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Week of 23 December 2007

Book Reviews
Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire, by Judith Herrin, is reviewed by Geoffrey Rowell.

Living Love: In Conversation With . . . The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by John Inge, and Being Human: In Conversation With . . . Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, by Jane Craske, are reviewed by Hugh Rayment-Pickard. 'In a new series entitled “In Conversation With…” a range of theologians engage in dialogue with popular fiction: John Inge, in Living Love, reflects theologically on Alexander McCall Smith’s The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, and Jane Craske, in Being Human, considers the positive Christian potential in Philip Pullman’s trilogy His Dark Materials. Both books are clearly and accessibly written, and have been pitched at non-specialist Christian readers, who like to have their faith stimulated, but probably not challenged.'

Children of God: Towards a Theology of Childhood, edited by Angela Shier-Jones, is reviewed by John Pridmore.

Canada
Parishes
Ontario: Deanery of Sudbury-Manitoulin (Algoma) [21 congregations]

Church History
The Decision of the Bishops Who United in the Consecration of the Rev. Henry U. Onderdonk, D.D. on the Reasons Presented to Them against the Said Act (1827). The consecration of Henry Ustick Onderdonk (1789-1858) as Bishop of Pennsylvania provoked a strong protest by those who challenged his fitness for that ministry. In this short pamphlet the bishops who consecrated him explain their reasons for so doing.

England
Parishes
Brighton, St Mary the Virgin (Chichester)
iChaplaincy (Southwell and Nottingham) [Cyber-parish sponsored by this diocese]

Resources
East Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust. 'The Trust hopes to encourage visits to churches in the area, and to develop a sense of community ownership of and responsibility for those churches, as well as community involvement. We also hope to develop local tourism and rural regeneration by encouraging those visits.'

Letters to Anglicans Online
Have a read. Write a letter of your own to us for possible publication.

News Centre
Immigrants changing worship in Florida, UK. Sydney Christmas message is not about sex. Botswana priests sue their bishop. Sharp cut in UK funding for theological study. US church publishes newspaper advert. On authority in the Episcopal Church. Virginia breakaway group told not to ordain women. Plans announced for Anglican Council Central Florida publishes disaffiliation protocol. World press responds to ABC's Advent letter. All this, and more, in the News Centre.

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Thanks
...to all who have helped us through their gifts. We are deeply grateful to those who allow their names to be listed and those who choose to remain anonymous.

Theological Resources
Open Theology. 'Open Theology will combine different hermeneutical traditions, as well as a variety of outlooks on religion (historical, psychological, sociological, philosophical).' Text in English and Polish, based in the United Kingdom.

USA
Parishes
Alabama: Oneonta, Calvary Church (Alabama)
New York: Philmont, St Mark (Albany)
New York: Richfield Springs, St John (Albany)
New York: Springfield Center, St Mary (Albany)
New York: Unadilla, St Matthew (Albany)
Texas: Dallas, Uptown Church at Incarnation (Dallas)

Resources
Ecclesia Ministries: Common Cathedral. 'Ecclesia Ministries has trained over 100 lay and ordained volunteers to provide pastoral care to many of the more than 8,000 homeless people admitted to Boston area hospitals annually who have no one to visit or offer spiritual support.' Affiliated with the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Jubilee Ministry. 'We are a group of individuals, lay and clergy, who come together in the community of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Massachusetts to help to repair the suffering inflicted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.'

Vacancies Centre
List a parish or diocesan opening for one month at AO — at no charge. What a bargain! The more you use our free service, the more useful it will become for all.

Seeking a position? Check our Vacancies Centre as well as scan vacancy pages on diocesan web sites throughout the communion.

Wales
Parishes
Emlyn Deanery (St Davids)

World
Resources
India: Friends of the Church in India. 'seeks to promote, at the local level, particularly within England, Wales and Ireland, interest in the life, work and mission of the Indian Churches, with special reference to their experience of Christian unity'.

Worth Noting
The Christmas story allows us to behold God’s glory: Geoffrey Rowell, Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe, writes in the Times (London). .

Seasonal Humbug: Judith Maltby writes in the Guardian (London). 'God thought (and thinks) that not only were we worth making, we are worth becoming; and worth becoming not in power, but in humility and vulnerability. That's the depth of God's commitment to creation and to the human project. God comes to us as one of us because the maker thinks we matter. Go figure.'

A star in the East?: 'As a theoretical astrophysicist, Grant Mathews had hoped the answer would be spectacular — something like a supernova. But two years of research have led him to a more ordinary conclusion. The heavenly sign around the time of the birth of Jesus Christ was likely an unusual alignment of planets, the sun and the moon.'

Week of 16 December 2007

Advent
Advent Art calendar. 'Advent Art is an online advent calendar showcasing the work of 24 Gloucestershire artists. The diversity of each of these digital treats reflects the creativity of the arts community in our area. We have put this calendar together as a tribute to the arts, the artists and the audiences that give meaning to our work. There is no theme, it is simply art for art's sake.'

Full Homely Divinity Advent calendar.

Liturgy: Worship that works — spirtuality that connects: O Antiphons.

Paperless Christmas Advent calendar.

The Crossroads Initiative O Antiphons of Advent.

The Great O Antiphons from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

Associations, Guilds
Anglican Indigenous Network: 'We are indigenous minority peoples living in our own lands. We are committed to the Anglican tradition while affirming our traditional spirituality. We have discovered that we have many things in common: a common spirituality, common concerns, common gifts, common hopes. We believe that God is leading the Church to a turning point in its history and that the full partnership of indigenous peoples is essential.'

Australia
Parishes
South Australia: Port Adelaide, South Australia (Adelaide)

Book Reviews
Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living, by Nick Spencer and Robert White reviewed by Professor Sir Ghillean Prance, a former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Scientific Director of The Eden Project. 'It certainly contains enough accurate scientific information to raise the alarm. It also outlines the theological reasons for action, and gives much practical advice on environmentally sound living.'

Selfish Genes and Christian Ethics: The Theological-ethical Implications of Evolutionary Biology, by Neil Messer reviewed by the Revd Jeremy Craddock, who was formerly a forensic biologist. '[Unlike Dawkins and Stephen J Gould,] Neil Messer started out in molecular biology, and is therefore well able to understand the arguments about the gene. Being a theologian who has teaching and research interests in Christian ethics, biomedical ethics, and the science and theology debate, he can talk with authority about the ethical implications of Darwinism — much more so than people who can see only one side of the argument.'

Places of Redemption: Theology for a Worldly Church, by Mary McClintock Fulkerson reviewed by Canon Professor Percy, Principal of Ripon College. [Read parts of the book.] 'Congregations often marginalise people with profound disabilities, or those people who are racially, sexually, or economically “other”. They may not intend to, of course. But our churches are also our comfort zones, and therefore are places in which we are often blind to our prejudices, and unconscious of our exclusivity... For all who want to understand how congregations can practise (not just preach) deep hospitality, this work provides an effervescent and critical ecclesiological framework to engage with. It deserves to be widely read and attentively studied.

Canada
Parishes
British Columbia: Victoria, St Martin in the Fields and St Columba (British Columbia)

Church History
The History of the Church of England in Queensland, by Keith Rayner (1962). This doctorial thesis was written by the retired Archbishop of Melbourne and Primate of Australia.

England
Parishes
Westcliff-on-Sea, St Michael and All Angels (Chelmsford)
Westcott, Holy Trinity (Guildford)

Resources
St Nicholas Cole Abbey: A National Centre for Religious Education. London. 'Since 1144, St Nicholas Cole Abbey has variously served the City of London in many ways. Now there is an additional opportunity for it to serve the country as a whole, by providing a unique and much-needed National Centre for Religious Education. The Centre's work and activities will reach out, to benefit children and teachers nationwide. Its resources will be web networked to all schools through its associated REonline.'

Letters to Anglicans Online
Have a read. Write a letter of your own to us for possible publication.

New Zealand
Parishes
Auckland (Point Chevalier), Church of the Ascension (Auckland)

News Centre
Christmas and Advent messages from ABC. Australian Primate condemns Israeli occupation. Reconstituting the Diocese of San Joaquin. ABC did not endorse Southern Cone invitation. New Anglican representative to Rome. All this, and more, in the News Centre.

Not in the Communion
Province of Convocation of The Restoration Episcopal Churches: Diocese of Saint James.

Support Anglicans Online
Shop: From AO T-shirts to mugs, you can find it in our shop. Your purchase supports Anglicans Online.
Donate: Give any amount you like via a secure online server.

Thanks
...to all who have helped us through their gifts, especially now that our eCommerce is down. Please use these addresses to send checks. We are deeply grateful to those who allow their names to be listed and those who choose to remain anonymous.

USA
Parishes
Indiana: Goshen, St James (Northern Indiana)
Indiana: Mishawaka, St Paul (Northern Indiana)
Indiana: New Albany, St Paul (Indianapolis)
New Hampshire: Laconia, St James (New Hampshire)
New York: Cohoes, St John (Albany)
Vermont: Woodstock, St James (Vermont)

Resources
St Andrew's Place. Birmingham, Alabama. 'a nonprofit corporation established in 1973, as a ministry of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in response to the need for community residences for deinstitutionalized clients of the state mental health system. With help from the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, the program located three large homes within walking distance of St. Andrew's Church that were easily converted to group home use. The program began operations with 21 residents and over the years has grown to accommodate over 30 residents.'

Sawyerville Work Project. 'a project sponsored by the Youth Department of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama and the Episcopal Black Belt Ministries; a day camp for economically disadvantaged children and youth in Hale County, Alabama; an opportunity for senior high youth and college students to experience the challenge and reward of servant leadership in the context of Christian community'.

Vacancies Centre
List a parish or diocesan opening for one month at AO — at no charge. What a bargain! The more you use our free service, the more useful it will become for all.

Seeking a position? Check our Vacancies Centre as well as scan vacancy pages on diocesan web sites throughout the communion.

Worth Noting
Buying Green for Christmas? Sure?: 'A new report ranks major chains stores on their efforts to reduce their carbon emissions. Wood Turner of ClimateCounts.org gives the nonprofit's advice on where the eco-conscious should shop.' From American National Public Radio.

O Little Town of Wintershall: Joanna Moorehead writes in the Times (London) on a remarkable nativity play in Surrey.

Paperless Christmas: There is enough of Advent left to enjoy all of this very fine Advent calendar.