Went to BISFT Britain & Ireland School of Feminist Theology last week with Le hoa from Presbyterian Church of Taiwan who was with St. Mark's community on a summer mission-in-community placement.Lectures, workshops (on masking & mask-making - see pic) and 'seminars' all week on theme of 'Politics, Economics & Theology: What's God got to do with it?'
We shared with Marcella Althaus-Reid from Edinburgh Uni, Naomi Goldenburg, Uni of Ottawa, Canada, Kath McPhillips from Uni in South Australia and Lisa Isherwood from Uni of Winchester.
Big questions I left with:
1. In relation to 'the cross' - do we really need an economics of the cross based on blood sacrifice and substitutional atonement? Do we have to perpetuate such ideologies within the church any more? What have we to lose/change/birth if we get rid of it altogether? eg do we have to believe Jesus paid the price of our sin by death on the cross? I don't think/believe so but this is taboo for many - one of the untouchable absolutes. We also perpetuate such ideological atrocities by sending young men and women into the firing line to pay the price & their blood is spilt and the story of atonement is reinacted & reembodied - also by sending bombs from the UK & US to Israel from places in the North of England to bomb Lebanon.
2. In relation to body theolgy - on thinking more about Marcella in her book Indecent Theology http://www.althaus-reid.com/ I would be interested to hear more about the interaction of queer theory, sexual theology and queering heterosexualities.
These are two areas of growing interest in the last few years in connection with my own theology and the United Reformed Church doesn't seem to be wanting to explore sexual theologies - we are too polite and embarrassed to get into these discourses at General Assemby!
Good news that we at St. Mark's can share some more of the things we've been up to - painting, imagining, writing and more with you through our new website www.breadbreakers.co.uk Click & enjoy - phase two of the site coming soon!
