Bishop Harold writes in Autumn edition of ‘SEARCH’
THE AUTUMN issue of SEARCH – A Church of Ireland Journal, will be out on October 11, offering a wide range of articles on issues demanding attention in the world at large, the Churches and Society in Ireland, and Northern Ireland.
Reflecting the deep concern felt at the street violence prompted by flag riots and Orange marches around Belfast over the past eighteen months: Bishop Harold Miller, who was present through some of the worst events, reflects on the lessons the Church needs to learn from them, and how we can best minister to those involved so as to go forward into a truly Christian future.
On a wider canvas, much attention has been focussed this year on Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby, elected within months of each other to lead the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches respectively; and much hope is being placed in these two “new brooms”, whose style is refreshingly different from their predecessors. So offer here a close consideration of their words and deeds, both recent and less recent, in an attempt to consider the challenges that lie ahead in our two communions. Peter Admirand and Yazid Said, Roman Catholic and Palestinian Anglican theologians respectively, both teaching in Dublin at the Mater Dei Institute in Dublin, collaborate in the reflections from their own perspectives.
Increasing poverty at home and the threat of climate change world–wide, are two other concerns that have led to animated discussion this past year, and particularly last month. Alec Purser of the St Vincent de Paul Society and Andrew Orr of Eco–Congregations Ireland respectively offer some challenging thoughts on these two subjects.
On another topic, the noticeably increasing number of people of different faith traditions in Ireland north and south, Celia Kenny takes a radical look at how we read the Bible in relation to pluralism.
To complete this autumn issue, past relationships between different cultures in Ireland are considered with Mark Empey’s careful study of Protestant links with Gaelic culture in the 17th century; and the historical theme continues with Samuel G Poyntz’s celebration of Bishop Jeremy Taylor, 400 year’s after the great churchman’s birth.
Finally Robert MacCarthy offers an In Retrospect on an episcopal figure of more recent times, Robert Wyse Jackson. A varied crop of book reviews closes the issue.
The Good Book Shop in Belfast and “Best Sellers”, (the Bible Society shop in Dawson Street,) Dublin will both have a supply of copies, as will Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. Otherwise copies can be supplied by the subscriptions manager, Michael Denton. 10 Dun Emer Drive, Dublin 16. Price €7.50 per copy.