Commons Syria vote: a significant moment, but what next?
Having followed some six hours of the House of Commons debate on Syria yesterday (29 August), while channeling news, commentary and media requests for Ekklesia, it was evident to me that concern, questioning and scepticism were the dominant feelings being expressed.
Spinning us along the path to military intervention
The performance of the young US State Department spokesperson on BBC Newsnight this evening (27 August) was extremely chilling, not least for the insouciant way in which a series of necessarily probing questions about a military strike on Syria were simply waved away with stock remarks like, "we'll factor that in".
Changing world... changing outlook
Change is about structures, policies and politics, for sure. As a thinktank looking specifically at how belief and values can impact the arena of hard choices, we are the first to recognise that.
Just Festival... Not quite finished
Those of us who live permanently in Edinburgh will be looking forward to getting our city back in the near future... though the friendly festival invasion undoubtedly brings life, colour, enjoyment, variety and friendship to the streets - and we very much hope that spirit is here to stay, both in the Athens of the North (as we like to style ourselves) and in the hearts and lives of all who have taken part.
Can we create a 'good society'?
Today, there is a discussion about what constitutes a 'good society' taking place at St John's Church Edinburgh (Tuesday 20th August, 6-7.30pm, £5) as part of Just Festival.
Learning to share sacred space across the divides
Religious buildings can be, and usually are, regarded in a very 'tribal' and territorial way. Yet at its heart, the religious impulse (if it is to be saved from the destruction its distortion can so easily produce) is about discovering the universality of the divine in the midst of our particularities.
Can Scotland develop a positive approach to migration?
Today (Saturday 17 August) two events of great significance for the future of Scotland as a welcoming society coincide, both in Edinburgh.
Thinking more deeply about faith today
Fifteen years ago, 'faith' was seen as a virtually spent subject in the public realm, certainly in the view of its many 'cultured despisers'.
Calling the internship system to account
The number of unpaid interns utilised as entry-level staff—minus the pay—has been on the rise in recent years, and media coverage of these unethical and legally questionable arrangements has been growing exponentially, says the Intern Justice (IJ) (http://internjustice.com/) organisation in the USA.
How we are addressed in silence (revisited)
Before any words we might speak, there is the silence with which we are addressed by God, says liberation theologian Gustavo Gutierrez.
