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2009 |
"Profits without Honour? Economics, Spirituality and the Current Global Recession" |
by Professor Andrew Bradstock |
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Lets start with an Affirmation of Faith… The Creed
We believe in one Market, the Almighty, Maker of heaven on Earth, Of all that is, priced and branded, True growth from true growth, Of one being with the Economy. From this, all value is added. We believe in Deregulation, once and for all, The only way to prosperity. For us and for our salvation, Reagan and Thatcher were elected And were made gods. In their decade they legislated To take away our economic sins. They were crucified by the Liberal Media, but rose again, in accordance with their manifestos. They ascended in the polls and are seated at the right hand of Milton Friedman. We believe in the Invisible Hand, the giver of economic life. It has spoken through our profits. It proceeds from the Law of the Deregulated Market, and with the Market is worshipped and glorified. We believe in one Globalised Economy. We believe in one key business driver for the increase in Gross Domestic Product. We acknowledge one bottom line for the measurement of wealth. We look for the resurgence of executive compensation packages and the life of the financial years to come. Amen. I suppose that any group of people about to engage in serious discussion for an hour might be excused a little levity at the outset, but there is a more serious reason for sharing this with you....
The following link takes you to a blog based upon the lecture. | ||
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2008 |
Health, Wealth or Wisdom? Religion and the Paradox of Prosperity |
by Professor Elaine Graham |
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Growing prosperity since 1945 in developed economies is now being shared increasingly by developing economies. Yet experience and research widely recognise that above certain income levels, greater prosperity is not matched by greater happiness, but is accompanied by greater social and individual distress, manifested for example in increasing crime and ill-health (particularly mental). Much evidence now also connects these trends with levels of inequality in society. Alongside these developments has been the re-emergence of religion globally, including into public life, and more recently matched by the growing interest, especially in the West, in the religious contribution to 'social capital', or the capacity to build networks within and across various parts of civil society. It is the potential link between this latter development and the growing concern over the paradox of prosperity for human well-bing which forms the basis of this lecture, which will focus on interacting this so-called 'happiness hypothesis' with a consideration of the potential role and contribution of religious values and organisations. Following a brief introduction to the literature on happiness and well-being, spearheaded by scholars such as Richard Layard, Professor Graham examined the possible contribution of religion, and Christian theology in particular, to the debate......
Susan St John - An economists response (79kB) As a failed Presbyterian my creditials may not be strong but thank-you for inviting me to repsond from an economist's viewpoint to this most interesting lecture....... Professor Graham also gave a lecture at St David's Presbyterian Church. Notes of this lecture can be found on their website. | ||
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2008 |
Theology and public discourse in South Africa |
by Dr Nico Koopman |
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In his School of Theology Lecture Dr Nico Koopman pleaded for a broader understanding of the prophetic role of churches in public life. Besides the traditional understanding of the prophetic discourse as that of spelling out luring visions of the good society, and offering courageous public criticism, prophetic discourse in pluralistic societies is challenged to engage in technical and policy discourses as well. With reference to the South African context some considerations for the theological engagement with public policy processes were discussed. In critical engagement with categories like Niebuhr's realism, Oldhma's middle axioms, Liberation Theology's epistemological preference of the most vulnerable, and Lehmann's criterion of humanization, guidelines were suggested regarding the formal and material dimensions of theology's participation in public discourses. | ||
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2008 |
"Reaching the Well: The Preacher's Creative Process" |
by Rev. Dr.Jana Childers |
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In her School of Theology Lecture Dr Jana Cholders noted that few preachers avoid the dry well. Writer's block, faith struggles and fatigue affect many. Most spend at least the occasional sleepless Saturday night second-guessing themselves, wondering where fresh inspiration is to be found.
This lecture examined the creative process and explored the links between human creativity and work of the Holy Spirit. It points to models of creativity, patterns of practices and skill-building exercises that can be sources of increased creativity in preaching.....
Dr. Jana Childers (34kB)
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2007 |
"Public Theology - a Latin captivity of the Church? : Violence and Public Theology in the praxis of the Church in Asia" |
by Rev. Prof. James Haire |
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This lecture looks at the development of Public Christian Theology in Asia. It asks two major questions:
First, to what extent are the assumptions of Public Christian Theology actually the assumptions of Post-Enlightenment Western Christian Theology? This is a pressing issue for the methodologies in the Public Theology of Asian Christian theologians. Does the agenda of much Public Christian Theology actually address the situation of Christianity in Asia, for example, or only seek to address the internal Angst of Western Christianity?
Second, where Christianity is a minority (albeit, large minority) faith, what is the contribution of a Public Christian Theology to the debates of civil society? This is especially pressing where the cultural aspects of a world religion other than Christianity (e.g.Islam in Indonesia, Buddhism in Thailand and Hinduism in India) heavily influence the agenda of the discourses of civil society.
In addition to an overview, this lecture draws on the praxis of theology in Indonesia, especially during the reconciliation process (2001 - 2005) after the violence between Muslims and Christians in the Molucca Islands.
A Latin Captivity of the Church (236kB)
Please note that the copyright for the lecture belongs with Rev. Prof. James Haire | ||
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2006 |
A Case for Public Theology in Secular Contexts |
by Dr Marion Maddox |
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The second School of Theology Public Lecture was given in 2006 by Dr Marion Maddox, Reader in Religious Studies at Victoria University, on "A Case for Public Theology in Secular Contexts". Associate Professor Raymond Miller, Head of the University of Auckland’s Department of Political Studies was the respondent.
Lecture and Response (137kB)
(Please note that the copyright for the lecture belongs with Dr Maddox and the copyright for the lecture belongs with Associate Professor Miller.)
Dr Maddox’s teaching focuses on the intersections of religion and politics. Her book, God Under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australian Politics, (Allen & Unwin, 2005) "gives a sustained examination of the impact of religion on contemporary Australian politics, explaining the growing influence of the religious right on John Howard and his government." | ||
