Archive | February, 2012
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Fr Brian Lennon on Repentance & Reform in the Irish Catholic Church

It’s been some time since I’ve blogged about the crisis in the Irish Catholic Church. In fact, the last time was way back on 28 October, when I offered some reflections on ‘The End of Irish Catholicism’ based on a paper I’d presented at the Queen’s University Religious Studies Forum. It gets to the point [...]

How We Remember: Drama, Discussion & Everyday Objects Exhibition–New Post on Slugger O’Toole

I have a new post on the Slugger O’Toole blog on ‘How We Remember: Drama, Discussion & Everyday Objects Exhibition.’ It outlines various events dealing with Northern Ireland’s past that are happening over the next few months.

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Visioning Ecumenism Goes Online–Course by Johnston McMaster & Cathy Higgins

My school, the Irish School of Ecumenics (ISE), has gone online with two new interactive modules developed by Dr Johnston McMaster and Dr Cathy Higgins. The modules have been designed in conjunction with the School’s IRCHSS-funded Visioning 21st Century Ecumenism research project, and are called ‘The Bible in Dispute’ and ‘Where in the World is [...]

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Lesley Carroll and Geraldine Smyth – Glimpses of God: Book Review

Anyone seeking reflective reading for Lent need look no further than the recent book by Lesley Carroll and Geraldine Smyth, Glimpses of God: Reflections for Days and Seasons (Veritas 2010). The book is a collection of 54 of Carroll and Smyth’s contributions to BBC Radio Ulster’s ‘Thought for the Day’ – short meditations in which [...]

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Sinéad Walsh on Gender, Truth and Violence – Best Dissertation in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation

Sinéad Walsh is the winner of this year’s (2010-2011) James Haire Memorial Prize for the best M.Phil. dissertation in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation at Trinity College Dublin at Belfast (the Irish School of Ecumenics). Walsh’s dissertation is titled, ‘Gender, Truth and Violence: The Sexual Politics of Post-Conflict Transition, Case Study – Northern Ireland.’ Walsh’s work [...]

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What Next for Ecumenism? John Gibaut on BEM, Ecclesiology, & the Future of Ecumenism

Last month, as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, John Gibaut, Director of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Geneva, spoke at the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin, on the work of “Faith and Order.” Gibaut evaluated the impact of the WCC’s 1982 document, [...]

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Peace Jam in Enniskillen 25 February: Featuring Stephen Travers, Brian D’Arcy & Local Musicians

The Fermanagh Churches Forum (FCF) is organising what looks to be an inspiring and enjoyable event – a ‘Peace Jam’ featuring a talk by Stephen Travers (bass player with the legendary Miami Showband), introductions by Fr. Brian D’Arcy, a buffet supper, and music by local artists. The Peace Jam happens on Saturday 25 February from [...]

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Denis Bradley – Has Religious Ecumenism ‘Run into the Sand?’

In his column in Friday’s Irish News, Denis Bradley proclaims that ‘religious ecumenism has run into the sand.’ He contrasts the failure of religious ecumenism to what he sees as the thriving of so-called ‘political ecumenism’ in Northern Ireland, embodied by Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson watching a GAA match together. I would take  issue [...]

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The Church is Flat, Book Review – Tony Jones on How to Move the Emerging Church from Critique to Practical Change

Tony Jones’ new book The Church is Flat: The Relational Ecclesiology of the Emerging Church Movement (self-published, 2011) offers a fresh perspective in its passionate plea for people in the emerging church to start thinking about ecclesiology. In the process, Jones tries to help emerging churches get beyond their critiques (especially of evangelical Protestantism). He [...]