URBLOG

How not to prevent violent extremism

Spooked: a report published  by the Institute of Race Relations finds that the government's Prevent programme for tackling extremism fosters division, mistrust and alienation.

"The atmosphere promoted by Prevent is one in which to make radical criticisms of the government is to risk losing funding and facing isolation as an 'extremist', while those organisations which support the government are rewarded. "

Urban Theology in Birmingham

Who is my Neighbour? Faith and Difference in the 21st century City.

Birmingham Urban Theology Forum on Wednesday 2nd December (2-4.30pm) at Elmfield House on the Selly Oak campus of the University of Birmingham.

Sajida Madni,garss-roots worker with Birmingham Citizens organisation
Laura Zahra McDonald,lecturer in the Sociology Department at Birmngham University
Chris Baker, William Temple Foundation and author of 'The Hybrid Church in the City'

Download Urban Theology Forum Dec09 FLYER

NEW BLOG ON FAITH AND URBAN LIFE

     Believe in the City

 

A contribution to the growing quest to find out what progressive faith means in the city in C21.

Ethics, Economics and Global Justice

In a lecture given in Cardiff, the Archbishop of Canterbury calls for patience and trust to be re-established in economic processes, and for governments to resist the lure of protectionism which prejudices the growth of developing economies.

"....we need to move away from a model of economics which simply assumes that it is essentially about the mechanics of generating money, and try to restore an acknowledgement of the role of trust as something which needs time to develop; and so also to move away from an idea of wealth or profit which imagines that they can be achieved without risk, and to return to the primitive capitalist idea, as sketched above, of risk-sharing as an essential element in the equitable securing of wealth for all."

A call for a new socialism

Rowan Williams is right to be concerned, but by building a fairer political community can we develop a just economy. Jon Cruddas and Jonathan Rutherford

General Synod to discuss recession and asylum

The February session of the Church of England's General Synod will include items on recession, asylum and trafficking. Agenda and papers below.

Agenda

Implications of the financial crisis and the recession

Human Trafficking (GS Misc 906A) and (GS Misc 906B)

Justice and Asylum Seekers (GS Misc 908A) and (GS Misc 908B)

Faith, Secularism and Public Policy

A Series of Seminars organised by the Manchester Centre for Public Theology

22nd January 2009: Faith, Secularism and Public Life 

24th  February 2009: Human Rights: Law, Freedom and Religious Identity 

19th March 2009: Political Economy, Faith and Finance 

20th May 2009: Faith Schools: Cohesion or Segregation?  

18th June 2009: Welfare, Faith and the New Social Contract

BABYLON COMES TO LONDON

BABYLON: Myth and Reality  

The British Museum is hosting a major exhibition exploring the significance of Babylon, in its original Mesopotamian context, and in the subsequent cultural imagination.

A telling reminder of our enduring captivity to myth  Madeleine Bunting

Observer review:

"...an exhibition in which archaeology dances expertly with myth. The reality of that Babylon (the material evidence revealed by excavation and above all the political and spiritual culture which emerged as scholars learned to read the cuneiform script) is confronted in every room with the other reality - the wild things that human imagination did to Babylon in the next two and a half millennia."

From Welfare State to Welfare Society – the contribution of faiths to happiness and wellbeing in a plural civil society.

The text of the lecture

Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the William Temple Foundation with a lecture  at St James's Piccadilly on November 5th 2008   The theme of the lecture is 'From Welfare State to Welfare Society - the contribution of faiths to happiness in wellbeing in a plural civil society'.Further information:temple@wtf.org.uk

 

William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury 1942-44

Battle of Ideas

A two-day festival of social, political and cultural discussion taking place in London, 1 & 2 November 2008. Tickets are on sale now.

 The Battle of Ideas is in its fourth year and is now a major fixture in London’s intellectual calendar. This year over 1500 expected attendees will attend 70 sessions with 300 speakers, as well as a number of festival attractions and exhibitions. 

This year’s strands examine four cutting-edge issues in:

The Battles for Prosperity, the Family, Biomedicine, and America.

 Other highlights include: Immigration – the more the scarier? / Stealing Picasso / From Fatwa to Jihad / Eco-imperialism? / Cricket – more than a game? / What is a city of literature? / CSI Mania / Credit crunch demystified / Scared of the Kids / Malthus’ return…

URBAN REPORT for LAMBETH CONFERENCE

The Anglican Urban Network lead an event for bishops attending the Lambeth Conference last Friday. Discussion emphasised the need to keep the urban challenges of the next decade firmly on the agenda of the conference.

Download newscolour.pdf