Clarion: Journal of Spirituality and Justice

On the social and moral problems of youth in the 21st century -- by Archbishop Lazar Puhalo

INVITED PAPER FOR CONFERENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY, MAGNITOGORSK, RUSSIA.

Doubtless several aspects of the social and moral crises among young people will be discussed at this conference, so I will focus on only one aspect of it.

It is difficult to say whether Communism or Consumerism has had the more negative impact upon the aspirations of the natural youthful idealism. Consumerism is, however, the system with the greatest world-wide impact, and its effect on young people needs to be explored.

In general, young people are gifted with a natural tendency toward idealism, but at the same time, they are quite vulnerable to contrary influences. Part of this vulnerability stems from the high level of hormonal activity in their growing bodily systems, and also from the fact that mylenisation in the pre-frontal and frontal lobes of the brain is not completed until the early twenties. These facts, however, only create the possibility of social and moral disorientation. The ethos created by Consumerism (Consumer Capitalism) both takes advantage of, and feeds, all human susceptibilities and vulnerabilities. It is this aspect of the social and moral problems of modern youth that we will briefly examine.

Bob Ekblad's 'A New Christian Manifesto' - Review by Brad Jersak

Bob Ekblad, A New Christian Manifesto: Pledging Allegiance to the Kingdom of God, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008.

Review by Brad Jersak

After my first encounters with the theo-praxis of Bob Ekblad, recounted so vividly in his previous work, Reading the Bible with the Damned, I could only wait impatiently for the arrival of his New Christian Manifesto. I was not disappointed.

In this work, Ekblad demonstrates his acumen as a master bridge-builder and integrator. Specifically, he bridges the best of world-class biblical theology and front line pastoral practice. He integrates the social prophetic world of liberation theology with the charismatic prophetic world of the modern renewal movement. Text meets testimony, mind meets heart and authentic prayer finds its way into the world of the poor, the immigrant, the gangster and the prisoner. In short, Bob brings the good news of the Kingdom of God, preaching a decentering word to the powers (a la Brueggemann), and inviting those on the margins to the banqueting table of God.

Religion - according to Heschel

Religion begins with a consciousness that something is asked of us.  Religion consists of God's question and man's answer.  Religion is not what man does with his solitariness.  Religion is what man does with the presence of God.  Irreligion is not opiate but poison.  Our energies are too abundant to live indifferently.  We are in need of an endless purpose to absorb our immense power.  We are either the ministers of the sacred or slaves of evil.

Little does contemporary religion ask of man.  Religion has become institution, dogma, ritual.  It is no longer an event.  It's acceptance involves neither risk or strain.  Religion has achieved respectability by the grace of society.

Beyond Cynicism: the Renewal of Prophetic Purity - by Brad Jersak and Peter Helms

Intro:

As the apostolic / prophetic movement has become increasingly bizarre, many who were told to simply bless everything are now deeply disillusioned. In these days when renewal meetings, alleged outpourings and flamboyant leaders have reached a point of crisis, it is tempting to throw up our hands, become cynical and opt to retreat to a safer, saner spirituality. And yet we know in our hearts that we can't go back to a Christian faith without the presence, power and voice of God. Neither dead orthodoxy nor practical deism can provide a harbour for us. Some are simply walking away from the faith altogether. Is that really our only option? How do we stay open to the Spirit? How do we restore prophetic purity? How can we continue to engage in authentic experiences with God without becoming wacky? What if we were to recalibrate our faith practice and renew prophetic purity?

Eagle River/Anchorage and Thomas Merton: Forty Years After (1968-2008) by Ron Dart

Merton grew and developed over the years, in an interior sense, more deeply than anyone I know, and came to be recognized as the leading mystical writer in the English-speaking world.  Robert Giroux 

I

September 18/Eagle River

Alaska-the Convent of the Precious Blood-surrounded by woods, with a highway (too) near. The woods of Alaska-marvelous-deep in wet grass, fern, rotten fallen trees, big leaved thorn scrub, yellowing birch, stunted fir, aspens. Thick. Humid. Lush. Smelling of life & of rot. Rich Undergrowth, full of mosses, berries-& probably (in other seasons) flowers. The air is now here cool and sharp as late November in the “outside” (ie. “the States”) (“lower 48”).

Thomas Merton (p.10)  

Jesus inside Guatamala's Violent Gangs -- by Bob Ekblad

A week ago Sunday I returned from four intense days in Guatemala City working with "Estrategia de Transformacion," an initiative that supports, encourages and trains a group of ex-gang members and committed pastors engaged in transformational work with active gang members. I also visited a former Tierra Nueva colleague who now works in a project to exhume, identify and photograph the remains of indigenous people massacred by the military in the 1980s.

The trip was a home-coming of sorts as Guatemala was the place God called me to work with the poor and where I’d called Gracie asking her to marry me during some of the worst violence of a civil war in 1980.