Archive - Dec 2009 - Oct 2016 http://colleagueslist.blogspot.ca/

Friday 25 August 2017

Colleagues List, August 27th, 2017

Vol. XIII No. 9

GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE


Wayne A. Holst, Editor

My E-Mail Address:
 
Colleagues List Web Site
http//colleagueslistii.blogspot.com


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This e-mail is sent only to a voluntary subscriber list.
If you no longer wish to receive these weekly columns,
write to me personally, waholst@telus.net

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Dear Colleagues:

I suspect this is the first issue of Colleagues List that many of you have received this summer. It is not because I have stopped sending them, but the technical method I used did not complete the task.

Fortunately, my teaching and technical colleague Jock McTavish helped me to find a solution and you will receive this issue.

You have missed at least 10 issues, and I plan to send an additional mailing to you this weekend with links to all of them.

My Special Item this week is an introduction of a recent book by Daryl Culp whose family comes from Waterloo County Ontario, like mine! I will say more in that book notice for --
                                                      
"Is God a Scientist? Religious Views of Science"

The other components of Colleagues List appear as usual.

Here in Canada, our summer is soon ending; so it is back to regular routines.

Wayne

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SPECIAL ITEM

Book Notice -

IS GOD A SCIENTIST?
Religious Views of Science
by Daryl Culp

Published by Asquith Press, Toronto ON.
Nov. 2016, 175 pages, plus bibliography.
Paperback $20.00 CAD; Kindle $10.00  CAD


Publisher's Promo:

This book has been one of very few efforts in the field and has

offered a great deal of observation re ongoing debates between theologians and scientists concerning God's role in the universe.

There are rich offerings in each chapter. 

A suggestion for the next edition... It would be beneficial for the average reader if the main points made at the beginning of each chapter would be summarized at the end of that chapter...

--

 
Author's Bio:

Daryl Culp has a Ph.D. in theology from St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto. He teaches a course on science and religion at Humber College in Toronto, ON.
 
--

Author's Words:


Sometimes it seems that scientific theories replace religious views of the world... Instead of seeing science and religion as opposites, many have tried to integrate the two... This book will survey attempts to relate science and religion. I will introduce the scientific ideas at an introductory level and pursue the theological ideas in more depth.

Often discussions of this topic focus on the conflicts between religion and science. However, there are many ways to reconcile the two approaches...

Eastern religions have some fascinating ways to interpret the physical world as a manifestation of a deeper underlying spiritual reality... (thus) science can be seen as a first step for underlying the universe, but it must be completed by a deeper investigation...

We might relate (some of the ideas from Eastern religions like Hinduism) to concepts being explored today by scientists... (At the same time) it seems to me that religious metaphors also use this tangential strategy to get us to look beyond what seems obvious (because it has been accepted for so long). Religious metaphors seek to transcend the human sensory experience and indicate something more profound...

The idea of an invisible essence to the universe was expressed by Plato (who viewed 'idea' as something that) reaches beyond our sensory universe into a more spiritual realm.

If we see the universe as an expression of divine thought, then we might think of God as a scientist who is experimenting on the forms of matter... It could be that God has created a universe in which scientific laws are operating in a way that brings forth unexpected outcomes. In that case, God might be surprized by the course that this universe takes...

(The author works with Islamic, Sikh and Buddhist texts - some of which view God as involved in the creation of the world and some which do not.) Some religious views are more compatible with scientific explanations of the origins of the universe (while others are not.)

Does science challenge belief? This survey of religious attitudes towards science will begin with an overview of the methods of each discipline and the history of their interaction... (I will start with the theory of evolution because it has brought on such a firestorm of controversy.) Charles Darwin's studies of natural changes in animal populations fueled the growing passion for scientific discovery. The battles between creationists and evolutionists have polarized the two communities, with many holding to the assumption that the two are incompatible. (I believe that a respectful way of dealing with these questions requires a religious as well as an intellectual response.)

In the 21st century, there is gradually a greater acceptance of the possibility for science and faith to live beside each other. (I see emerging a new humility on the part of science that talks more today about the mystery of the universe)...

Some theologians have welcomed the theories of the new physics since they seem to open up a new space in which to talk about God... If the fundamental structure of our universe is open-ended, we can more easily conceive of God as upholding the process of the cosmos... and opening up the discussion to include the environment, some religious believers have seen the recent ecological movement as a source of reflection on God's (continuing and active) role in our world.

(Religion and science today as not as fundamentally at odds as they once were.) Many theologians and scientists are writing about the interfaces between the two...

My contribution in the following pages will try to place this debate as broadly as possible by using the various religious voices on our planet. My perspective has mostly been formed by Christian theology so I will pursue examples from that perspective.

- from the Introduction
 
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My Thoughts:


Eighteen years ago, I wrote an extensive review essay on the emerging new relationship between science and religion It was entitled:

Science and Faith: Allies or Adversaries?
https://tinyurl.com/yaz28awv
(please excuse the old formatting)

Like the author of the book here discussed, my background was in theology and I was trying to learn what science was teaching me about our world. I was open to the scientific method and the discipline, while also desiring to remain a person of faith in the process.

I appreciate what Daryl Culp is doing in this book.  He comes out of a more conservative evangelical biblical tradition than my own, but he is reflective of a growing number of honest
Christians who are following truth where it leads them. He does not abuse biblical theology nor the scientific method in the process.

Culp makes a good point when he says that there is a greater humility expressed by many scientists today in terms of their openness to the value of faith. This is true in spite of some notable exceptions!

I would also say that there is greater humility emanating from people of faith as well. Fundamentalists on both sides do not help to enhance the dialogue; that is for sure.

An important dimension appearing in Culp's study is that he expands the faith community to include non-Christians. This is a very important contribution given the pluralistic reality of our world. I have not encountered many books of this nature so far and appreciate this one.

I would also commend the author for the way he tries to simplify the terminology of the discussion. He struggles between simple and simplistic wording in places. Some contemporary authors go further, but they do not come across clearer in what they are trying to say.

I encourage you to consider this book. It is a good, helpful starter in what I see him attempting to do.

On an informal note, even though I do not know Daryl personally, I went to high school with his aunt and his father and that adds to my respect for the spiritual tradition and family from which he comes.

--
Buy the book from:
Create Space: https://www.createspace.com/6667298
Amazon.ca: https://tinyurl.com/y839t65j

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

Philip Yancey,
Colorado

Philipyancey.com
August 19th, 2017

"A Tale of Two Families"

  https://tinyurl.com/yalvj8vn

--

Mark Whittall
Ottawa, ON.

Sermons and Blog
August 18th, 2017

"We Must Not Be Silent"

  https://tinyurl.com/y7aq87yk

--

Jim Taylor,
Okanagan, BC

Personal Web Log
August 23rd, 2017

"An Act of Pure Altruism"

  https://tinyurl.com/y7yw3vkh

--

John Stackhouse Jr.
Moncton, NB

Personal Blog
August 19th, 2017

"Race and Racism: Waking Up Again to the Obvious"

  https://tinyurl.com/y8jr2rj9

--

Ron Rolheiser,
San Antonio, TX

Personal Web Site
August 21st, 2017

"The Power of Ritual"

  https://tinyurl.com/y7t7bgzn

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NET NOTES

YEMAN; THE WORLD'S WORST HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Once a Thriving Centre of Trade; Now a Devastation

New York Times,
August 23rd, 2017


https://tinyurl.com/y7d5z8m6

--

EVANGELICALS BITTERLY SPLIT OVER ADVISING TRUMP
Hope of Changing Him as Insiders is Vanishing

The Atlantic Online
August 22nd, 2017


https://tinyurl.com/ycym7yx4

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TURKISH SCHOOLS STOP TEACHING EVOLUTION THIS FALL
A More Conservative Islamic Curriculum Replaces It

National Public Radio
August 20th, 2017


https://tinyurl.com/y95dytqs

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INDIA'S TOP COURT BANS INSTANT DIVORCE FOR MUSLIMS
A Revamping of Islamic Marriage and Divorce Laws in Works

UCA News,
August 23rd, 2017


https://tinyurl.com/y8pxobfs

--

HOW TO MEASURE SUCCESS IN AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD
Being Faithful Trumps Being Successful
 
Christian Week online
August 16th, 2017

https://tinyurl.com/y929n2ek

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HOW PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT FAITHS VIEWED THE ECLIPSE
"Signs and Wonders" - from Varying Theological Perspectives

Religion News Service,
August 18th, 2017

In Case You Missed It - a One Minute View of the Solar Eclipse:

CBC.ca News,
August 21st, 2017


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DENOUNCING THE EVIL LIE OF WHITE SUPREMECY
Radicals Count on the Silence of the General Public

The Christian Century,
August 16th, 2017


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SURVEY FINDS DRAMATIC SHIFT IN CANADIAN
PERCEPTION OF U.S. APPROACH TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Canada Continues to Reject American Influence

Globe and Mail,
August 21st, 2017

For the first time in 13 years, Canadians think they have more in common with Britain and Germany’s approach to human rights than that of the United States, a new survey suggests. The finding is the latest in a 13-year tracking of Canadian and American perceptions of the bi-national relationship by Nanos Research and the State University of New York at Buffalo. Survey participants on both sides of the border were asked which countries are closest to theirs on human rights.

Forty-four per cent of Canadian respondents said Canada most closely aligns with Britain on human rights, followed by Germany at 25 per cent
and the U.S. at 16 per cent.

--

IN THE US SOUTH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
REMEMBERING THE PAST AND HONOURING IT
The Confederate Statue Debate Viewed More Deeply

Globe and Mail,
August 22nd, 2017

“Public monuments are never just about the past. What we choose to memorialize, and how, is more about the present, what we want to remember, and how we hope to shape the future. History should not be forgotten, and it shouldn’t be buried. But we don’t have to build statues to errors, or evil. And we don’t have to maintain memorials to great acts of wrongdoing, just because they are “part of history.”

There’s a difference between remembering and honouring.

"The former is necessary. The latter is a choice, and in some cases, after the facts of history are faced honestly, a choice that should be revisited and reversed.” – Globe editorial

--

CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FINDS RISING SUPPORT
FOR MEDICALLY ASSISTED DEATH

Globe and Mail,
August 24th, 2017

Canadian doctors are becoming increasingly open to the liberalization of medically assisted death. A straw poll conducted yesterday at the annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association found that 83 per cent of delegates supported “advance directives” such as allowing people with dementia to decide they want an assisted death at a later time. Of the 600 delegates, 67 per cent also supported the idea of “mature minors” (people under the age of 18 who are deemed to be mature enough to make their own choices about their medical treatment) to access assisted death.

A similar poll conducted in 2013 found that only 34 per cent of CMA doctors supported assisted dying legislation.

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK
 
From Sojourners and the Bruderhof online:
 
Our comfort or discomfort with the outer dark is a good barometer  of how we feel about the inner kind.
 
- Barbara Brown Taylor
 
--
 
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread     
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
 
- William Cowper
 
--

If you are stirred to anger when you want to reprove someone,
you are gratifying your own passions.


Do not lose yourself in order to save another. 
 
- Marcarius

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The crucified planet Earth, should it find a voice and a sense of irony, might now well say of our abuse of it, "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do." The irony would be that we know what we are doing.  

- Kurt Vonnegut

--
 
The church, with its message, and with its word, will meet a thousand obstacles, just as the river encounters boulders, rocks, and chasms. No matter; the river carries a promise: “I will be with you to the end of the ages” and “The gates of hell shall not prevail” against the will of the Lord (Matt. 28:20, Matt. 16:18).
 
- Oscar Romero
 
--
 
The question, “Why do children suffer?” has no answer, unless it’s simply, “To break our hearts.” Once our hearts get broken, they never fully heal.
 
They always ache. But perhaps a broken heart is a more loving instrument. Perhaps only after our hearts have cracked wide open, have finally and totally unclenched, can we truly know love without boundaries.
 
- Fred Epstein
 
--
 
The world is upside down because there is so very little love in the home. We have no time for our children; we have no time for each other; and there is no time to enjoy each other. That is why there is so much suffering and so much unhappiness in the world today. Everybody seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for what is bigger and better and greater, and mothers and fathers often do not have time for each other, let alone their children. In the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.
 
- Mother Teresa
 
*****

CLOSING THOUGHT - Margaret Atwood

Nothing makes me more nervous than people who say,
‘It can’t happen here.’

Anything can happen anywhere, given the right circumstances.

(end)

*****

 
For Those Interested -

ST. DAVID'S ACTS MONDAY NIGHT FALL STUDY

A Ten Week Series September 18th - November 27th, 2017
Monday Evenings, TM Room 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

"CONVICTIONS - How I Learned What Matters Most"


http://tinyurl.com/ybyu3msx

Author: Marcus Borg
Registration/Hospitality and Book: $60.00.
Book only: $20.00

35 copies of the book have been secured for sale.
Registration and Book Sale Begins - August 27th


Read my background information on the study book:
http://cep.anglican.ca/convictions/

--

Here is some course content from our
completed Monday Night Winter 2017 Study:

"How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a

Jewish Preacher from Galilee" by Bart D. Ehrman
https://tinyurl.com/j3nv7nd
 
Check our entire archives for all 49 books
studied since 2000:
 
http://tinyurl.com/q3bw6dh 

During the 2016-2017 two session-term -
Total class registrations: 70
Total books sold: 75

Our best year ever, since 1998!

***


ST. DAVID'S ACTS THURSDAY MORNING STUDY

Ten Sessions September 21st - November 30th, 2017

Biblical book(s) to be studied this autumn to be determined

by the class at the first session of the term, Thursday, Sept. 21st.

Ten sessions 10-11 AM
Gathering at 9:30 AM in the St. David's TM Room.

No charge


Study resource -

"The DK Complete Bible Handbook"
  Edited by John Bowker


http://tinyurl.com/odxlv7q

***

ST.DAVID'S SPIRITUAL TRAVELERS EVENT, 2017

South Africa has been chosen as our destination!
We plan a nineteen-day tour that combines a focus
on spirituality, social justice, culture, and nature,
and it will run October 21st thru November 8th.

A beautiful brochure with trip cost, itinerary, and
many helpful travel hints has been published.
http://tinyurl.com/hucsaf7

Our optimal group size for maximum trip meaning
and value is 28-29 persons.
To date, thirty-two 

persons have made deposits to claim a special saving,
but some have had to withdraw.
 
WE ARE CLOSE TO REACHING OUR DEPARTURE GOAL.

YOU CAN STILL REGISTER. If we reach 29 deposits
you will be added to a waiting list and can still join

us in the event someone has to drop out.

We have activated a South Africa Spiritual Travelers
discussion list group to begin building community
amongst the participants, and to share news and
resources.

We hope to name a tour reporter who will report
back home each day's activities so everyone can
enjoy the experience, if not directly, then indirectly.

Three months from now we leave for South Africa!

Contact Rostad Tours: http://tinyurl.com/hucsaf7

Follow these notices for weekly updates.

*****
 

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