Check out the Earth Bible project on the www. At least one of its books
looks at "the land" in the Hebrew/Christian tradition in new ways. The
Earth Bible project looks at the Hebrew and Christian scriptures from an
ecological perspective. It may provide some useful ways of re-interpreting
the Zionist "This land is MINE, God GAVE this land to ME" perspective (the
theme from the film "Exodus"). The project is headed up by Dr Norman Habel.
Norm Habel. An Adelaide-born Lutheran theologian who went to the US to do
his PhD and stayed. Some may remember his books from the 1960s
("Interrobang" is one I remember) and some of his hymns/songs (eg "And God
said :"Yes!""). He was at the Lutheran seminary in Missouri until teh synod
sacked the liberals from the faculty. Most of them formed Seminex
("seminary in exile"), but Norm returned to Adelaide.
In Adelaide in 1973 Norm headed up the Religion Studies department at
Adelaide College of the Arts and Education, later part of the University of
South Australia. Various CAEs set up Religion Studies departments, as
Religious Education (education about religion) was replacing Religious
Instruction (denomination instruction in denominational groups) in state
schools. I did his "Myth, Meaning and Ritual" course (heavily influenced by
the work of Mircea Eliade - no surprises there!) in 1973, and then
"Religion, Education and Culture" with Basil Moore in 1974. Basil had come
to Adelaide via the Student Christian Movement in England and South Africa
(where he had been under a banning order). We had input from people such as
Colin Collins (ex-SCM in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe) and David Gulpilil
(now famous for appearing in many Australian films, from "Walkabout"
onwards).
Religious Studies was eventually absorbed into Society and the Environment,
as the "left-wing secular humanist" perspective gained influence.
Eventually only church-affiliated schools studied Religious Studies or
Religion in Society, but at Year 11 and 12 level these courses could be used
within a student's SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) -
denominational aspects could be studies but within a broader framework.
Some balked at this broader framework. Now the only tertiary courses are
theological studies with a denominational thread (eg the Adelaide College of
Divinity - affiliated with Flinders University - combined three institutions
of Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Church persuasion), Catholic Education
(associated with the University of SA) and Lutheran Education (in
association with the Education section of Flinders University).
Denominationalism rules!
Norm's dream was that candidates for ordination would study Religion
Studies, looking at religion as a phenomenon, first - then do their
"narrower" denominational studies. There was clearly opposition to this.
(In other states there are still Religion Studies departments in
universities, however.)
I feel this most acutely when I hear Uniting Church people talk as if
nothing happened since the various Protestant Reformations, and who are
ignorant of Vatican II and its influence and the troubled path of its
implementation. Ditto when Catholics speak in a "fortress Catholicism"
manner, or students in a Catholic school learn of "vocation" only in terms
of becoming nuns, priests and brothers, or know nothing about other
Christian traditions.
Norm now heads up the Earth Bible project, and lectures in Hebrew and Old
Testament around town. Apart from the ACD we also have Luther Seminary
(which is admitting women now - but not as ordinands - yet!) and Tabor
College (evangelical Protestant), and so on.
Anyway - I hope some of you manage to find the Earth Bible books in
libraries - I know they are expensive to buy.
Cheers
Frank Bremner
(From Adelaide - one of the centres of the international Catholic-Lutheran
Dialogue - whose publications reek of statements such as "Lutherans believe
that ......" and "Catholics believe that .....". How can you be so sure?)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From: Don Hinkelman <hinkel at sgu.ac.jp>
>Reply-To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
>To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
>Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Palestine/Israel conflict
>Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 11:48:26 +0900
>
>If you have correctly identified the root contradiction--an imaginal story
>which links land ownership with faith, then is not one of the keys to
>change, to recontextualize faith as something apart from "Holy Lands".
>How about... "Faith with holy lives, not holy lands."
>
>Troubled and concerned,
>Don Hinkelman
>
>
>>Jim Wiegel here. I am in the west bank, near Bethlehem working on a
>>project to combine ica methods and community development with 2
>>approaches to conflict transformation to work on an approach to use. One
>>of the participants brought up the deep, mutually antagonistic stories
>>that the great religions here have about each other and who owns this
>>land. not easily dealt with.
>>
>>KarenBueno at aol.com wrote:
>>The Israel/Palestine Issue
>>by Karen Bueno
>>7-1-07
>>
>>I picked up the April issue of "Response" magazine, a publication of
>>United Methodist Women this morning. Though it is June, I was behind in
>>my reading.
>>
>>This magazine issue dealt with Palestine and Israel, through stories of
>>women and children who are living in the conflicted areas and through
>>essays of what needs to happen to stop the violence.
>>
>>One of the articles is entitled "Understanding Christian Zionism", a term
>>that refers to the right wing United States churches which preach the
>>second coming of Jesus. According to the article, the right wing belief
>>is that the second coming and the end of the world will happen when the
>>temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem and the mosques are removed. Therefore,
>>those theologians, and the politicians they support, believe that United
>>States’ financial support of Israel is justified.
>>
>>Since the United States is supporting Israel, the rest of the Middle East
>>Muslim countries are angry with the US, and this has led, at least in
>>part, to the unrest and the terrorist movement. The authors from the
>>United Methodist Women are calling for financial divestment in Israel to
>>bring pressure on the Israelites to stop the violence. That kind of
>>financial pressure helped to end apartheid in South Africa, and could
>>help here.
>>
>>I have greatly simplified the argument, I’m sure, but please respond
>>with your opinions and facts regarding this peace and justice issue.
>>
>>*******
>>Karen Bueno, formerly Karen Wright, spouse of Terrence Wright, served in
>>Fifth City and other locations of the Ecumenical Institute from 1969 to
>>1973, then were affiliated with the Denver House.
>>
>>
>>**************************************
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>>
>>
>>401 North Beverly Way
>>Tolleson, Arizona 85353-2401
>>+1 623-936-8671
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>>jfwiegel at yahoo.com
>>
>>Now and then it's good to pause in the pursuit of happiness and just be
>>happy. Guillaume Apollinaire
>>
>>Get your own web address.
>>Have a HUGE year through Yahoo! Small Business.
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