*****
GLOBAL AND ECUMENICAL IN SCOPE
CANADIAN IN PERSPECTIVE
Wayne A. Holst, Editor
My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telus.net
Colleagues List Web Site:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com
"Quicklinks" are included with many items
at the beginning of this issue. To get a more
complete picture, however, scroll down to
find your special selection in the body of
the blog.
Note that not all items here have links.
*****
Dear Friends:
This issue of Colleagues List is a bit late
because Marlene and I are between trips
to visit family in Northern Alberta and our
anniversary escape - this year to Glacier
National Park in Montana. Next week's
Colleagues List may be late as well.
My Special Item this week is a book notice
for an interesting new title from New World
Publishers, entitled:
"Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines"
http://tinyurl.com/o49ofc2
It follows a January notice I offered on
the theme of goddesses by Joseph Campbell
http://tinyurl.com/ovrfawf
To read this, please scroll down.
--
Colleague Contributions this week are by:
Jim Taylor (Okanagan) who writes on -
"Scottish Referendum - Reflection"
http://tinyurl.com/lkuo7yj
Martin Marty (Chicago) - who assesses -
"Resident Aliens - At 25
'In But Not Of' the Culture"
http://tinyurl.com/pcolzrr
Ron Rolheiser (San Antonio) - who contributes -
"Fatherless at the Depth of Our Being"
http://tinyurl.com/ms4pu2b
--
Net Notes this week are as follows -
"Marching Toward Change" - a major
climate change demonstration took
place in New York City last week.
Read about it (Anglican Journal)
http://tinyurl.com/n5ffs5v
"Iranian Church is Growing" - a
hopeful article on a developing
Christian community in Iran and
a new Bible translation as well
(The Christian Post)
http://tinyurl.com/q734c42
"'Not So Close' - Encounters" -
a Catholic astrophysicist speculates
positively on the existence of other
beings in the universe (America)
http://tinyurl.com/pf34a5s
"Victoria - A Life (Armstrong)" -
Karen Armstrong has just published
a life of Queen Victoria for those of
you history-of-British-royalty-lovers
(The Tablet, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/pc4ng37
"Mental Health and the Church" -
many pastors find the challenge
of mental illness in their congregations
to be a particularly challenging one
(Christianity Today)
http://tinyurl.com/p4hqyc5
"Migrant Youths Escape to USA" -
many El Savadoran youth are fleeing
their land in search of a better life
in America (Catholic News Service)
http://tinyurl.com/l6eqpty (video)
"For ISIS, US Strikes Imply God's Favor" -
Islamic apocalyptic literature sees America
and its allies playing into the hand of ISIS
(Sightings) http://tinyurl.com/njpdn7c
"Christ Cathedral to Open as Catholic Church"
- we have already written about the Crystal
becoming Christ Cathedral on Colleagues List
last summer, but here is a journalistic report
(The Christian Post)
http://tinyurl.com/lhevgh6
"Walter Breuggmann - On Ferguson and More"
- the famous Hebrew Bible scholar shares his
views on the Blacks of Ferguson and other
discriminated minorities in America today
(Ferguson Theology Website)
http://tinyurl.com/oejl2km
"Muslim Scholar Issues Strong Rebuke of ISIS"
- Fethullah Gulan, a famous Turkish spiritual
leader, living in exile in the USA, writes about
ISIS (Alliance for Shared Values Website)
http://tinyurl.com/k9oz2b6
--
Wisdom of the Week comes to us from
Sojourners and Bruderhof Online -
Martin Luther, Henry David Thoreau,
Jody Williams, Martin Luther King Jr.,
a Note Found at Ravensbrück Camp
and Elie Wiesel
To read these gems, scroll down.
--
On This Day is from the archives of
the New York Times and reports as
the event was taking place -
"Lincoln Issues Preliminary
Freedom for American Slaves"
http://tinyurl.com/5x2fp2
--
Closing Thought - Desmond Tutu
Scroll down to read him.
(end)
Fall 2014 Adult Spiritual Development
ACTS Ministry Programs at St. David's
and at the University of Calgary
http://tinyurl.com/kkca8rp
http://tinyurl.com/iedt
http://tinyurl.com/luljvww
Scroll down to read our complete
fall program, now fully developed
*****
SPECIAL ITEM
Book Notice:
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
GODDESSES AND HEROINES
by Patricia Monaghan
New World Library, 2014
$23.50 CAD. Kindle $16.71 CAD
432 pages. Paperback edition
ISBN #978-1-60868-217-1
Publisher's Promo:
More Than 1,000 Goddesses and Heroines
from around the World
Groundbreaking scholar Patricia Monaghan
spent her life researching, writing about,
and documenting goddesses and heroines
from all religions and all corners of the globe.
Her work demonstrated that from the beginning
of recorded history, goddesses reigned alongside
their male counterparts as figures of inspiration
and awe. Drawing on anthropology, folklore,
literature, and psychology, Monaghan's vibrant
and accessible encyclopedia covers female deities
from Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, Asia and
Oceania, Europe, and the Americas, as well as
every major religious tradition.
Author Info:
Patricia Monaghan, PhD (1946–2012), was a
leader in the contemporary women's spirituality
movement as well as an award-winning poet,
scholar, activist, and mentor. In 1979, she
published the first encyclopedia of female
divinities, a book that has remained in print
since then in various formats and that she
later expanded into the current volume.
Monaghan was a lifelong member of the
Society of Friends (Quakers) and also a
companion of the Fourth Order of Francis
and Clare, an interfaith religious organization.
--
Author's Words:
In many cave paintings from around the world,
female figures appear with male figures. We do
not know if the female figures were considered
divinities but we do know that every culture since
the dawn of time has honored goddesses as well
as gods.
Then somewhere around 2,500 years ago,
monotheism emerged in the eastern
Mediterranean, first as a Hebrew tribal
religion, then as Christianity, and finally as
Islam. These related religions center their
worship on a single male divinity. In doing
so, they eliminate age-old reverence for
the divine female... No monotheistic goddess
religion has ever been found. It can also
be proven that patriarchy and monotheism
are not identical. One can exist without the
other.
There is no question monotheism limits
women in religious situations. Only recently
have some Christian denominations permitted
women to serve as priests... There is little
question that boys are taught that 'god' looks
like them, but not like their mothers and
sisters. They grow up differently than girls
who are taught the opposite.
It is probably not surprizing that those
raised with such an orientation find it
difficult to believe that our forebears may
have honored divinity in female form...
There is no doubt that once written history
begins, we find goddesses sharing the
religious stage with gods, and they take
on many forms and kinds of behavior.
This volume shows the breadth of possibilities
associated with the female through many
ages and cultures. Some will be familiar,
others obscure. Not all will be called 'goddeses'
since between such figures and mortal women
exists a category this work calls 'heroines.'
These too exist in many forms.
No encyclopedia can list all the goddesses the
world has known. Many stories have been lost.
But an impressive amount of information still
remains... This encyclopedia attempts to bring
together many sources to offer an entry point
for further research.
Sources are not only scholarly but exist for
children. Some literary sources do not yet
appear in English. Folklore as well as literature
provides a source of information about ancient
goddess figures.
--
My Thoughts:
Early this year I introduced a posthumous
publication by the late Joseph Campbell entitled:
"Goddesses - Mysteries of the Feminine Divine."
It provided a collection of his essays on goddess
figures in the mythological traditions he had
studied and - at the time of his writing these
essays - between 20-40 years ago - it was a
very unique and a rather novel subject for
public consideration (check out that issue of
Colleagues List on the Campbell book) -
http://tinyurl.com/ovrfawf
Now, a work of even broader, more factual
sweep appears at a time when the general
public seems much more open to consider
its feminine themes.
"The Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines,"
provides extensive documentation of female
characters and feminine imagery from the
primal traditions, all world religions, and all
corners of the globe.'
We learn that 'from the beginning of recorded
history, goddesses reigned alongside their male
counterparts as figures of inspiration and awe.
Drawing on anthropology, folklore, literature,
and psychology, the author's encyclopedia
'covers female deities from Africa, the eastern
Mediterranean, Asia and Oceania, Europe, and
the Americas, as well as every major religious
tradition.'
Campbell's book is an interpretive resource
while Monaghan's is a research tool to help with
the investigation of goddesses and heroines from
a vast array of human sources.
Monaghan has made access to the information
very easy in the way she organizes the material
by various regional 'pantheons.' Each entry is
precise and well written. The bibliography and
index is exhaustive and this makes the book a
good first stop for further, more extensive
investigation of specific characters.
For those interested in goddess/heroine themes
that are carefully and clearly presented, this book
is a real gem.
--
Buy the Book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/o49ofc2
*****
COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS
JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC
Personal Web Log
September 21st, 2014
"Scottish Referendum - Reflection"
http://tinyurl.com/lkuo7yj
--
MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL
Sightings
September 22nd, 2014
"Resident Aliens - At 25
'In But Not Of' the Culture"
http://tinyurl.com/pcolzrr
--
RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX
Personal Website
September 22nd, 2014
"Fatherless at the Depth of Our Being"
http://tinyurl.com/ms4pu2b
*****
NET NOTES
MARCHING TOWARD CHANGE
NYC Climate Demonstration
Anglican Journal
September 25th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/n5ffs5v
--
IRANIAN CHURCH IS GROWING
Celebrates New Bible Translation
Assist News
September 22nd, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/q734c42
--
'NOT SO CLOSE' ENCOUNTERS
Does Life Exist in the Universe?
America Magazine
September 22nd.2014
http://tinyurl.com/pf34a5s
--
VICTORIA - A LIFE (REVIEW)
New Book by Karen Armstrong
The Tablet, UK
Septembert 26th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/pc4ng37
--
MENTAL HEALTH AND THE CHURCH
Many Pastors Unequipped to Face It
Christianity Today
September 22nd, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/p4hqyc5
--
MIGRANT YOUTHS ESCAPE TO USA
Fearing Gangs in El Salvador
Catholic News Service
September 24th, 2014
(video interview)
http://tinyurl.com/l6eqpty
--
FOR ISIS, US STRIKES
IMPLY GOD'S FAVOR
Fulfilment of Islamic
Apocalyptic Prophecy
Sightings
http://tinyurl.com/njpdn7c
--
CHRIST CATHEDRAL TO
OPEN AS CATHOLIC CHURCH
Formerly, the Crystal Cathedral
The Christian Post
September 26th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/lhevgh6
--
WALTER BREUGGEMANN,
ON FERGUSON AND MORE
Protest and Prophesy
Ferguson Theology Website
September 2014
http://tinyurl.com/oejl2km
--
MUSLIM SCHOLAR ISSUES
STRONG REBUKE OF ISIS
Turkish Spiritual Leader in Exile
Alliance for Shared Values Website
September 17th, 2014
http://tinyurl.com/k9oz2b6
*****
WISDOM OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners and
Bruderhof online:
A mighty fortress is our God.
A bulwark never failing.
- Martin Luther
--
It takes two to speak the truth -
one to speak, and another to hear.
- Henry David Thoreau
--
I think there's a mythology that if you want
to change the world, you have to be sainted,
like Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela or
Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Ordinary people
with lives that go up and down and around
in circles can still contribute to change.
- Jody Williams
--
| We are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be beaten and robbed as they make their journey through life. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it understands that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring. - Martin Luther King Jr. --
|
ON THIS DAY
From the Archives
of the New York Times
"Lincoln Issues Preliminary
Freedom for American Slaves"
http://tinyurl.com/5x2fp2
*****
CLOSING THOUGHT - DESMOND TUTU
"I don't preach a social gospel; I preach
the gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person.
When people were hungry, Jesus didn't say,
'Now is that political or social?' He said,
'I feed you.' Because the good news to a
hungry person is bread."
(end)
*****
Fall 2014 Adult Spiritual Development
ACTS Ministry Programs at St. David's
and at the University of Calgary:
MONDAY NIGHT STUDY (Ten Weeks)
September 15th - November 24th
7-00-9:00PM TM Room
(Thanksgiving Day exempted)
"A Fair Country" by John Ralston Saul
http://tinyurl.com/pvs5e3w
"Medicine Walk" by Richard Wagamese
http://tinyurl.com/o95nho4
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
Link to study:
http://tinyurl.com/kkca8rp
--
MONDAY NIGHT 'BOOKEND EVENT'
December 1st
7:00-9:15PM TM Room
Sponsored by the Bible Study Group
"From Jesus to Christ" -
How Jesus Became God
A PBS Video Series - Part Two
(total of two hours in length)
http://tinyurl.com/iedt
Hospitality and discussion
Led by Jock McTavish and Wayne Holst
All welcome. Hospitality donation only
--
THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
(Twelve Weeks)
September 18th - December 4th
10:00-11:00AM TM Room
"From Jesus to Christ III -
A Study of the Book of Acts"
Led by Wayne Holst
No charge.
Study resource -
The DK Complete Bible Handbook
http://tinyurl.com/odxlv7q
--
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY CENTRE
Interfaith Chaplains' Book Studies
For faculty, students, staff, campus guests -
Fall 2014
Native Centre Board Room
McEwan Student Centre
Fridays, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Oct 17, 24, 31, Nov 7, 14, 21
(six sessions)
"Everything Belongs:
The Gift of Contemplative Prayer"
by Richard Rohr.
http://tinyurl.com/luljvww
Participants are encouraged to attend
all six sessions. However, you may attend
one or more sessions on a drop-in basis.
Book cost $15.00
*****
No comments:
Post a Comment