William Nicholson has said that his Noble Warriors trilogy is about the search for God. As a result, the trilogy has parallels with Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials which could be said to be about the death of God.
Unlike the world Pullman creates - which is governed by The Magisterium, a maelevolent version of the Church - the major power in Nicholson's world in beneficent. The Noble Warriors or Nomana are a relatively small band of handpicked women and men who eschew violence in the service of the All and Only. From their base, the Nom, the Nomana spread throughout the world using mind control to force those using physical violence to lay down their weapons and kneel in surrender.
If you think that there is something contradictory containec within that last description, you would be right, and the trilogy explores issues of the exercise of power through the journeys and experiences of its three central characters, Seeker, Star and Wildman. The central narrative line is of a life lived as an experiment in seeking truth.
The peace created by the Nomana comes under threat from forces seeking temporal power through physical force manipulated by spirits seeking eternal life. The journeys of Seeker, Star and Wildman begin as they seek to counter these forces but the journey of Seeker goes further and deeper into the nature of power, peace and, ultimately, of God.
Through its many twists and turns, Nicholson's plotline opens out into a pantheistic resolution. The All and Only is not where he is thought to be - a parallel experience to the death of God in His Dark Materials - and is not constrained but is all around, in all and with all, if only all could see and understand that all are gods ourselves.
Unlike Pullman's world where the Magisterium is clearly evil and God is to be killed, Nicholson does not set up a simple good versus evil paradigm. Here, Seeker needs to understand the limitations of the Nomana, whom he loves, in order to reach the story's resolution. How he will do so keeps the reader turning the pages as Nicholson's plotline (as one would expect from a someone with his screenwriter's experience) is the strongest element in the style and structure of the trilogy.
The Noble Warriors is a trilogy that stands alongside His Dark Materials, in the shadow of The Lord of the Rings, as a well constructed, page turning exploration of issues of power, love and the search for God.
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Percy Sledge - Bring It On Home To Me.
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Why 'Christian Voice' are wrong
I was pleased to see that the High Court decided not to allow a prosecution against BBC Director-General Mark Thompson for blasphemy to go ahead. I have two main reasons for this position.
First, the history of Christian protest against controversial works of art has tended to involve a complete inability to engage with the works themselves on their own terms. This can be clearly seen in the reaction of Christian Voice to Jerry Springer: The Opera. Their response shows no understanding of the artistic reasons why Jesus appears in this musical while the judges were able to clearly pinpoint the reason in saying that the musical was not aimed at Christianity but was a parody of the chat-show genre.
The target of satire in the show is the kind of reality TV exemplified by the Jerry Springer show and the argument of the show is that such TV degrades human beings. The appearance of Jesus in the musical is a kind of back-handed compliment, as the writers are essentially saying that even someone as wonderful as Jesus would only be allowed to appear on Jerry Springer, the TV show, if he was coming out and dressed in a nappy. The appearance of Jesus in the musical is then entirely consistent with the focus of the show's satire.
I, for one, support that focus and think that many other Christians would too. The protests against the show, however, show no attempt to engage with this focus or with the issues it raises. This refusal to engage with the work and the issues raised by the work also characterises past protests against films such as Life of Brian and The Last Temptation of Christ. A much more effective engagement with Jerry Springer: The Opera would be to say that we support the show's attack on the degradation of human beings inherent in much reality TV, we understand how the portrayal of Jesus in the show adds to the satire directed at reality TV but also ask the writers and those involved with the show to understand that the hurt caused to us when we see our Lord and Saviour depicted as he is shown in the show. Such an approach would show a real engagement with the show at the same time as expressing the hurt that many Christians understandably feel over the portrayal of Jesus contained within it.
Second, this attempt to invoke the blasphemy laws highlights the continuing difficulty that the Church has in shaking free of Christendom. Jonathan Bartley highlights this issue in his article, Unlearning Christendom and Attitudes to Power, in the current edition of The Bible in TransMission. There he writes, that: "In Christendom Christians enjoyed many privileges. In post-Christendom they are one community amongst many. As religious pluralism develops, the Church’s remaining privileges will be increasingly unjustifiable. Their absurdities will become more evident. The calls for governments to address them will become louder."
The blasphemy laws are a case in point and the British Humanist Association has rightly pointed this out: "The blasphemy laws in the UK – which protect Christian beliefs – are clearly contrary to the principle of free speech and probably contrary to human rights laws which protect freedom of expression, and that must include the right to criticise beliefs, religious or otherwise. The blasphemy laws are anomalies in the context of our increasingly diverse and increasingly non-religious society. The UK’s law seeks to protect people and their rights to their beliefs, but not to protect the beliefs themselves." If, as I argued in an earlier post, we need a level playing field in the award of Government tenders that allows faith-based organisations and secular organisations the same freedom to deliver, then equally the Church needs to renounce privileges gained in an earlier age that create an unequal playing field. As Bartley says, "As churches lose these privileges Christians may appear to have far more integrity in their political actions."
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Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come.
First, the history of Christian protest against controversial works of art has tended to involve a complete inability to engage with the works themselves on their own terms. This can be clearly seen in the reaction of Christian Voice to Jerry Springer: The Opera. Their response shows no understanding of the artistic reasons why Jesus appears in this musical while the judges were able to clearly pinpoint the reason in saying that the musical was not aimed at Christianity but was a parody of the chat-show genre.
The target of satire in the show is the kind of reality TV exemplified by the Jerry Springer show and the argument of the show is that such TV degrades human beings. The appearance of Jesus in the musical is a kind of back-handed compliment, as the writers are essentially saying that even someone as wonderful as Jesus would only be allowed to appear on Jerry Springer, the TV show, if he was coming out and dressed in a nappy. The appearance of Jesus in the musical is then entirely consistent with the focus of the show's satire.
I, for one, support that focus and think that many other Christians would too. The protests against the show, however, show no attempt to engage with this focus or with the issues it raises. This refusal to engage with the work and the issues raised by the work also characterises past protests against films such as Life of Brian and The Last Temptation of Christ. A much more effective engagement with Jerry Springer: The Opera would be to say that we support the show's attack on the degradation of human beings inherent in much reality TV, we understand how the portrayal of Jesus in the show adds to the satire directed at reality TV but also ask the writers and those involved with the show to understand that the hurt caused to us when we see our Lord and Saviour depicted as he is shown in the show. Such an approach would show a real engagement with the show at the same time as expressing the hurt that many Christians understandably feel over the portrayal of Jesus contained within it.
Second, this attempt to invoke the blasphemy laws highlights the continuing difficulty that the Church has in shaking free of Christendom. Jonathan Bartley highlights this issue in his article, Unlearning Christendom and Attitudes to Power, in the current edition of The Bible in TransMission. There he writes, that: "In Christendom Christians enjoyed many privileges. In post-Christendom they are one community amongst many. As religious pluralism develops, the Church’s remaining privileges will be increasingly unjustifiable. Their absurdities will become more evident. The calls for governments to address them will become louder."
The blasphemy laws are a case in point and the British Humanist Association has rightly pointed this out: "The blasphemy laws in the UK – which protect Christian beliefs – are clearly contrary to the principle of free speech and probably contrary to human rights laws which protect freedom of expression, and that must include the right to criticise beliefs, religious or otherwise. The blasphemy laws are anomalies in the context of our increasingly diverse and increasingly non-religious society. The UK’s law seeks to protect people and their rights to their beliefs, but not to protect the beliefs themselves." If, as I argued in an earlier post, we need a level playing field in the award of Government tenders that allows faith-based organisations and secular organisations the same freedom to deliver, then equally the Church needs to renounce privileges gained in an earlier age that create an unequal playing field. As Bartley says, "As churches lose these privileges Christians may appear to have far more integrity in their political actions."
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Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come.
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Paperless Christmas
Created by Martin Wroe, Luke Halls and Malcolm Doney, www.paperlesschristmas.org is an Advent Calendar of videos for your pre Christmas delight and delectation. Well worth checking out!
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Bruce Cockburn - Joy To The World.
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Bruce Cockburn - Joy To The World.
Climate Change Conference
One of the most vital moments in global climate change negotiations arrived this week. The UN Climate Change Conference in Bali is only three days old and already a momentous decision has been made by the new Australian Prime Minister.
On Monday, John Rudd endorsed the Kyoto Protocol as one of his first acts in office, leaving the US as the only developed country yet to back the treaty. Please take a moment to thank God for this encouraging step.
Over the next fortnight governments from more than 190 nations must set aside their differences and create a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. It needs to be strong enough to keep temperature rises under 2°C, as the Kyoto targets only last until 2012.
For many of us in the West the effects of climate change lie in the future, but for the world's poorest people that suffering is happening now.
Please pray for the conference, you'll find prayer points here.
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Jackson Browne - Lives In The Balance.
On Monday, John Rudd endorsed the Kyoto Protocol as one of his first acts in office, leaving the US as the only developed country yet to back the treaty. Please take a moment to thank God for this encouraging step.
Over the next fortnight governments from more than 190 nations must set aside their differences and create a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. It needs to be strong enough to keep temperature rises under 2°C, as the Kyoto targets only last until 2012.
For many of us in the West the effects of climate change lie in the future, but for the world's poorest people that suffering is happening now.
Please pray for the conference, you'll find prayer points here.
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Jackson Browne - Lives In The Balance.
Marking time
Blue aprons, washed hands,
mouth swabs, aloe vera gel,
saturated host on tongue.
Distressed coughing, suctioned secretions,
palliative care, eyes opening,
final goodbyes with each leave taking.
Thinking-of-you cards, past memories,
kisses, night prayers.
Moments of time,
marking time passing
in the slow movement of decline
towards your passing on.
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Lamb - Gorecki.
mouth swabs, aloe vera gel,
saturated host on tongue.
Distressed coughing, suctioned secretions,
palliative care, eyes opening,
final goodbyes with each leave taking.
Thinking-of-you cards, past memories,
kisses, night prayers.
Moments of time,
marking time passing
in the slow movement of decline
towards your passing on.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Lamb - Gorecki.
The livesimply challenge
The livesimply challenge was issued at St John's Advent lunch last Sunday:
God calls us to look hard at our lifestyles and to choose to life simply, sustainably and in solidarity with people who are poor. In this way we can help create a world in which human dignity is respected and everyone can reach their full potential. This would be true progress, worth much more than economic growth alone.
Take the livesimply challenge: reflecting on the challenge and your response. Take your time answering these questions for yourself. Try one or two at a time and come back to the questions when you are ready. These are suggestions for personal reflection, so there are no 'correct' answers!
1. What is good about my life at the moment? What do I enjoy most?
2. Which areas of my life would I like to change?
3. What do I spend most of my time doing? Is this the right priority for me at the moment?
4. What do I spend most of my money on? Is this the right priority for me at the moment?
5. How did I decide my priorities when thinking about questions 3 and 4? Is my faith part of my decision making?
6. Have I got too much of anything? Or just enough? How do I decide how much is enough?
7. If I decided to live more simply, would I be in a position to share more of what I have? Is there one thing I could share more of - money, time, skills, resources?
8. Am I living sustainably? Will future generations be pleased about the way I took care of the earth? How much of the world's resources am I using every day (e.g. car, heating, water, flights)? How much of that is essential?
9. What sort of person would I be if I reached the full human potential God wants for me? Would I like to become that person? If so, what steps should I take?
10. What sort of world do I want to live in and to help create?
11. To help create that world what changes am I ready to make to my life? Are these changes different from the ones I listed in answer to question 2? What changes do I really want?
A prayer of love
Love incarnate - You changed our world forever. You dwelt with the poor and raised the humble high.
Love come in - Change our hearts this Christmas. Challenge our consumerism and fill us with Your love.
Love reach out - Change our world forever. Bring life to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.
In Your precious name, Jesus. Amen.
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The Neville Brothers - Bird on a Wire.
God calls us to look hard at our lifestyles and to choose to life simply, sustainably and in solidarity with people who are poor. In this way we can help create a world in which human dignity is respected and everyone can reach their full potential. This would be true progress, worth much more than economic growth alone.
Take the livesimply challenge: reflecting on the challenge and your response. Take your time answering these questions for yourself. Try one or two at a time and come back to the questions when you are ready. These are suggestions for personal reflection, so there are no 'correct' answers!
1. What is good about my life at the moment? What do I enjoy most?
2. Which areas of my life would I like to change?
3. What do I spend most of my time doing? Is this the right priority for me at the moment?
4. What do I spend most of my money on? Is this the right priority for me at the moment?
5. How did I decide my priorities when thinking about questions 3 and 4? Is my faith part of my decision making?
6. Have I got too much of anything? Or just enough? How do I decide how much is enough?
7. If I decided to live more simply, would I be in a position to share more of what I have? Is there one thing I could share more of - money, time, skills, resources?
8. Am I living sustainably? Will future generations be pleased about the way I took care of the earth? How much of the world's resources am I using every day (e.g. car, heating, water, flights)? How much of that is essential?
9. What sort of person would I be if I reached the full human potential God wants for me? Would I like to become that person? If so, what steps should I take?
10. What sort of world do I want to live in and to help create?
11. To help create that world what changes am I ready to make to my life? Are these changes different from the ones I listed in answer to question 2? What changes do I really want?
A prayer of love
Love incarnate - You changed our world forever. You dwelt with the poor and raised the humble high.
Love come in - Change our hearts this Christmas. Challenge our consumerism and fill us with Your love.
Love reach out - Change our world forever. Bring life to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.
In Your precious name, Jesus. Amen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Neville Brothers - Bird on a Wire.
Roadside Artscape
In Monday's Guardian Germaine Greer was bewailing the lack of roadside art in the UK. However, if she would really like to see examples of roadside art with an international reputation in the UK then she should take the step of visiting Barking & Dagenham.
Through the innovative work of the Council's Arts Services department their Artscape programme along the A13 and around Barking Town Centre has resulted in at least two excellent roadside pieces; 'Holding Pattern' and 'The Lighted Lady of Barking' plus one other that has entered local folklore as 'Madonna's Bra'.
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Paul Simon - The Boy in the Bubble.
Through the innovative work of the Council's Arts Services department their Artscape programme along the A13 and around Barking Town Centre has resulted in at least two excellent roadside pieces; 'Holding Pattern' and 'The Lighted Lady of Barking' plus one other that has entered local folklore as 'Madonna's Bra'.
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Paul Simon - The Boy in the Bubble.
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