"Baptists and Catholics together--Twitter edition" on ABPnews Blog

My post "Baptist and Catholics together--Twitter edition" appears today on the ABPnews Blog published by ABPnews/Herald. I'll post the full text here at Ecclesial Theology in a few days; meanwhile here's a snippet from the beginning of the post:

What do Baptists and Catholics have in common?

That sounds like the set-up for a joke of some sort–or at least for a very brief response, given the anti-Catholicism that has marked much of the Baptist tradition (even when we were defining ourselves over against the Church of England).... (read the full post at ABPnews Blog)

U2, "Invisible," and theological anthropology

Beth Maynard over at the U2 Sermons blog has kindly referenced my observations--originally aired as a Facebook status update--on the theological import of the line "a body in a soul" in the newly-released U2 song "Invisible." (The post also mentions Ecclesial Theology blog and my book Ecumenism Means You, Too, which draws illustrative material from the music of U2.) Read the U2 Sermons post here. The song debuted as an iTunes download on February 2; a provisional transcription of the lyrics appears on the atu2.com fan site.

Ecumenical Review on The Church: Towards a Common Vision

The current issue of The Ecumenical Review, a quarterly journal published by the World Council of Churches, is a thematic issue devoted to articles offering commentary on the landmark convergence text The Church: Towards a Common Vision (Faith and Order Paper No. 214), which was presented at the 10th Assembly of the WCC in Busan, South Korea this past fall and commended to the churches for study and response. The World Council of Churches web site has posted a release with information about the issue.

Devotional reflection for December 9, Second Week of Advent

Each year Gardner-Webb University publishes an Advent Devotional Book as an aid to personal devotion during this season in the Christian year, with brief devotional reflections for each day of the season written by faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The text of my contribution for today, December 9, appears below; the entirety of the 2013 Advent Devotional Book is also available online in PDF.

December 9 (Nahum 1:15; James 3:18)

On his very first Christmas, we began reading with our son Can You Say Peace? by Karen Katz. Besides demonstrating the wonderfully varied ways children around the world say “peace” in their own languages, the book declares that “all around the world today, children will wish for peace, hope for peace, and ask for peace.” The children—and adults—of the world share a hope for peace because all people are created in the image of the God whose hope for the world is peace.  We also share a hope for peace because the world currently lacks the peace for which God created the world and toward which God is moving the world.

It’s appropriate that the first week of Advent’s focus on hope is followed by the second week’s focus on peace, for “peace” sums up in a word the biblical vision of the world for which God and people hope. Today’s text from Nahum is a call to envision this future peace: “Look! On the mountains the feet of one who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace!” (1:15). The whole book of Nahum is a contrast of two stories with different end-pictures: the story of violence that underwrites the present evil order of things, epitomized by Nineveh, city of the violent Assyrian empire, which ends in “devastation, destruction, and desolation” (2:10), and the radically other story of God’s goal of peace for all creation, epitomized by Jerusalem, city of those who seek the peace of God’s reign. Today’s text from James makes the same contrast, for the antidote to the diabolical wisdom of the world that leads to conflict is the heavenly wisdom that leads to “a harvest of righteousness…sown in peace by those who make peace” (3:18).

As we join God in wishing, hoping, and asking for peace this Advent, let us also join God in working for the peace for which we hope. Such pictures of the end, suggested the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, are “enough to make me change my whole life” (Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology, and Religious Belief, ed. Cyril Barrett [University of California Press, 1967], p. 57). Nahum tells us how to change our lives in light of this end: “Celebrate your festivals”—in other words, worship and in so doing be transformed by and become participants in the story of the peace of God’s reign, and “fulfill your vows”—in other words, live out the practice of peacemaking mentioned by James that we take on in our covenantal vows to live as the people of God, joining God in what God is doing to move the world toward its end of peace.

We won’t have to look very hard to find where God is working for peace. Wherever there is war, violence, division, and interpersonal conflict—in short, wherever there is broken relationship—God is already at work to realize the divine hope of peaceful community. Let us be open to opportunities to join in during this Advent season.

(Download the complete 2013 Gardner-Webb University Advent Devotional Book)

Georgian Baptist-Orthodox dialogue text published

The International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church has published "A dialogue between the Orthodox Church of Georgia and the ‘Evangelical Christians-Baptists’ of Georgia (1979–1980) with its wider Baptist context" by Paul S. Fiddes and Malkhaz Songulashvili, to which is appended the full agreed text from the dialogue (published in full and in English translation for the first time). The abstract of the article appears below:

In 1979–80 conversations were held between representatives of the Orthodox Church of Georgia and the ‘Evangelical Christians-Baptists’ of Georgia in a situation of oppression by the Communist state. The agreed document that emerged from this dialogue is printed here, and is preceded by an article which expounds it from a Baptist perspective, sets it in the wider context of Baptist theological and ecumenical theology, and relates it to the practices of the present-day Baptist Church of Georgia. The stated purpose of the dialogue was to achieve reconciliation and unity between Orthodox and Baptist Christians in Georgia, first by agreeing substantial matters of doctrine and then by adopting a common liturgy and common sacramental life. Among the range of subjects reviewed, including the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints, nationalism, confession and icons, the discussion on baptism is perhaps the most adventurous, and remains promising though flawed. The document does not represent the views of the present-day Orthodox Church of Georgia, and its contents clearly reflect the political pressures under which it was composed. However, it is of historical interest, and some will see it as a sign of hope for co-operation in the mission of God.

The full text of this article is published online by Taylor & Francis, the journal's publisher, in advance of its print publication as part of a rapid online publication program explained as follows: "For most journals, accepted articles are copy-edited and typeset and appear in a 'Latest articles' list on the journal's webpage. This counts as formal publication.  They are identical to the print edition in every way except that they lack page spans. They may be formally cited using their DOI and year of publication. These 'Latest articles' are later assigned to a particular issue of the journal, and given page numbers." Thus the time during which the article is available in this fashion may be limited; it is possible that at some point after being assigned to a specific print issue that article may only be downloaded through libraries that have electronic access subscriptions to Taylor & Francis journals. In the meantime, readers of Ecclesial Theology may try to access the article by clicking on the hyperlinked title above.

Global Baptist leader addresses World Council of Churches in unity plenary (VIDEO)

A previous post reported on Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam's address to the World Council of Churches in a plenary session on unity during the Tenth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, South Korea on November 5. Here is a video recording of the unity plenary (unfortunately audio and video are not fully synchronized); Callam begins speaking at 48:40 (click on this hyperlink to watch in a separate window on YouTube at the point that begins Callam's address). Callam's address is a grateful celebration of the progress that has been made toward full visible unity, an honest lament of the churches' failures in seeking this unity and incisive identification of contemporary impediments to the quest for visible Christian unity, and a stirring challenge to the churches to live into Jesus' prayer that his followers might be one in a way that the world can see, that the world might become unified under the Lordship of Christ.

I hope readers of Ecclesial Theology will listen to Callam's address and the other addresses in the unity plenary in their entirety. Below is a transcription of a portion of the "lament" portion of Callam's remarks:

We have reason to lament the painful divisions that still remain. We are the body of Christ, and we should reflect the koinonia inspired by the vision of the perfect unity existing in the Godhead. We are not what we should be. We lament persistence in cherishing our peculiarities and in failing to draw sufficiently from the from the well of divine provision that is able to quench our thirst for unity in the truth. We lament our inclination to seek in other expressions of the church a replica of the church to which we belong. We have not been content to seek in other churches, as much as in our own, signs of the one church of our Lord Jesus, nor have we been sufficiently vigorous in giving expression to the depth of communion in faith that already exists.

[Another previous post reproduces a BWA press release summarizing Callam's address and reporting on participation in the assembly by at least 77 Baptists from 24 countries.]

Baptist participation in World Council of Churches 10th Assembly

Today (November 8) the Baptist World Alliance issued the following press release regarding the noteworthy degree of Baptist participation in the Tenth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, South Korea October 30-November 8:

BWA leader appeals for church unity

Washington, DC (BWA)--Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Secretary Neville Callam said the unity of the church, wherever and whenever it exists, should be celebrated.

 

Callam, who was speaking during the 10th assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Busan, South Korea, lauded the work of the Faith and Order Commission of the WCC to aid the church in its quest for visible unity. The commission has published such ground breaking documents as Baptism Eucharist and Ministry (BEM), which came about through extensive theological engagement in the Christian ecumenical community. He argued for detailed study of the most recent Faith and Order documents, The Church: Towards a Common Vision and Baptism: Towards Mutual Recognition.

 

Callam also took note of bilateral theological dialogues that have taken place between various Christian traditions. These, he said, have resulted in an "increase in understanding" and have "facilitated responsible rapprochement between Christian communions."

 

Despite these and other signs of progress, Callam acknowledged that disunity is a stain on the church's life and witness. There is "persistence in cherishing our peculiarities" and an unwillingness to see "signs of the one church of our Lord Jesus" in other churches other than one's own. Callam asserted that the church has failed to "reflect the unity for which our Lord prayed in John 17."

 

Such disunity has "compromised our faithfulness in mission;" has led to a failure to confront social and other injustices such as racism, poverty, exploitation and disease; has resulted in self-centeredness that leads to the degradation of creation; and has caused a failure to "respect peoples of other faiths who are all creatures of the one God and inhabitants of a shared planet."

 

The appropriate response to Christian disunity, the BWA leader claimed, is "to repent of the sin of our divisions, to petition God's forgiveness and to pray for the joy of full communion."

 

Callam called the assembly's attention to serious challenges that compromise the mission of the church because of disunity. These include conflicting positions on moral issues, which pose difficulty for the unity of the church. "Churches are actually participating in the entrenchment of divisions in society by offering disparate teaching on issues that profoundly affect people's lives. The current situation is intolerable."

 

The solution, Callam asserted, is for the church "to commit, with greater urgency, to the search for convergence around the sources of authority in the church, and on how to interpret responsibly the sources we regard as authoritative."

 

Callam urged the Faith and Order Commission to provide additional resources, in a variety of media formats, to aid persons involved in assisting the church's quest for unity, especially at the international level.

 

At least 77 Baptists from 24 countries, including BWA President John Upton, attended the WCC meetings, held October 30 to November 8 in Busan, South Korea's second largest metropolis after capital city Seoul. The assembly, normally held every seven years, elected a 150-member Central Committee that includes eight Baptists. The Central Committee serves as the chief governing body of the WCC until the next assembly. It meets every 12 to 18 months and is responsible for carrying out the policies adopted by the assembly, reviewing and supervising WCC programs and for adopting the budget.

 

Four BWA General Council members were elected to the WCC Central Committee - Samson Ayokunle from Nigeria, Yam Kho Pau from Myanmar, Karl Johnson from Jamaica and Carroll Baltimore of the United States. Other Baptist Central Committee members are Marceline Mbingasani Maluavanga from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joyanta Adhikari from Bangladesh, and June Totten and Angelique Walker-Smith from the US.

Note: This is an experiment in posting via iPhone using the Blogger app. Please pardon any resulting formatting oddities.

Global Baptist leader addresses World Council of Churches in unity plenary (updated)

Neville Callam (photo courtesy WCC)

Yesterday (November 5) the Tenth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, South Korea held a plenary session on unity at which Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam was one of the featured speakers. A press release issued by the WCC reports that Callam and Metropolitan Nifan of Târgoviste, patriarchal exarch for external and ecumenical relationships of the Patriarchate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, offered reflections on the “Journey of Fellowship: Hopes and Challenges on the Way.”

The Rt. Rev. Alan Abernethy, Bishop of the Diocese of Connor in the Church of Ireland, summarized Callam's address in a post to the Diocese of Connor web site:

The Rev Dr Neville Callam, General Secretary of the Baptist Alliance, Jamaica, encouraged us to give thanks for what has happened already. He also suggested three challenges:
1. We need to find convergence on the sources we find authoritative.
2. We should foster theological thinking with our young people on unity.
3. Let us not limit our thinking and actions to being textual.
He also prayed God would keep us restless on our journey.

Callam's address generated an enthusiastic Twitter response, with several participants in the WCC assembly tweeting excerpts from Callam's remarks that were re-tweeted by many other Twitter users (dates of tweets below are EST and thus dated the day prior to the November 5 plenary in Busan at which Callam spoke):

 Susan Johnson ‏@NationalBishop 4 Nov

"We face the scandal of our disunity." - Neville Callam #WCC10thAssembly

FPF oecumenisme ‏@FPFoecumenisme 4 Nov

@Pierre2m @MarcoDero @jlgadreau en train d'écouter Neville Callam à Busan, un belle et bonne contribution, et sa voix est magnifique

Nelus Niemandt ‏@Niemandt 4 Nov

#WCC Neville Callam: our focus on textuality alone and negligence of orality is a problem. pic.twitter.com/Rz7QqyDj6h

FPF oecumenisme ‏@FPFoecumenisme 4 Nov

Neville Callam #WCC 3 défis 1) les décisions des Eglises sur les questions morales endurcissent ces positions créent nouvelles divisions

Nelus Niemandt ‏@Niemandt 4 Nov

#WCC Neville Callam: nothong should restrain our passion for the unity of the church. pic.twitter.com/5g0h8xuQEX

As a Baptist ecumenical theologian, I am proud that the global Baptist community was represented on the program of the WCC plenary session on unity by Callam and gratified that his address has been so well received by these representatives of the church catholic. Anyone who has heard Callam speak will concur that "sa voix est magnifique"!

Update: The November 6 issue of Madang, the daily newspaper of the assembly, includes a story that references Callam's remarks on page 1 and a photograph of Callam on page 7 (click on hyperlink to view).

Global Baptist leader addresses World Council of Churches in unity plenary

Neville Callam (photo courtesy WCC)

Yesterday (November 5) the Tenth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Busan, South Korea held a plenary session on unity at which Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam was one of the featured speakers. A press release issued by the WCC reports that Callam and Metropolitan Nifan of Târgoviste, patriarchal exarch for external and ecumenical relationships of the Patriarchate of the Romanian Orthodox Church, offered reflections on the “Journey of Fellowship: Hopes and Challenges on the Way.”

The Rt. Rev. Alan Abernethy, Bishop of the Diocese of Connor in the Church of Ireland, summarized Callam's address in a post to the Diocese of Connor web site:

The Rev Dr Neville Callam, General Secretary of the Baptist Alliance, Jamaica, encouraged us to give thanks for what has happened already. He also suggested three challenges:
1. We need to find convergence on the sources we find authoritative.
2. We should foster theological thinking with our young people on unity.
3. Let us not limit our thinking and actions to being textual.
He also prayed God would keep us restless on our journey.

Callam's address generated an enthusiastic Twitter response, with several participants in the WCC assembly tweeting excerpts from Callam's remarks that were re-tweeted by many other Twitter users (dates of tweets below are EST and thus dated the day prior to the November 5 plenary in Busan at which Callam spoke):

 Susan Johnson ‏@NationalBishop 4 Nov

"We face the scandal of our disunity." - Neville Callam #WCC10thAssembly

 

FPF oecumenisme ‏@FPFoecumenisme 4 Nov

@Pierre2m @MarcoDero @jlgadreau en train d'écouter Neville Callam à Busan, un belle et bonne contribution, et sa voix est magnifique

 

Nelus Niemandt ‏@Niemandt 4 Nov

#WCC Neville Callam: our focus on textuality alone and negligence of orality is a problem. pic.twitter.com/Rz7QqyDj6h

 

FPF oecumenisme ‏@FPFoecumenisme 4 Nov

Neville Callam #WCC 3 défis 1) les décisions des Eglises sur les questions morales endurcissent ces positions créent nouvelles divisions

 

Nelus Niemandt ‏@Niemandt 4 Nov

#WCC Neville Callam: nothong should restrain our passion for the unity of the church. pic.twitter.com/5g0h8xuQEX

 

As a Baptist ecumenical theologian, I am proud that the global Baptist community was represented on the program of the WCC plenary session on unity by Callam and gratified that his address has been so well received by these representatives of the church catholic. Anyone who has heard Callam speak will concur that "sa voix est magnifique"!

Baptists and the veneration of the saints

Today is All Saints' Day, and today the Baptist World Alliance circulated a link to an October 31 blog post by BWA General Secretary Neville Callam commending the Baptist retrieval of the practice of the veneration of the saints, invoking Baptist theologian James Wm. McClendon Jr.'s theological rationale for such a renewed and renewing practice offered in his book Biography as Theology (cf. a previous Ecclesial Theology post making this connection and argument, referencing a recommendation made in a chapter in my own book Towards Baptist Catholicity). Below is an excerpt from Callam's post:

Shouldn’t Baptist churches retrieve the practice of venerating the saints, that is, engaging in corporate worship acts designed not to worship the saints, but to remember, honor, learn from, and celebrate saints from our Baptist family and from other Christian communions? Until we regularly include commemoration of the saints in our worship celebrations, we will continue to neglect the opportunity to give proper value to those from our past who have borne courageous witness to faithful discipleship. Commemorative acts done in our Sunday morning services would provide a suitable accompaniment for the tradition some have already developed as part of their Vacation Bible School program, in which stories are told of great spiritual leaders worthy of emulation.... (Read the full post on the BWA General Secretary's Blog)