Alex Chow wrote a great read about a Christian’s role in society that I thought was an apt follow on from Barry’s message this Sunday.
Last week, I attended a two-day conference at Birmingham University in honour of the philosopher John Hick. If you are not familiar with the man, he considers himself a liberal Christian and claims that “the different religions, with all their manifest differences and undeniable incompatibilities of belief, can be on an equal level as different complexes of belief and practice within which their adherents can find salvation.”[1] In other words, Jesus is not the only way — people can reach salvation through other means. On the first day of the conference, scholars from around the world discussed the philosophy of this man, most in great admiration. To begin the second and last day, Hick himself began a session by asking the delegates to discuss the question of social concern. In the 1970s, when he first came to Birmingham, he was an activist who brought together people of all faiths to resolve the prevalent racial tensions of his day. It is perhaps in this context that the man’s personal theology moved from an “evangelical” conviction to where he is now.
Head over to his site to have a read.
In other news, I’ve added a new Resources section to the blog. This will become the default repository for all the Bible studies, sermon slides, handouts, and booklets that we produce here at the BCEC. I try and write a Bible study each week from the passage or topic we looked at one Sunday.
The sermons and worship sets are still available on the Sunday Messages page.