Stimulus Vol 15 Issue 1 February 2007 |
Table of ContentsLosing touch Re-engaging with the Bible in a postmodern world Re-engaging with the Bible: discussion The ministry of preaching "The whole world in his hands" Christianity, science, & postmodernism Models & Metaphors: Dawkins, the Bishop, and God St Imulus: Dear Queen Lloyd Geering’s visit to Masterton Review: Lloyd Geering’s Wrestling with God: The Story of My Life Review: A Religious Atheist? Critical Essays on the Work of Lloyd Geering |
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February 2007 |
EditorialEngagement, disengagement, divorce?Last night I attended a seminar at our church on “Preaching”. Preaching is of course now a pejorative term in our culture as it implies a privileged position regarding truth and authority. Putting that aside, at its heart preaching endeavours to connect the word of God to the people of God, not just so that they receive information, but so that they come under its authority and so align themselves with the Reign of God.
One of the inevitable conversations we had was how to engage hearers with the bible. How is the people of God to enter into the world of the Bible– quite different from the world they live in day to day – and then return to their own world, taking kingdom values with them? How is Sunday’s message about people in togas and sandals to be translated to Monday’s world? Increasingly it seems that the Church no longer wishes to seriously engage with the bible. At best we will make brief forays into the Bible world, but largely as tourists – taking photographs and collecting souvenirs, but knowing deep down that the Bible world has little to do with the “real” world we will return to.
Mark Brown presents solid evidence of Bible disengagement in New Zealand. A Bible Society survey showed only 21% of those church attendees surveyed read their Bible daily. 22% read the Bible weekly, while 57% read the Bible occasionally or hardly ever! Chris Marshall builds on this theme, discussing Bible disengagement in postmodernity. This article is followed by a facilitated discussion on this topic between Gavin Drew, of Stimulus, and Chris Marshall and John Crawshaw.
Peter Stuart writes about the ministry of preaching, seeing it as core to the life of the Church and part of the wider ministry of the word. His article is aimed at those who actually preach, seeking to help them better understand and perform their mission.
Andrew Butcher presents his experiences at the Younger Leaders’ Gathering in Port Dickson in 2006, organised by the Lausanne movement. He reminds us that God has “the whole world in his hands” and shares his experiences of meeting, talking, and worshiping with those who follow Jesus in many different countries. Not a few of those Andrew fellowshipped with will suffer severe persecution and even death for their faith.
Sean Devine connects Christianity, science, and postmodernism. He suggests that Christianity and science are far more compatible bedfellows than Christianity and postmodernism. “…in contrast to postmodernism, science does not exclude an overarching explanation of human existence.”
Nicola Hoggard Creegan’s regular column discusses Richard Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion. She concludes that it is a combination of the convincing and the outrageous. While Dawkins’ criticisms have validity, they are false in the larger scheme of things.
Lloyd Geering is of course back in the public eye, not only with his recent New Year’s award, but with the publication of his autobiography and a series of essays assessing and critiquing his work. This issue of Stimulus finishes with two reviews. Gavin Drew considers Geering’s autobiography – Wrestling with God – while Peter Lineham reviews A Religious Atheist?
We trust that as you engage with this issue of Stimulus it will help and encourage you to engage more with the Scriptures.
David Cashmore for the editorial committee
Douglas Maclachlan Publisher
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Re-engaging with the Bible
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“...to be part of the gospel imperative to transform minds and put faith in God into practice.” |
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STIMULUS THE NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT AND PRACTICE |