Changing our Minds Book Group
In 2024, the Changing Our Minds book group met online via Zoom to explore in in more depth some of the themes raised by the Changing Our Minds series of conversations with academics, theologians and indigenous thinkers from Northern America and Australia.
We discussed ‘Christian Animism’ by Shawn Sanford Beck and ‘The Powers that Be: a theology for a new millennium’ by Walter Wink.
Christian Animism, by Shawn Sanford Beck
We are thrilled that Shawn Sanford Beck will be facilitating the first two discussions. He launched the Changing our Minds series in March 2024, with a discussion of Christian Animism. He is the founder of the Ecumenical Companions of Sophia, an informal online community fostering Christian-Pagan dialogue and spiritual practice,who describe themselves as “a body of mutual support and encouragement, living as salt, light, and yeast in the midst of an ecocidal society.”
Christian animism is a challenging idea to some, but Shawn draws on his own lived-experience and reflects on how ‘being amongst Beings’ might help shift our perception about our place and relationship with the more-than-human Cosmos. You can read an extract from the book here .
“A truly green spirituality will engage us in the work of Earth-protection and Earth-healing, in many forms and venues. It is my hope that these reflections on Christian animism will make at least a small contribution to that larger work of which we are all a part.’’
Shawn Sanford-Beck
The Powers that be: a theology for a new millennium, by Walter Wink
We’re grateful to Revd. Simon Woodman, minister of Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church who led our conversations for 3 sessions. These were titled ‘The Powers’, Breaking the spiral of Violence and Prayer.
Wink was Professor of Biblical Interpretation in New York and a non-violent political activist. He is an inspiring figure in late 20th century progressive Christianity and has much to teach us today. Walter Wink’s books continue to be some of the most influential Christian writings on nonviolent resistance. Spirituality and Practice Review described his books as ‘trenchant theological works about evil, politics, and redemption in our world’. Wink suggests that a ‘Domination System’ holds us in thrall and that some of Jesus’ parables describe creative and even humorous ways to resist the ‘Powers’ without becoming corrupted by them. He shows how resistance can lead to transformation.
‘‘In his subversive proclamation of a new order in which domination would give way to compassion and communion, Jesus overturned the most rigidly upheld mores of his time’’
Walter Wink
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