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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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.' |
