Saturday, January 11, 2014

Colleagues List, January 12th, 2014

Vol IX No. 20

*****

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. 

*****


Dear Friends:

Welcome to a new year!

I begin a new season with a book notice
on "Goddesses" by Joseph Campbell.
This title has just been published by
New World Library and represents an
edited version of many of Campell's
presentations on the subject of the
feminine dimension of human life.

Campbell died in 1987.
http://tinyurl.com/lm3yopk

To read my presentation, scroll down.

--

My colleague contributions this week
are from Jim Taylor who writes about -
"A Time for Stepping Forward Boldly" 
  http://tinyurl.com/jvpne22

I also include Ron Rolheiser's column -
"On the Dangers of Defining Ourselves"
  http://tinyurl.com/k46w9uf

--

Net Notes:

"A Sorry Spectacle" - Everyone knows
about the antics of Toronto's mayor,
Rob Ford. Here is a reflection on it.
(United Church Observer)
http://tinyurl.com/nxf8saw

"Four Way Dialogue Deepens" - growth
in co-operation between the Anglicans/
Episcopalians and the ELCA/ELCIC Lutherans
in Canada and the USA is described here
(Anglican Journal)  http://tinyurl.com/lsgy4fv

"Six in Ten Believe in Evolution" - Almost
surprising is this article on the growing
number of evolutionist thinkers in the USA
(Pew Research)  http://tinyurl.com/oojt9kn

"21 Movies to Look Forward to in 2014" -
a helpful article on the movies we might
want to see in the coming year
(Atlantic Online)  http://tinyurl.com/lsfmvt2

"CofE Removes 'Sin' 'Devil' from Baptism" -
The Church of England is revising its
baptismal liturgy and removing some words
(The Daily Mail, UK) http://tinyurl.com/oyfsuuk

"Rise and Sudden Fall of Atheist Churches" -
another story from England reports the
demise of recent attempts to create churches
for atheists (CNN Belief Blog)
http://tinyurl.com/lnf9jm7

"Loyalty and Faithfulness - the Difference" -
a helpful piece that distinguishes between
two key terms that many seem to struggle
with (UCA News)  http://tinyurl.com/m2aov6l

"Number of Christian Martyrs Doubles in 2013" -
this has not been a good year, globally, for
Christians who have suffered for their faith
(Reuters Faith News) http://tinyurl.com/lad7ptb

"How Muslim Countries Prefer Women to Dress"
 - another good study that helps those of us
in non-Islamic traditions to understand Muslims
better (Pew Research) http://tinyurl.com/k23pk4a

"Francis Appears to Revive Liberation Theology"
- Francis hails from South America, not Europe
and this may help us understand him better too
(The Telegraph, UK) http://tinyurl.com/k4ka8uo

--

My collection of wisdom this week includes -
Michelle A. Gonzalez, Big Thunder (Bedagi),
Gerard Manley Hopkins, Arundhati Roy and
Oscar Romero who share their insights with 
us thanks to Sojourners Online. Scroll down.

--

On This Day - special historic news events
occurring during the first ten days of January -

"Men Walk on Moon"
  http://tinyurl.com/lo6plo

"First UN Assembly Meets in London"
  http://tinyurl.com/aawe7td

"Germans Begin Dropping Incendiary Bombs on London"
  http://tinyurl.com/cdu83yw 

--

My closing thought is provided by a wise
mentor - Henri Nouwen.

My best to you as we enter a new year!

Wayne

*****

MY TEACHING AT THE CHURCH AND UNIVERSITY
Contact Wayne Holst 403-286-2416
waholst@telus.net

At the Church:

ACTS MONDAY NIGHT STUDY - WINTER 2014
 

NEAR DEATH - ETERNAL LIFE
A Spiritual Reflection on Life After Life

Team Taught with Jock McTavish


Books Titles - "The Light Beyond" and "Eternal Life" 

Book Authors - Raymond Moody and John Spong

Ten Monday Evenings - January 27th - March 31st
TM Room 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Registration, books and hospitality - $50.00
Buy the book set only - $25.00

---

ACTS THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY - WINTER 2014

Following a theme chosen by the group at the first session
Thirteen Thursday Mornings - January 16th - April 10th
10:00 - 11:00 PM. TM Room. No cost


---

ACTS REFUGEE MINISTRY GUEST NIMA DORJEE
CALGARY TIBETAN RESETTLEMENT PROJECT

Monday, January 13th 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Learn how you can help these New Canadians in 2014
Activities tailored to your time and resources.
All are welcome. Hospitality donation only.

---

ACTS AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD ROHR
Live discussion with the author of "Immortal Diamond"

Monday, January 20th 7:00-9:00 PM

All are Welcome! Hospitality donation only.


*****

At the University:

TUESDAY NIGHT CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE

"Religious Peace Between the Faiths and Science" 

Tuesdays, January 28th - April 4th, 2014. 7-9PM

Text: "The Evolution of God" by Richard Wright
             Bay Back Books, paperback. 2010.

For more information and registration, click -
http://tinyurl.com/oeywse7

---

LENTEN FRIDAY NOON FACULTY,
STAFF AND STUDENT STUDY

"In Search of Deep Faith" -
  A Pilgrimage Among People and Places of Europe
  by Jim Belcher, Inter-Varsity Press, paperback. 2013.

Six Fridays, 12-1PM. Native Centre Board Room, Mac Hall.

Co-sponsored by St. David's United and the U. of C.
Faith and Spirituality Centre.

 ________________

SPECIAL ITEM

Book Notice:

GODDESSES
Mysteries of the Feminine Divine,
by Joseph Campbell
New World Library, Dec.  2013.
Hardcover, 304 pages. $30.00 CAD
ISBN # 978-1-60868-182-2

Publisher's Promo:

Previously uncollected lectures and writings 
on the mythological importance of the great 
goddess from famed mythologist Joseph 
Campbell. Campbell brought mythology to a 
mass audience. His bestselling books, including 
The Power of Myth and The Hero with a 
Thousand Faces, are the rare blockbusters 
that are also scholarly classics.

While Campbell's work reached wide and 

deep as he covered the world's great 
mythological traditions, he never wrote a 
book on goddesses in world mythology. 
He did, however, have much to say on 
the subject. Between 1972 and 1986 he 
gave over twenty lectures and workshops 
on goddesses, exploring the figures, 
functions, symbols, and themes of the 
feminine divine, following them through 
their transformations across cultures 
and epochs.

In this provocative volume, editor Safron 

Rossi - a goddess studies scholar, professor 
of mythology, and curator of collections at 
Opus Archives, which holds the Joseph 
Campbell archival manuscript collection and 
personal library - collects these lectures for 
the first time. In them, Campbell traces the 
evolution of the feminine divine from one 
Great Goddess to many, from Neolithic Old 
Europe to the Renaissance. He sheds new 
light on classical motifs and reveals how the 
feminine divine symbolizes the archetypal 
energies of transformation, initiation, and 
inspiration.

--

From the Editor's Foreword:

While Joseph Campbell never wrote a book
on the Goddess before his death in 1987, he
had much to say on the subject. Between
1972 and 1986 he gave over twenty lectures
and workshops on Goddesses, exploring the
figures, functions, symbols and themes of the
feminine divine, following them through their
transformations. These lectures are the basis
for the book "Goddesses" and have been in
his archival collection since his death. The
material has not been read or heard by
anyone other than those who originally
attended the lectures.

(The book has been edited by me, Safron Rossi
PhD. executive director of the Opus Archives
and Research Centre in California.) "It shows
how Campbell traced the blossoming from
one Great Goddess to the many goddesses
of the mythic imagination. The book follows
the feminine divine from Neolithic Old Europe
into Sumerian and Egyptian mythology,
through Homer's epic Odyssey, the Greek
Eleusinian Mystery cult, Arthurian legends
of the Middle Ages and the Neoplatonic
Renaissance."

Rossi: "The exploration and study of goddess
mythology has progressed significantly
since Campbell presented these lectures three
decades ago. It has been my hope that this
volume holds the counterpoint to the idea that
Campbell was focused solely on the hero and
was not sensitive to or did not find of interest
goddesses, their mythologies, or the questions
and concerns of women who seek to understand
themselves in relation to these stories.

--

My Thoughts:

No other author has influenced me more on the
subject of myth in general and global mythology
in particular than Joseph Campbell.

My early theological training during the 1960s 
introduced me to "biblical mythology" but back
then we were only beginning to understand the
role of myth in the formation of sacred scripture.

Many opposed this investigation, and used the 
term "myth" in demeaning ways - implying that
the term described an "untruth." 

By the time I started reading Campell several
decades later, I was much in need of a helpful
description of myth. I could no longer subscribe
to a literal interpretation of many biblical stories
in both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures.
He helped me, and others who followed his
example, to associate "myth" with "a story
holding deep, universal truth and meaning" 
if not "a story to be taken literally."

My preaching and teaching have been much
influenced, over the years, by Joseph Campbell 
and those more deeply grounded in the Biblical 
tradition like Walter Brueggemann and Marcus 
Borg. Bishop John Spong has helped me too.

I find that the advanced understanding of
global mythology helps me to better encounter
the scriptures of other faith traditions. I 
believe a mature approach to the meaning of
myth will contribute immensely to comparative
sacred scripture studies - whether it involve
the Jerusalem faiths or Eastern faith traditions.

All this points to a hopeful future as the
world's great religions seek to understand
each other better and as they try to build
peace on earth.

The book in question "Goddesses" has
had a controversial history, in terms of
subject matter. I avoid the subject when
it veers too strongly in New Age directions.

While Campbell was a pioneer in goddess
thinking, he cannot be blamed for the
way some of his disciples have used his
thought. Campbell must be read in his
own words and not be responsible for the 
teachings of many of his followers!

Indeed. we need to understand this subject
if we want to advance with a meaningful
awareness of the Bible and other sacred 
texts.

Here are the words of a profoundly
creative thinker who offered the world
much good spiritual meaning in his
teachings. We need to read him with
the growing experience of serious
scholarship over the past three decades
as a support. If he had lived longer
he well might have transformed much
of these writings into new books. At
least here we have his own words and
evolving insights on the subject.

Every so often, a human emerges to
change the way we approach and
interpret reality and truth. Joseph
Campbell was such a man. I am very
grateful that New World Library, with 
this new book, has continued to add
to their previous 13 titles in the series
"The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell."

Both women and men need to read
a book like this to help them better
understand the meaning of gender
and human relationships today.

___

Buy the Book from Amazon.ca: 
http://tinyurl.com/lm3yopk

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Personal Web Log
January 5th, 2014

"A Time for Stepping Forward Boldly"

http://tinyurl.com/jvpne22

--

RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX

Personal Website
January 5th, 2014

"On the Dangers of Defining Ourselves"

http://tinyurl.com/k46w9uf

*****

NET NOTES

A SORRY SPECTACLE
Rob Ford to Run Again

United Church Observer
by Christopher Levan
January, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/nxf8saw

--

FOUR WAY DIALOGUE DEEPENS
Anglicans and Lutherans in US/Canada

Anglican Journal
January 7th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/lsgy4fv

-- 

SIX IN TEN BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION
American Numbers Seem to be Growing

Pew Research
December 30th, 3014

http://tinyurl.com/oojt9kn

--

21 MOVIES TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2014
A Rich Variety of Film Offerings

The Atlantic Online
January 4th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/lsfmvt2

--

C of E OMITS 'SIN' AND 'DEVIL' FROM 'BAPTISM'
Words Viewed as Outdated and Meaningless

Daily Mail, UK
January 4th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/oyfsuuk


--

RISE AND SUDDEN FALL OF ATHEIST CHURCHES 
UK Experiments Encounter Normal Human Problems

CNN Belief Blog
January 4th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/lnf9jm7
 
--

LOYALTY AND FAITHFULNESS - THE DIFFERENCE
There is a Crucial Distinction Between the Two

Ucan News
Dec. 30, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/m2aov6l

--

NUMBER OF CHRISTIAN MARTYRS DOUBLES IN 2013
Death Toll Largest in Christian-Muslim Clashes

Reuters Faith News Service
January 9th, 2014 

http://tinyurl.com/lad7ptb

--

HOW MUSLIM COUNTRIES PREFER WOMEN TO DRESS
General View is that Head, not Face, be Covered

Pew Research
January 8th, 204

http://tinyurl.com/k23pk4a

-- 

FRANCIS APPEARS TO REVIVE LIBERATION THEOLOGY
South American is Holding Capitalism to Account

The Telegraph, UK
January 4th, 2014

http://tinyurl.com/k4ka8uo

 
*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK
Provided by Sojourners Online

"When our interior image of God and our 
exterior references to God are exclusively 
male and 'father,' we reinforce patriarchal 
constructions of the image of God that are 
based on a hierarchy that values men at 
the expense of women."

- Michelle A. Gonzalez 

--

"The Great Spirit is in all things, he is in the 
air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, 
but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us, 
that which we put into the ground she returns 
to us."

- Big Thunder (Bedagi) 

--

O look at all the fire-folk sitting in the air! 
Look at the stars! Look, look up at the skies!
The bright boroughs, the circle-citadels there! ...
These are indeed the barn; within doors house
The shocks. This piece-bright paling shuts the spouse
Christ home, Christ and his mother and all his hallows.

- Gerard Manley Hopkins 

--

"There's really no such thing as the 'voiceless.' 
There are only the deliberately silenced, or the 
preferably unheard."
 
- Arundhati Roy 

--

I am glad, brothers and sisters, that our church 
is persecuted precisely for its preferential option 
for the poor and for trying to become incarnate 
in the interest of the poor and for saying to all the 
people, to rulers, to the rich and powerful: unless 
you become poor, unless you have a concern for 
the poverty of our people as though they were 
your own family, you will not be able to save 
society.

- Oscar Romero

*****

ON THIS DAY
January 1st - 11th

Provided from the Archives of the New York Times

MEN WALK ON MOON
http://tinyurl.com/lo6plo

FIRST UN ASSEMBLY MEETS IN LONDON
http://tinyurl.com/aawe7td

GERMANY BEGINS DROPPING  
INCENDIARY BOMBS ON LONDON
http://tinyurl.com/cdu83yw 


***** 

CLOSING THOUGHT - Henri Nouwen: 

Jesus calls us to recognize that gladness and sadness 
are never separate, that joy and sorrow really belong 
together, and that mourning and dancing are part of 
the same movement. That is why Jesus calls us to be 
grateful for every moment that we have lived and to 
claim our unique journey as God’s way to mold our 
hearts to greater conformity with God’s own. The 
cross is the main symbol of our faith, and it invites 
us to find hope where we see pain and to reaffirm
the resurrection where we see death. The call to be 
grateful is a call to trust that every moment of our life 
can be claimed as the way of the cross that leads us
to new life

(end)

 

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