SEARCH Journal

Summer 2016

Editorial

NEVER MIND all the stories, stars and sensationalism of 1916 – what about the symbolism? This is the concern of the first two articles in this issue of SEARCH. From a Northern perspective, psychologist Roddy Cowie, seeks out the deep symbolism behind the stories of World War I heroism and its socio-political implications. He asks: “Can we find a common symbol of the time to unite North and South?” Then William Olhausen looks at Pearse’s central theme of blood sacrifice and questions its Christian credentials. The theme of self-sacrifice for a transcendent cause may be common to both sides of the border, but historical and communal differences remain.

Highly relevant to these matters, the thinking about “principalities and powers” of American theologian Walter Wink is explored by Rob Clements in the article which follows, naming the false gods and worldly systems that derail us.The stark reality of the migrant crisis is detailed next by Lydia Monds of Bishops’ Appeal, challenging us with facts and gures as well us the biblical imperative to do more and give more to help those in desperate need. Then Simon J. Lumby looks at the relation of secular and biblical views of marriage, noting that the Church may have imposed its view on the biblical texts rather than vice versa.Re ections on the recent Anglican Consultative Council in Lusaka by Maurice Elliott follow, along with a brie ng on the Dublin – Jerusalem link by Linda Chambers and an In Retrospect on Archbishop McAdoo by Kenneth Milne. A variety of book reviews concludes the issue. Happy reading – and please feel free to suggest further subject matter for upcoming issues.

Contents

Thinking Makes It So – Ulster Protestants and the symbols of 1916

IN 1916, a young psychologist called Kurt Koffka was working for the German government. Later, he told this story: On a winter evening, in a driving snowstorm, a man on horseback arrived at an inn. He had ridden for hours across a windswept plain, and he was enormously happy to have reached shelter. The landlord looked surprised, and asked where he had come from. The man pointed straight behind him. The landlord, in a tone of awe and wonder, said, “Do you know that you have just ridden across Lake Constance?” The rider’s eyes opened wide, and he dropped stone dead. The point is simple: our actions depend on the way we understand the world, and not on the way the world is. It applies spectacularly to this island: we have communities that inhabit different versions of the world. Just perhaps, highlighting the problem may help us to connect the worlds.

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Roddy Cowie
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Patrick Pearse and the 1916 Rising: Discerning the Spirit

ANY ASSESSMENT of history is an act of interpretation. Interpretation is not an easy task. If we are to do it justice it not only requires diligent study of all the sources but also fair-mindedness, imagination and empathy. To use the jargon, historical interpretation is hermeneutic. It requires us to put ourselves in the shoes of the one we seek to understand. Interpretation is also self-involving: we bring who we are to the conversation. My interest in the Easter Rising has focused primarily on one person: Patrick Pearse. I got to know Pearse through long hours spent in Oxford’s Bodleian Library during the summer of 1996 as I studied for my BA in theology. To begin with, I approached Pearse’s story as a sub-topic of Irish Catholic theology and church history.

willOlhausen|William Olhausen|william-olhausen
William Olhausen
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The Refugee Crisis: will the Church give, act and speak out?

DURING ELECTION campaigns, vox pops capturing the concerns of people from around the country are broadcast daily on the radio. I fond myself wondering what the results would be if a similar vox pop was done surveying only Church of Ireland members. Would we highlight valid yet very personal concerns as top priority issues, or would the Church look beyond who will serve its needs best and look to who will respond with real urgency to the needs of those most marginalised and least protected by current policies? In short, would we serve God by serving others or would we serve ourselves? The current situation In January 2016, representatives from the Irish Council of Churches alongside representatives from the Bishops’ Conference and from the Islamic community in Ireland met with the Irish Government Task Force for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) in the Department of Justice. The Government Task Force is made up of a variety of different government departments as well as the Irish Red Cross and the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR. The conversation centred around two key issues for the Government: support for accessing accommodation for refugees and support for messaging and communication about refugees given the danger of Islamophobia after the Paris attacks.

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Lydia Monds
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The wisdom of Walter Wink – prophet of non-violence

ON MAY 10TH 2012, the world lost a great biblical scholar, theologian, and activist in Walter Wink to “complications of dementia”. His influence on social theology in action is immense, though perhaps less so on Irish shores, which is a shame. We might bene t from a deeper analysis of his work. Certainly in parts of North America, Wink is regarded as one of the most important social and political theologians of the 20th century. His contribution continues to be relevant today as we search for a theological language that allows us to critique systems and structures that appear to generate and perpetuate social inequalities and violence.

Rob Clements
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The Marriage Debate: A Reflection

THE FAILURE of the Church to make any coherent and useful contribution to the recent debate on same-gender marriage led to it being side-lined. It failed to realise the debate was not about procreation or the upbringing of children solely in a dual-gender marriage. It did not understand that the battle was being fought on the grounds of justice and mercy, grounds which are supported by Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce, as will be shown in the biblical section below. This article will explore what history, culture, liturgy and the Bible have to say about the way ahead. The Argumentation of Society In the debate on the Irish Referendum question regarding the redefinition of marriage to include same-gender couples, the campaign for a Yes vote centred on the issue of Justice. The demand was for equality of treatment under the law regarding access to taxation benefits, inheritance rights and constitutional protections (not just legal ones):

Simon Lumby|Lumby
Simon J Lumby
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Under African skies: inspiration and uncertainties at ACC-16

BY INVITATION of the Province of Central Africa the sixteenth session of the Anglican Consultative Council convened in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Lusaka, from 7-19 April. The host Province exists across fifteen dioceses in the four nation states of Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and Zimbabwe. The socio-economic backdrop may be brighter than in many other African countries, but for many the realities of life are chiefly those of challenge and deprivation. Many Anglicans live in high density areas that o er little in the way of basic amenities; yet the lasting impression afforded to members of the ACC is of a church that is vibrant in terms of living worship and dynamic in its commitment to local mission. For example, whereas many Western Anglican churches struggle to engage with young people, as many as 60% of the population of Zambia is under the age of 35 and this demographic is richly represented in healthy congregational age-profiles. Again, where those of us who live in the Irish context have long since grown accustomed to the eclipse of a faith perspective in the public square, the nation of Zambia is blessed with a living Christian political heritage such that the serving President, Edgar Lungu, attended the opening Eucharist along with as many as five thousand others from across the four countries at this inspiring and memorable occasion. His predecessor, 93-year-old Kenneth Kaunda, even danced on his walking sticks during the sharing of the Peace.

maurice elliott
Maurice Elliott
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Mission link with the diocese of Jerusalem

THE DUBLIN and Glendalough Council for Mission is a small committee which aims to do a small number of things and to do them well. Our main activities are currently the Ecumenical Bible Week, which goes from strength to strength, the Annual Ecumenical Carol Singing at the Mansion House in Dublin city centre, and now the Jerusalem Link project. We describe ourselves as part of the Anglican Communion - but what does that really mean? How is it di erent being a Christian here from elsewhere? There was a desire within the Council to create a link with another diocese of the Anglican Communion – a practice that has been part of the Communion for 200 years. We felt that our theology required us to reach out.

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Linda Chambers
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In Retrospect: Archbishop Henry R McAdoo (1916-1998)

“AN ESTIMABLE churchman” was the phrase used by the general editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography to describe Archbishop Henry McAdoo as presented in my entry in the ODNB. I think the archbishop would have appreciated that accolade. While considerably junior to McAdoo in every sense of the word, I did get to know him quite well, largely through my work as Secretary of the General Synod Board of Education when he was Bishop of Ossory, and later during my time as Principal of the Church of Ireland College of Education, of which as Archbishop of Dublin he was Manager.

Ken Milne|Ken Milne
Kenneth Milne
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