Part 314: Dear reader.

My understanding of faith and the impact it has on the human condition has developed into what you, dear reader, may consider to be a mish-mash of liberal, progressive and deconstructivist concepts. Many jurists, philosophers, economists, political theorists, and theologians have influenced my thinking. The list below is by no means exhaustive.  It acts as a signpost to the background to my current position.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Karl Popper, Jim Palmer, Jim Rigby, David Hayward, Marcus Borg, Walter Brueggemann, Don Cupitt, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Jacques Derrida, John Kenneth Galbraith, Oliver Wendell Holmes. Kurt Struckmeyer, Leonardo Boff, Gustavo Gutierrez, Oscar Romeo, Roscoe Pound, Hans Kelsen, Richard Hooker, John Robinson, Martin Luther King Jnr, John Shelby Spong and Richard Rohr.

I believe it of great importance to understand the interactions between disciplines in both theoretical and practical terms. It is no use adopting a silo mentality.

The conclusion I draw, provisional as it is, is that we must seek to follow Jesus, to assist those in need and to press for social justice. We must seek to dismantle systemic injustice. I commend the Followingjesus.org website that accords with my current position.  Of course,  you may disagree with my opinions.  I do not seek to influence anyone.

The following is from the website:

 Following Jesus website offers many different people—those who remain in the church, those who dwell on its margins, those who have left, and those who have never ventured near—with a description of a life of faith that is both intelligent and passionate. It is an invitation to forsake a traditional religion of ease and comfort for a vibrant life of challenge, risk, and fulfillment. It is an appeal for all people of passion, zeal, and courage to embrace a life of service, justice, and nonviolence, and by doing so become followers of the Way of Jesus.

Following Jesus is not easy. It calls us to become troublemakers, revolutionaries, seekers of change, and agents of transformation for justice and peace in the world. No small task.

Part 313. Here we go again, another report on poverty.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has published a report:  Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2024. It is a long, detailed document containing many statistics. It is sober reading.

The report is the latest in a long line of reports over the last fifty years that between them have attempted to identify the scope and causes of poverty, destitution, deprivation and inequality.  The conclusion to be drawn  is that precious little has been achieved to diminish or eradicate the problems.  

There is a recurrent theme: the need for political will to make systemic changes to achieve both short-term palliative and long-term structural change.  There is the need also for joined-up thinking to tackle issues across a wide area of activities: housing, health, education, training, employment opportunities, pay, social and care services, environment and planning.  Shades of the Bains Report!.

It is imperative that secular and faith organisations continue to press politicians to implement legislation to achieve systemic change.  JK Galbraith in the 1960s wrote, in the USA context, that politicians had the means but lacked the will to effect the necessary changes. So it is in the UK sixty years later. 

Part 312. Alpha.

The Alpha courses continue to be a successful recruiting agent for charismatic, fundamentalist evangelicalism and a homophobic understanding of faith. Sadly, the courses are promoted in glowing terms in the current issue of Salvationist.  This,  at a time when pressure is building within the UK &. I Territory for full inclusion.  

A Lieut-Colonel has stated that the Army is heavily influenced by the charismatic evangelical wing of the Church of England. This is the home of the designers of Alpha, based at Holy Trinity, Brompton (HTB).  The HTB Network, allied with the Church of England Evangelical Council and the Alliance is engaged in what may be interpreted as schismatic activity within the Church of England. It is opposed to church blessings of individuals in same-sex marriages on the grounds that such a non-platonic relationship is a sin according to a fundamentalist interpretation of scripture, as well as not in accord with church doctrine.

Perhaps we should not be too surprised by The Salvation Army's endorsement of Alpha. Relieved I left.

Part 311. Facebook Group: Progressive Theology UK

Individuals who read the posts to this group may note it has two major themes namely, progressive theology and liberal theology. Also posted are items on deconstruction.

Many of the posts originate from secular and faith organisations engaged in the pursuit of social justice, of an end to systemic injustice. 

Following the way of Jesus is not simply a theological idea or position: it is seeking to effect meaningful change in social structures and attitudes.