thinking honestly about life and faith
This post is about truth, in the context of a culture of lies. This last week has seen the most stunning revelation —if that is the right word—of deception in our public life.It goes on and on. In Australia, there … Read More »
This week I have had several occasions to relate to local church pastors who are also seeking to do theological studies.It troubles me that for so many there has been something like Lessing’s ‘deep ugly ditch’ between ministry and theology.Constantly … Read More »
Thinking more about McCourt the teacher-man, I recalled two stories about great teachers in my own sphere.It begins with one I never knew, but whose legacy I did.While I was the pastor of the Hobart Baptist Church, in Tasmania, two … Read More »
I’m reading the latest book by Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes. This book is called Teacher Man. if you’ve read his other books you will find a lot of similar material: it’s about his experiences as a high school … Read More »
Over the Easter period, when finally I had a few days’ space to reflect on things, several things caught my attention.First, it was Easter: a time when Christians call to mind (and heart) the death and resurrection of Jesus—and all … Read More »
Yesterday I discovered, in an old paper I had written, a quote which really inspires me. It’s a statement by Elton Trueblood, but unfortunately I haven’t recorded its source: No vital Christianity is possible unless at least three aspects of … Read More »
Last Saturday, I was teaching a session in our ‘TransFormation’ program, which is a special program of leadership training for people from a non-English speaking background. Many of the students are refugees, and some have very limited English, and often … Read More »
Place is at least as important as time, or what we have thought was the realm of history, in our basic understanding of who we are and where we are with God. Some time ago I had the opportunity to … Read More »
I went to the beach for the weekend.Last year, after years of prevaricating, my wife and I bought ourselves a retreat place, near the beach, but set right alongside a forest —in fact a national park. It is such a … Read More »
This is the first in a series of reflections on theses with which I have been involved —generally as a supervisor of someone’s research.I want to give some exposure to the work developed here and reflect a little on its … Read More »