Stimulus Vol 14 Issue 2 May 2006 |
Table of ContentsPaul and the reframing of leadership Looking for a place to stand: Parmenter’s Jerusalem Models and metaphors: The wolf and the lamb will lie down together Michael Parmenter: Interview, part 1 St Imulus: The 7 habits of 23 highly effective pastors Void, Gap, Nada: “Dark night of the soul” in James K. Baxter’s Jerusalem Works Pulpit: Agnowledge your Gnosticism Who is really in the “Gnosis”? Book reviews The Gospel Hoax: Morton Smith’s Invention of Secret Mark
The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture N.T. Wright
Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith Rob Bell
Above All Earthly Pow’rs: Christ in a Postmodern World David Wells
On the Reliability of the Old Testament Kenneth A. Kitchen
Forum of the Christian Left Dialogue
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May 2006 |
EditorialMorons unite! You have nothing to lose…Who else remembers the Internet in the early 90s? I remember when the Usenet newsgroups were full of sensible conversation, significant dialogue and useful information – even the religious groups. Unfortunately, those days are gone. Those same newsgroups are now largely full of moronic shouting – everyone wants to talk, but few want to listen, let alone reflect. In an age where my opinion is as good as anyone else’s, regardless of how well researched or otherwise that opinion might be, why reflect, why discuss, in fact, why exercise any critical faculty at all? Hence, when a bunch of interesting ideas that reinforce all our suspicions about organised religion is served up in an easy-to-read novel, we have a sure fire money-maker. Inside the church we have the Left Behind series, outside we have The Da Vinci Code.
This engrossing, but essentially ephemeral novel, seems to have captured everyone’s imagination. And now there is the film. The recent plagiarism civil suit regarding the source of Dan Brown’s “research” has, of course, further fed interest in the film (one does wonder at the timing). To those not already weary of the whole circus we offer John Turner’s article on who is really “in the gnosis”. Of practical value, in these mindless times, is Paul Marcroft’s article on “Agnowledge your Gnosticism.” He provides a set of gnostic tips and words to impress and amaze your friends at parties. We promise we’ll now shut up about the Da Vinci Code and we recommend that all our readers leave Dan Brown behind and go back to Philip Dick – better writing, better Gnosticism, but his books do come with a health warning, they provoke thought!
Just when we think we have domesticated the New Testament, some iconoclast comes along and shakes up our ideas. Mark Strom shows us how radical Paul’s ideas about society and leadership actually were. He describes the society into which the gospel originally came, a society where change was anathema, hierarchies were firmly fixed, and everyone knew their place. Paul’s “moronic” message was, of course, explosive, and remains so for us.
James K. Baxter continues to fascinate New Zealand Christians. His influence appears in three articles in this issue. In the first, Daniel Stollewerk discusses the influence on Baxter of Saint John of the Cross.
Michael Parmenter – arguably New Zealand’s most outstanding contemporary dancer and choreographer – produced the operatic dance spectacular, Jerusalem. Parmenter draws on the Psalms, William Blake’s poetry, and Baxter’s life and poetry, presenting a “…movement from alienation to homecoming, from despair to hope, from Babylon to Jerusalem”. Graham Redding reviews Jerusalem, providing a theological evaluation of a work that is not afraid to wear its theology and biblicism on its sleeve.
Gavin Drew presents part one of an interview with Michael Parmenter where we are privileged to look inside a very creative and astute mind.
Our next issue will present papers from the upcoming conference of the Forum of the Christian Left. Nathan Parry introduces this group and the conference, providing a personal perspective. In a time when it is often assumed – both inside and outside the church – that being Christian means being of the right, we expect some provocative insights into applying the gospel in the public square. We leave it to our readers to decide whether “Christian Left” is an oxymoron or a tautology.
David Cashmore for the editorial committee
Douglas Maclachlan Publisher
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Paul and the reframing of leadership |
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“...to be part of the gospel imperative to transform minds and put faith in God into practice.” |
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STIMULUS THE NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF CHRISTIAN THOUGHT AND PRACTICE |