uniting church national assembly working group on relations with people of other faiths face to face...
TRANSCRIPT
UNITING CHURCH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WORKING GROUP ON RELATIONS WITH
PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS
FACE TO FACE
NOVEMBER 10TH & 11TH, 2008
ROF F2F WORKING PAPERS• HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEOFF!
• F2F AGENDA• MEMBERSHIP LIST• MATT & HEATHER’S PROFILE• PHNOM PENH INTERFAITH
DIALOGUE DECLARATION• FREEDOM OF RELIGION &
BELIEF DISCUSSION PAPER• ROF MANDATE/OPERATIONAL
GUIDELINES• ROF SMART GOALS• LIVING WITH THE NEIGHBOUR
WHO IS DIFFERENT • AUGUST TELECONFERENCE
MINUTES• 2007 COLLOQUIUM 2
DOCUMENTS: “THE WAY FORWARD” & DRAWING THE THREADS TOGETHER
F2F OBJECTIVES• IN PREPARATION FOR 2009
ASSEMBLY• WHAT DO WE NEED TO
PRESENT AT ASSEMBLY?• WHAT “MESSAGE” DO WE WANT
TO MAKE? • CREATIVE VIDEO - GEOFF• THINK ABOUT SYNOD REPORTS
& ASSEMBLY DISPLAY• CONTINUE IN THE TRADITION OF
STRENGTHENING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OTHER AGENCY - UNITING JUSTICE.
• ENCOURAGE & AFFIRM ONE ANOTHER’S GIFTS
• CONTINUE TO DREAM ABOUT FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
• HAVE FUN AS WE WORK
HOUSEKEEPING• BFAST FROM 7.30-9AM DINING
ROOM• LUNCH 12.30PM DINING ROOM• DINING OUT: CAPPED @ $25.
BYO ON THE WAY• GETTING TO RESTAURANT -
WALK/CAR • CONTACT DETAILS IF
CHANGED PLEASE LET JULIE KNOW
• CAB VOUCHERS SEE ANNA• INTERFAITH DIALOGUE BKLET
SEE JULIE• “A COMMON WORD”• ARRCC: AUSTRALIAN
RELIGIOUS RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
UNITING JUSTICE • FREEDOM OF
RELIGION AND BELIEF IN THE 21ST CENTURY PROJECT
• WORLD PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS: JOINT PANEL (DEC 2009)
• ONGOING WORKING RELSHIP WITH UJ
SYNOD REPORTS
• FOR THIS TRIENNIUM:
• HIGHLIGHTS IN YOUR SYNOD
• THE BIG THEOLOGICAL ISSUES & QUESTIONS
• WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE TO ASSEMBLY
INTERFAITH CURRICULUM IN THEOLOGICAL
COLLEGES • PROPOSAL: TO ENCOURAGE UCA
THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES TO CONSIDER INTERFAITH SUBJECTS AS PART OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION
• NEED FURTHER RESEARCH• RESISTANCE TO MORE SUBJECTS
BEING ADDED TO THEOLOGICAL TRAINING.
• HOLD BACK PROPOSAL • BEGIN CONVERSATON WITH
THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES?• WHERE INTERFAITH SUBJECTS ARE
BEING TAUGHT - EVALUATE/RESEARCH
• AFFINITY: ISLAMIC SUBJECTS BEING TAUGHT THROUGH CSU
• SEF & MATT: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY & RELIGIOUS PLURALISM & INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
• ACTION: WHO MIGHT LIKE TO DO THE RESEARCH?
ROF THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT • WHY DO WE NEED ONE?• CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY OF OTHER
FAITHS CONCERNS HOW WE UNDERSTAND GOD AT WORK IN OTHER FAITHS & THE EXISTENCE OF OTHER RELIGIONS & SHAPES HOW WE OUGHT TO RELATE TO THEM
• IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY CHRISTIANITY IS NOW MORE THAN EVER CHALLENGED TO GIVE ACCOUNT OF ITS OWN FAITH IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHER FAITHS
• PLURALISM IS HERE TO STAY - SHARING SPACE: CHERRYBROOK! WHAT THEOLOGY COULD UNDERGIRD GUIDLELINES FOR SHARING SPACE?
• NEED TO ENCOURAGE CONGREGATIONS TO ENGAGE WITH THE RELIGIOUS OTHER - AS AN INTEGRAL AND FUNDAMENTAL PART OF OUR CALLING & DISCIPLESHIP
• NEED A CREDIBLE THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT
• A STATEMENT ROF NEEDS FIRST TO OWN!
WHO IS THE STATEMENT FOR?
• THE UNITING CHURCH
• NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE BELIEVE
• A SOUND THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT EMPOWERS THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOOD GUIDELINES
WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE
• LIVING WITH THE NEIGHBOUR
• THREE TYPOLOGIES• EMPHASIS OF THE
SPIRIT OF GOD AT WORK IN OTHER RELIGIONS
• WE CAN TAKE THE STATEMENT FURTHER MOVING BEYOND THE THREE TYPOLOGIES
THE TRINITY AS A BASIS • A SOLID DOCTRINE• DISTINGUISHING (SOMETIMES
PUZZLING) CHARACTERISTIC OF CHRISTIANITY
• MOVES THE FOCUS FROM SALVATION TO DIVERSITY
• ENABLES US TO DEVELOP A THEOLOGY THAT IS BALANCED
• THE TRINITY AFFIRMS DIVERSITY - STEMMING FROM THE TRIUNE UNION ITSELF
• RELATIONAL /SPACE FOR A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
• THE TRIUNE UNION MODELS DIVERSITY IN RELATIONSHIP
• AFFIRMS DIFFERENCE - DOES NOT ASSIMILATE
• VALUES & AFFIRMS UNIQUENESS OF IDENTITY
• ENABLES A RESPONSE TO EVANGELISM AND MISSION
• A BASIS FOR INTERFAITH DIALOGUE - FROM THIS UCA GUIDELINES ON DIALOGUE CAN BE DEVELOPED
FRAMEWORK & CONTENT OF
THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT
• NEED TO ADDRESS THE CONTEXT & THE PLACE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH WITHIN IT
• THE THEOLOGICAL ISSUES: EVANGELISM, MISSION & DIFFICULT TEXTS (WE CANNOT ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES RAISED AT THE 2007 COLLOQ.) WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEM VIA A RESOURCE SUCH AS C- CHANGE
• THEOLOGICAL BASIS - THE TRINITY • PRACTICAL OUTWORKINGS OF THE
STATEMENT - EG. INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
• THE STATEMENT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN
• SEF TO WRITE WITH CLIVE
• STATEMENT TO CIRCULATE
• YOUR COMMENTS & FEEDBACK
ASSEMBLY 2009 • DISPLAY
• SYNOD REPORTS
• ROF REPORT
• DVD
• RESOURCE BOOK
• THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT
GROUP WORK• INTERFAITH CURRICULUM -
HOW DO WE WANT TO PROCEED?
• ROF THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT: ANYTHING TO ADD?
• ROF DVD - IDEAS FOR GEOFF
• FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF
• ASSEMBLY DISPLAY/REPORTS - HOW? WHAT? WHO?
BRINGING THE STRANDS TOGETHERWHO? WHAT? WHEN?
• INTERFAITH EDUCATION IN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES
• ROF THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT• RESOURCE BOOK - SET A DATE
WITH SHANNON!• FREEDOM OF RELIGION &
BELIEF PROJECT• WPOR JOINT PANEL-DONE!• ASSEMBLY ROF REPORT• ROF DVD• ROF SYNOD REPORTS FOR
DISPLAY• ASSEMBLY DISPLAY• ROF RELSHIP WITH INDIA-
FOLLOW UP WITH UIM • INTERFAITH
EDUCATION/LEARNING IN SCHOOLS - ONGOING MARK HILLIS
DATES 2009• 2ND TUESDAY: 5-
7PM SYDNEY TIME
SUGGESTIONS:• FEB 17TH • MAY 12TH • F2F SEPT 30TH &
OCT 1ST