Post Paris: psychology of a new world order

18 Feb 2016 - by

This event is brought to you by Christians for an Ethical Society (CES), and hosted by the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. George Browning will introduce the year's theme: Common Wealth: Common Good within a theological framework and from an environmental perspective.

Dr Will Steffen (Executive Director, ANU Climate Change Institute) and Rt Rev'd Dr Stephen Pickard (Executive Director, ACC&C) will then launch George's book, Sabbath and the Common Good: Prospects for a New Humanity, which is based on his doctoral thesis.

Chair: Paul Bongiorno.

George Browning is former Anglican Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, and is Chair of CES. The second eldest of eight children George Browning grew up on a small English dairy farm and migrated to Australia aged 18 to work as a groom on a poll Hereford stud.

He began studying for the ministry aged 20, graduating with First Class Honours. After eight years in parochial ministry he returned to the same College as Vice Principal and lecturer in Old Testament, thus beginning a life time interest in OT studies and research. After another 10 years of parochial ministry, in 1985 he was consecrated a Bishop in Brisbane where in addition to his Episcopal ministry he was also Principal of St Francis Theological College.

In these years he developed a passion for social justice, being involved initially in indigenous issues and more latterly in environmental justice. Appointment to Canberra as its Anglican bishop in 1993 saw him develop advocacy skills at a national level and a passion for justice as an integral expression of Christian faith.

At the 1998 Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops in the UK he was appointed Chair of the Environment section of the conference and subsequently elected inaugural convener of the International Anglican Communion's environment network.He remains an ardent social justice advocate, these days focusing on two issues; environmental justice and the cries for justice of the Palestinian people. He shares with the rest of his family responsibility for the trust in memory of his mother, the Barbara May Foundation, which is building hospitals for women's health in rural Ethiopia.

The CES suggests a $5 donation to help cover the cost of this event. Click here for more information.

Event details

Wednesday 24 February, 7.30pm, ACC&C.