- Priests & People

February 2003

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Partners in power

The Assistant Editor

Bishop Vincent Malone

Vincent Malone is the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Liverpool and Episcopal Liaison Officer of the National Board of Catholic Women. Here he outlines the process of dialogue which has been undertaken with the NBCW and suggests ways in which women can serve officially in the Church. He endorses the invitation to women made by the bishops of England and Wales: You must not be excluded from the process of pastoral planning and decision-making.

Click here to read this article

Women and the call to power

Clare Watkins

Clare Watkins is Vice Principal of the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, in Cambridge. Here she reflects on how her teaching, study and prayer there enriched her own pastoral and theological experience, and suggests a renewal of understanding of power in and for the Churchs mission. Power may simply be a desire to make a difference . . . to change things, which, she suggests, is part of the general call to be loving, self-transcending human beings.

Rethinking power

Anna Rowlands

Anna Rowlands lives in North Wales with her husband, who is an Anglican priest, and their young son. She has experience in lay chaplaincy in special needs and mainstream education and is currently doing a PhD in theology at the University of Manchester. Here she reflects on the position of the powerless as being less on the margins of the Christian Church as constituting its Broken Middle.

The mystery of the lay vocation

Christine Fletcher

The crime novelist Dorothy L. Sayers, has much to say to us about the meaning of the lay Christians vocation being realised through secular work. That writers theology of work is the subject of doctoral studies being undertaken through the Cambridge Theological Federation by Christine Fletcher, an American living in England. Here she shows how Sayers vision of the secular worker as artist can liberate and empower men and women today.

Women religious and governance

Gemma Simmonds

Gemma Simmonds is a member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and frequent contributor to Priests & Peoples Postscript. Here she gives an account of the contribution of women religious to the Church in the past and, rather less visibly, today. That contribution has not always been appreciated by those in authority and Nothing makes bolder and more brave reading than the life of many of the women founders of religious congregations.

Preaching and teaching the Word

Geoffrey Turner

Geoffrey Turner teaches New Testament at Trinity and All Saints College in the University of Leeds, where he is also Head of Theology. Here he offers some reflections on the lectionary readings for March which include those for the beginning of Lent.

Pastoralia - Helping the mentally troubled

Anne Roberts

How do people cope with mental health problems? Religious and spiritual beliefs are important to many of those stressed, mentally and emotionally, as the recent Somerset Spirituality Project has found. Anne Roberts has been working with the Mental Health Foundations Strategies for Living Programme, of which the Somerset project was one initiative, and suggests some of the ways in which church workers can provide the necessary support.

Books

REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON

The Face of Old Testament Studies: a survey of contemporary approaches
edited by D.W. Baker and B.T. Arnold
Apollos, £27.99
Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974

REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON

Text in Context: essays by members of the Society for Old Testament Study
ed. by A.H.D. Mayes
Oxford University Press, £65
Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974

REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON

Ichabod Toward Home: the journey of Gods glory
Walter Brueggemann
Eerdmans, £10.99
Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974

REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON

Character and Ideology in the Book of Esther. Second Edition with Postscript
Michael V. Fox
Eerdmans, £18.99
Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974

REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON

Song of Songs (NICOT)
by Tremper Longman III
Eerdmans, £24.99
Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974

REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON

The Psalms in Daily Life
John Rogerson
SPCK, £8.99
Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974


February 2003


CONTENTS February 2003 Click here to buy this Issue Partners in power The Assistant Editor Women after dialogue Bishop Vincent Malone Vincent Malone is the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Liverpool and Episcopal Liaison Officer of the National Board of Catholic Women. Here he outlines the process of dialogue which has been undertaken with the NBCW and suggests ways in which women can serve officially in the Church. He endorses the invitation to women made by the bishops of England and Wales: You must not be excluded from the process of pastoral planning and decision-making. Click here to read this article Women and the call to power Clare Watkins Clare Watkins is Vice Principal of the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, in Cambridge. Here she reflects on how her teaching, study and prayer there enriched her own pastoral and theological experience, and suggests a renewal of understanding of power in and for the Churchs mission. Power may simply be a desire to make a difference . . . to change things, which, she suggests, is part of the general call to be loving, self-transcending human beings. Rethinking power Anna Rowlands Anna Rowlands lives in North Wales with her husband, who is an Anglican priest, and their young son. She has experience in lay chaplaincy in special needs and mainstream education and is currently doing a PhD in theology at the University of Manchester. Here she reflects on the position of the powerless as being less on the margins of the Christian Church as constituting its Broken Middle. The mystery of the lay vocation Christine Fletcher The crime novelist Dorothy L. Sayers, has much to say to us about the meaning of the lay Christians vocation being realised through secular work. That writers theology of work is the subject of doctoral studies being undertaken through the Cambridge Theological Federation by Christine Fletcher, an American living in England. Here she shows how Sayers vision of the secular worker as artist can liberate and empower men and women today. Women religious and governance Gemma Simmonds Gemma Simmonds is a member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and frequent contributor to Priests & Peoples Postscript. Here she gives an account of the contribution of women religious to the Church in the past and, rather less visibly, today. That contribution has not always been appreciated by those in authority and Nothing makes bolder and more brave reading than the life of many of the women founders of religious congregations. Preaching and teaching the Word Geoffrey Turner Geoffrey Turner teaches New Testament at Trinity and All Saints College in the University of Leeds, where he is also Head of Theology. Here he offers some reflections on the lectionary readings for March which include those for the beginning of Lent. Pastoralia - Helping the mentally troubled Anne Roberts How do people cope with mental health problems? Religious and spiritual beliefs are important to many of those stressed, mentally and emotionally, as the recent Somerset Spirituality Project has found. Anne Roberts has been working with the Mental Health Foundations Strategies for Living Programme, of which the Somerset project was one initiative, and suggests some of the ways in which church workers can provide the necessary support. Books REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON The Face of Old Testament Studies: a survey of contemporary approaches edited by D.W. Baker and B.T. Arnold Apollos, £27.99 Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974 REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON Text in Context: essays by members of the Society for Old Testament Study ed. by A.H.D. Mayes Oxford University Press, £65 Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974 REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON Ichabod Toward Home: the journey of Gods glory Walter Brueggemann Eerdmans, £10.99 Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974 REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON Character and Ideology in the Book of Esther. Second Edition with Postscript Michael V. Fox Eerdmans, £18.99 Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974 REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON Song of Songs (NICOT) by Tremper Longman III Eerdmans, £24.99 Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974 REVIEWED BY BERNARD ROBINSON The Psalms in Daily Life John Rogerson SPCK, £8.99 Tablet Bookshop Price: £ Tel: 01420 592 974

CONTENTS

February 2003

Books