St Mark s. Review. A journal of Christian thought & opinion. No. 236, August 2016 (2) Humility, the environment and human ecology

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1 St Mark s Review A journal of Christian thought & opinion No. 236, August 2016 (2) Humility, the environment and human ecology

2 St Mark s Review No. 236, August 2016 (2) Humility, the environment and human ecology Editorial Letters to the editor v ix I. The Good Citizen and the Pope. Theological and moral implications of Laudato Si Laudato Si in the context of Catholic social teaching 2 Neil Ormerod The Ecumenical Patriarchate and the environment 16 Philip Kariatlis Anthropogenic climate change: the choice we must make and how religion can help 37 Paul Babie The prospects and conditions for a new dialogue for the planet: a response to Laudato Si 65 Danielle Celermajer II. Humility: a symposium Humility: not for the faint-hearted 79 Graeme Garrett On the humble God 86 Heather Thomson On humility and community 91 St Benedict s new ladder synthesis, Consalvo s poisoned bread fresco, and the monastery as a mimetic school of God s love Scott Cowdell On humility and public life 96 Andrew Cameron On humility and the other 100 Stephen Pickard Review article Darwin and the God of Love 104 John Painter

3 Book reviews 124 State-of-the-art medieval scholarship 124 Reburying Jesus: He is not here 128 Christian Muslim dialogue 130 Wanderings of a Sainte-Terrer 132 Overcoming adversity 135

4 St Mark s Review, No. 236 August 2016 (2) Christian Muslim dialogue John Azumah and Peter Riddell (eds), Islam and Christianity on the Edge: Talking Points in Christian-Muslim Relations into the 21st Century, Acorn Press, Brunswick East, Victoria, 2013, softcover, ix pages, ISBN In my job as a Religion and Values Education teacher I have had many conversations about faith with students. It is always interesting teaching the facts about the various religions and knowing that there are students who identify themselves as Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian (of a variety of denominations), Jew, Sikh, Latter-day Saint ( Mormon ), Jehovah s Witness, Baha i, atheist or agnostic in my classroom. On a one-to-one basis, I recall conversing many times with one particular Muslim girl about her interest in Christianity. Did I answer her questions justly? Having reasonable knowledge about Muslim faith, but knowing that there is so much more that I can learn, did I truthfully walk with her in her questioning? And so I picked up this book in order to learn more about the Muslim faith, but also to learn more about how I can greater develop an understanding with the situation that faces any Muslim, and some extent those from other religions as well, as they wrestle with their faith and in making the choice to perhaps convert to Christianity. The introduction presents the reader with the concept that this book will have diverse views as it raises controversial topics, but the editors were committed to airing a variety of views in order to stimulate discussion and debate (p. 1). As I was reading, I found myself drawn into the debates, and there were numerous times when I had to step away from the book so that I could allow myself to explore the implications of the ideas raised. For example, I could somewhat better understand the current refugee policy of off-shore detention, but then if it is the fear of fundamentalist Muslims seeking refugee asylum, then our mistreating of them is merely going to reinforce their thinking. In the first chapter John Azumah addresses the challenge of Muslim to Christian conversion as he explores the Insider Movement in Islam with six spectrums of contextualisation regarding conversion from Islam to Christianity. What essentially defines a Muslim or a Christian? How much of what we perceive to be Christian is actually cultural overlay on our 130

5 Book reviews Christianity? Within other cultural and religious contexts there are those who hold on to their non-western culture while simultaneously following Christianity Hinduism s Yeshu Bhaktas and Judaism s Messianic Jews, for example (p. 12). Is there, or will there be, a similar Muslim Christian? Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali states in the foreword: One of the important themes of this book has to do with a constructive, but also critical, approach to the foundations of faith, the sacred books and revered traditions We live in a world where new technology will not exempt any faith from such scrutiny from both without and within (v). I have heard that Islam requires a reformation. Indeed, Charlotte Thorneycroft calls for this inevitable revolution in chapter seven: It is time for the Muslim world from the clerics to the politicians to the scholars to the lay Muslims to take responsibility for the injustices of the past and now make a commitment to a just future for all (p. 112). There are a number of reasons, though, which might hamper any Islamic reformation movement. There is the belief of Muslims that the Qur an has been perfectly preserved (p. 25); the historical expansion of Islam through military conquest; and internal sectarian splintering where fundamentalist Muslims and moderate Muslims will consider the other to be an apostate. The fact is, though, that modern technology allows for greater individual searching for answers and so will there be a groundswell of forced changes, or will the leaders take the initiative and bring about reform? This is a challenging book due to the controversial topics that it explores. I have found that in reading this book I have learned a great deal more about Islam, its history and its beliefs. There is a great deal of misunderstanding about each other s beliefs, from both Muslims and Christians alike. I feel it is highly important for me to continue my academic exploration of my own faith, but also to pursue a greater understanding of Islam and other religions. It is only through education and empathetic understanding that any reasonable inter-faith dialogue can occur. Islam is the second most populous world religion by adherents and so it is important that we educate ourselves about Islamic beliefs and their centrality in the lives of Muslims. John Azumah and Peter Riddell have produced a book that helps us in this task. Rebecca Morris, Religious and Values Education teacher MTh student, St Mark s National Theological Centre 131