Articles

What sin did Adam Goodes commit against Australia's secular religion?

12 Aug 2015  |  Author: Fr Scott Cowdell  | Theme: Indigenous reconciliation; The Arts, Sciences and Culture

The Adam Goodes controversy reveals a great deal about modern society, and especially about the role of sport as a substitute religion for secular times. For many adherents of this substitute religion, Goodes is a heretic who needs to be burned. Modern societies are increasingly aware of this age-old mechanism, however, robbing it of the uncritical support it needs to operate effectively. Happy snaps of white Americans gathered amiably beneath the lynched bodies of black "transgressors" now belong thankfully in the past. Such sacrifice for restoring calm in times of crisis remains, but it is harder and harder to hide its true nature. The prosecution of this mechanism against Adam Goodes by the mob and its leaders in the popular media has been exposed. The variety of reactions to this exposure indicate some of the options we have as a society for moving forward.
Download

Great mysteries of the Gospel of God

11 Aug 2015  |  Author: Rt Rev'd Prof Stephen Pickard  | Theme: Public theology and ethics; Religions and dialogue

Recently I read Herbert Kelly’s The Gospel of God, published in 1928. Kelly founded of the Society of the Sacred Mission in 1893. The society had a common life of prayer and fellowship in a variety of educational, pastoral and community activities in England, Australia, Lesotho and South Africa. Kelly was a tough-minded prophet like character. He had a deep concern for less fortunate and especially those who had not had the opportunity for a good education. He established a place where at the time young men could study theology and prepare for ministry. His book, The Gospel of God, was based on his addresses at Swanick in 1927. The book reads like a clarion call for engagement with the world. Kelly, does not mince words. His writing is direct, unsophisticated, gritty and open-ended. Kelly revelled in provocative statements and questions. He was a catalyst for people’s thinking. He wanted people to think hard, to probe and develop their ideas. The Gospel of God is not an easy read but it is an important work.
Download

A trinity of questions about Laudato Si

05 Aug 2015  |  Author: Fr Frank Brennan  | Theme: Civil society and politics; The Arts, Sciences and Culture

Three of us have been asked to address three questions about Pope Francis's first encyclical Laudato Si' which is 'on care for our common home'. I have no doubt that the Anglican bishop and social critic Ernest Henry Burgmann after whom this college is named would be delighted that we are gathered this evening at the invitation of the ANU Chaplaincy to discuss a papal encyclical labelled by the Murdoch press as a 'papal prescription for a flawed economic order' with the subtitle of their editorial, 'The church should not belong to the green-left fringe'. I commend the staff and students of the college for your abiding interest in social justice.
Download

Bishop Michael Putney Memorial Lecture 2015

31 Jul 2015  |  Author: Rev'd Dr Ray Williamson  | Theme: Religions and dialogue; Civil society and politics

Two weeks ago, I was in Auckland. We were conducting a week-intensive course, Looking beyond Division: an Introduction to Ecumenism. One morning, we were privileged to have the new Cardinal with us, Archbishop John Dew. He led one of the sessions for us on the Roman Catholic Church and the Ecumenical Movement. It will be no surprise if I tell you that he began by talking about Michael Putney. He spoke of Bishop Michael as “a great ecumenical leader in Australia and New Zealand”. What an appropriate and accurate description! Though, indeed, not to be limited to this region of the world; for as the Cardinal also acknowledged, Michael was a significant ecumenical leader internationally: in his own church as a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity; in multilateral dialogue, as one time a member of the WCC Faith & Order Commission; and in bilateral dialogue, as co-chair of the Methodist – Roman Catholic dialogue for many years.
Download

Dangerous ideas, wicked problems and great mysteries

21 Jul 2015  |  Author: Rt Rev'd Prof Stephen Pickard  | Theme: Public theology and ethics; Civil society and politics

Herbert Kelly’s The Gospel of God, was published in 1928. It was based on his addresses at Swanick in 1927. The book reads like a clarion call for engagement with the world. Kelly, in prophet like manner, does not mince words. His writing is direct, unsophisticated, gritty and open-ended. Kelly reveled in provocative statements and questions. He was intent on getting people to think hard, to probe and develop their ideas. The Gospel of God is not an easy read but it is an important work.
Download