Marianne Elliott’s latest book, provocatively titled When God Took Sides: Religion and Identity in Ireland – Unfinished History, (Oxford University Press, 2009) describes how Catholics and Protestants in Ireland perceive each other – and explains why this matters so … Read more...
Category: Churches & Reconciliation
Shared Eucharist – Should it be a Priority for the Irish Churches?
When I attend a Catholic Church, one of the saddest parts of the service for me is the Eucharist. I’m a Christian – but not a Catholic – so that means that I’m prohibited from taking part in that meaningful … Read more...
From World Mission to Interreligious Witness – Visioning Ecumenics in the 21st Century: Conference in Dublin June 16-18, 2010
After a century of ecumenism, where are we? Most scholars date the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement to the 1910 Edinburgh Conference, where church leaders gathered to forge a way forward for greater cooperation in missionary endeavours. But 100 … Read more...
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2010: Can Ecumenism Be Born Again?
‘Born Again,’ is a term that is used derisively in Ireland to denote conservative evangelical Christians. Outsiders sometimes refer to them collectively as ‘the born agains,’ with either a smirk or a sigh, signalling their disagreement with their religion and … Read more...
Johnston McMaster Book Review: A Passion for Justice – Social Ethics in the Celtic Tradition
The ancient Celtic world and its larger-than-life inhabitants have too often been manipulated for political and religious ends. A glance at some of the gable walls of Northern Ireland’s cities make that all too clear.
But the Celtic tradition … Read more...
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2010: ‘Don’t Give Up!’
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has a whiff of the ‘worthy cause’ about it, for those who are not opposed to the idea of ecumenism altogether. Perhaps ‘Christian Unity’ sounds like something that would be a good idea, … Read more...
Maria Power Book Review: From Ecumenism to Community Relations & The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2010
The week of prayer for Christian Unity begins next week, 18-25 January 2010, with activities planned throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. Christian unity and ecumenism have always been touchy subjects on this island, given the sectarian nature of Northern Ireland’s … Read more...
Archbishop Eames & Peter Robinson’s Silence about Cardinal Daly: Questions about the Politics of Symbols, Gestures & New Discourses
Yesterday, DUP leader Peter Robinson finally commented on the death of Catholic Cardinal Cahal Daly. Robinson’s silence had become deafening, and pundits had begun to debate whether he was demonstrating the leadership skills of a First Minister for all … Read more...
Thoughts on the Death of Cardinal Cahal Daly – Peace, Ecumenism, & the Future of Irish Christianity
The former Catholic primate of Ireland, Cardinal Cahal Daly, died yesterday at the age of 92. On the eve of what promises to be yet another difficult year for the Irish Catholic Church, Cardinal Daly’s death seems to have created … Read more...
Never Heard of the Hard Gospel?
Last week when lecturing master’s students on the role of the churches in reconciliation in Northern Ireland, I spoke about the Church of Ireland’s Hard Gospel Project. I was surprised when a local student, with a long history of … Read more...