Presbyterian delegation on marches; Porvoo Consultation on Diaconal Ministry; Seminar on End of Life Issues; Spirit of Biblical Interpretation; ISE Justice and Development Colloquium; News review – The Good Friday Agreement
Presbyterian delegation on marches
This week the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church led a delegation which met the NI Parades Commission to express concerns on the issue prior to the forthcoming “marching season”.
Concerns have been raised by the Loyal Orders and others in the Unionist community at what they perceive has been a lack of evenhandedness in the policing of recent marches, especially a Repubican march at which children were dressed in paramilitary uniforms and a uniform clad adult fired a vlley from a pistol.
Porvoo Consultation on Diaconal Ministry
The Church of Ireland is to host a Porvoo Communion Consultation on the Diakonia in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Dublin from April 15 to 18.
This will be the third Porvoo Consultation held to address some aspect of the area of vocation and will have the theme “Diakonia as a proclamation of the Gospel”. The Consultation will be co–chaired by the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin.
The Church of Ireland will assist in resourcing the Consultation which will have some 30 participants from Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Spain and Portugal.
Seminar on End of Life Issues
The Dublin Diocesan Committee for Church’s Ministry of Healing is holding a seminar on End–of–Life issues on Thursday April 18 from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm in Tallaght Hospital.
Issues to be addressed include our response, God’s response and the community’s response to end of life issues. There will also be a presentation from the Hospice Home Care Team and a Q&A with a panel from the hospice, hospital and guest speakers.
Coffee and lunch are included free of charge.
The Spirit of Biblical Interpretation
The Biblical Association for the Church of Ireland (BACI) Annual Conference will be held at Edgehill College, Belfast on Saturday 20 April from 9.30 am – 4.00 pm.
The organisers state: “Biblical interpretation is at the heart of Christian identity and witness but it is not always a straightforward process. Indeed an increasing number of people are either neglecting the Bible or leaving its interpretation to the ‘experts’.
“So how do we make sense of the Bible and how can it become for us both the ‘living bread’ and the ‘sword of the Spirit’? Our two speakers bring a wealth of wisdom and experience to the area of biblical interpretation and are committed to equipping clergy and laity to be faithful readers and interpreters of Scripture.”
Revd Dr Ian Paul
Ian is Director of Communication at St John’s College Nottingham. He also teaches New Testament and hermeneutics. He has published both popular and academic works on the Bible and its interpretation. He is also a regular speaker at New Wine and other national and regional conferences.
Dr Andrew Rogers
Andrew is Senior Lecturer in Practical Theology and Programme Convener for Ministerial Theology at Roehampton University. He is also the author of the h+ Course, a 10 week course on the art and science of biblical interpretation.
The day begins at 9.30 am with registration and coffee and will conclude by 4.00 pm. The cost is £20 and this will include coffee and lunch.
Whilst the conference is a Church of Ireland initiative, it is open to Christians of all traditions.
Please contact Revd William Olhausen (wolhausen@gmail.com) or Dr David Hutchinson Edgar (david.hutchinsonedgar@gmail.com) for further details and/or to book a place.
ISE Justice and Development Colloquium
The Irish School of Ecumenics is holding a Justice and Development Colloquium on Monday April 15 at 2.30 pm in ISE, Milltown Park, Dublin.
The event will feature two speakers. Peter J. Henriot SJ will give a talk entitled “Africa – Can Education Contribute to Development? Social and Moral Challenges”. Donal Dorr SPS will address the subject of “Social Analysis, Development and Education: Moral and Theological Challenges to the Church Today”.
Dr Peter Henriot, SJ is an influential teacher and author in the field of social analysis, global justice and Catholic social teaching. Co–Author (with Joe Holland SJ),of Social Analysis: Linking Faith and Justice, Orbis, 1983, he is currently involved in education work in Malawi and in the development of public policy more widely in Africa.
Dr Donal Dorr, SPS is a well–known missiologist, lecturer and writer on global and ecological justice theory and practice. His award winning book, Option for the Poor, Orbis, NY, 1982, has recently been expanded, taking account of changing global contexts and ecological and ethical challenges, under the title, Option for the Poor and for the Earth: Catholic Social Teaching, Orbis, NY, 2012.
Places for the colloquium are limited. Contact the Irish School of Ecumenics, Milltown Park, Dublin 6 for details: Email: isedir@tcd.ie; Phone: +353 1 2601144 ext. 101 or 111, by Friday April 12.
News review
Though the Good Friday Agreement brought peace, we should never forget the past
Column: TheJournal.ie – 15 years ago, the Good Friday Agreement was signed. While we have come along way, we shouldn’t take the peace we have for granted, writes Ben English.