Dr Jon Hatch will lead faith-based reflections on Belfast’s separation barriers in a walk this Thursday, 20 June. The event, organised by the peace group at Knock Presbyterian Church, leaves from the Knock Church car park at 7 pm and will meet up with people from other parts of the city at 7.30 pm at [...]
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Fr Martin Magill’s Ecumenical Tithing–All Saints Church, Antrim
This week Fr Martin Magill’s ecumenical tithing takes him to All Saints Church of Ireland Church in Antrim, a service which includes two baptisms. What continues to be interesting to me is how Fr Magill’s visits prompt not only reflections on the services, but conversations with parishioners – evidence of the building of relationships that [...]
Cathy Higgins’ Churches in Exile – What Can Churches in Ireland Learn from the Emerging Church Movement? (Book Review, Part 3)
The last paragraph of the final substantive chapter of Cathy Higgins’ new book Churches in Exile: Alternative Models of Church for Ireland in the 21st Century, reads (p. 185): ‘Unless the churches in Ireland are prepared to shake up the system, and take risks for the sake of God’s kingdom, can they be open to [...]
Getting to Know the Association of Catholics in Ireland–Q & A with Martin Murray, Part 2
Today we continue with Part 2 of our Question and Answer series with Martin Murray of the Association of Catholics in Ireland (ACI), which began last week with this post. In the first post, he dealt with the questions of how the ACI started and why he thought such an association was needed. Today’s questions [...]
Getting to Know the Association of Catholics in Ireland – Q&A with Martin Murray, Part I
Last week, I wrote about the launch of the Association of Catholics in Ireland, a new lay-led organisation that has adopted the motto, “Following Christ, Changing Church.” (You can view its objectives on its website). The event also was reported on in the Irish Times, as well as the Irish Independent. Martin Murray, a member [...]
Cathy Higgins’ Churches in Exile – Challenges for the Churches in Ireland (Book Review, Part 2)
In a previous review of Cathy Higgins’ Churches in Exile: Alternative Models of Church for Ireland in the 21st Century, I promised to note some of her most compelling challenges for the churches in Ireland. Higgins’ challenges are present in every chapter in the book. Indeed, the discussion or reflection questions at the end of [...]
Fr Martin Magill’s Ecumenical Tithing–Rest & Reflection at St Dorothea’s
This week Fr Martin Magill’s “ecumenical tithing” takes him to St Dorothea’s Church of Ireland in Gilnahirk. Fr Magill describes a restful, reflective service that nourished his spirit, and conversations before and after with parishioners. At the end of the post, he includes another creative suggestion for maximizing ecumenical opportunities in our churches. Fr Martin [...]
Association of Catholics in Ireland Launches Tomorrow, 1 June, in Dublin
The new “Association of Catholics in Ireland” (ACI) launches tomorrow in Dublin. ACI is lay-led and has adopted the motto, “Following Christ, Changing Church.” It lists the following “objectives” on its website (click the link to see a more extended statement): Statement of Objectives Association of Catholics in IrelandFollowing Christ, Changing ChurchAr lorg Chríost chuig [...]
Mercia Malcolm on A Journey in Reconciliation: An Exploration of the Friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien – “Friendship is a Catalyst that Changes Us”
As part of last week’s Community Relations Week, the Centre for Contemporary Christianity hosted a talk by Rev Mercia Malcolm on, ‘A Journey in Reconciliation: An Exploration of the Friendship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.’ Malcolm repeated her presentation for a selection of MLAs at Stormont later in the week. Malcolm is the Church [...]
Fr Martin Magill’s Ecumenical Tithing: Faith on Trial with Lagan College Chaplains at Fitzroy Presbyterian
This week Fr Martin Magill’s ecumenical tithing takes him back to Fitzroy Presbyterian, where he attended a “Faith on Trial” event featuring Lagan College Chaplains Helen Killough and Gerard Souney. In this post, Fr Magill shares what he learned about the Lagan chaplaincy and the school’s history, explaining how he came away with several of [...]
Johnston McMaster on Cathy Higgins’ Churches in Exile: Remarks from the Book Launch
Cathy Higgins’ new book, Churches in Exile: Alternative Models of Church for Ireland in the 21st Century, was launched on 22 May at Skainos in East Belfast. One of the launch speakers was Rev Dr Johnston McMaster, who worked with Higgins for more than 15 years on the Irish School of Ecumenics’ adult community education [...]
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.
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