SEARCH Journal

Autumn 2024

Guest Editor Rev Mark Gallagher writes IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE and pleasure to edit this edition of SEARCH. As a medicinal chemist before ordination, the intersection of health and faith has always been close to my heart. We have a wonderful selection of contributors, including new authors for SEARCH.

Summer 2024

CRISES in various areas are addressed in this issue of SEARCH: the deepening shortfall of vocations to ministry in the Church; the anxiety about populism’s threat to responsible democracy in Europe; and current spiritual challenges to the church and individuals, in the face of falling church attendance and rising suicide rates.

Spring 2024

Given the turmoil in the Middle East filling our thoughts and prayers ever since October 7th last, we are thankful that the key leaders of Dublin’s Jewish, Islamic and Church of Ireland communities agreed to come together to reflect on how people of faith should act and pray for peace in the Holy Land. Their conversation heads this issue of SEARCH.

Autumn 2023

PIONEER MINISTRY, as introduced and discussed in this year’s General Synod, has been a major talking point for the Church of Ireland this year. Granted that, for the Church’s very survival, we need to reach out to those whose spiritual needs have not been met by any church worship they have encountered, or who have never experienced the love of God in Christ, do we need a whole new structure to achieve that?

Summer 2023

Returning to an in-person Colloquium after the zooming of the pandemic, it seemed appropriate to look to the future by inviting speakers in the earlier stages of their career to look specifically at the depressing outlook for the future of our planet, and beyond. Hence our title ‘A New Look at the End Times’ and a line-up of participants who, if not under 35 as originally hoped, were at least all under 45.

Spring 2023

Guest editor Robin Stockitt writes: I have recently been inspired through reading a book entitled ‘The Salt Path’, which tells the story of a couple who lost everything and chose to walk the South West Coastal Path through Devon and Cornwall. In the process of their journey they came to fascinating and powerful insights. It is not a Christian book but it resonated with me as so many paradigm shifts and spiritual encounters in the Bible seem to occur whilst travelling. Indeed there is a strong Christian tradition of pilgrimage which acknowledges the potentially transformative effects of going on a journey.