PEACEtalks

In this lecture, David Clough makes the case that Christians have strong faith-based reasons for urgent changes in their practice towards animals, particularly with respect to the ways they are now raised for food. He begins by arguing that despite the many important pressing questions of social justice and environmental responsibility, animal ethics is worth our time both because it is urgent and because it intersects with these other areas of ethical concern. He next provides an outline of where animals figure in Christian understandings of God’s work in creation, reconciliation, and redemption, showing that Christians have faith-based reasons for being concerned for the flourishing of fellow animal creatures. In the third section of the lecture, he provides a survey of how animals are currently being raised for food, which leads to the conclusion that there is a scandalous abyss between a Christian understanding of animals and our current practice in using them for food. In the final part of the lecture, he identifies two clear practical responses to the challenge of this abyss: to reduce overall consumption of animal products and move to higher welfare sourcing. He invites individuals, churches, and other Christian organizations to take action in relation to both goals, and offers resources to guide and support such action.

David Clough is Professor of Theological Ethics at the University of Chester and has just finished a term as President of the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics. He co-wrote Faith and Force: A Christian Debate about War (2007), debating just war and pacifism in a 21st century context, and has recently completed the landmark two-volume monograph On Animals (2012, 2018), on the place of animals in Christian theology and ethics. He is the founder of CreatureKind (http://becreaturekind.org), a project aiming to engage Christians with farmed animal welfare, and Principal Investigator for a three-year UK Research Council funded project on the Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare in partnership with major UK churches and Compassion in World Farming. He is a Methodist lay preacher and has represented the Methodist Church on national ecumenical working groups on the ethics of warfare and climate change.

PEACEtalks is a monthly event (held on a Thursday or Saturday evening) hosted by Paddington Anglican Church aimed at serving the community by promoting and cultivating deep conversations about life, the world and everything. 'PEACE' stands for 'political, ethical, artistic & cultural engagement'. As such, our events seek to take all of these areas of our shared humanity seriously in a world where such things are often marginalized. We also seek to demonstrate the ways in which spiritual and theological reflection enable us to look at all of these important areas afresh. All welcome! More info - https://paddington.church/peacetalks 

In this lecture, David Clough makes the case that Christians have strong faith-based reasons for urgent changes in their practice towards animals, particularly with respect to the ways they are now raised for food. He begins by arguing that despite the many important pressing questions of social justice and environmental responsibility, animal ethics is worth our time both because it is urgent and because it intersects with these other areas of ethical concern. He next provides an outline of where animals figure in Christian understandings of God’s work in creation, reconciliation, and redemption, showing that Christians have faith-based reasons for being concerned for the flourishing of fellow animal creatures. In the third section of the lecture, he provides a survey of how animals are currently being raised for food, which leads to the conclusion that there is a scandalous abyss between a Christian understanding of animals and our current practice in using them for food. In the final part of the lecture, he identifies two clear practical responses to the challenge of this abyss: to reduce overall consumption of animal products and move to higher welfare sourcing. He invites individuals, churches, and other Christian organizations to take action in relation to both goals, and offers resources to guide and support such action.

Bio:

PEACEtalks is a monthly event (held on a Thursday or Saturday evening) hosted by Paddington Anglican Church aimed at serving the community by promoting and cultivating deep conversations about life, the world and everything. 'PEACE' stands for 'political, ethical, artistic & cultural engagement'. As such, our events seek to take all of these areas of our shared humanity seriously in a world where such things are often marginalized. We also seek to demonstrate the ways in which spiritual and theological reflection enable us to look at all of these important areas afresh. All welcome! More info - https://paddington.church/peacetalks

Hear from Erin Martine Sessions on The Song of Songs and Australia’s Problem with Intimate Partner Violence. 

Erin Martine Sessions is an Old Testament Academic, currently undertaking a Phd in The Song of Songs, the Domestic & Family Violence Justice Spokesperson for Common Grace, a poet and writer. 

Resources:

PEACEtalks. a monthly event (held on a Thursday or Saturday evening) hosted by Paddington Anglican Church aimed at serving the community by promoting and cultivating deep conversations about life, the world and everything. ‘PEACE’ stands for ‘political, ethical, artistic & cultural engagement’. Also on iTunes / Apple Podcasts by searching for PEACEtalks. 

Hear from Erin Martine Sessions on The Song of Songs and Australia’s Problem with Intimate Partner Violence. 

Erin Martine Sessions is an Old Testament Academic, currently undertaking a Phd in The Song of Songs, the Domestic & Family Violence Justice Spokesperson for Common Grace, a poet and writer. 

Resources:

 PEACEtalks. a monthly event (held on a Thursday or Saturday evening) hosted by Paddington Anglican Church aimed at serving the community by promoting and cultivating deep conversations about life, the world and everything. ‘PEACE’ stands for ‘political, ethical, artistic & cultural engagement’. Also on iTunes / Apple Podcasts by searching for PEACEtalks. 

Engaging with the 2019 NAIDOC Week theme - "Voice. Treaty. Truth - Let's work together for a shared future", hear from our PEACEtalks Director, Brooke Prentis, Wakka Wakka woman, Aboriginal Christian Leader, Aboriginal Spokesperson for Common Grace, and Coordinator of the The Grasstree Gathering educate us on Treaty, share some truth, and echo the calls for Voice, Treaty, Truth.

NAIDOC Week runs from the first Sunday to the second Sunday of July each year and in 2019 runs from 7 – 14 July. NAIDOC Week follows National Reconciliation Week (#NRW) which runs from 27 May – 3 June each year. This year’s NAIDOC week theme puts the calls from the Statement from the Heart on Australia’s minds, and hopefully on Australia’s hearts. It follows that Australia remains the only Commonwealth nation and one of the last liberal democracies without a Treaty with Indigenous peoples, it follows the 1988 Barunga Statement where Prime Minister Bob Hawke promised a Treaty, and it follows Yothu Yindi’s 1991 song “Treaty”.

PEACEtalks is a monthly event (held on a Thursday or Saturday evening) hosted by Paddington Anglican Church aimed at serving the community by promoting and cultivating deep conversations about life, the world and everything. ‘PEACE’ stands for ‘political, ethical, artistic & cultural engagement’. As such, our events seek to take all of these areas of our shared humanity seriously in a world where such things are often marginalized. We also seek to demonstrate the ways in which spiritual and theological reflection enable us to look at all of these important areas afresh.

Engaging with the 2019 NAIDOC Week theme - "Voice. Treaty. Truth - Let's work together for a shared future", hear from our PEACEtalks Director, Brooke Prentis, Wakka Wakka woman, Aboriginal Christian Leader, Aboriginal Spokesperson for Common Grace, and Coordinator of the The Grasstree Gathering educate us on Treaty, share some truth, and echo the calls for Voice, Treaty, Truth.

NAIDOC Week runs from the first Sunday to the second Sunday of July each year and in 2019 runs from 7 – 14 July. NAIDOC Week follows National Reconciliation Week (#NRW) which runs from 27 May – 3 June each year. This year’s NAIDOC week theme puts the calls from the Statement from the Heart on Australia’s minds, and hopefully on Australia’s hearts. It follows that Australia remains the only Commonwealth nation and one of the last liberal democracies without a Treaty with Indigenous peoples, it follows the 1988 Barunga Statement where Prime Minister Bob Hawke promised a Treaty, and it follows Yothu Yindi’s 1991 song “Treaty”.

PEACEtalks is a monthly event (held on a Thursday or Saturday evening) hosted by Paddington Anglican Church aimed at serving the community by promoting and cultivating deep conversations about life, the world and everything. ‘PEACE’ stands for ‘political, ethical, artistic & cultural engagement’. As such, our events seek to take all of these areas of our shared humanity seriously in a world where such things are often marginalized. We also seek to demonstrate the ways in which spiritual and theological reflection enable us to look at all of these important areas afresh.

1. Brooke Prentis – Welcome, including Acknowledgement of Country, to a live podcast of With All Due Respect an Election special.

2. The actual podcast Ep 14: LIVE in Sydney for a special #election2019 episode is published by Eternity.

Australia contributes far more than our fair share to worsening the climate crisis, and yet our political leaders seem to be going backwards. What are the needs, opportunities and challenges of Australian Climate Politics? And where might the church fit? 

 Dr Byron Smith is an ecological ethicist and Christian minister. His PhD in theological ethics (University of Edinburgh) focused on emotional responses to climate change in the context of Christian identity. He also holds honours degrees in theology, philosophy and literature. His time is split between pastoral ministry at Paddington Anglican Church, and a speaking/writing ministry helping churches join the dots between ecological justice and faith. He has authored a number of scholarly articles and book chapters, is a climate consultant for Common Grace, writes for a variety of online platforms, hosts a news digest podcast, The Good Dirt with Byron Smith, and has joined in nonviolent direct actions against new coal projects and in support of people seeking asylum. Byron lives in Sydney with Jessica and their two young children and loves making soil and honey (or watching worms and bees do so). 

 Australia contributes far more than our fair share to worsening the climate crisis, and yet our political leaders seem to be going backwards. What are the needs, opportunities and challenges of Australian Climate Politics? And where might the church fit? 

Dr Byron Smith is an ecological ethicist and Christian minister. His PhD in theological ethics (University of Edinburgh) focused on emotional responses to climate change in the context of Christian identity. He also holds honours degrees in theology, philosophy and literature. His time is split between pastoral ministry at Paddington Anglican Church, and a speaking/writing ministry helping churches join the dots between ecological justice and faith. He has authored a number of scholarly articles and book chapters, is a climate consultant for Common Grace, writes for a variety of online platforms, hosts a news digest podcast, The Good Dirt with Byron Smith, and has joined in nonviolent direct actions against new coal projects and in support of people seeking asylum. Byron lives in Sydney with Jessica and their two young children and loves making soil and honey (or watching worms and bees do so).

Listen to All of Creation Groans, the first recording of HeartCries, original worship music by Helen Wright at www.youtube.com/watch?v=tboz8NjqZ3E 

 Welcome, and Acknowledgement of Country, by Brooke Prentis for Heads in the Sand: Australian Climate Politics and the Church.