Bože! independent catholic ideas, identity & theology
Theology of Practice (praxis)
Too Many “Monks”?
I continue to be puzzled by the large number of “monastic” groups within the Independent Catholic movement. I wonder if clinging on to this inherited model of “community” is stunting our development – holding us fast to out-dated 19th century models of what it means to “be church”? In short do these watered down expressions [...]
Turn The Coin Over – Body Screening From The Other Side
My two previous posts (here, and here) asking about the theological and ethical implications of the new full body screening used in American airports has lacked a key element – the voice of the TSA staff who have to perform the “enhanced pat down” on an increasingly angry travelling public. It was not that I [...]
Scanning For Your Humanity
The other day I made a brief post wondering out loud about the new body scanners, and the associated “enhanced pat down” in American airports; asking if the process had crossed a line dehumanising travellers. Well, It seems that this is now definitely the case as this article shows. Again I’m wondering why I’m not [...]
The Bible – How Do You Use It?
This morning’s news trawl dropped me into a number of posts and articles that touched on what one article referred to as “biblical literacy”. That is to say, it explored the amount which people understood modern UK society to be influenced by, or shaped by the biblical narrative. It’s a fascinating idea but one that [...]
Curious News
This morning’s troll through news of interest draw two un-related stories to my curiousity. First is an item in yesterday’s (Tues. 12 Oct) Guardian about the apparent competition between denomonational representatives at the site of the Chilean mining disaster. Each claiming that God was listening to them, and that it is through their (individual) intervention [...]
Being Content
Lets face it we live in a world of instant gratification. You see it, you want it (but don’t necessarily need it), and you buy it. “It” might last for 6 months before the next “it” comes along that has 3 things different, none of which you use, and then the cycle starts all over. [...]
Indie Manifesto
Last night I handed my PhD thesis over to my supervisor. In theory this means I have crossed the threshold from darkness into light – I am now exiting the cave. What comes next? I’m not sure, I know at some point in the not too distant future there is somethign called “the submission” followed [...]
Editing A Theme
If you’ve not already noticed I’ve been editing my thinking on the “spiritual but not religious” idea as I go along. Looking at the conversation developing here, as well as thinking about various tangents (thus my first post on it here). Thanks to Sam Urfer I’m quoting from the Onion: “Father Clancy Donahue of St. [...]
What is “Religious”? What is “Spiritual”?
This little “sapling” of a conversation deserves more than its getting. Looking at not only my own initial response on Twitter, as well as the response of others (see previous post) I’m realising that these two words are very “loaded”. Huw, rightly observes that the underlying question remains unanswered – what is our working definition [...]
“Spiritual But Not Religious”?
Last week my friend and fellow Indie-Easterner Huw posed this question on Twitter: “Define ‘Spiritual but not religious’.” My initial response encompassed two ideas that I’ve encountered over the years from a significant number of people who describe themselves as being “spiritual but not religious”. First is the idea that the “institution” of religion impedes [...]
Growth Spurts
Six months ago my garden stopped. Or so it seemed. Leaves turned brown and dropped off. Flowers vanished. Vines ceased producing fruit, withered, and crumbled. Newts, butterflies, moths, dragonflies; even the neighbour’s cat – disappeared. For five months or so I stood on the patio looking out over a brown, crumpled, lifeless trapezoid (our garden [...]
The Fast – What’s It All About Anyway?
It’s finally here – today is “clean monday”, the fast has begun. So here’s the question: what is “the fast” all about anyway? Athanasius writing in the fourth century said that a bit of moderate asceticism was useful for everyone – not just ascetics (read – monks, virgins, nuns and vowed widows). But the age [...]
Burn Less Incense, Build Green Cred
The Economist has a good article on some recent (and not so recent) moves linking religious communities with addressing ecological issues (not just climate change, I’d say). They report that a recent meeting of religious leaders, Prince Philip and Ban Ki-moon resulted in various action plans according to one’s tradition. The Daoists for example have [...]
Religion & LGBT Youth
Given the referendums in the US, and the rise of violent (even deadly) attacks on LGB folk here in the UK this examination of the relationship between religion and LGBT youth appeared to be rather timely. I was not aware for example, of the high percentage of homeless teens who identify as LGB folk. Moreover, [...]
Getting Involved
Getting involved, being engaged in the wider scope of Christian action is sometimes a bit daunting – where to you begin? What issues/needs are not being given the space they deserve at the table? And more importantly in our OC/IC context – how can our tiny local community, or regional body, contribute in substantive ways [...]
One’s Own Little Paradise
For much of yesterday (Sunday) we pottered about in the garden. Thinning the leaf cover on the pond, watering, planting, picking, tidying. I spent the day intermitantly considering the connection between gardening and spirituality/devotion. Early reflections on Mary – for example, relied heavily on the image of the “enclosed garden” or Paradise. This was not [...]
Time Check, Anicetus & Photios the Martyrs
Let’s check in with the calendar – yup – its the 10th Wednesday after Pentecost. It’s so easy to loose track of the simple things – yes? Anyway today is the commemoration of Anicetus the Martyr. Anicetus, ike Euplus who we commemorated yesterday, openly “presented himself” to the authorities boldly declaring that all those who [...]
Matthias
Matthias was chosen by lot to replace Judas (Acts 1.15-26). The use of “lots” to discern the will of God was an ancient practice – see for example the numerous references to the Urim and Thummim in the Old Testament; and not exclusive to Judaism or early Christianity. What is interesting in the narrative of [...]
This Is Rather Interesting
From the Utne Reader – apparantly children with a sense of “spirituality” are happier than those who are not. However, religious practices don’t appear to have the same affect. Check out the article here. Tweet
No Pain No Gain
“Liberal” churches may be sabotaging themselves by reducing the commitment of their members – so suggests a recent report in New Scientist. The persecution of early Christians may have had a dramatic effect on the spread of Christianity because the sacrifices of martyrs and confessors instilled in others the idea of sincerity: “few would willingly [...]
Fasting – Solidarity With Others
Earlier this week I posted on Feasts – and the converstaion took an interesting and unexpected direction to discuss fasting and the customary fasting periods before Pascha, and other feast days. I’ve been pondering this thread of the conversation ever since, been doing some reading too. It struck me this morning that many (if not [...]
What Do You Want?
While making my rounds yesterday I fell into this essay “What Do Converts Want?” – written from a conservative Eastern Orthodox position. Reading the essay got me thinking – and asking the question (again) what is it that attracts folks to our OC/IC tradition – that is to say: what do OUR converts want? Today [...]
Approaching Pentecost
- 5th Tues after Pascha Jn. 8.51-9 Who are you? The religious authorities demand that Jesus demonstrate to them who he is, and by what authority he claims to teach. The Gospels revisit this question in various ways; even having Jesus ask the disciples “who do they say I am” and “who do you say [...]
Torture, Atonement – Suffering For the Good of Others?
Last week I posted on the Pew Forum’s recent survey suggesting that a shockingly high proportion of Christians hold that torture is acceptable. In my post – I stated that this figure suggests that our preachers, teachers, and community organisers are not doing enough to convey the central Christian tenet – that suffering, to cause [...]