Anabaptist Theology Forum

The Anabaptist Theology Forum will meet again near Leamington Spa, in England, from 5th-6th December. It is open to people from all around these islands (and indeed has enjoyed the contribution of German and Dutch guests in recent years).

There are a few spare spaces at this event for those with a serious interest in both modern and historic Anabaptism.

Dr Richard Bourne, author of Seek the Peace of the City: Christian Political Criticism as Public, Realist, and Transformative will be presenting on John Howard Yoder and restorative justice. Dr Ruth Gouldbourne of Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church in London will be introducing the Hubmeier communion liturgy. And a discussion session will focus on where the 'post-Christendom' analysis of our religious situation is heading, including an interview contribution from Dr Stuart Murray Williams, editor of the After Christendom series of books published by Paternoster Press.

More information here - if you are interested in attending please contact us as soon as possible. 

[Image courtesy and (c) of Graber Designs]

What happens beyond 'organised religion'?

You are invited to join a discussion of 'moving beyond organised religion' on Sunday 21 October, from 12.30pm – 5pm, in the Hall at St John’s Church, Edinburgh, starting with a pot luck lunch (please bring a food contribution).

Many people today feel an instant disconnect or disinterest in ‘institutional’ or ‘organised’ religion. There is a sense abroad that faith, not least Christian faith, has been turned into a self-perpetuating bureaucracy which operates out of self-interest, refuses difficult questions, and suppresses alternatives.

This afternoon event, led by Simon Barrow from Exploring Anabaptism in Scotland, who is also co-director of the think-tank Ekklesia, revolves around the new and experimental shapes Christianity might take in a world where ‘top-down religion’ (along with ‘top-down economics’ and ‘top-down politics’) appears to be in crisis. More information here.

This event is sponsored by the new Centre for Living Christianity (CLiC) in Edinburgh.

The Canadian connection

As part of an Anabaptist Network visit, we are welcoming tow friends from the Mennonite Church Canada to Scotland (specifically Glasgow and Edinburgh) this week - to talk about collaboration and the future development of the Network, here and in other parts of these isles.

More to follow on this, another recent visit from Winnipeg, and also on the the brief visit to Glasgow next year of Anabaptist Network UK coordinator Stuart Murray Williams, who is also editor of the groundbreaking and well-regarded Paternoster Press 'After Christendom' series of books.

The green dove logo, incidentally, was developed by the Mennonite Church in North America.

Centre launches with 'First Supper'

You've heard of the Last Supper. How about the First one? The new Centre for Living Christianity (CLiC for short) based in Edinburgh is holding a 'First Supper' at Henderson's Cafe at St John's Church (on the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road) to mark the launch of its new venture.

There will be food and refreshments, plus an opportunity to hear about the vision and plans for the new initiative, which describes itself as “exploring faith at the crossroads.”

The Centre for Living Christianity aims to take traditional faith very seriously, but in an open and engaging way that recognises the fears and doubts many people have about “organised religion” and unthinking dogmatism. “CLiC is for those interested in exploring how to live out Christianity in the modern world, in a way which is thoughtful and faithful,” says the Rev Donald Reid. “It is about how to understand Christianity from the margins of a society which is both diversely spiritual and secular.”

Exploring Anabaptism in Scotland aims to be involved in this new venture, which will establish learning events for those within the churches, those on the margins and those exploring from the outside. Its style aims to be thoughtful but open and informal.

has been founded by a range of organisations, including Edinburgh City Centre Churches Together, the religion and society think-tank Ekklesia, the Cornerstone Bookshop, and the Episcopal Diocese of Edinburgh’s Adventures in Faith programme, alongside St John’s Church where its main base will be.

The full CLiC programme can be viewed and downloaded on the Centre’s new website.

The ‘First Supper’ at 7pm on Sunday 7 October is open to all. There will be a charge of £5 to help cover costs. Those planning to attend are asked to drop a note to: donald.reid@stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk

You can find out more here.

We need more 'disorganised religion'

Michael Marten from the Critical Religion Research Group at the University of Stirling was recently invited to be part of a public conversation at Edinburgh’s Festival of Spirituality and Peace on the theme ‘Disorganised Religion’.

He writes: "I was asked to offer comment on how I see understandings of ‘religion’ changing and to reflect on whether ‘disorganised religion’ is a helpful term to reflect on questions of religion.  The conversation was chaired by Ekklesia’s Simon Barrow, and Ian Milligan from Exploring Anabaptism in Scotland and the Bert community in Glasgow was the other discussant.  The event was sponsored by Ekklesia and the Iona Community." 

"This blog entry is a lightly-edited and slightly expanded version of my opening remarks, reflecting also some of the comments from the 60+ audience who came to the conversation; warm thanks to them for their insights," says Michael.  

Read the full blog here.

The faithful way to peace

That God is a God of just-peace not violence is the revelation of Christ and the real truth of Christianity, two leading church figures have said.

One was a Catholic and the other a Presbyterian. But the tenor of the conversation is one that many Anabaptists and those influenced by the Historic Peace Church tradition will resonate with.

The comments came as part of a conversation entitled ‘The Spirituality and Practice of Peace in a World of War’, held at St John’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh on 22 August 2012.

The participants in the Festival of Peace and Spirituality conversation were Fr John Dear, a Catholic priest and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and the Rev Kathy Galloway, head of Christian Aid Scotland and a former leader of the Iona Community. It was chaired by Brian Larkin, coordinator of the Peace and Justice Centre at St John's.

More here.

More from the Festival

Here''s coming up this week at the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, where Exploring Anabaptism Scotland recently shared a conversation platform on the topic of Disorganised Religion. We will be reporting more on that shortly...