Reignite

Hilarious in a scary way. Here's my philosophical musing to jusify including this on here, as I like to think of this blog as intellectual-like. A perfect example of postmoderism when she says "it's obviously a difference of opinion" when its not, it's maths and it's objectively either true or not true. This is one sense in which I'm not postmodern in believing in such a thing as verifiable truth, not everything can be boiled down to a difference of opinion. There see, clever.

One of my theological interests in the last few years has been developing an understanding of salvation that is useful for thinking about the purpose and mission of a Unitarian congregation. It has occured to me recently that one good way for us to think about salvation is to return to that age-old Unitarian word "freedom." I think Unitarians have always been striving for freedom. Firstly (for the first Unitarian pioneers) freedom to think for oneself and question inherited orthodoxy; secondly (after an established Unitarian community exists) political freedom for minority religions to live in the state free from oppression, persecution and discrimination; thirdly (within the mature Unitarian community) freedom for the individual to come to their own beliefs within a creedless community. All fine so far. However I think we often replace one set of chains with another. We become free from one thing and in the process bind ourselves in slavery to something else. Unitarians have...

I'm begininng to think we are in period of crisis for the trained Ministry in the Unitarian community in the UK. I'm not talking about the fact that many ministers are retiring, and there's not enough left to replace them (although that is a relevant consideration). What I'm talking about is a crisis of identity. Many professional Ministers seem quite concerned about "anti-clericalism" in the denomination and the blurring of lines between Ministers and the various forms of "lay" leadership. Whereas some Unitarians see it as undemocratic that Ministers get one vote at general assembly while congregations get one vote per 30 members, which leads some to calculate an algebra of 1 Minister = 30 lay people. This tension builds up to an outburst here and there in a way that disturbs me. A while ago I heard that the next Annual Meetings will have the theme of "Valuing Ministers" but I haven't heard anything about it recently. And I can't r...