Zadok Catalogue 2008

Society, Culture and Religion

Reading Australian Theology and Culture.
Darren Cronshaw
Zadok Paper S160, Autumn 2008
In this paper, Darren Cronshaw contends that contemporary literature which explores Australian culture and identity contributes to a conversation with Australian theology. Rather than merely borrowing illustrations or 'ocker' language, the quest is to learn from the Australian literature and its commentary on Australian myths. Darren advocates a contextual, anthropological and conversational approach to Australian theology and outlines some of the Australian theology and cultural analysis of the last half-century.

Breaking the wrong spell: how Daniel Bennett has missed the problem with religion.
Charlie Huenemann
Zadok Paper S158, Summer 2007
The author is on 'friendly' terms with religion, but stops short of identifying as a believer. In this paper, he engages with Daniel Dennett's book "Breaking the Spell" which aims to provide an evolutionary account of religion. Huenemann sees Dennett as responding to some of the worrying implications of American religious fundamentalism. He identifies three groups of believers that Dennett is addressing firstly the real fundamentalists, who Huenemann says won't be interested; secondly, a shrinking group who believe in God but are also open to scientific explanations of the world; and thirdly the group who see no competition because they see science as explaining the natural world, while religion is about the spiritual significance of human experience. Huenemann argues for the last of these, but ends by asking whether we really need religion in order to maintain our values. He wants people to ask the hard questions, as 'the refusal to think is not doing anyone any good."

Does the world have a future? Gordon Preece interviews Tom Wright and Paul Davies.
Darren Cronshaw
Zadok Paper S157, Summer 2007
Tom (N.T.) Wright, an eminent New Testament scholar, and Paul Davies, an internationally acclaimed physicist and cosmologist are asked "Does the world have a future? and each gives a five-minute speech in reply. Wright's starting point is the death and resurrection of Christ, which he calls a paradigmatic moment in history, while Davies begins with his curiosity in his teens about the big questions. This led him to become a theoretical physicist, now working in areas that overlap with religion and philosophy. Gordon Preece then interviews Davies and Wright covering topics such as the credibility of the Christian world view, the relationship between history and science, Donald Dennett's latest book on religion, whether religion has a future, the problem of evil, genetic engineering and the associated ethical dilemmas, environmental and other threats to life on earth, and scientific predictions about the far future.

Longing for a better country: Christianity and the vocation of social change.
Jonathan Cornford
Zadok Paper S154, Winter 2007
Cornford describes this paper as "an attempt to grapple with some of the peculiar difficulties of living as a Chistian in these times", and takes as his starting point the question "What is the responsibility of Christians in relation to the world of society and politics around us?" He sets out to say something not just to "those quarters of the church that have long privatised the faith" but more sepecially to Christians involved in social activism, in whom he often detects a loss of confidence, direction, and those in the face of enormous change in the world and in the church (which no longer has the influence over the state that it had). Cornford speaks of a serious loss of the understanding of the nature of Christian hope.

Jesus in Australia: some reflections on Peter Jensen's 2005 Boyer lectures.
Ian Barns
Zadok Perspectives 93, Summer 2006
It is vital that the relationship between Christian faith and a culture of secular freedom be opened up by moderate public Chirstians such as Jensen if we are to avoid the kinds of polarising culture wars that disfigure US public life.

Don't circumcise the Gentiles!
Matthew Stone
Zadok Perspectives 89, Summer 2005
A significant proportion of the New Testament is devoted to this question: Can cultural diversity and Christian unity be reconciled?

Dialogue with the Jesus movement.
Brian McLaren speaks to Mick Pope
Zadok Perspectives 89, Summer 2005
If we hope that post-modernity will go away, we may not realise that we've already become captivated by modernity. What do we hope will happen in its place? More modernity? More commercialism? More nuclear weapons? More cold or hot wars? More colonialism and racism?

Religion and politics in Australia: reviving the connection.
By Peter Corney
Zadok Perspectives 88, Spring 2005
Larger forces, events and ideas, both beyond and within Australia, are pushing religion and politics back together.

Jesus Dude Superstar
Steve McAlpine
Zadok Perspectives 85, Summer 2004
Is Jesus content to settle for 'dudedom' and, by extension allow us to settle for it as well?

No place for Utopia?
Sally Cloke
Zadok Perspectives 84, Spring 2004
If William Blake sang today about building Jerusalem in anyone's green and pleasant land they'd see him off with a shotgun. Contemporary Jerusalem is no sane person's utopia - decades of conflict have made it a symbol of violence - abd latterly division. Governments that exclude all those who do not fit inside their white picket fences and churches that refuse to widen the walls of their utopia should be careful lest this is what they are building too.

Clash of Civilisations?
Gordon Preece
Zadok Perspectives 82, Autumn 2004
Respect for difference is based not on a thin liberal tolerance, or relativisim, but on covenant

The Idol of Empire.
James Wellman
Zadok Perspectives 82, Autumn 2004
It is time to step back and examine the theological assumptions behind the George Bush vision of the campaign against terror - that survival depends upon military strength, and more than that, the ability to preemnt violence against us. Our Western religious traditions attack the very heart of this message: to value survival over every other value, to make it one's core priority, is to create an idol.

Today the headscarf, tomorrow the cross.
Mark Greene
Zadok Perspectives 82, Autumn 2004
President Chirac's proposal to ban the wearing of Muslim headscarves and other religious symbols in French schools and other public institutions is a blatant, arrogant and insensitive act of religious persecution. It reveals the intolerance and paranoia at the heart of secularism.

God's and Their Kingdoms.
Paul Mitchell
Zadok Perspectives 77, Summer 2002
We will all be cultures for 15 minutes – or longer. Paul Mitchell reflects of western society's move from a culture of the individual to the individual as culture.

The Silver Anniversary of Punk.
Tim Corney
Zadok Perspectives 76, Spring 2002
The church needs to realize that commodification, the propensity of the market to place a dollar value on everything, is one of the greatest dangers to its gospel struggle.

Black-Skinned Storm Troopers: Muhammad Ali and the Revolt of the Black Athlete.
Bill Stewart
Zadok Paper S120B, Spring 2002
Noting the prophetic spectacles (provocative symbolic actions) performed by prophetic figures in the ancient Near East including Jesus, the author argues that neglect of such action may be attributed to the ‘anti-body’ tradition in Western religious and philosophical traditions. He asks what such prophetic action might look like in the postmodern world The paper attempts to answer this question by narrating a series of analogous acts from the later 20th century which the author considers echo the style and content of the ancient prophetic actions. The author also argues for a reconsideration of the relevant of such action in an increasingly visual ‘society of the spectacle’ where saturation in new forms of media is considered by some to the separating the link between emotion and action.

Crown of Thorns, Half Naked, Tits: Rachel Griffiths' Lady Godiva / Naked Girl Christ.
Bill Stewart
Zadok Paper S120A, Winter 2002
Noting the prophetic spectacles (provocative symbolic actions) performed by prophetic figures in the ancient Near East including Jesus, the author argues that neglect of such action may be attributed to the ‘anti-body’ tradition in Western religious and philosophical traditions. He asks what such prophetic action might look like in the postmodern world. The paper attempts to answer this question by narrating a series of analogous acts from the later 20th century which the author considers echo the style and content of the ancient prophetic actions. The author also argues for a reconsideration of the relevant of such action in an increasingly visual ‘society of the spectacle’ where saturation in new forms of media is considered by some to the separating the link between emotion and action.

Have Faith in Irony.
M Christian Green
Zadok Perspectives 74, Autumn 2002
Shortly after September 11, irony was pronounced dead by the editor of Vanity Fair. However, rumours of the death of irony may be exaggerated.

Tim Winton's Holy Lands: an interview.
Jennifer Sinclair
Zadok Perspectives 74, Autumn 2002
Tim Winton is one of Australia’s most popular and acclaimed authors. In this interview, he discusses the ways in which religious and other influences inform his work.

Discerning the Presence of Christ at the Centre of Culture.
Julian Jenkins
Zadok Perspectives 71, Winter 2001
How many powerful opportunities to crack open a seed of spiritual truth are lost because we attack secular culture with a sledge-hammer, rather than sifting through it carefully to find the latent fruitful spiritual resources?

Reclaiming the Marketplace: an Interview with Ched Myers.
Zadok Perspectives 69, Summer 2000
American social activist and theologian Ched Myers raises question about the future of radical faith-based protest movements. He critiques global economics and explores the dynamics of new protest movements like S11. He recounts the impact of the 1960s and 70s protest movements on his Christian faith, and gives a frank critique of Jubilee 2000 and encourages people of faith to engage in the spiritual discipline of civil disobedience.

Resisting the Privatisation of Faith in Theological Education.
Robert Banks
Zadok Paper S110, Summer 2000
Robert Banks has made it the focus of his life and teaching to counter the assumptions of the modern sacred-secular divide, with the aim of both practicing and providing the resources for the creation of an integrated Christian lifestyle. The focus of this paper is upon Bank’s biblical / theological resources for resisting the privatisation of faith in the area of theological education. It examines the history of the theory-practice split in Western academic theology, Segundo’s proposed alternative to the Western model, Banks’ interaction with and extension of this influential source, and concludes with some critical intersection with his proposals.

Encountering Jesus in Disneyland.
David Lyon
Zadok Perspectives 67, Winter 2000
Disneyland is used as a metaphor for postmodern times and a lens through which to consider faith and commitment in the context of consumerism and communication technologies.

Tendering unto Caesar: Issues of Social Justice and the Responsibility of the Christian Community.
Robert Fitzgerald
Zadok Perspectives 67, Winter 2000
In giving unto Caesar it is conditional upon Caesar operating within a just, ethical framework.

How do you Post to Postmodernity? Christian Education and Communication in a Post or Hyper-Modern Age.
Gordon Preece
Zadok Paper S107, Winter 2000
This paper explores the social, moral and educational implications of the nature of post or hyper-modernity as the speeding up and fragmenting of modern industrial and technological processes and the turnover of capital in information, service and image-based societies. These lead to a breaking up of society into a bewildering variety of identity and interest groups, with their own lifestyles and values. A sense of total flux and relativism often results. Post-modernity’s rejection of all master narratives as dividing people into masters and slaves leaves us ‘free’ but with no sense of an over-arching story or meaning to direct our freedom. This paper argues that there is an appropriately modest yet confident Christian ‘master narrative without masters’ which enables us to still speak of moving towards truth, without using it as a truncheon to reinforce our own power over others.

Ethnic Cleansing and the Theology of Land.
Ray Barraclough
Zadok Perspectives 66, Autumn 2000
Have religion, nationalism and genocide shared a too cosy alliance in recent conflicts?

A Tale of Two Prophets: Tim Costello & Dave Andrews
Zadok Perspectives 66, Autumn 2000
Prophecy is a term often over-used in church social justice circles. Neither Tim Costello or Dave Andrews fit neatly into any pigeonhole, however, both men call for change in the church and in society to an extent. Tim describes his approach to speaking to those in power in society. Dave Andrews calls for Christians to move from a perspective that defines faith in terms of boundaries of belief and behaviour to faith centred on Christ.

The Abuse of Consumerism.
Dave Collis
Zadok Paper S101, Winter 1999
This paper was borne out of the question the author, Dave Collis, faced while working in an inner city soup van: "How can otherwise loving and compassionate people simply walk past cold and hungry people?" This question led Dave away from an analysis of poverty and into the heart of consumerism, a culture which systematically predisposed people toward a restricted horizon of compassion through a kind of psychic confusion or fatigue. Drawing from narrative theory, his paper seeks to link the fragmented machinations of consumerism to the fragmented poverty of identity which characterizes the consumer.

A Manne for All Seasons: Daniel Batt interviews Robert Manne.
Zadok Perspectives 62, Spring / Summer 1998/1999.
Since Manne left the conservative journal Quadrant in a blaze of controversy, his cultural comments seemed to have gained a breadth of respect his Quadrant days seemed to prevent.

The Rise of the Relativists: What is Beyond the Left/Right Divide on Values?
Valerie Braithwaite
Zadok Perspectives 62, Spring / Summer 1998/1999
The reason for so much despondency at the moment is that the moral relativists have really captured the discourse.

Social Capital and Religious Faith.
Philip Hughes, John Bellamy and Alan Black
Zadok Paper S97, Spring / Summer 1998/1999
What are some of those “things” people refer to that “aren’t like they used to be”? A perceived rise in the level of crime, 'young people' not being as 'committed' as they used to be and an apparent breakdown in the neighbourhood community form part of the proverbial notion of these "things". That these sentiments in some sense refer to that ubiquitous neologism social capital allows the perception of the decline in social trust to be analysed and, say the authors, also enables us to examine what correlation there is to that more measurable social decline – that of church attendance.

Nietzsche: Insight and Immorality.
Greg Restall
Zadok Paper S94, Autumn 1998
Twentieth Century philosophy and culture is profoundly indebted to the writings of Friederich Nietzche. His influence on poets and novelists such as Rilke, Yeats, Shaw, Hesse, Gide and Malraux has been much commented upon, as has his effect on the philosophy of Camus, Sartre, Spengler and Tillich. Recent critical theorists such as Roland Barthes, Gilles Deleuze, Julia Kristeva, Paul de Man, Michel Foucault and Jacques Lacan are incalculably indebted to him. Greg Restall, however, focuses on Nietzsche's notorious criticisms of Christianity, found particularly in The Antichrist, and asks what a genuine Christian engagement with his thought might be, and whether we have the courage to apply Nietzsche's critique to ourselves.

Princess Di: Super Saviour.
Paul Mitchell
Zadok Perspectives 59, Summer 1998
Apparently there is a small species of crustaceans on the east coast of Africa that do not know that Princess Diana died in September this year. A communications company is knocking on their shell at this moment, encouraging them to hook up to cable. This article takes a brief tour of the phenomenon that was, and will continue to be, Lady Diana, the former Princess of Wales.

The Republic of God is a Great Outdoor Restaurant.
Gordon Preece
Zadok Paper S91, Summer 1998
As we approach a constitutional convention in 1998, it is important that we set notions of a republic in the context of fundamental questions about the nature of a good society. This paper seeks to do so by tying together two key themes of Zadok’s history, public theology, and theology of everyday life, summed up respectively by the republic and restaurants parts of the title. In doing so it sets the republican debate in the context of Jesus’ preaching and embodying of the kingdom of God, and Augustine’s alternative vision of the City of God. Rather than taking over ready made notions of a republic or of social justice, we need to critique the very roots of republican thought as Augustine does and demonstrate the reality of Christian hospitality as an alternative to a society that views all others as strangers.

Un-equal worlds.
Various authors
Canberra /Melbourne : Zadok / Tear Australia, 1997?
24 page booklet Edited by Digby Hannah and Steve Bradbury
A collections of articles on inequality: the biblical perspective, Economists’ views on inequality and social justice, an aboriginal perspective, a response to global issues of justice, gender inequality, and an interview with C B Samuel.

Understanding world view for effective Christian ministry
Graham Buxton
Zadok Paper S84, Spring 1996
The author articulates the need for a critical dialogue between gospel and context in the practice of Christian ministry through the concept of world view. Specifically, those who are engaged in ministry on behalf of Christ in the world are challenged to explore how other people perceive reality. The concept of world view is briefly surveyed through the lenses of philosophy, theology, history and culture, offering the possibility of a rich and creative engagement between gospel and culture. Throughout the paper the author makes an impassioned plea for Christian ministry that is both faithful to the gospel and relevant to the unique context in which it takes place. The benefits of integrating world view and ministry are clearly spelled out in terms of greater pastoral sensitivity, more authentic incarnational ministry and, not least of all, growth in personal self-awareness.

Postmodernism and Christianity: a reading
Lyn McCredden
Zadok Perspectives 50, October 1995
A short discussion of postmodernism and Christianity from a literary perspective.

Christian Faith in a Postmodern Age
Philip Hughes
Zadok Paper S74, July 1995
This paper contrasts the ways in which those over 50 years and those under 40 tend to view the world. These quite different world-views derive in part from the very different life experiences of the two age-groups. Hughes compares these world-views, traces how the differences have emerged and explores the implications for the beliefs and shape of the church in our post-modern world. Individual feelings and experiences have assumed greater significance at the expense of the traditional regard for corporate beliefs and institutions. These cultural changes are reflected in expressions of faith and worship which are characterised by the charismatic and meditative movements, and by a supermarket approach to church attendance. The paper provides many challenges, as well as food for thought, for all those concerned to find an authentic expression of the gospel for our own times.

Fundamentalism, Modernity and Postmodernity
Winifred Wing Han Lamb
Zadok Paper S73, March 1995
This paper examines the epistemology of Protestant fundamentalism and advances the thesis that it was unduly influenced by its opponent and by its own oppositional agenda. The effect is the adoption of an epistemology which is in marked ways modern and which in important ways departs from orthodoxy. Common features between modern thought and Protestant fundamentalism are traced and a common metaphysical load is located. The paper then raises the question of what theology would look like without the epistemological certainties of modern thought. The suggestion is advanced that there are resources within orthodoxy to direct an alternative epistemology that meet the challenge of our postmodern condition.

A Tribute to Jacques Ellul
Richard Donnelly
Zadok Perspectives 47, December 1994
Jacques Ellul, sociologist, historian, lawyer and theologian, died on 19 May 1994. Ellul's writings on the relationship between Christian faith and the modern world have been profound, and have greatly influenced the Zadok community. Here Richard Donnelly reflects upon Ellul's life, his work and his ideas.

Towards a Vision of the Common Good
Various authors
Zadok Perspectives 43, January 1994
What are the values which we would choose in fashioning a future Australian society committed to the common good? Articles seeking to answer this question include: Common wealth and common grace, What good should we have in common? Common good: naming what we value, Discerning and achieving the common good, Marketing and the gospel: do they mix?

What is dawning with the New Age?
Various authors
Zadok Perspectives 46, September 1994
This issue of Perspectives explores the ideas, emphases and effects of the New Age movement, with articles including: The New Age: editorial, New Age trauma: the unhappy consequences of one family's encounter with the New Age, The New Age: why be so disturbed? The New Age: an opportunity to learn, Let's get physical: on keeping body and soul together.

New Age: a christian response to a serious challenge
John Harris
Zadok Paper S50, December 1990
John Harris explains what new age thinking is, considers it from a biblical perspective, and discusses the challenge this presents to the church to demonstrate the values of the Kingdom of God. Harris identifies the ancient and modern roots of New Age theology. He provides some interesting insights into the motivations and interests of New Age practitioners.

Christianity and Multiculturalism in Australia
Bruce N. Kaye
Zadok Paper S42, 1989
Multiculturalism in Australia is closely related to the question of religious pluralism. This paper examines what religion is in the Australian constitution, and discusses what a Christian attitude should be towards co-existence with people of other religious traditions.

What's Right about the 'New Religious Right'?
John Williams
Zadok Paper T31, 1988
The emergence of the so-called new religious right is a very important phenomenon in late 20th century western Christianity. It was most evident at first in the USA, but is now a significant move in Australia. Williams' paper makes an important contribution to our understanding of both its desirable and undesirable features.

Gospel and Culture: the Christian challenge at the end of the second millenium
John Harris
Zadok Paper S32, 1987
Christians face the challenge of living an unchanging gospel in changing cultures. This paper deals with culture from a biblical and anthropological perspective and looks at some of the forces which shape western culture.

Islam
David Penman
Zadok Paper R13, 1983
A must for anyone interested in understanding Islam and its new vitality.

The Critical Vision: an introduction to and reading guide on Christian social perspectives
Doug Hynd
Zadok Paper R19, 1982
A comprehensive bibliography on Christian approaches to social issues, together with an introduction to the development of a Christian world view.

Christian Missions
David Penman
Zadok Paper R14, 1979
A survey on the mass of literature on Christian missions.

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