The beginning of a paper on ‘political theology’ (Moltmann) for the two day conference (‘A Future for Jesus?’) to be held on 15-16 June 2012, in celebration of the book ‘The Crucified God’ now 40 years old. The recolection recalls the effect that book had on me. Wes Campbell (14th May 2012)
See the link: http://www.christologia.net/CrucifiedGod/organisers.html
A Personal Recollection
The date inside my copy of The Crucified God is written ‘1975’, with the location, ‘Girrawheen’. (Much to my great pleasure I also have a German copy signed by the author himself in 1982!). I was a first year Methodist probationer living in the northern housing commission suburbs of Perth. Some years previously, in about 1970, I had randomly picked up Theology of Hope from the theological library shelves but, as a student of Barth and Bultmann (with their caution about political programs), was left puzzled by it. Even though I was active in ‘politics’, against the Vietnam War, marching for an end to South African Apartheid, a supporter of Aboriginal Land Rights and for preserving native forests, it remained largely unread. In 1973 I came from Perth to Melbourne, hard on the heels of an international conference on mission and Moltmann’s presence. There was a great deal of enthusiasm for ‘hope’ but, even then, as a reader of early dialectical theology, I was wary of theological programs!
Then came The Crucified God. Read More »
I have submitted the following letter (or a shortened version) for publication
The disturbing photographs of young soldiers displaying body parts have unleashed understandable feelings of revulsion, and predictable condemnation. What are we to say about such callousness? Lamentably this is not the first such incident. Recently soldiers were reprimanded for urinating on corpses. In 1968 the My Lai massacre in Vietnam led to the conviction of Second Lieutenant William Calley. The pattern is predictable. Citizens, far removed from the theatre of war, are shocked by practices that can only be described as inhuman. Read More »
I have been approached to provide some resources for congregation on ANZAC day. I started with the People’s Book of ‘Uniting in Worship’ (references below), then went wider to ecumenical sites.
I conclude with prayers and poems. Read More »
The Historical Trial of Jesus
We have read chapter 4 of Moltmann’s The Crucified God. It is a challenging task. The chapter is long, it assumes a background conversation regarding the ‘historical Jesus’, and employs quite shocking language about Jesus: blasphemer, rebel, the godforsaken. For over 200 years a ‘critical historical’ method has been applied to the New Testament (and also the Old Testament – eg. Gunkel). This led to a tension (or direct conflict, between the picture of Jesus retrieved from historical study, and the figure of Jesus known to the believer. Read More »
Afghanistan and ending the war
The editorial of the Sunday Age, ‘Four Corners’, letters to the Editor, and retired military leaders, are saying it is time to recognise the failed military effort in Afghanistan.
My reflections are not based on a military strategy – the professionals do this well enough. My considerations come from an adulthood of attempting to make sense of war and efforts for peace.
I did not begin as a pacifist. Read More »
Occupy and Easter 2012
God and Occupy
The Socialists are holding their annual Easter conference not far from where I sit, having listened to the Good Friday readings of Jesus’ betrayal and capture, interrogation and torture. In various conversations, I am reminded of the past week and our discussion of the ‘occupy’ theme.
In this piece of writing I am attempting to hold together God who raises the dead, and ‘Occupy’, a loosely defined movement that has sprung up around the world during the past months, meeting attack from financial, civic, political and church leaders; and, if not attack, at least a closing of the doors. I have seen ‘Occupy’ gatherings in the former city square in Melbourne but did not actually sit with them; in part because we were due elsewhere but, more honestly, because starting to sit with ‘Occupy Berlin’, or Melbourne or… would require a commitment of time and thought and energy. So, having walked past on the street, I am nevertheless inquiring into the theological resources which can help us to engage the polemical division between the 1% and the 99%. Read More »
The film ‘Margin Call’ confirms all my worst thoughts about capitalism. And David Harvey’s too, as shown by the following link: thanks to Laura.
‘Here is a fun link for the ‘occupy’ list, given that our discussion last week touched on the financial crisis, inequality and the need for a new way of thinking…’
http://comment.rsablogs.org.uk/2010/06/28/rsa-animate-crisis-capitalism/
And you might want to see some of the reviews of “Margin Call’:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615147/
and the film clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj4QrAcwVi0
I don’t have much grasp of economics, but that puts me together with some of the key financiers in this film. Their aim is to make a profit – well – to survive and to accumulate their own wealth. That means they will regualarly ‘let people go’. But the decision makers (the elite) survive. Even to the extent that they see the evil, smell its effects, but are so implicated that they cannot ‘afford’ to remove themselves from the web of deceit and greed.
From another reader: the metaphors of fat cats, dead dogs in the reviews and fat pigs in the animation struck me as apt.
Thursday Forums: ‘Occupy’
John Langmore
As we all know, the principal catchphrase of the Wall St Occupiers was ‘We are the 99 percent’. The protestors gathered in Zuccotti Park near Wall St did not focus on a demand: they were apparently more concerned about process, a new, full equitable and participatory form of democracy. One participant said ‘Its an outcry, pure and simple, an outcry that has cut through miles of cynicism’. Part of another’s declaration was that ‘We are here to end corporate influence on government.’ Obama commented that he thought ‘it expresses the frustrations that American people feel’.
I spoke with three of the Occupiers while in New York in December. They were articulate and impressive but made clear that there was no agreed program of action. So we have to be careful of writing our own preoccupations on the movement. But there is no doubt that the opinions already mentioned express many of their concerns, nor that the enormities of inequities of income and wealth in the US were a major cause of the resentments of the 99 per cent. The Washington Post calculated that in 2010 the top 1 per cent of US income earners had average annual incomes of at least half a million dollars and had an average wealth of $14 m.
The Economist published figures on the US last week which show that ‘income gaps reached extremes last experienced in the late 1920s. The top 10 per cent of American earners brought in 46 percent of the nation’s [pay] in 2007’ just before the GFC. These huge inequities have occurred because between 1993 and 2010 over half of all real income gains in American flowed to the top 1%. Read More »
Two forums have been held. The first on the ‘occupy’ movement in Melbourne (Jessica Morrison), followed by Laura Griffin and John Langmore. Very stimulating and provoking. Thanks to all three.
Here are some links:
http://www.ascm.org.au/files/article_langmore_occupy.pdf
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1067677761088382487#editor/target=post;postID=5681597274150954771
The next forum will be on Tuesday 3rd April, presenter Chris Mostert (theologian) on the theme of ‘The God who chooses not to ,occupy’.
The next one after that is: Thursday 26th April: Indigenous experience; living in their land occupied by others.
I have been prompted to think the following:
Another thought that sat at the corner of my eye in the converations about ‘occupy’: what does all this mean for the church? The Christian community is called to ‘give up life’ and to ‘take up’ the cross.
The biblical vision of shalom does imagine a just and plentiful life for all. There are warnings against ‘greed’, ‘coveting’ and so on. And what about the Genesis instruction to care for the earth? Can Genesis 1 (with the instruction to be fruitful and have dominion) be rescued from the destruction of the earth and the lack of care for the future: is our over consumption the result of such biblical passages or from capitalism whose creed is exploitation? I notice some psalms (eg. 22: 30-31) are clear that we are to live with care for the as yet unborn.