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 [...]
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Alicia Turner: What’s the Point of Studying Religions? – Keynote at ISASR Conference
What’s the point of studying religions? This is an apt question to be asking on the island of Ireland. Here, the academic study of religions is at an early stage in its development, particularly from social science or humanities perspectives, in contrast to theological or confessional approaches. A keynote address by Prof Alicia Turner of [...]
Fr Martin Magill’s Ecumenical Tithing–Reflections on the Ecumenical Pentecost Faith Fest
This week’s instalment of Fr Martin Magill’s Ecumenical Tithing consists of his reflections on the Ecumenical Pentecost Faith Fest. I profiled the event last week and also included a post featuring the thoughts of Rev Arlene Moore of the Anglican/Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd in Monkstown, one of the partners in the Faith Fest. [...]
Crawford Gribben on Ireland, America and the End of the World – ISASR Conference at UCD
‘Apocalyptic beliefs are one of this island’s most successful exports.’ That was one of the closing lines of a keynote address given by Prof Crawford Gribben of the School of History and Anthropology at Queen’s University Belfast, at the Irish Society for the Academic Study of Religions (ISASR) Conference at UCD (10-12 May 2013). ISASR [...]
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. [...]
Fr Martin Magill’s Ecumenical Tithing–Glengormley Presbyterian Church
Today we continue with Fr Martin Magill’s reflections on ‘ecumenical tithing’, featuring his experience at Glengormley Presbyterian Church Fr Martin Magill at Glengormley Presbyterian Church Owing to the assistance of a neighbouring priest, I was free from commitments to my parish on Sunday 5th May which freed me to join a congregation for morning worship. [...]
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 [...]
Fr Martin Magill’s Ecumenical Tithing–Prof John Brewer at Fitzroy Presbyterian
This week we continue with Fr Martin Magill’s experiences of ecumenical tithing. Last night he visited Fitzroy Presbyterian in Belfast, where Prof John Brewer of Queen’s University spoke on the findings in his new book, Religion, Ex Combatants and Peace in Northern Ireland, co-authored with David Mitchell and Gerard Leavey. (I earlier reviewed the book [...]
Fr Michael Bennett Guest Post–Response to The Catholic Church in Ireland in Transition – Reflections for Zimbabwe
In a recent post I shared the text of an article that was published in the latest issue of Mukai/Vukani (meaning “Wake up!”), the Jesuit Journal for Theological Reflection in Zimbabwe, titled ‘The Catholic Church in Ireland in Transition – Reflections for Zimbabwe.’ Fr Michael Bennett has written a response to the post, which I’ve [...]
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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