evangelical movement has
strengthened ahd broadened, and some of
us even shy away from the label
'evangelical' if it holds connotations of belief
in personal conversion alone. Better
definitions emphasise rootedness in the
authority of the scriptures, and if you start
there like a good evangelical you soon find
Old Testament prophets who inveighed
against injustice, and a Jesus who seemed
to see his ministry in the Nazareth
Manifesto in terms of the suffering servant
who proclaimed the equalities of the year of
Jubilee.
Early evangelicals such as Shaftesbury
GOD of
L(
and Wilberforce saw no problem in applying
their faith to the world of political and social
action. Perhaps their successors in the
movement retreated into pietism in the face
of liberal ascendancy in the early part of
this century, leaving the liberals to be the
prophetic ones on the issues ofjustice and
peace? By the 1970's the evangelical
movement was beginning to recover its
nerve, and looked outward again. lt has now
returned to its roots with an increasing
confidence.
W: mtoelrcAls AnE iloroRtously
factional, but the Evangelical Alliance is the
closest to any sort of umbrella organisation.
A perusal of IDEA, the EA's newsletter, now
reveals an organisation which campaigns on
political issues, and increasingly offers
support and networking opportunities for
evangelicals with social consciences.
Alongside this is the well established TEAR
Fund, its initials now famous, but gently
movement 9
obscuring its identity as The Evangelical
Alliance Relief Fund. Notable is the
organisations gradual acceptance of
developrhent issues as part of its ministry of
relief - evangelicals have made the
progression that many have to make - from
realisation of need, to giving money, to
asking what long term injustices have
precipitated that need. There was a time
when evangelicals suspected the political
campaigning work of organisations such as
Christian Aid, but now there is huge and
widespread support for that work, especially
the current Jubilee 2000 campaign.
Yet on the ground have things really
changed? Would evangelicals still rather
hand out Happy Meals with a free tract
hidden inside? I honestly see real change
accelerating. At the local church level, there
are many small community-based projects
with dedicated people beavering away from
an evangelical conviction. The motivation is
demonstrating Christ's love for humanity :
incarnational theology if you like. lf, as a
result of loving service, people move on in
their spiritual pilgrimage or end up
committing themselves to Christ, there is
much rejoicing, but this is no longer the only
measure of 'success'. Many of these
projects are in Urban Priority Areas. My own
Anglican experience of ministry in such
areas has shown me many a youth project'
luncheon club, advice centre or homeless
project founded, funded or run bY
evangelicals.
During late 1997 I took sabbatical leave
from my post as vicar in a Nottingham UPA
church to look at what I perceived to be the
growing social conscience of charismatic
evangelicals. Two particular churches
caught my attention. The first was lchthus
Christian Fellowship, stretched across South
London - led by Roger Forster, and home
for musician Graham Kendrick. The second
was Revelation Christian Fellowship on the
South Coast, led by Roger Ellis, and loosely
connected to the Pioneer network of Gerald
Coates. ln both these churches you can see
a well developed and holistic Christian
Gospel being both proclaimed and lived. ln
preaching, worship, newsletters etc there is
regular appearance of evangelism alongside
various forms of social action'
The attempts of both fellowships to be
'salt and light' in their local communities
has led to a variety of projects (and failures
too!) lchthus are involved in, for example,
nurseries for low-income families, projects
for the young homeless, and Grandma's, a
service for children affected by HIV/Aids.
Notable is their involvement in PECAN' an
ecumenical project for the long term
unemployed. Even the local Southwark
Council recognises its success in reaching
Theologica
and training vulnerable and isolated people
- PECAN have a recruitingforce who visit
some 20 000 homes in Peckham each year.
The Guardian ran a double page spread on
the project, recognising'the scepticism that
the mixture of evangelical Christianity and
social action can bring' but also the care not
to prose,ytise, and the 'biblical sense of selfesteem'
that was being given to people.
ln Revelation Christian Fellowship one
Woutd evangeticats stitt rather
hand out HaPPY Meals with a
free tract hidden inside?
aim is to prevent
these issues
being seen as the
prerogative of
'The Social
Activists" Each of
the fellowship's
cell groups is encouraged to be involved,
and has a social action representative. At
the time that I visited, they were particularly
working to encourage every member's
involvement in the local communities where
they live, in their professional careers, or as
members of voluntary groups such as
neighbourhood watch, parents and school
groups. The making of connections between
your daily work, your neighbourhood and
your faith is a long overdue emphasis that
could not be taken of by many churches.
Clare Elkington, the co-ordinator of the
church's communitY develoPment
programme, holds regular Saturday morning
gatherings for those involved in various
The turnin$ point in evan$elical theological circles came during the mid seventies.
A major internitional conference of evangelicals in 1974 agireed that'evangelism and
sociepolitical involvement are part of our christian duty'(part of the Lausanne
Covenant). Some theological wran$lin$ went on for several years, but a new consensus
emerged. Thls was an aeceptance that serving the world had to be an equal partner in
missiin with preachlng indivldual conversion. MaJor evangelical figures such as Join
Stott threw their welght behind this. Evan$elical youth work in the UK also played its
part in the redlscoveiy of a social conscience, as people wrestled with why lt seemed
much harder to 'convert' kids from Gouncil estates and the inner cltles' Dear old
Scripture Union spawned an urban guerrilla wing with a stlong heart for the issues of
lustice (Frontier Vouth Trust), and the late Jim Punton and Bisttop Davld Sheppard
influenced a whole generation of evangelicals. Thls fed stron$y lnto the early hlstory of
the Greenbelt Festival, whose seminar programme soon became the place where
thlnklng radical evangelicals found a home.
TwJmajor theological contributions in the past fifteen years have come from
Graham Criy,tormer Greenbelt chairman and now Principal of Ridley Hall, CambridEle'
an.d Rogier iorster leader of the lar$e and radical lchthus Christian Fellowship whlch
stretches across South London. Both provided key inputfrom the UK at internatlonal
conferences on.charlsmatic renewal and social actlon' Ro$er Forster talks of Words'
Works and Woniers (delightful triple alliteration!) This emphasises three overlapping
facets of mission: words is proclaiming the gospel, works is practlcal service -
incarnational and loving; wonders is recovering a New Testament emphasis on healing'
signs and wonders. 'lt is unfortunate that at tines in church history these three have
se-parated and set against one another'. Graham Cray draws togethq two sometlmes
opposing evangelical uses of the word 'Kin$dom' flom the New Testament, suggesting
that the Klngdom is a holistic term covering both individual and social transformation'
There is hardly room to do justice to the internatlonal writlngs by evan$elicals on
social Justice, but Ronatd Sider ('Rich Chlistians in an AEe of Hunger') and Jim Wallls
(,The iadical Evangelical' and 'The Soul of Polltics') have made huge contributlons. The
journal Transformition is well worth a read if you have access to a theolo$cal library;
and Thirel way is an excellent monthly magazine for any thinking christlan, providing a
broad-based, open and intellectually stimulating evangelical lesponse to society and
culture.
I
Heroes
movement 10
forms of community service, whether parttime,
paid, or voluntary. So youth workers,
community volunteers, social workers etc
who once felt themselves on the fringes of
the fellowship (often because of working
patterns) are now affirmed and supported.
Revelation have a well-develoPed
'Community Referral Programme', known by
local agencies as a reference point for all
sorts of assistance - shopping for the
housebound, decorating, desperate needs
for furniture etc. Working with a wider remit
is CRED, a campaigning group committed to
education and challenge on the global
issues of poverty and injustice.
Txenr AnE FURTHER Slolls llllt
charismatic evangelicals are beginning to
take the initiative as social activists. ln
Nottingham there is a growing social action
network called Nottingham Community
Action Network. lts home? The large
Pentecostal church in town, and their
community worker. Nationally, Oasis trust
and its director Steve Chalke are the model
which many young evangelicals look to for
imaginative blends of evangelism and social
action.
Where evan$elicals are not involved in
social action - or are involved but still
hoping that conversions will be the main
fruit - | think the problem is more to do
with the middle class captivity of much of
the church in this country, evangelical or
not. We're often too comfortable to want to
get involved in the pain of the world. You
have to open yourself up to experience the
suffering of the world before you get fired up
for this sort of service, and evangelicals
have not been the only couch potatoes. My
personal belief is that an openness to learn
from other parts of the world, especially the
poorest, and from other spiritual traditions'
can produce a new conversion in Christians
from all traditions that could mirror what is
happening in evangelicalism.
This is not a success story: perhaps that
why it is not yet proclaimed loudly by
evangelical leaders who are usually swift to
trumpet'success'. lt is a Personal
observation of change. The next step will be
to develop a spirituality that resources those
in the front line of social action, and
although I see the seeds of that' I think no
one tradition of spirituality has all the
answers. ,{O-
John Bentham is Anglican Chaplain at the
University of Nottingham, and formally a
Vicar in Nottingham's inner city' He was
involved in Greenbelt's seminar programme
for some years, and now runs the seminar
programme for the Soul Survivor youth
festival.
i
Itw
HuoH WHrreroRo
sAPREtOXmOili
f! rsnouro nave reao rne srgns.
I I Arriving to survey the debris of a
friend's broken Big Romance, I
tripped over the last remnants of a beautiful
friendship - lying on the bedroom floor was
-
a Banana Republic carrier bag containing a
The present EU arrangement
gives consumers a choic€,
in this case between big,
tasteless, potiticatty-incorrect
bananas or smatt, sweet,
right-on bananas.
Take your pick.
gorgeous and ever-setrendy cash mere
sweater. Uncle Sigmund tells me (and for
once I believe him) that dear departed loverboy
had probably abandoned it accidentallyon-purpose
as a deposit, or maybe a relic, in
his rush for the relational equivalent of the
emergency exit.
But I won't delve deeper into the
complex nuances of sexual etiquette among
gay men in Manhattan and their
impenetrable vanities. ln any case,
cashmere and Banana republics have
taken{n wider connotations in recent
weeks. Perhaps I didn't see this particular
break-up coming, but I certainly
couldn't have predicted the
demise of the Special
Relationship between the
UK and the USA over
these same
unassuming
commodities -
bananas and
cashmere.
A few years back a
number of our most
respected fair trade and international
development organisations sta rted
informing us that most of the bananas on
our supermarket shelves were produced
under the most appaling conditions, by a
grossly underpaid and exploited workforce
suffering dreadful medical side-effects from
Banana drama
dangerous pesticides sprayed on the fruit.
Now, I'm quite partial to mashed banana
sandwiches, banana muffins,banana milk
shakes and, best of all, bananas carmelised
in butter and sugar and served hot with icecream.
Mmm. So, understandably, I was
perturbed at the news and very relieved to
discover that the smaller, sweeter, curvier
bananas from the Winward lsles were
produced under slightly less adverse
conditions which saw a fairer portion of the
profits returned to the producers
themselves. Ever since then I have satisfied
my banana cravings with a cleanish
conscience.
But what has all this to do with the
present secalled
'banana war'?
Basically, the
European Union
has had its
fingers rapped
by the World
Trade Organisation
for operating a
preferential import
regime for
bananas from
certain former
European colonies
(presumably in a
belated attempt
to atone for
centuries of colonialism). This means,
for example, that small independent
producers in the Winward lsles,
can compete against the might
ofthe USowned banana
corporations of Central
America who pay their
workers a pittance
and cream the
profits. The
present
EU
arrangement
gives certain
producers in'developing'
countries preferential access to
European markets, and also gives European
consumers a choice, in this case between
big, tasteless, politica I ly-i ncorrect ba nanas
or small, sweet, right-on bananas. Take your
pick.
But according to the WTO, this
arrangement is illegal; it contravenes the
sacred mantra of free trade. Europe has
movement 11
tried to get round the problem - that,
incidentally, is what the 'Europe's bent
bananas'fuss a few years ago was all about
- but the EU is under increasing pressure
to comply with international free-trade
agreements. Following the devastation in
Central America caused by Hurricane Mitch,
the US banana companies have seen their
profits go through the floor and have turned
up the heat on the WTO and the US
Government to force a European climbdown.
Unfortunately, the cashmere producers
in the Scottish Borders have become
unlikely and innocent pawns in this
international wrangle. The US has imposed
ridiculous tariffs on various European
products in retaliation for the EU banana
policy and cashmere is one of
those prod ucts ta rgeted
The already fragile
Borders' textile industry
will simply not survive
a long-term
embargo. .Jobs
will be lost and
long-established
indigenous
companies
face ruin.
What lfail to
understand
and refuse to
accept is why
the dogma of
free-trade is
allowed to
over-rule all
other ethical
and historical
considerations in
our contemporary
economic and
political climate?
Surely there is an urgent
need for an new ethic of
investment in international
trade so that cashmere
producers in the Borders and
banana producers in St. Lucia alike
can produce and exchange goods fairly
without compromising basic health,
environmental and living standards. ls
that really too much to demand?
But back to the Banana Republic bag on
the bedroom floor. lfailed to warn my pal
that his romance was heading for the rocks,
but now I can predict with confidence that
cashmere - and those wearing it - will be
out of fashion in New York next year.
Accordingly, I have advised my friend to
forge new alliances with those of greater
political, as well as sartorial, sophistication.
I am consoling him with the humble but
astute reflection that in one swift genetic
modification, bananas could all too easily
become sour grapes.
tAte-a-t6te
Dear Martin,
I hope that You won't
be offended if, even though I am
sending this electronicallY to
you, I adhere to the conventions
of spelling and grammar. I maY
1
seem a bit of a bore because I
can only see a colon as a
punctuation mark and not as a
building block for a (rotated)
smilingface. Thus, to convey
meanings and subtleties I will
resort to that ancient art of
using words.
Now, of course the English
language is dynamic and diverse
which is good and Proper and it is
for this reason that this foolish quest
to be inclusive (i.e. dumbing down)
must be halted. How is diversity and
change achieved? lt must be achieved
by mental and PhYsical struggle,
experimentation, deep researches and
the promulgation of ideas. lf that is true
then surely one must become
depressed at the state of the nation's
media.
YesterdaY a well-known man was
photographed with a well-known
woman. This singular event attracted
the attention of nearly two hundred
photographers and was the lead
picture on almost every broadsheet
and tabloid newspaper' Oh and
some people met somewhere to
discuss a place called Kosovo.
That is far from being the worst
example. Most things will Pass for
knowledge. The facts are not so
important in themselves. Rather the
importance is attached to the range
of people who will find the facts
useful, interesting or amusin€. The
Reduci ng a probtem down i,""1tffi1,1ilpointineto
to a coupte of paragraphs i;:i:H?'i:l$";1,"'.,
or a three minute stot does;"J::*:::JJI[:?',1'"
more harm than good. :i'ffif*ii.ii[;ff;*
tractable' They deserve and require a small
potentialreaders/customersTviewers.Myelitetodealwiththematadeepand
observations Suggest thalthe content will fundamental level. Now, of course the
gradually become more and more trivial as results may be of concern to a huge number
special interests are stripfed away. of people and so perhaps you would say
Correspondingly, expectations-are that this idea of inclusiveness does not
lowered. The charge ot outnninJOown may forbid the concept of a small number of
more people in the range, the more
rJlL .-rttlllll'\,, specialists but
rather demands
an opportunity for
all to enter the
debate. This is a
bland enough
statement with
which anyone can
agree.
What I object to is
the lack of respect
paid to the "entrY
requirements" for
this participation.
Reducing the
problem further
and further and
stripping awaY the
rigour must
eventually stop.
I'm sorry but if a
problem such as
genetically
modified food
requires a basic
scientific,
economic and
political education
then so be it. lt
does not helP to
reduce it to a
couple of
paragraphs or a
three minute slot.
It does more harm
than good. lt
corrupts peoPle's
intelligence and
education and
hinders further
development. lt is
the fertile ground
on which the
seeds of bigotrY and
movement 12
prejudice maY be easilY sown.
Hard problems require a lot of hard
thinking and not everyone may be capable
of it or interested in doing it at a given time
in a programme schedule. lt may not be
possible to find a nice simple solution which
is explained in five words and takes on
board everybody's bi$ idea. ln a similar
vein, allow me to announce that the Pope is
Catholic, bears defecate in the woods and
that which is dumb will always be dumb.
[, I,,{,LA
\rt
.,: ...)
' l:,f ,l
. '1. l
The modern day media is obsessed by celebrities and sound-bites.
Appearing educated is taboo; 'high-brow' is a minority taste. lf public
debate is broader than it once was, it is also shallower. So then...
Does bein{, inclusive mean dumbin$, down?
Dear Colin,
Your e-mail is offensive on so
many different levels that I can only assume
you shared a dorm with Glenn Hoddle at
prep school. Discerning the heart of your
argument was, in itself, no easy task - |
gather that you are unhappy about the way
in which you feel our media has lowered the
quality of pubic debate and thought in our
nation. However, I am not sure whether your
argument is with populism or inclusive
language or just everyone who isn't
fiendishly clever?
'lncluding' people in what you do is not
a new idea. lt is simply good politics and
good manners. For example, I would no
sooner use words like 'he' or'man'to refer
to females in a newspaper article than I
would use them to a female's face. Using
language sensitively, with respect for the
identity and feelings of others, is surely part
of the kindergarten curriculum. lhave
always imagined 'exclusive' language is only
used by people who enjoy ignoring and
offending people in their daily lives as a
matter of course. ln other words,
provocateurs, blinkered trad itionalists a nd
the sort of rude people who make you feel
invisible at parties. lf you are happy to
exclude people living in our society in the
writing, talking, thinking you do then you
are, by definition, being not only
unpleasantly elitist but also
fundamentally ill-mannered.
I agree that some parts of the media
are crass and some media-products are
low in quality. Personally, I never object
to a TV programme because it is "trying
to include too many people". ln fact, the
opposite is nearly always the case. Highbrow
TV, jargonised-expert program mes,
top-down, mono-cultural panel debates -
now they are annoying. Why? Because
they exclude too many people and talk
down to too many people. lt is exclusivity
in our media that is killing the quality of
debate and it will be greater inclusivity
that will save it.
lf I were you, I'd be more worried
about being blind than bland.
Yours,
Mo4 L
Dear Martin,
Your e-mail looks like it may
indeed be useful in the kindergarten
curriculum but not much else. I don't quite
know how the issue of personal pronouns
appeared. I was more focussed on the use
of an inferior debate to include more
people. lf the bees in your bonnet hadn't
been buzzing so loudly perhaps
you would have noticed this?
There is little pleasure to be
gained in being rude to people
but equally little to be gained
by discussing a problem
inadequately. I reiterate that if
people are unprepared to make
the necessary struggle to come
to grips with a problem (which
may involve learning technical
terms and listening to people
from one culture), then it is
acceptable to exclude them from a debate
(or party).
Strenuous efforts may be made to
simplify; I am saying that this simplification
eventually terminates. There is a lowest
level beyond which the exercise is worthless.
Here for example.
Iol ^
Dear Colin,
I'm concerned about who decides
what is "inferior debate" and who decides
whether it is "acceptable to exclude [people]
from a debate". Presumably these are
decisions made by people lucky enough to
take part in superior debate. What you term
"inferior debate" may well be another
Your e-maiI is so
offensive that I can on[y
assume you shared a
dorm with Gtenn Hoddte
at prep schoot.
person's life-changing conversation. Many
of the most crucial encounters in my life
have been conducted in clumsy,
undeveloped language with little or no
knowledge of "technical terms". Show a bit
of respect. Just because we operate, think,
talk in different ways there is no need to
attach the self-congratulatory label of
'superior' to your own personal preference.
Simplicity is beautiful but I can see how
it might be scary to those whose power-base
is complexity and intellectualism. I think
true intelligence is simple. As Keats said,
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all."
Pronouns are simply the tip of the iceberg -
an active, daily symbol of whether someone
can be bothered to include. I hope this
message does not fall below your threshold
of worthiness.
l"{od'
Martin Davies is an English teacher based
in Manchester. He was the editor of
Movement from issues 8$97: during this
time it became the accessible magazine it
is today.
Colin Mason is doing a Ph.D. in Maths at
Kings', London. He is frighteningly
intelligent and endearingly snobby.
movement 13
,,,\$rtrFp1
,'|"{..##d
Ethicat shopping is easier said than done. We have no control over the long line of
production: can we trust supermarkets ctaims? Miriam Renner visited Thaitand in
order to investigate how the foods are sourced.
What's behln
the label?
tr*l=tkiliilff$:.
English and travelling. This time I would be
collecting data for my Masters' thesis'
However, the question runningthrough my
mind was what research subject would keep
me motivated for two years, but also be
useful? I had always been interested in
development, and suddenly I remembered
my days at Newcastle, visiting the Traidcraft
shop and Out of This World to buy their fair
trade goods. What effects does fair trade
have on the artisans and farmers involved?
This was a challenging question I had been
asked by a member of the Third World First
Group I had helped run, and maybe I could
try to focus my research on this question.
Obviously, fair trade groups already assess
the effects they have on producers, but I
hoped my research could Provide an
academic assessment, which is currently
not readily available.
Months later, after coursework,
proposals and my sister's wedding I was on
a plane, with lots of messy notes, an old
and heavy laPtoP and a mind full of
questions. On arrival, Thailand seemed so
ON THE HOME FRONT...
The latest from Chtistian Aid's till receipts
campaign. lt wants supermarkets to adopt codes
of conduct to guarantee better conditions for
overseas suppliers:
"Many supermarkets have ioined the Ethical
Tradin!, Initiative (Efl), a llK government-backed
group of businesses, trade unions and
campaigning organisations set up to find a
common solution to the problem' At the ETI's
meeting in December 7998, three supermarkets
- Sainsbury's, Co'oP
and Somerfield -
joined. At a second
meetinEin FebruarY
7999, Asda and Tesco
have signed up." The
next step is to ensure
fhat it is independently monitored.
familiar. All those foods I had missed, some
of the smells I hadn't, were coming back to
me, and it was like returning to a second
home. However, this feeling didn't last long'
culture shock and loneliness started to
make me question whether I was doing the
right thing. But after a phone conversation
with my Mum - and a sensible perspective
- as only mothers know how, I was
persuaded that I had gone too far to turn
back now.
So after a week of meeting old friends
and making new ones in chaotic, congested
Bangkok, it was time to fly north, to the city
of Chiang Mai, and then on to Maejo
University ("the home of cowboys"?!) which
was to be my base for the next four months.
My arrival was such a change from
Bangkok: the flat I would be sharing was
clean, comfortable and most of all it was
quiet on campus.
I was blessed with a wonderful Thai
supervisor, Varaporn, who had studied for
her Ph.D. in Canada, and therefore had
perfect English, and an understanding of
the Canadian graduate system from which I
had come. We quickly set about visiting
possible research sites, and eventually
decided to compare conventional farmers,
alternative farmers and mixed farmers (that
is, those with both conventional and
alternative plots on their farms). The
conventional farmers use intensive, modern
agriculture techniques and sell their
products through conventional channels,
while the alternative agriculturalists are
more organic in their approach and sell their
products through fair trade means. I hoped
that by comparing these different
approaches I would be able to assess the
effects that fair trade and alternative
agriculture have on farmers. As I am a
farmer's daughter, who has gone on to
study Agricultural Economics, the prospect
of researching Thai farming (which I had
never really been possible on my last visit)'
really appealed to me.
Fair trade and alternative agriculture
both aim to help producers to develop
economically, socially and environmentally.
movement 14
So I needed a multi-disciplinary survey to
see if this was happening. My survey design
combined development measures, (Gross
National Product, the Human Development
lndicator, and quality of life variables - the
most multi-disciplinary and encompassing
development measure) with the social
auditing approach of organisations including
the New Economics Foundation. Along with
some open-ended questions to broaden my
understanding.
Finally, after numerous survey drafts,
and a pre-test, data collection in the field
(literally!) began. The photo (bottom right)
shows a Thai student, Pok, interviewing a
farmer with his conventional flower crop
behind them. These data collecting trips
were fascinating. And after reading lots
about fair trade and alternative agriculture it
was great to finally be talking to people who
were actually practicing these approaches'
and others who had chosen the
conventional path. I always learnt and
experienced many other things on these
trips, including the fact that chewing pickled
tobacco and salt is not advisablel
After over eighty interviews with farmers,
and nearly twenty more oPen-ended
interviews with extension workers, fair trade
workers, government officials and
academics, it was time to leave. But not
without a certain sadness, at the thought of
leaving behind many friends, the freedom of
data collection and my favourite Thai
desserts.
On thejourney back to Canada, I had a
stopover in Sofia. The difference between
this 'second World' country, where the
question of "How long will we be delayed?"
was answered sharply with, "l cannot
release that confidential information". Was
in such sharp contrast to the technologically
advanced and customer friendly 'Third
World' capital of Bangkok, which I had just
left behind. Then on to England for
Christmas with my family, where the overindulgence,
and unfounded moans seemed
to grate. Finally back in Canada, it was time
to start analysing my data and writing up my
thesis.
trade
Eo wHAT oro I nlo BEHtltD mE
label? That there is never a black
and white answer. Partly because
Thai farms are incredibly complicated;
what with bartering, subsistence
consumption of food, employment outside
of the farm, and the gathering of resources
from forests around the village (even if they
are part of a National Park). When I
incorporated all these sources of income,
Rural farmers and artisans
undervatue their labour
costs. This attitude is a
resutt of the traditional
Thai tife that focuses on
famity, giving and kindness.
the alternative agriculture and fair trade
farmers were, on average, economically the
best off on a farm basis (although they
relied heavily on off-farm income), but not
on an area basis, due to their larger farms.
This finding made me wonder if the growing
population and increasing land hunger in
Thailand will result in farms too small to
allow alternative agriculture to be
economically viable.
Although the economic comparisons
were not completely conclusive, the social
comparisons were much more so. With
educational, health and safety benefits for
farmers practicing alternative methods, and
receiving support from fair trade groups.
Conversely, the conventional farmers said
that the artificial agricultural chemicals they
used led to anger, bad moods and worry. My
own observations led me to conclude that
many farmers didn't know how to use these
chemicals safely, as some containers didn't
have any instructions to folloq and even if
they did, they weren't always followed.
Environmental benef its also stemmed
from alternative agriculture and fair trade.
These included more integrated farming,
more wildlife, and the use of less chemicals,
and more alternatives (which included
sticky, yellow plastic bags, traditional and
modern herbal concoctions and other
ingenious approaches - although I did
wonder about the likely success of some of
them). I had to assume that these
alternatives were more
environmentally friendly
than artificial chemicals,
although I could find no
literature to back this
assumption. The photo
behind the headline
shows an example of
less integrated conventional
farming-amonocrop
of strawberries. The
comparison between this
and the diversity of crops
on alternative plots was
obvious.
Although benefits stem from fair trade
and alternative agriculture, I found a
number of worrying problems that need to
be addressed. These included dependency
resulting from outside financial support.
One example of outside support is shown in
the photo below where an alternative
agriculture and fair trade stall is located in a
Buddhist temple grounds. Although the
products sold were supposed to be fairly
traded, the woman pictured insisted on
giving me some wild mushrooms. ln her
opinion, they had been picked from the
forest, and had therefore not really cost
anything. (The Thais I were with insisted that
to be polite I should accept the mushrooms
free of charge). This was an attitude that I
found to be common amongst poor, rural
farmers and artisans, as they not only
undervalue their labour costs, but also the
costs they incur in the process of taking
their produce to market. ln some ways this
attitude is a result of the rural, traditional
v A Thai mushroom se//er she felt the wild mushrooms had cost her nothing.
Thai life that focuses on family, giving,
kindness and many other attributes that I
found so appealing. Unfortunately the
current international trading and business
system does everything to destroy this way
of life and the people involved in it, and
nothing to support such communities and
attitudes - not only is this true in Thailand,
sadly it is an international trend. ln the
research sites this trend is also combined
with the changes associated with rapid
modernisation. As farmers are increasingly
bombarded with advertising for consumer
products, their patterns of demand and
consumption change. ln orderto be able to
fulfil their increasing demands, and the
increasing costs associated with the
collapse of the Thai economy in 1997,
farmers require higher levels of cash
income. The temptations, and often
necessity, of high short-term incomes from
conventional farming remain, even though
risks are high, and rewards very uncertain.
Nevertheless, my time in Thailand leads
me to conclude that alternative agriculture
and fair trade provides the farmers studied
with an opportunity to improve their lives.
And although I now understand the
complexities surroundi ng these approaches,
I continue to buy fair trade and alternative
agriculture products, in the hope and belief,
that they will be helping small-scale
producers in some way. And that my
purchase will be a very small part of the
growing movement, and demand for
changes, to overcome the current
inequalities in the international trading
conditions. /k
Miriam Renner is a graduate of Newcastle
University. She is currently involved in
researching and writing a report on climatic
change and the associated socio-economic
impacts affecting Canadian forests.
{ For an academic version of this research
see lipsey.re.ualberta.ca and sp-9&06.pdf.
Conducting an interview y
o* '* fb
lt
/.r '\
? l
I ,1
;, t
;.r'"*iFr*
movement'15
Irl[,HT:,:f#;iiin^
lll H [in'ff ::,: fi : u[" t' :.ff '
undresses, wrapping a towel around his
waist as he passes bY the basket of
condoms. After several minutes, he makes
eye contact with a person he would like to
get to know better. ln private, the new friend
produces a condom and opens it. "Don't
bother", says Adam, and the friend, nine
times out of ten, doesn't bother.
Adam is a "barebacker", a growing
subculture among gay men, who have
chosen to forsake the education and
popular wisdom of the last fifteen years and
pursue casual sex without the use of
condoms. Sound insane? There is more: this
is not a small number of people, nor is it a
group who "accidentally" forget to use
protection on a one-time only basis. This is a
group who accept the possibility of
contracting HlV. Some even eroticize the
idea of contracting HIV the virus that
causes AIDS.
I can hear your collective gasp. lt is
unthinkable that after all we have learned in
the western world, that the people who are
most often at risk could consciously choose
high risk behaviour. There is, however, more
to this phenomenon than simPle
abandonment of common sense' or a
collective death-wish. lf you add up some
basic facts, it even makes sense:
. Sexual identity for gay men has always
been based around what was taboo, and
forbidden by mainstream culture. The dawn
of AIDS, ironically, re-focused a spirit of
compassion and welcome to the queer
community. Families realised their own
fragility as children, husbands, wives and
cousins were forced out of the closet because
of their diagnosis. The growth of this tragedy
led to increased spending on research and
education, and people began to realise that
anyone could be gay... or have AIDS'
Risking it all
r GnnnNo
. People with AIDS began to organise, both
from the grass-roots, and from positions of
power, as celebrities and politicians were
diagnosed "positive" and the image of AIDS
began to change. The task was to destigmatize
the illness, make it
understandable to the public, and not a
"curse sent by God" as some ofthe
fundamentalist churches began to preach.
And so, the image of normal, healthY
people, diagnosed HIV+ and living
productive lives, became the norm. More
significant, these people experienced "rebirth"
post-diagnosis, realising their
mortality and choosing to make every
second count. The queer community
experienced a spiritual awakening as their
number became more and more
threatened. People with AIDS were no longer
victims, but heroes.
. The downside of this? Gay men still grew
up eroticizing what was taboo, yet come to
adulthood in a society that accepts only
"safe" sexual behaviours, and abhors the
concept of unsafe sex.
. Add to this the medical developments of
protease inhibitors and miracle drug
"cocktails", and AIDS no longer seems to be
the death sentence it once was. lf anything'
it seems to be a perfectly manageable
illness. (The popular media takes no
responsibility for reporting that, although
the number of deaths per year is down, the
number of new diagnoses is on the rise, not
to mention the huge decimation of people
in Africa, where AIDS is a major epidemic.
Doing anything interest
Have you considered teaching LtryU4
THE TEACHERS are well supported: Lingua Franca organises a training weekend to meet
teachers and to offer a crash course in the communicative approach to language learning,
As well, the success rates of the protease
inhibitors is largely over-estimated)
One of the costs involved in the gain of
acceptance for any minority group, is the
loss of perspective of being on the outside.
The internal conflict in these communities
is: how do we maintain the important
knowledge gained from being oppressed'
yet end the pattern of oppression? The
argument continues today among feminists,
people of religious and ethnic minorities'
and certainly, among the queer community.
There is no debate for me as to whether
barebacking is acceptable behaviour or not.
Clearly, for me, it isn't. But it makes me
aware that the far-reaching results of our
education efforts, despite the noblest
intentions, are impossible to determine. lt
also makes me aware that our efforts to
educate about sexual health cannot simply
revolve around an illness, it needs to revolve
around love of the next generation of
sexually active men and women.
His name is Adam. He likes being gay'
because he is part of the largest cultural
music scene since disco. He is a circuit
party boy, and he is prepared for his bi$
night, along with thousands of others, who
will be with him in the giant warehouse:
he has his Ecstasy, the expensive designer
drug that will give him several hours of
euphoria, making him want to dance all
night, and have really intense sex. His
inhibitions will completely melt away, as he
happily strips off his shirt, and lovingly
touches anyone and everyone around him.
He has his bottle of water, to prevent
dehydration from the drug and the dancing.
He has his glow-stick, his accessory of
choice. He does not have condoms. Those
were for kids of the eighties, and this is
1999. As far as he knows, his night is going
to go on forever.
ing this summer?
frah
along w1h ideas for managing groups. Lingua Franca provides official invitations for visas and
usefil teaching books for teachers to devise their own teaching programme; it can also
provide travel subsidies for those who need financial support'
c(ansuase
cou rses?
Eastern The volunteer teachers choose the dates they are able to travel;
THE COURSES extend from two to four weeks and are usually tn Europe
and hel tn the
of both parties. The teachers are students,
with a group with a need (learning
English) ps preparation
Lingua Franca Puts them in touch
graduates or others with relevant skills who are interested tn the regr0n, motivated, dynamic
and good at a managing groups.
L'tn3ua
f^nr<
PO Box 22900,London,
N1O 1WN, UK
Tel/fax: +44 (0)181 8833739
e-mail: linguafranca@ eclipse.co.uk
t,
movement 16
Iternatlue
ut o rl d's
The weakness of reason
THE MALEFICENCE of the genetic
modification of food, plants and crops
seems well established. That it is driven by
corporate interest in profit not scientific
altruism is clear. That the technology has
not been properly tested and researched for
its environmental impact is clear. That it will
not'feed the world' but place even more of
the world under the control of the
multinational corporation is clear.
There has been a call for a moratorium
on commercial planting of genetically
modified crops to allow the completion of
testing to determine whether the technology
is safe. This is to allow us to make 'rational
decisions, without hysteria'. But what
happens when the research disagrees, and
one group of scientists say it is safe while
others report dangers? Who are we to
believe? Some sociologists describe a 'risk
society' - the growth of human knowledge
and control over nature means that
in modern societies we are faced
with 'manufactured
uncertainty' rather than
threats from natural
disaster
Bewildered
by the
quantity of conflicting i nformation available,
we are left with the sense that living today is
full of risk.
The general issue arising is how are we
actually to know whether to trust and accept
genetically modified food? How are we to
assess the impact of biotechnologf
Many scientists complain that they are
misunderstood, that the public lack the
knowledge to judge their work. I think it is
not science itself we need to understand,
but the philosophy and politics of science.
WILLIAM BLAKE set out the rebellion
against the "mind forg'd manacles" of
mechanistic science. His picture of NeMon
measuring the ratio is a subtle satire.
Newton is hunched, muscular, intent on the
pair of dividers measuring the bottom of the
sea of time and space. lt shows Newton
confined to this one principle, immersed in
the dark waters - a symbol of the material
world - unable to see the glory of the world
of lmagination. Blake's prophetic visionary
picture was printed in 1795, in that period
called the Enlightenment - the birth of the
scientific paradigm. lt is not, though, simply
a Romantic reaction to Reason, but a Vision
from the mystical tradition - of Hermes, the
Platonists, the Kabbalah and the Druids.
Scientific method relies on the
experiment, which takes place in a closed,
controlled environment - the laboratory. The
problem is that the world is not actually like
that, we live in an open field.
The whole can
not be
perceived
by
scientific
methods.
Those with a
naive faith in
Science to know
and control the
world
cannot understand mystics like Blake, for
whom the world is Vision seen with the
inner eye of the lmagination. Reality is only
perceived by the irrationality of intuition.
A simple principle: we can only see what
we can look for, only notice what we are
prepared to notice, only receive what we are
open to. lrrationality is the awareness of the
limitations of scientific, rational knowledge.
Science is not the 'value-free' search for
knowledge claimed, but the shared
subjectivity of the scientific community, with
an agenda dictated by the hunt for a
research grant. And the result is science
with specific technological applications
increasing corporation profits.
Scientists need to learn the value of
other ways of looking at the world, and stop
messing around with what does not belong
to them. Much of the new physics brought in
quantum leaps has coincided with the
perceptions of sages and mystics. By
learning about nature through mystical
perception, the intention is not to control
the forces but to live well within them, in
balance, and to care for the ecology. More
irrationality is what we need. To live fully in
the irrationality of the human condition. To
realise that Nature always balances - if we
deplete the resources we depend on, our
societies will collapse and disappear.
The debate is about rationality and
irrationality. About different ways of knowing
the world. Rather than needing more
knowledge of the science of genetics and
the technologies of modification, we need
more wisdom and spiritual insight. ls
science really worth the cost - the
technologies of war, the nuclear disasters,
the resource stripping, the ecological
devastation?
Do we want a world in which the
resources are controlled by a handful of
corporations, in which everything is planned,
controlled and organised rationally, in which
humans are automatons, Man has
conquered and subjugated Nature,
exploiting her resources for his material
gain? Or do we want a world with an ecology
of freedom, to tend our gardens and
manure the earth, to value life and live in
harmony?
(IRFAN MERCHANT)
movement 17
Fa
Freedom on (the) line
EAST TIMOR, although not yet a nation, has
a presence online. Bi$ deal you might say'
but the fact it has its own domain name (.tp)
was enough to spark an uglY war in
cyberspace recently. Having its own domain
meant East Timor was recognised -by the
online world at least - as a country in its
own right, not a part of lndonesia. lt has
been occupied and brutally repressed by
neighbouring giant lndonesia, since 1975:
2OO 000 Timorese, a third of the population'
have been killed in this time'
Yet there is hoPe. When lndonesian
President Suharto fell and the economy
collapsed, East Timor became an extra
burden for lndonesia. East Timor faces
elections in June: indePendence -
unthinkable five years ago - looks a
possibility.
Timorese students and other
campaigners in lreland have used the
internet as a base for awareness raising.
The web site is a useful source of
information but is nothing much to look at.
(Although the graffitti-ing kid screensaver is
quite amusing). The protests and barefaced
declaration of independence did not go
unnoticed. Hackers intent on destroying the
Timorese web-presence caused so much
trouble that the internet provider closed
their whole system down - which is a major
breach of protocol - while they bolstered it.
The attack was international and coordinated:
"The perpetrators of this attack
have not yet been identified, but the
lndonesian government is known to be be
extremely antagonistic towards this display
of vi rtua I soverei gnty," says Con nect-l rela nd.
Some commentators see this as a sign of
things to come: another outlet for
resourceful terrorists.
ln the early 1990s an international
solidarity movement for East Timor was
inspired by John Pilger's television
documentary'Death of A Nation', and drawn
together by the internet. Campaigners
developed fragile links with East Timor -
notably with Renetil, the student-led resistance
movement, which has been legal for
less than a year - and used their influence
to embarrass the repressive Indonesian
government and Western government
(include Britain's, who are complicit by
supplying arms). For humans rights activists'
getting information out of East Timor quickly
is the essence: there could be an arrest one
night and an international response the next
morning. lncreased use of faxes and the
telephone, as well as e-mail, have
transformed this process. Solidatory can be
more active and meaningful (and
immediate) than a feeling of good-will.
ln physical reality, the officials have
strict control over who enters and leaves a
country, and can find out your 'details' and
motives. ln virtual reality your bags cannot
be searched and your photographs and
notes cannot be confiscated. Perhaps soon
this will be true for the real East Timor.
The lrish-based top domain for East Timor is
at www.freedom.tP.
Have a look at www.pactok.net.au/docs/et
for a thorough overview of Timorese history.
It has massive number of links to solidarity
groups around the world.
The Association for Progressive Communications
- www,apc.org - offers a more
theoretical discussion on the possibilities
using mass media and the internet for
NGOs and campaigns.
The long route
SIX O'CLOCK on a Saturday evening, I was
online - and I didn't know the football score
I wanted. At half-time I had passed a shop
window: lt was 1-1 between Leicester (my
team) and Man U (everyone else's). I'd
missed the wonderful ritual of 'Classified
Results' on the radio and TV. I was online -
instant information at my fingertips - and
finding out what had happened in the
remaining 45 minutes would be a doddle'
My homePage offers two instant
scoreboards: but neither of the links work.
So I typed 'football results' into an search
engine; this being AOL it pointed me to
what the Americans call football, and we
call a glorifed game of catch. Searching
British sites only, I reached The Telegraph's
site which tells me in great detail about the
previous week's game; they have a page
dedicated to each club too. ln that cryptic
high-brow way it says that Leicester have
"an asthmatic home record" - either we are
generally fragile or it is a reference to the
exc'eptionally high number of draws. The
abundance of fanzines will not be updated
until the obsessives who maintain these
things have travelled back from the match.
lf you felt so inclined you could follow
cricket ball-by-ball; play fantasy football;
trawl through sporting archives; join a
discussion group for traumatised referees
and umpires. I wanted a fresh football
result - that's not much to ask. I could have
phoned a friend. I yearned for Ceefax; it
suddenly felt very cutting-edge. Or I even
could have waited a while and bought an
evening edition of the paper. I found the
result twenty minutes later' Perhaps the
reason I'm so bitter is that we got drubbed
6-2 . 0lM wooDcocK)
.fi17,a
movement 18
^.'K
'- --+: u-i-+
''-r
':t<
= 5
f,
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o
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5
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o
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I
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"Friends, every day
do something that
won't compute."
Here is poem by contemporary American
poet Wendell Berry recently used as
reflection in Glasgow SCM.
Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everythin€, ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more.Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
Love the world. Work for nothin!,. When
they want you to buy somethinS,
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do somethingj
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love sorneone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag,. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand, Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.
Ask the guestions that have no answers.
lnvest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not iive to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under fhe trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion-put your ear
close, and hear the faint chatterin{,
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Lau(,h.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not $o cheap
for power, please women more than men,
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a.woman near to givin{ birth?
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie easy in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Sweai allegiance
to what is nighest in your thou$hts.
As soon asthe generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't Eo. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection'
"Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation
Front" (from "The CountrY of
Marriage" (1973)).
At last the church has found a way to market itself
effectivety. Atpha is a unprecedented phenomenon -
but is it a valid way to package the Gospel?
Tim Woodcock asked five peopte for their opinion.
The Alpha empire
Christ shared for you. Would
you like fries with that?' This is
trof
the McDonaldization of religion: a
powerful market-orientated way to spread
the gospe/. A recent paper by Pete Ward, a
lecturer at King's College London and Dr
Carey's Youth Adviser, suggests thatthe
ubiquitous Alpha courses show a
remarkable similarity to McDonald's.
The comparison is not far-fetched - in
terms of brand identity and growth rate
Alpha is a product most corporations would
be proud of. lt is billed as 'an opportunity to
explore the meaning of life'. The principle is
essentia//y one of franchisin{: the 70 week
course started in 7990 by Holy Trinity
Brompton has been honed and copyrigihted;
it has its own range of videos and books
and advertisements; churches of all
denominations have a share in it - to use
the name Alpha they must reproduce the
course entirely, notjust take the most
useful elements. ,t is thoroughly businesslike.
Ward states that "Alpha exhibits a
predilection for numbers. Alpha measures
its success and presents itself for approval
primarily on the basis of numerical
success." There were four courses in 7997,
5O0O in 7996 and 70 5O0 in 7998. ln
Septernber 'the Alpha
initiative' received
co n si d e r a b I e atte nti o n :
there were 7700
billboard posters and 4.5
mi Il ion invitations. Ihat's
anyone's standards.
Atternpts in the media - notably by
The lndependent and some elements of the
church press - to paint Alpha as a cult have
failed. The evidence is absent, the position
is untenable: Alpha is not an alternative
church but a mar4eting tool for existing
churches. /t has an
movement 19
exponential growth rate and an imperialist
attitude to mission - a phrase that echoes
through Alpha literature is "effective
evangelism".
We spoke to five people who at one
level or another have been involved with
Alpha: whatis there under the packating!?
What does Alpha have to offer?
Stewart Dennis, a minister in a Baptist
church in Milton Keynes which will run the
courses from Autumn, "has reservations"
but is "happy to work with it." lt speaks to a
confused post-modern culture in which
people are searching for meaning: rather
than a pick-and-mix belief system, Alpha
offers a structured introduction to
Christianity. Of course, if it stops there you
are left with an infantile faith. The answers
it offers are "too neat: Alpha would be
better if it was frayed around the edges".
For Stewart the value of Alpha is "people
coming to faith and experiencing God's
grace and love. The space to discuss issues
is much more important than the teaching".
Clearly Alpha have done their research:
it scratches where people are itching, it fills
'the God-shaped hole', it meets people
where they are at... (choose your favourite
cliche). The issues most frequently brought
"The space to discuss issues
is much more important
biebY than the teaching"
ews
up in small groups are illuminating (see
sidebar). Although people are free to bring
any question to the group, the agenda
seems somewhat forced: are "sex before
marriage" and "The New
Age" really the most
pressing issues for
r Jo(anne) Public. These
' are phrases
I remarkable for their
Churchiness. The
answers are
prescribed and
: predetermined.
Perhaps Alpha is
merely a gimmick to
i get people into
he
ssaP\
'Jightcd
oha
htr
take
Church and talk at
them.
The most
I
i
, evangelicalistic
,
Christians tend
nonsense
to have few friends outside church circles.
And this undermines the networks needed
for evangelism. Anthony was involved with a
on-campus group: "My first impression was'
that for a movement that was supposed to
be so strong nationally, nearly everyone
there was a member of the C.U. I could see
very few unfamiliar faces which meant that
they obviously weren't attracting any 'new
Christians'." This is echoed by Rowan who
attended, and then coled, an Alpha group
in London. The church saw it primarily as a
way of drawing people in from the fringes'
To help these people getto know each other
and to spark these discussions on faith is
inherently good. But it makes Alpha's
statistics and the claims of church growth
somewhat dubious.
"Alpha maY be a good idea," saYs
Anthony, "but here it became a talking shop
for people already affirmed in their beliefs'
in which they were all told that they were
right." Many others have commented on the
importance of group dynamics: the selfselecting
nature of Alpha courses and
therefore the lack of diversity of opinions.
lan Stubbs, Adviser in Adult Education with
the Church of England, claims that Alpha
"attempts to produce a particular kind of
believer. I also believe that there are
situations where the community feeling and
group pressure engendered by the meals or
the weekend away can be used
inappropriately to engender commitment."
Or, as Anthony recalls the group dynamic
can be suffocating: "We had a discussion
over inerrancy, sin and the Holy Spirit'
Everyone was pushing the same point of
view. They managed to cap it all off by
prostletysing for the Jesus Army. I'd have
probably been more concerned about that if
they'd actually had some 'new Christians' to
be influenced by the ProPaganda."
As a Catholic he felt dismissed as not a
real Christian. "l left the course with an
increased belief in a large amount of
Catholic teachings, a belief that the Bible is
highly over-rated and that teachers should
teach not indoctrinate."
lll1"ff:iiHlffLll'1f;,,"0
til lffi': rili,.i,'ifi" "l"",ffi ",
background but has been okaYed bY
Anglican Bishops, and the Catholic and
Orthodox Church are happy to use it (if it is
supplemented by other teaching on the role
of tradition and the church). lt espouses the
core doctrines of mainstream Christianity
but avoids the more problematic ones.
Stewart Dennis argues, "the emphasis is on
revelation by God. lt papers over the cracks,
and doesn't recognise the pluralism within
the church." lt does a good job of
introducing people to faith but fails to it
convey the depth and breadth of
Christianity. The latter is especially
irresponsible.
There are some questions that Alpha
Key points from Pete Ward's
McDonaldization thesis
. Simplification of religion: "Christian
theotogy is, to say the least, complex and
varied. Alpha tends to flatten this reality"
. lt stifles creativi$: bland, conformist
understanding of the Bible and faith.
. Religious imperialism: a degree of
domination and uniform spirituality. Concern
with efficiency.
. The illusion of reli$ion: it offers a version of
Church life that is very different to a regular
Sunday service . Like Baudrillard's
simulacrum: "a copy of a copy forwhich
there is no oriSinal!
. Convenience food: "McDonaldization is
designed for individuals on the move who are
concerned to minimise commitments!'
Evan(elism is reduced to runningAlpha'
The seven issues most often
raised on an AlPha
course
. SufferinE
.The Trini$
.other religions
. Sex before marriage
. NewA€le
. Homosexuality
. Science
Pete Watd's original afticle was
published in Anvil, vol.15, no 4.
It bofiows heavily fron Geoqe Riaels
The McDonaldization of Society
(1996).
deals with better than others, lan Stubbs
argues, "There are technical questions that
people have such as 'when were the
Gospels written?'which can be answered'
There are other questions which require
different approaches: for example, in what
way was Jesus 'raised to life', or'how do we
speak of God in the present tense?' There
are other questions however, such as'what
does salvation mean for me as a factory
worker'which can only be explored. These
kinds of questions don't have neat answers
but involve a reflective dialogue between
faith and life experience." lan objects that
within Alpha this is a one-sided dialogue -
perhaps we should ask more often 'what
does life have to teach us about faith?'
To package and present spirituality is
inherently difficult. lan Stubbs feels that
Alpha over-simplifies in the attempt to
communicate the gospel. "There is an
underlying assumption in Alpha's materials
that faith is static and constant, and that
'we' have all the answers to complex
theological questions. But this will not do'
Faith, individual as well as corporate, is a
dynamic and evolving process." To Rowan'
as a leader the most difficult question he
came up against was 'How do You feel
God?' lt was from someone who'd been
involved in the church for a long time.
"That's the real issue. Well, how do you
convey that?"
Alpha's trump card has to be the mix of
socialising and the presentations, so
through friendship and community people
feel God. Alison Webster, who has been
involved in many of SCM's recent
publications, notes: "There is an educational
methodology which assumes that people
will want to participate only if they have a
fun time in the process, so each session is
buih round the social activity of eating and
drinking. And the formula, not surprisingly'
works. The question is, how could the
mainstream churches have failed to realise
for so long that people like to have fun?"
"Alpha have cornered the market in
producing accessible, easily digestible
and modern material to teach people the
socalled 'basics' of Christianity. Liberal
church people who take issue with Alpha
moan incessantly about it - but I'm afraid
this often just comes over as sour grapes.
Alpha have discovered a winning formula,
and spread that formula via slick and welF
resourced marketing, and the liberals can't
compete."
Alison goes on to suggest that Alpha can
flourish in a post-modern context "precisely
because the content of their courses is
inseparable from the presentation of it."
Therefore it is futile to produce 'alternative
Alphas' which purvey a different content but
do so without understanding Alpha's
methodologies (that is say, the fusion of
socialising and teaching).
She concludes: "Some of us think that
the religious quest is about asking
It does a good job of introducing
peopte to faith but faits to it convey
the depth and breadth of Christianity.
That is irresponsibte.
questions and constantly changing one's
mind, rather than having one's questions
answered. We think that faith is precluded
by answered questions. The big question is,
could an Alpha course ever be built on such
an understanding of religion, and would we
want it?" And that surely is the question...
With thanks to Alison Webster, lan Stubbs,
Rowan James, Stewart Dennis, Anthony
Worrall.
movement 20
Malcolm Brown speaks to Simon Hughes, the Lib-Dem MP and a potential
leadership candidate. How does he combine power with integrity? What politicised
him and what keeps him going?
Sfmon says
ooo
WOULD HE BE AS HARD TO PII'
down as he was to track down?
Would he be another slippery
politician?
He immediately set the record straigiht
on that one. "You prove integrity by
answering questions directly, by admitting
your mistakes, by admitting the value of the
views of others, and by trying not to be
antipathetic to other people personally." A
good start: but there's more. "The example
I always give is our friend Mrs Thatcher. I
had nothing in common with her really, but I
always tried to remind myself that she was
my Christian sister." Funny how that one
always slipped my mind.
But what is a Christian doing in politics
anyway? What kind of faith did he have?
Were his politics shaped by his faith? What
about Christians in other parties? People of
other faiths and no faith? ln other words:
What motivates you, Simon?
CHASING SIMON...
We heard on the grapevine that Slnron Hughes was a bit of an SCM
fan. When there was enoLtgh money to prodLtce wall planners and the
/ike Simon Hughes had one up in his office: it rentinded him of why he
was doing his job. Not bad. The Lib Dent MP for North Southwark and
Berntondsey. spokesrnan on healtlt, London, rumoured candidate for
ntayor, spokesnran on Church of En{land affairs (yes, that job does exlst).
and Millwall supporter.
Well. nobody's peiecL but lint W. the editor wrote a letter asking for an
interview anyway. And got a swift and posltive response. "Ace ! " shouted
Tint. 'lfls on! '
To make thlngs snoother sti// Slmon was contlng up to Edinburgh for
the Lib Dem Party conference. so sonreone in Scotland could do the
inteNtew. There were three posslb/e interviewers all sufficiently
tnterested and inspired - but all nightntatishly busy people. Could we get
one in the riEht place at the rieht tinte? Arranging lt outside London was a
recipe for chaos. Slmons office couldn't decicle on a day, Saturday tn
Edinburghwas sr/ggestedand pencilled in. Then out of the blue. 3 days
before it was to be Friday in a pub in the cen|e of Glasgow.
So it was a// set up. A differentwriterwas briefed. We could have 30
rnlnutes but Simon HAD to tet a 2pnt train to Edinburth. He was coming
front a hospital appointment in G/asg0w No. not to get his tonsl/s
checked. /t was a hosplta I visit of the kind that Health Spokesnren have
to do. So. our friend lint Mcl\enzie goes off to do lt. Slrnons
appoitltment over-runs. He doesnt show; he doesnt dng. The worlcl falls
apaft and it looks like Movement will have a blank double page-spread
and a bruised re7utation.
We later find outthat he arrived at 2.30. So he HAD to get a 2pnt train.
did he? He humps irtto Janes Naughtle [the Today programnte
presenterJ tn the pub and stayed and they had a prnt.
I was practising ny 'Private Eye' interview style, when Tint W. contacted
nre to stay we had a phone interuiew arranged for the following Friday.
And it all went sfftoothly. Slnton was gmclori s and generous wi th his tine.
He seemec/ surprslng/y sirlcerc for a politician. Shure/y shome nrlshtake.
"International issues
politicised me," he said. He
had a rural background, and a
concern for South Africa and
Palestine that motivated his
student politics. He was
disillusioned with the Labour
Government of the time,
under Harold Wilson, so he
became a Liberal. He moved
to London, became a barrister
with an interest in human
rights and youth crime, and
his political agenda grew to
involve urban issues, poor
housing, and community
involvement. Domestic
justice was an extension of
international justice.
"l was brought up in a conventional
Christian family, and came to a decision to
confirm my faith. lt was dimmed and
strengthened, but never
fundamentally shaken.
Even things like
bereavement, in my
family, strengthened
our faith. I get angry
and frustrated about
denominationalism and
the lack of ecumenism,
and I get angry that I
am the MP for lots of
Roman Catholics and I
can't take communion
with them. lt
undermines the case
for the Christian faith."
"l seek spiritual
guidance for important
decisions. A recent
example was my
decision not to stand
for Mayor of London
which was arrived at as
much through prayer as
through discussion." I
was going to ask about
that, but he answered
before I had the chance.
He told me later that Ken
Livingstone should be
allowed to stand, though
obviously he would
support his own party's
candidate. He agreed
that parachuting Mo
movement 91
Mowlam in to stop Ken, as
Tony Blair seems hell-bent
on doing, was probably not a
good idea. Bringing peace to
Northern lreland and sorting
out the tube are very
different prospects. The
Mayor of London will be a
new and promnient role in
British politics: it sounds a
nightmarish ly broad job.
When he talks about his
faith, it sometimes comes
across as a very simple,
traditional piety, with any of
the positive or negative
connotations that may carry.
But not always. His faith and
his job sometimes comes
together, in ways that the rest of us will
never experience. As Lib Dem spokesman
on Church of England matters, he
campaigns for disestablishment. "We have
a nonsense that we have an established
church, fully in England, half-established in
I get angry that I
am the MP for lots
of Roman Cathotics
and I can't take
communion with them.
It undermines the
case for the
Christian faith.
MP for North Southwark and
Bermondsey; Lib-Dem spokesman
on London and health.
Scotland, and no established church in
Wales or lreland. Unfortunately, someone
has to deal with Church of England
business, and that person has to be an
Anglican." Hard luck Simon. "But it has
allowed me to do some useful things, like
speak out strongly in favour of the
ordination of women in the Church of
England." There's only one Simon Hughes,
one Si-mon Hu-ghes.
He was glad that there were Christians
in all the British political parties.
I
ln
continental Europe, there has been a
tendency for Christians to belong to rightwing'Christian
Democratic' parties, and for
others to belong to socialist or left-wing
parties. "This is a great failure of
continental politics," he argues. lt is similar
to America where it is difficult to distance
yourself from one party without aligning
yourself with the other. Still, people in
Britain often have a political background
like they have a denominational
background. They grow into a political
tradition, so why would they want to
change?
Simon tells me that he has disagreements
with Tories and Labour PartY
members, but they can still be friends and
find a lot in common. His responsibility for
a Christian outreach in Parliament is seen
as a quiet support system. "lt gives the
electorate encouragement to know that
there are some people who have certain
principles and who seek to abide by them. I
judge my gospel to be a gospel forjustice
and social reform, but others think
Christianity is about personalfaith and
personal salvation."
But what about people of others faiths,
or of no faith at all? "My relationship with
people of other faiths is normallY
strengthened by the fact that I have a faith."
A common belief in a creator God makes it
easier to discuss with people of other faiths,
share with them, learn from them, support
them, work with them, and challenge them.
This is important in his part of London.
He lives four miles from where Stephen
Lawrence was killed, and racism is a big
issue in his constituency, which has an
important community of Bangladeshi origin.
There is a history of poor policing and
racism in the area. "Where crime and
racism combine you get really bad
situation." The worst moment of his career,
which really made him sick, was a 'race
march' in his constituency, which nearly
developed into a local civil war. He believed
that things were improving, and the Stephen
Lawrence report was putting pressure on
those who could do something.
What could he tell us, from his
experience as an MP for an area where
racism is such a prominent issue. What
advice could he give to people elsewhere?
Some of his answers were the 'topdown'
ideas which are important to a
politician: a housing policy which
strengthens comnlunity rather than
undermining it; more resources for the
police; an attempt to recruit graduates,
especially Black and Asian graduates, to the
police and other public services. And
policies which minimise the abuse of
alcohol, drugs and weapons, "because they
allow people to turn fairly quiet minimalist
racism into something extremely vicious and
violent"; and we need to deal with racism
at football grounds. That's not a million
miles away from my experience in Glasgow.
He had more 'bottom-up' ideas as well,
which are relevant to those of us who want
to do something about racism from a grassroots
level. "We are all potentially racist,
and we all have to guard against it, and we
all have to have check mechanisms, namely
other people's perceptions of us, as a help
and as a correction. You have to accept the
view of the person who says that there is
racism, even if that is not a view which you
accept yourself. You have to put yourself in
the place of the person who tells you that
they feel they're the victim of racism, and
start from the assumption that they're
right."
Sruox Huones ls A PollrtctAlr so
I suppose he is in the game of chasing after
power. He may stand for Lib Dem leader, or
he may stand for Mayor of London in four
years time. But he hopes for a chance to do
something abroad, working for the Third
World and for international justice. He is a
politician with a motivation to get things
done, and make the world a better place.
Sometimes he sounds idealistic, but an
ideal, for him, is something to achieve, and
he'll work out how to achieve it.
Some sociologists, such as Castells and
Bauman, have suggested that power has
been removed politics. Can a politician
movement 22
achieve anything in the age of global
communication? "You can educate the
community at home. You can adopt certain
projects, and my position as an MP can
help. I have tried to do something in Sri
Lanka, where a lot of people have been
killed. I was in Cyprus, trying to bring the
warring factions together. I try to solve the
problem of Gibraltar."
And what about the rest of us? Can we
do anything?
"l think there is a lot of encouragement
in the world. lncreasing democracy in
Africa, increasing democracy in South
America, increasing democracy even in
South Asia, and the sheer support and
solidarity with people from elsewhere is very
rewarding and extremely worthwhile. You
can win battles, and change hearts and
change minds and - in a world of global
communication - fdo that] more effectively
than ever."
Shurely no mishtake, Shlmon
t1'1-
Malcolm Brown has just completed his PhD
in Sociolo4y at Glas$ow University. lt
examines Muslim communities in Britain
and France.
I ,l
A comedy about the Hotocaust? That's right. Marie Kerrigan on one of the most
audacious and beautifut fitms ever made.
Wry vfta
La Vita e Bella (PG)
(Life is Beautiful - subtitled)
written and dirested by Robefto Benigni
A FILM based on a concentration
camp doesdt seem likely materialfor
a comedy. But in the hands of its star,
writer and director Roberto Benigni
whatyou tet is a whimsicalfable which
provides the audience with food for
the soul withoutthe Hollywood hype.
Set in luscany th is 1scar-winninE
f/m focuses on the escapades of
Jewish waiter Guido jrifice. After
successfu//y woo ing local schoolteacher,
Dora, with his Chaplinesque
antics, he narries her and they have a
son, Joshua, This is where the main
narrative betins. Their happy family
life is marred by the onset of hsclsm
and eventually disrupted when Guido
and hls son are taken to a
concentration camp. Dora voluntarily
joins them and is taken to the
womerls sectlon of the camp.There
Guido attempts to protect hls son
from the atrocities of the camp by
makinE a game out of their
experiences. [Points are awarded for
obeyint the soldiers; and hidin!, away
allday.l
The sympathetic poftrayals of the
three leads make them thoroughly
engaging in this mythical tale.
Nicoletta Braschi, as Dora, brin$s a
human elementto her role as the
middle class princess who isr/t as
much rescued by the prince as by the
court jester. Roberto Benigni's
portrayal of Guido is more than an
imitation of Charlie Chaplin, to
consider it merely as such is to deny
the sincerity and dchness he brints to
his character. This can be seen in hls
relationship wrth his son, the urchinlike
Joshua. Giorgi Cantarni's
endearing pertornance makes the
preservation of his charactels
innocence of paramount importance.
/t has been described by one
crltlc as "Carry 0n meets Schlnd/e/s
List". lwould disagree, arguingthat it
lacks the crudity of Carry 0n films,
apaft from the fact it would be
insensitiye treatment of what was a
horrific ordealfor millions of people.
The film never forgets - or allows the
audience to forget - the atrocities that
occurred but rather offers a fresh
vision on familiar scenes of emaciated
figures. A poiEnant example is when
Guido, having snuck hls son Joshua
into a German officels dinner pafty,
whilst returning to his cabin with
loshua asleep on his back /oses hls
sense of dlrectlon in the fot and
comes face to face with a mountain of
human bodies. lt is the frightening
prospect of Joshua's innocence bein!
corrupted that reminds us of the
emotional destruction caused by the
holocaust.
Life ls Beautiful dernonstrates an
understanding and an appreciation of
the value of hope. /t ls seen as the
lifeblood of love and appears to be
more than that: the f/m suggests it ls
nof only necessa ry for survival but
also acts to preseve the future. This
can be seen in the faces of the family
who retain a healthy appearance
ag,ainst a backdrop of greyingfaces.
There is a current trend of
'revisioning' war, in particular the
Second World War, with f/ms such as
Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red
Line. Life ls Beautiful can be seen as
part of that trend and while it offers no
Hollywood style hero or big action
sequences it suggests that out of the
direst of circumstances past or
present hope springs eternal.
Marie Kerrigan studies film at
Glamorgan Universig,
X men
American History X (18)
written by David McKenna
directed by Tony Kaye
AMERICAN History X isilt the most
beautifully crafted ftlm lle ever seen,
but its certainly amongst the mosf
powerful. ln outline, it concerns two
brothers, Derekand Danny. Derek,
the elder, ls a white suprernaclst
imprisoned for the murder of Nvo
black gant members. With Derek in
prison, the impressionable Danny is
seduced by the supremacistvision of
Derek's skinhead ganE. To the neo'
fasclst skinheads, the imPrisoned
Derek is a hero, To the black gangs,
hds an objectfor hatred, and his
impendint release from Prison
presents an opportuniy for revenge.
But DereKs prison career as a
member of the white minority has had
a I ife-shatte ring impact on hi m, an d
he emerges from prison determined to
rescue hls brother from hatred, and
his family from the cycle of violence.
Part of this film's extraordinarily
Provocative power comes from the
fact that the enormous lssues
involved are faced by decidedly
ordinary people. Derek is an
impresslve fiture and his
redemption is inspiring, but he
is not superhuman. Ihis ls
illustrated well in one brief
momentwhen he curses himse/f
for stooping to the violence of
his former shinhead associates.
Ihepastis a messy country not
easily escaped. ln facing up to
it, Derek must deal with the
utllness lnside as well as out,
without running away. In this,
American HlstoryXstrlkes me as
more profound than, say, The
S h aw sha n k Red e m pti on. Attractive
as thatfilm ls, lts redempfion comes
finally through escapism and revenge.
The central character in American
History Xtakes on the much harder
task of returning to the battleground
as an agent of peace. ln this, not only
Derek, but an array of other characters
- Dannfs school Principal, DereKs
laundry associate in prison, DereKs
slster - are ordinary heroes who stand
in the breach and take the terrifying
consequences. Atone point, the
Principal requests Derek to act as
mediator in a seemin9ly intractable
sltuatlon. Derek, incredulous, asks;
"Do you know what yotre asking me
todo?" The answerrs simple:"Everything
tharc within your power to do!'
Ihis is not an easy film. There are
moments of uncompromisint
violence. Some plot developrnents
are a little forced; the reasons for
Derek's transformation inside prison
do not quite convince. But it remains
vital viewint because of its portrayal
of the trim sacrifices which line the
path to peace.
(TlM MCKENZTE)
movement 93
Rosie Miles assesses Germaine Greer's eagerty-anticipated book on feminism and
womanhood in the last thirty years. The backdrop now inctudes butimia,
transsexuatity and, of course, the Spice Girls...
The changing face of feminism
Tue WHou WoNnru
by Germaine Greer (Doubleday)
the publication ofThe
Female Eunuch, one of
the seminal texts of
second-wave feminism, Germaine
Greer is back with "the book I said I
would never write". The Whole
Woman is Greels sequeltoThe
Female Eunuch, assessing the
position of women now from her
vantage point of being one of the
foremost feminist w riters and thinkers
of nearly a third of this century. Greer
opens the book by sayin! "ln the last
thirty yearswomen have come a long,
lonEway; our lives are nobler and
richer than they were, buttheY are
also fiendishly difficult". Right from
the sta,t she is a/so quick to highlight
some of the problems thattodals
women seen to have which did not
affect their mothert generation:
'When The Female Eunuch was written
our dauthters were not starYing or
cuttingthemselves. 0n every side
speechless women endure endless
hardship, grief and Pain, in a world
system that creates bllllons oflosers
for every handful of winners". Greer
concludes her opening' Recantatiol
by declarint that "lb time t0 get angry
aEain".
The Whole Woman is indeed an
angry, passionate, committed book,
Eiving ample evidence that although
women may have achieved a sPurious
equality with men in some areas, they
havedt really achieved something
which could be called liberation.
Many readingthis review are probably
youngenough to be Greels
dauEhters, if not her trand'dauthters.
l'm slithtly older, but nonethe/ess pad
of a teneration of women who can
take for granted much that our
mothers couldrlt. Greer nonetheless
has much to say that is relevant to us.
The book is divided into 32 chapters,
organized under broader headings of
' bodf,' mind',' lovd a nd' Powel, and
after readingthis boo4 no one can
think that we now live in some playful,
postmod ern moment as far as the
need for feminism is concerned.
lJndoubtedly we now live with a
greater awareness of the cornplexities
of womefs lives and idenilties, and
we are far more conscious of
differences beween women which
need to be noted, but Greels
assessment of the situation of women
today makes clear that women of
whatever race, c/ass or sexuality are
still frequently discri minated against
first and foremost becaus e of their
fender. Perhaps discriminailon has
become more subtle and sophisticated
ln dlsgulslnf, itse/f but nevedheless it
is still very much with us.
The Whole Woman is not a
particularly comfortable read. The
early chapters focus on how womeds
bodies are still being perceived and
manipulated, and Greer has searchin!
questions to ask about the prevailinE
models of beauty and femininity that
are sti/l so dominant in our white
western culture, and the imPlicit
disgust that these attitudes present
towards the real bodies ofwomen.
She wrltes of young womeis
problematic relationship to their
bodies as witnessed through the
phenomena of anorexia, bulimia and
self-mutilation as "fhe protest of the
powerless". ln a culture that is all too
keen to reduce youngwomen to their
(sexualized) bodies alone "it is
inevitable that their impotent rage be
turned againstthose bodies, which
they are wilfully destroying, even as
they are most admired".
Mon: corrnoYERstALLYt
Greer questions the right of nale-tofemale
transsexuals to appropriate
the label 'womai as their own (in a
ch a pte r m ocki n gly e ntitled
'Pantomime Damet), and PerhaPs
most problematically wonders
whetherwe have the rithtto
denounce the practice of Female
Genital Mutilation in African countries
because of the cultural value it has in
them. The Whole Woman resonates
with the cumulative weitht of
example after example of the waYs in
which cosmetic,scientil?c, medical
and surgical procedures invade, alter
and aftempt to control the female
body. ln the final chapter, 'Liberatiorl,
Greer writes, The persona/ ls stll/
political. The millennial feminist has
to be aware that oppresslon exerts
itself in and through her most intimate
rel atio nshi ps, betinnint w ith the most
intimate, her relationship with her
body".
Other topics considered bY Greer
i n cl u d e' ho usewo rK,'shoP P in g',
'sorroul,'si ngld,' masculinitl and
(perhaps inevitably)' girlpowel, to
name only a few. Greels concerns
about girlpower of the SPice Girls
variety is how it is part of a mediamade
"propatanda machine, aimed
at our daughters [which] is more
powertd than any form of
indoctrination that has ever existed
before". Looking at my 9-year'old
niece, who adores the SPice Gils (or
did, until All Saints came along), I do
wonder what Scary, Sporty, Posh,
Ginger and Baby have done for her
sense ofherse/f as a Eirl, as a growinE
young woman. MaYbe theYlre done
more than we know - it remains to be
seen.
What does this boo| have to offer
thinkinf Christians? Lots. Feminism
has always hadlustice as central to
its agenda, andThe Whole Woman
has as much commitmentto the need
for thints to be befterforwomen,
whoever and wherever they are. Greer
ends the book by suggestingthat
female power is perhaps most goinE
to be found in the Placeswhite
western feminists expect it to be. As
many Christian troups have taken up
the cancellation ofThird World debt
as a millennial issue, l'll l?nish thts
review with Greels concluding words:
"Female power will rush uPon us '
anwhere the famished labourer sees
luxury foods for the western market
Erown on the land which used to
provide for her and her children. And
the women of the rich world had
better hope thatwhen female energy
i*nites they do notfind themselves on
the wrongside".
Rosie Miles teaches courses on
women's writing and feminist theory
in Wolverhampton.
movement 24
'.{ijiffiE
Wates is the new Manchester, apparently. Catatonia... Stereophonics... The Manics. Have
the Manic Street Preachers managed to go mainstream and keep their integrity in tact?
Do their redemption songs stitt ring true? Craig Cooling think so.
"THts ls My Tnurx Te[ Me YouRs"
Manic Street Preachers
This
te11
a
rs my
Wales, )
meyours...
k!#"T#;TffA:"*
l5I
I
EverythingMustco
catapuited i.ne Manics
into the annals of rock history. ltwas
a blend of brilliance that
encompassed the c/ass critique of
Design For Life to the unabashed
heady Everything Must Go. Livint as
they do now in a post Richie Edwards
- world the respectthey command is
unneruing and their most recent Brit-
Awarded album This Is My Truth Tell
Me Yours does not disappoint. But
what is the nature of their appeal?
They deal in the beautiful, the bold
and the bitter, their home being
somewhere in between. Songs that
engage with the disafected, songs
that remove us from ourselves and
s0ngs thafgive us hope. Redemption
from blandness and apathy, from
i{nominy and from politics that don't
connectwith the people it is
You get the feeting that
the Manics and their
sumptuous redemption
songs are going to be
around for a white yet.
supposed to be about. Their Welsh
heritage is the manna that has fed
th e i r p ro Iifr c creativity.
. ln their latest release we see no
movementfrom some of the themes
of their previous qJbums; desperation,
a need to escape from ourse/ves,
social justice and daring to be bold.
However while Generation lerorists
and The Holy Bible were confined to
the paths of a cultistfollowing,
EverythingMust Go (as its tit/e
suggests) becarne a sacrifice to both
theirhnt hero Richie and their indie
following - they became estab/ished
in the British rock hierarchy' This Is My
TruthTell Me Yours despife lt's post
modern title Preaches
their new
gospel. With two Brit awards and
bein! established as the 'Q Best Band
in the World Todal their rnessage
(and foilowing) has become
co nfo rm i st a nd m a i n strea m.
ln many ways the music of the
Manics - lames Dean Bradfield
(vocals, guita\ Nicky Wire (bass) and
Sean Moore (drums) insprres,
preaches and laments.
A Design For Life, a beautiful
commentary on class and what it
means to be worung-class (with
words almost exclusively by Nicky
Wire since Richie disappeared), dealt
with one of the main threads of the
Manicg writing: socialjustice and the
need for /essons to be learnt. This
theme is continued in fhis ls My Truth
Tell Me Yours. ln 'lf You Tolerate This
Your Children Will Be Next they
comment on apathy and the evils that
it brings. Together with veiled
references to the Spanlsh CivilWar "if
I can shoot rabbits tnen / can shoot
lbsclsts " and ,'l've walked La
Ramblas/ but notwith real intent" ,
lamenting the need for the present
world to /earn its lessons from history.
AIso in fou're Tender and You're Tired'
Wire comments on how those in
society are preyed upon because of
theirvulnerability. ln a New Labour
soclety that saw it frt to introduce
tuition fees, and with a social outlook
that doesn't include yount people in
a minimum wage and excludes slngle
mothers, itisn'thard to reallse the
relevance of the songs to their
audience.
Arso l iltEnE nilr HAs
been prevalent in the history of the
Manics has been desperation and the
need for people to escape from
themse/yes. 1ne only has to think of
the escaplst Australid or'Kevin Cartel
in Everything Must Go. Agaln this
shines throu(,h in antelically beautiful
yet (inevitably) tratic visions in lhls /s
My Truth Tell Me Yours. In The
Everlastint'we have the "world is full
of refutees they're just like you and
me. " And in the gorgeous song'Born
A Git' in which the narrator yearns to
be notwhathe is. He wlshes he'd
" been born a girl instead of what I am
... not this mess of a man" and yet in
desperation cornes so/ace as we
treasure and feed the hopes thatwe
fear " l've loved the freedom of being
inside." Wire's lyrics bruise and
inspire, leaving us drunk on emotion
and empathy yet not quite certain that
we enjoyed it. )ne only has to look at
the Richie-dedicated' Nobody Loved
Yod: its chorus ironically hithli(hts
the evil hand that feeds us " nobody
loved you - nobody made you so
alone" when precise/y the opposlte
was the truth.
And yet they dare to be bold. The
song'Everything Must Gd left us
feeling dazed and confused, the
boldness of 'Be Natural' in their /atest
release cal/s us to treasure happiness
and live in the present. Simplicity
itself it would seem - and yet the song
musically has an uncomfortable feel
again: unnerving us, not /etting us feel
secure. /n You Sto/e lhe Sun From My
Heart the victim of the song doesn't
care about how badly he is treated by
the thief, "there's no - no real truce/
with my fury you don't have to believe
me/ I love you allthe same/ Butyou
stole the sun from my heaft" . They
deal with desperation and Doldness
as double-edted swords. Desperation
is treasured by the desperate and
bo/dness is an admirable yet
u n co mfo rta b I e fe eli n t.
As I write this a Labour Chancellor
has just cut income tax by a penny,
when teachers are underpaid and
schools u nd er-resou rced, hospita/s
are overwor4ed and nurses are told
that pay is irrelevant because of the
satisfaction they receive from their
lobs. Ihis coupled with Sony being
poised to pull out of Wales leadint to
a threat of 4 500 jobs goingfrom the
valleys, you Eet the feeling that the
Manics and their sumptuous
redemption songs are goin{to be
around for a while yet.
Craig Cooling is SCM'S Groups
Worker.
movement 25
,l
-1,
Tur Rono to rte StRns:
A EunopEnn PtleRtuncr
byTom Davies (SPCK)
T)M DAVIES' book balances between
places, peoPle (and accomPanYing
animals) met on the road, with a clear
insight into the spiritual. lt is clear
from the outset that Pilgrimage is as
much about the iourneY as the
arrival. The
journey
taken is not
only physical,
but one of
healinE; a
journey to the
heaft of God, a
journey to
oneself, and the
humbling
realisation that we
are only a small
ftsh in a diverse
ocean. Colourful
descriptions point
out gently but
unarEuably that God
can be found in the
most unusua/ p/aces
from the splendid to the supposedly
mundane, if onlY we stoq and look'
(FD)
Journeying faith
A Sronv To Ltvs Bv
by Kathy Galloway (SPCK)
MTHY GALL)WAY sPeaks as
someone who is often "not at ease
with the Church, at least in its
institutio nal expression". She speaks
as "the woman who bore her children,
who learned to love solitude",
and most intriguint of all,
"who is preoccuPied with
laundry". lt is her hoPe in
writingthis book
"might
encouraEe people to think about their
own stories". To helP us ln this task
she enlists poets galore. ln the first
chapter alone, for examPle, we find
Walt W hitman, Geor$e M acLeod, Al ice
Walker, Kenneth White and Tom
Leonard. She is a/so not averse to
using poetry of her own, either.
'We take care of what we value" '
Ihis theme is reiterated: the word
tare is occasio nally defined, and
once in a Christolofical sense; 'Jesus
was an enthusiast... in our different
ways, as followers of Jesus, we are
enthusiasts. We have been possessed
by God, filled with care!' And this gift
of enthusiasm is reciProcal: "From
you I receive, to You I Eive;
together we learn, and so we
livel'
Chapterfive,'Whal.s lt
Worth? A 0uestion of Values",
should be compulsorv readingfor
all theology students. Galloway is
eminently quotable. "At what point
does a personal moralitY become a
political one?", for examPle, "1ne
battered woman maY be Personal,
domestlc. What about two, ten, a
hundred, a thousand? Wharc the cut
off point between a personal tragedy
and a social disease?" . Or "we maY
do all the right kind of PraYinE. We
may never sleep with the wron+
people. But we cannot guarantee that
'the beating of our hearts kills no ond"
(the /ast part is from Alice Walkels
stunning poem "Love /s Not
Concerned").
I found it hard keePingtrack of
where I was with someone who flits
wildly but it is worth persevering, for
there is plenty of material thatwill
provoke you. Women in Cambodia
"trained in the useful domestic sklll of
defusi nt l and mi nes" a re for Gallow ay
"pointers to the gos1el 'hovf for
communities of hope ... these women
are a community of the resurrection".
I remember her poem "Cross
Border Peace Talks" from her
antholoEy Pushin$The Boat jut. lt is
a poem which, to mY mind, would be a
good hymn in praise of SCM. The
poem begins'There is a place beyond
the borders where love grows", and
contlnues To get to that Place, You
have to 9o... beyond the borders'..
1nly after you have wandered for a
tongtime in the dark, do You begin to
bump into others". l found PlentY of
strength for the iourney here, and will
be referrin{ to A Story To Live By in the
future. I will also be tivint my mother
a copy to read, as someone who ls
also "preoccupied with laundry", that
it may be for her too "the symbol of a
larger given".
Basil Slush
Bnst Huue: Bv Hts Fntrruos
ed. Carolyn Butler (Fount/ Harper Collins)
THIS B00K offers a necessarily unitateral view of cardinal Hume. written by his
friends, it paints a picture of a man whose deftning characterlstics are humility,
honesty, and holiness. His attitude to church politics is to let the spirit have His
say; fhrs is reflected too in the life of prayer attested by his own writings'
contributions range from those ofepiscop al collea{ues, which are suitably
reverential, to thoie of other faith leaders (customarily polite) to, most revealingly,
those by his pupils - whether at Ampleforth or in the more general sense. Ihe frst
piece,well chosentoopen,isonesuch. Neit Balfourtellsof themanwhoonlyever
wanted to be a teacher and a monk, and to retie to a parish with decent trout
fishin!, yet ended up, much to his own surprise, as President of the Blshops
Coniiince of En[tand and Wales. Balfour analyses hrs friend's weakness - his
dlstaste for confrontaton - and shows that it is in fact his greatest strength.
The collection a! a whole demonstrates both Humds humanity and his
essentla//y reseryed Ensllshness. Not for hin princedom of the church and all the
trappingi of power: instead, a cassock-s/eeves, hands-on approach' Atouching
coipliient to his pastora/ ski/t is paid by Frances Lawrence, widow of the
muidered headmatster Philip. The MP Ann Widdecombe descrlbes how his simple
holiness and abitity to teach removed her doubts about catholicism in fifteen
minutes. Thiskindof contributiongetsustothe cruxof theissue.cardinal Hume
lenuinely is uncomfoftable with being anything more than a man of simple faith,
Zt unyoi, who has been privile$ed (as have l) to meet him, however briefly, will
testify. The cotlection achieyes something more than panegyric. Much as that other
famius Benedictine, Gregory the Great, left us hls Pastora/ Rule as a handbook for
bishops and c/ergy, so thrs book, written not by but for cardinal Hume, will be used
in future to instruct those whose unsousht for positions of responsibility threaten
to impede their personal relationship with God'
(TM)
movement 26
Txr Nw RurcroH or Ltrr tru EvERvunY
SrucH (SCM Press) is the latestfrom
Don Cupift. lt is unex7ectedly and
unashamedly down'to' ea fth : Cu Pitt
takes the word Life (and all
associated idioms) to demonstrate a
fundamental shift in thinking.
Essentially Cupitt argues that
recently God has disappeared from
everyday speech... but at the same
time "God has been brought down
into, and dispersed into life".
Everyday life has become sacred, we
revel in miracles and revelations.
Living life by preparingfor the afterlife
seems risib/e; eternal life is about
valu i ng the here-a nd - now. H avi ng
deposed of a realist conception of
Go4 Cupitt has s pent years banEin{
on aboutthe need to embrace Being
only to find the sarne message in
everyday speech, using the word 'lifd
instead: Live life to the full.
The idea of an eminentscholar
gettin* excited by and theolotizing on
a phrase like "Get A Life!" is comical.
It is such a crude technique and I
wanted to hate it yet his wntr'nS ls so
eloquent and arguments so
compellint... "0rdinary language is
the best radical theoloEiani he
claims: perhaps, but only if you have
someone of the calibre of Cupittto
interpret it for you.
Ithad to happen sometime.
Barthes has declared The Death of
the Author, Fukiyama the End of
History. And now we have TUE Ero or
Txeorocy. Or to give it its ful/ title - Aro
nrTasx orTHruunc neow Goo (SCM
Press). Theolof,y rvas once
considered Queen ofthe Sciences
and now, for a whole host ofreasons,
is marginalised, apologetic and
unceftain of its future. But George
Pattison is reluctant to see it
rebranded as'religious studieg.
He says rather obviously: "No one
has a view from above any more!
Paftison is against traditionalism and
utopianism, yet seems too immersed
in the estaDlishmentto follow the free
play advocated by Cupift (to whon,
curiously, this book is dedicated). The
solution is dialogue with other
drsciplrnes. Quite wlat kind of
'dialogud is desirab/e is never
explained - a phrase used in the
c/osing pages "lovinglY seeking
wisdom togethe( would have been
welcome a hundred pages earlier. But
Paftison /ikes lrls theology warm,
fuzzy and meaningless. (TW)
fiL)
BOOK REVIEWERS: FTANCCS
Davison, Tom Lusty, TonY
Mc0onell, Tim Woodcock.
James Wood ctaims to read literature religiously. Catherine
Raine wonders if that has to mean being a dogmatic aesthete.
ou t or
cynlclsm
o o
7 o
Essnvs oN LTTERATURE AND BELTEF
av Jnues Wooo (Jouuarnnu Caer)
lT TAKES a dutiful pilgrim to read
JamesWood's book of essaysfrom
cover to cover. His rif,orous prose
often drove me to wild bouts of Crystal
Quest on an old Apple Mac, not to
mention study breaks with the
Waltons and hopetul Blind Date
candidates. Yetthis escaplsm
testi,?es to the religiously critical
intensity of The Broken Estate which
is its stated mission: "For [Virtinia
Woolfl the novel acts relitiously but
peiorms sceptically. I hope that
these essays may do something
si mi la n Wood s devote s twenty- one
chapters of searching analysis to an
equal number of fiction writers,
including Sir Thomas More, Jane
Austen, Herman Melville, lris
Murdoch, John Updike, and Toni
Morrison.
While The Broken Estate is about
reading relitiously its maln purpose is
to reveal a vision of what makes
fiction truly great and therefore
leligiout. Io show hrs hand, I have
teased outthree basic Woodian rules
for writing sublime fiction. First of all,
a masterpiece must strugg/e with the
meaninglessness of existence.
Whetherthe doubtin+ author be
Christian believer or atheist, allWood
asks is that the ln ner torment be
honest, commifted, passionate, never
trivialized with undue irony. Secondly,
authors must stir their readers,
almost mystically, through what they
suggest, not by whatthey say. Finally,
witers must never address readers
directly (gentle reader begone) and
characters shoudPossess a fu,/y
a uto no mous consciousness. Woodb
literary God is a stern deity who
refuses to ease our longingfor
presence. An absent God, like an
absent authon is more real than a
narrative Voice that Persists in
showeingwisdorn on its devotees.
Thus what Wood means by fiction
acting religiously is that it shoud
move the reader deeply but not
provide fundamentallst answers to the
meaningof life.
The Broken Estate's fervent
profundity and clarity are lts most
appealing features. Wood's prophetic
roar can pluck your neves but it never
leaves you indifferent. He grips the
reader! shoulders and forces them to
focus on senten ces that demand
respectful attention. For example:
"Fiction moves'in the shadow of
doubt, knows itself to be a true lie,
knows that at any moment it mightfail
to make its case". And'a literature
that discovers, that
dares to know /ess,
is always on the
verge of what is not
sayable, rather
than at the end of
what has just been
said'. My favourite
Wood persona is
the man who
abandons himself
to rollicking, poetic
praise of the
authors he loves,
especi ally Melvi lle, Austen, Woolf ,
Lawrence, Roth, and Sebald.
Yet the heaping helpings of
conte mpt th at Th e B ro ken Estatd
ladles out can sour the psalms it
srngs. ,fs not Wood's job to be sweet,
but I felt sick after reading a passage
like the following, which dispara{es a
scene in Morrisorfs'Paradisd:'Had
she described this incident. . . had
she linked itto other incidents - had
she rn shod conducted a'narrativd
- we might believe in this moment".
Sneerint stress on the word narrative
only deepens the patronizingtone of
an earlier asses sment: " Morrisorts
talent and she ceftainly has great
novelistictalent - has been to
combine magic, myth, and history,
and to nake of this a dignified
su perstition". Wood criticises Sir
Thomas More for being "spiftingly
conclusive' butthis phrase l?ts the
Wood whose zeal can shade into
dogmatism.
WasThe Broken Estatds profussed
hope for spirituality and scepticism
fulfilled? Within the limited arena of
literary criticism, indeed within the
limitsWood set, lbelieve itwas.
There were many moments of awe and
meaning apprehended in quotations
such as this one from Woolf: "[Reality
isl a luminous halo, a semitransparent
envelope surround i n g us
from the betinning of consciousness
to the end". Yet beyond academia
and the media ldorftthinkThe Broken
Estate /ives up to the profound
existential challenge it raises: "Lifeunder-God
seems a poinflessness
An absent God, like an
absent author, is more
real than a narrative
voice that persists in
showering wisdom on
its devotees.
posing as a purpose . . . life-without-
God seems to me also a
pointlessness posing as a purpose
(jobs, hmily, sex and so on - all the
u sual d istracti ons)". M ay be w ritin g
The Broken Estate wasr/t rneant to
fulf/ this sense of purpose for Wood,
but it reads as if it is trying. For me, a
bookwhich is dedicated to analysing
why most writers fail to meet Wood's
standards of religious witing is not
truly religious. Least of all is it truly
moral. The Bro4en Estate reminds me
why I abandoned formal literary study
for adult literacy. Literary criticism
came to represent so much
parasitical half-aliveness, bloatin g the
criticwith a wordy snobbery that
serves no socia/ good. Away and dish
out soup or craft some poerns, -/ames
Wood. Befter that than litenry cachet
purchased af second-hand.
Gatherine Raine has a PhD in
Literature and Theologr. More
recently she has been involved in
adult literacy programs.
movement 27
V
I
I
i
* GREEN SOULS
Environmental
campaigners have
pointed outthat
Christian theology
is irresponsible by
encoura*ing a
throw-away (after)
lifestyle.The overconsumption
of
souls rn
Christendom
may be
unsustainable
and
could leave
future
generations
short ofsou/s.
(Why soul one
per person? Why
not share yours on
the way to the afterlife?)
The crucial question is
whether souls are a finite
resource -
the scientit?c
evidence suggest they
are: no new sources
have been found for
many years and
attempts to
produce a
soul in a
laboratory
have failed.
lf thls is the
case
Christians rnust
adopta greener
attitude to the afterlife.
I
Catholics in particular come under
attack for Purgatory which is simply
the most inefficient and wasteful bit of
p rocessi n t im a tin a bl e.
However, the envi ronmentalists praise
Eastem relifions that teach rcincamation
-
the constant recycling of spiitual
maftermeansthere is notthe needfor
celestial land-fill sites inthe sl
CC
ne of the best ways f knout to
engage d hard-thinking faith with
tt
the realities of hft
s
lhD.qr [rfl L'idr H.dr ar6
HIRD
ff81 **\\u4l* n t
s H vtil 23J
UUAY
MrcHnBr Tevron
president of Junrrnn 2000
director of CuntsneLv Aro
1985-97
I
CC
Music rvhich ls truly sacred drssects u
lohn Tavener lalks to
Jeremy Begbie
or Christians
utho belieue that faith
tt
meu,ns change
THrno Wnv enjoys a unique reputation among
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Take us up on our trial offer and get two issues
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To: SCM 0ffer, Third Way, St Peter's, Sumner Road, Harow HA1 4BX
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RrnsoNS To LEAVE cHURCH: no.1 (in a series)
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-th t+i ' i:
Fini iji'r
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