No more blogging about pirates for me! Back to a topic intertwined deeply with my local church context and research studies... Global Connections are organising a day conference entitled "Should Britain be a Christian Country?" The worrying growth of far-right groups, scape-goating the Muslim community in particular, suggests that the church needs to get its head around culture, diversity and values. It is troubling for me that some of the extremist groups that have hit the headlines in recent weeks are using language that i hear all too frequently in church circles, (I'm getting to the stage that when someone invokes Winston Churchill and Chamberlain as the two choices available to British responses to Islam then major alarm bells are set off!). Global Connections have Dr Philip Lewis and Dr Stuart Murray-Williams speaking on the topic. I can highly recommend them both. Philip is a lecturer at the Peace Studies Centre at Bradford University, adviser on interfaith matters to the Bishop of Bradford and writer of the recently published, "Young, British and Muslim" (a superb analysis of the challenges facing young British Muslims today). Stuart is a great thinker but also committed practitioner of urban mission, coming from the Anabaptist tradition.
Monday October 5th 10.30am-3.30pm, CMS Head Office, Watlington Road, OXFORD OX4 6BZ
Cost: £20 Members and concessions, £30 Non-Members
Please bring your own lunch or purchase at the CMS cafe
If you went some substantial reflections on what it might mean to be faithfully Christian in a multifaith Britain, book now here.
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