Welcome to this page, containing interviews and reflections on texts chosen by three people - Sharon Ross Ensor, Alistair McBride and Richard Lawrence. We live in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand, and meet at a cafe called Olive, to discuss the texts, which are written articles, chapters from books, YouTube clips and podcasts.
1. 4 February 2021 - Sharon Ross Ensor introduces Sarah Bachelard
Rev Dr Sarah Bachelard, 'Contemplation and the Active Life', a presentation she gave at 2017 NZ Community of Christian Meditation retreat, which Sharon attended. Sarah Bachelard is the leader of the Benedictus Contemplative Church in Australia: www.benedictus.com.au. This is a link to a Youtube clip with a presentation Sarah Bachelard gave on a very similar theme at a conference in Rome in 2015:
An interview with Rev. Sharon Ross Ensor, discussing this paper.
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2. 11 March 2021 - Alistair McBride on Jim Burklo, The Varieties of God
In this interview, Rev. Alistair McBride discusses Jim Burklo's paper, The Varieties of God.
Jim Burklo's paper can be found at this address. Paste it into your browser.
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3. 24 March 2021. - Richard Lawrence discusses Brad East, 'The Retreat of Public Theology'
3. 24 March 2021. - Richard Lawrence discusses Brad East, 'The Retreat of Public Theology'
In this interview, Richard Lawrence discusses Brad East's paper, The Retreat of Public Theology. Part book review, part introduction to the work of theologian, David Bentley Hart - author of A Splendid Wickedness and Other Essays, The Dream-Child's Progress and Other Essays, and The Hidden and the Manifest and Other Essays, among many works.
https://www.lareviewofbooks.org/article/public-theology-in-retreat/
https://www.lareviewofbooks.org/article/public-theology-in-retreat/
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4. 15 April 2021. - Sharon Ross Ensor introduces the work of Padraig o Tuama
Sharon discusses the work of Pádraig Ó Tuama, especially a chapter, 'Hello to here', in In the Shelter (Hodder, 2016)
'Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet and a theologian. He lives in Belfast and in Spring of 2019 completed a five-year term as leader of the Corrymeela Community. A gay man, he has been involved in advocacy for LGBTI people in spaces of work, faith and community for two decades. He lives in Belfast with his partner Paul.' YouTube
Link to YouTube video of Pádraig Ó Tuama.
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5. 20 May 2021. - Alistair McBride discusses the article Decolonisation, by Moana Jackson
Alistair discusses a paper by Moana Jackson - Decolonisation and the stories of the land, from e-tangata.co.nz, a chapter from Imagining Decolonisation published by Bridget Williams Books.
Link to YouTube video of Moana Jackson speaking on this theme:
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6. 3 June 2021. - Richard Lawrence introduces Divine Enjoyment - A Theology of Passion and Exhuberance by Elaine Padilla
Richard discusses with Alistair a section (pp.37-39), 'On Birthing Pains of Joy', from Divine Enjoyment - A Theology of Passion and Exuberance, by Elaine Padilla (2015).
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7. 17 June 2021. - Sharon Ross Ensor introduces a podcast by Ched Myers
Sharon discusses a Nomad podcast, 'Roll like a River' by Ched Myers, environmental activist and author (Binding the Strong Man, 1988).
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8. 1 July 2021. Alistair McBride on an article by Antonio Garcia Martinez
Alistair introduces the paper, 'The Holy Church of Christ without Christ', by Antonio Garcia Martinez.
The sub-title of the paper is, 'Why religion is never created nor destroyed in any society, but merely conserved in various guises.'
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9. 5 August 2021. Sharon Ross Ensor introduces Amanda Cropp, NZ Journalist
Sharon introduces an article by New Zealand journalist, Amanda Cropp, published in Stuff, 18 July 2021, link below.
'Churches are worth billions and are stepping up to help solve the housing crisis'
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10. 22 September 2021. Alistair McBride introduces a reflection by Glynn Cardy, a post on Facebook, 3 August 2021
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11. 23 September 2021. Sharon Ensor interviews Richard Lawrence on a paper by Philip D. Kenneson, Centre for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2011 - 'The Nature of Christian Freedom'.
Kenneson outlines the works of three theologians: God and the Crisis of Freedom: Biblical and Contemporary Perspectives (2002)
by Richard Bauckham; The Freedom of a
Christian: Grace, Vocation, and the Meaning of our Humanity (2006) by Gilbert
Meilander; and Bound to be Free: Evangelical Catholic Engagements in
Ecclesiology, Ethics and Ecumenism (2004) by Reinhard Hutter. Not new books. But substantial, with reflection on the
meaning of 'freedom' in a Christian theological framework.
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12. 18 October 2021. Sharon Ross Ensor reports on an online service (29 August 2021) in which Kerry Enright speaks on 'Buoyancy'.
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13. November, 2021. Alistair McBride discusses the Cadbury Lectures, University of Birmingham, from Dr Linda Woodhead on 'Are Values the New Religion?'
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14. November, 2021. Richard Lawrence speaks about Lloyd Geering's book, Reimagining God (2014), especially chapter 14 - 'Spirituality for an Ecological Age'.
15. December, 2021. Sharon Ross Ensor introduces Sally Douglas' book, The Church as Salt: Becoming the community Jesus speaks about (Coventry Press, 2021).
Link to interview – Sally Douglas with Liam Miller