I’m an alumnus of one of Ikon’s ‘Atheism for Lent’ courses. Back in 2006, along with about ten others, I read Merold Westphal’s Suspicion and Faith: the Religious Uses of Modern Atheism. What sticks with me about the course, which was facilitated by Peter Rollins, was the idea that Christians could learn something useful by [...]
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Is the Emerging Church Liberal? Peter Rollins on Atheism
I cringe when I hear the emerging church described as liberal. I’m an American from a conservative evangelical background, so maybe that’s because I got so used to hearing ‘liberal’ used as a term of derision when I was growing up. Or maybe it’s because critics of the emerging church, especially in the United States, [...]
Ian Paisley and the Pope: The Return of Dr No?
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard the Rev. Ian Paisley rail publicly against the pope, identifying him as an ‘anti-Christ.’ But in an interview with the BBC World Service, Paisley reverted to ‘anti-Christ’ mode as he voiced his opposition to the pope’s state visit to the UK in September. On his blog, BBC religion correspondent [...]
Christians v. Atheists? The Battle for the Buses and the Ulster Museum
In its annual report, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA) has noted that it received 392 complaints about the British Humanist Association’s campaign slogan: ‘There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.’ The presence of this slogan on city buses became almost iconic. But what received the most complaints? It was the [...]
Visioning 21st Century Ecumenism: More Research Results Now Available
Reflections on and results from my School’s major research project, ‘Visioning 21st Century Ecumenism: Diversity, Dialogue and Reconciliation,’ have become available in a variety of outlets over the last few weeks. The research team is hoping that the publication of these results will stimulate new conversations about faith and religion on the island of Ireland. [...]
Philip Pullman Book Review: The Good Man Jesus & the Scoundrel Christ
There’s not much in Philip Pullman’s latest book, The Good Man Jesus & the Scoundrel Christ, which would be new to anyone familiar with the Gospels. Sure, his story has two characters, Jesus and Christ, in the place of a singular ‘Jesus Christ’ figure. In Pullman’s story, Mary gives birth to twins: Jesus and Christ. [...]
What Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and the Orange Order have in Common
Prominent atheist campaigners Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have common cause with the Orange Order: Protesting against the Pope. Dawkins was the subject of a splashy headline in this week’s Sunday Times: Richard Dawkins calls for arrest of Pope Benedict XVI. The article said Dawkins, is planning a legal ambush to have the Pope arrested [...]
Atheism in the Public Square: Marginalised or Militant?
Are atheists marginalised in our public conversations, even in the largely secular West? Last week, atheists had their first ever official visit to the White House. Sixty representatives from the Secular Coalition for America met with officials and discussed issues ranging from child medical neglect, military proselytizing, and faith-based initiatives. USA Today reports that ‘this [...]
Peter Rollins & Impossible Tales for Lent: A Review of Seven More Parables from The Orthodox Heretic
Back at Christmas time, I reviewed Peter Rollins’ latest book, The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales. With the traditional Christian season of Lent nearly upon us, Rollins’ publisher Paraclete Press has released seven additional parables, available to all those who have purchased the book. Rollins’ tales are short and sometimes cryptic. In the book, [...]
Atheist Ireland Group Challenges Ireland’s New Blasphemy Law
Within 15 minutes of a post about the website http://blasphemy.ie/ on the Irish Times website’s breaking news section, visitors (like myself!) received the message: ‘The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.’ I saw the blasphemy site late last night, tipped off by [...]
About me
Welcome to Building a Church Without Walls, a website for people who are excited about how Christianity is developing in the 21st Century. I am a Lecturer and Coordinator of the Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation Studies Programme at Trinity College Dublin at Belfast (the Irish School of Ecumenics).
Please note this is my personal site. All views are my own and are not representative of TCD.
