Cathy Higgins’ new book, Churches in Exile: Alternative Models of Church for Ireland in the 21st Century (Columba, 2013) starts from the premise that churches in Ireland are in crisis, wedded to an outdated ‘Christendom’ model of church that has not served Christianity well. But in this thoughtful and easily digestible book, Higgins reflects on [...]
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Rev Arlene Moore on Prayer and the Ecumenical Pentecost Faith Fest, 17-19 May
Earlier in the week I blogged about the ecumenical ‘Faith Fest’ organised for the Feast of Pentecost in Belfast. Events during the 17-19 May weekend are undergirded by two 24/7 prayer rooms – at the Church of Ireland/Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd (Cogs) in Monkstown and St Oliver Plunkett’s parish in Lenadoon. Since then [...]
Exploring the Significance of Peter Rollins and the Ikon Collective – Talk on Sunday 12 May at UCD
I’ll be presenting a paper titled, “Northern Ireland, America and the Emerging Church Movement: Exploring the Significance of Peter Rollins and the Ikon Collective” on Sunday 12 May at the Clinton Centre, University College Dublin, in a panel from 12.00-1.30 pm. The paper is based on my forthcoming book, co-authored with Gerardo Marti of Davidson [...]
Ryan Bolger’s The Gospel After Christendom Book Review–Part 3
Today is the third and final post taking in my review of Ryan Bolger’s edited collection, The Gospel After Christendom. In my first two posts, I provided a general outline review, and then descriptions of three of the chapters I found most useful. In today’s post, I focus on three more of my favourite chapters. [...]
Ryan Bolger’s The Gospel After Christendom Book Review–Part 2
Last week I wrote an initial overview review of a new book edited by Ryan Bolger, The Gospel After Christendom: New Voices, New Cultures, New Expressions (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012). The book contains 28 chapters by scholars and practitioners, and I indicated I would be back to highlight the chapters I found most intriguing. [...]
Ryan Bolger’s The Gospel after Christendom–Book Review, Part I
The Gospel after Christendom: New Voices, New Cultures, New Expressions (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012) is an ambitious attempt to conceptualise, synthesise, and internationalise the Emerging Church Movement (ECM). Edited by Ryan Bolger, co-author of one of the earliest books on the ECM, it features 28 chapters by practitioners and scholars. The volume identifies some [...]
Jay Bakker – Faith, Doubt, and Other Lines I’ve Crossed: Book Review and Interview in Belfast Tues 23 April
What is God like? Is doubt harmful to faith? Who do Christians marginalise? Those are just some of the questions explored in a new book by Jay Bakker, Faith, Doubt, and Other Lines I’ve Crossed: Walking with the Unknown God (Jericho Books, 2013). Bakker, who will forever be known as the son of scandal-ridden American [...]
What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell – Book Review and Talks in Manchester and Edinburgh Tues and Wed
Rob Bell’s latest book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God (Collins, 2013), can be read on a number of levels. First – there is the level of pure enjoyment, which even some of his critics are willing to concede. Whether or not you like his message, Rob Bell is simply a good [...]
The Idolatry of God (with Peter Rollins) Starts Next Week in Belfast … tickets still available
In my review of Peter Rollins’ latest book, The Idolatry of God, I wrote that debate should focus on: “ … whether or not Rollins’ articulation of what it could mean to live authentically as Christians in a world where most of us are addicted to consuming products (and more insidiously, other people and our [...]
Kester Brewin’s After Magic: Book Review – What can Batman Teach us about Christianity?
It turns out Batman has a lot to teach us about Christianity. The latest book from Kester Brewin, After Magic: Moves Beyond Super-nature from Batman to Shakespeare, takes us into the worlds of literature and comic book heroes in what is an engaging exploration of how religion works. But ultimately, After Magic is a plea [...]
Michael McRay – Letters from Apartheid Street: Interview and Book Reading, Tues 26 March
Michael McRay will discuss and read excerpts from his book, Letters from Apartheid Street: A Christian Peacemaker in Occupied Palestine, at 7 pm on Tuesday 26 March at St Oliver Plunkett in Lenadoon, Belfast. The event is titled, ‘Blessed are the Peacemakers,’ and will include a question and response session. Letters from Apartheid Street will [...]
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.
I also write for the popular NI Politics site Slugger O'Toole. Click here to view my posts on Slugger...
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