ON THE ROAD Journal of the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc No. 38 September 2008

COMMUNITIES of the KINGDOM The New and

* Seeing things common to Anabaptism * Seeing its relevance in the and the New Monasticism Australian Culture (including Celtic Spirituality) * Learning from The New * Telling The Stories Monasticism

Friday evening 23rd January to Monday afternoon 26th January 2009 Oasis Christian Camp, 66 Monbulk Road, Mt Evelyn Victoria www.oasis.asn.au Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference 2009 OPEN TO ALL For further information www.anabaptist.asn.au Or Contact – Bessie Pereira 61 3 9893 2649 or 0412 316 252

Jesus is the centre of our Faith! Community is the centre of our Life! Reconciliation is the centre of our Work! CONTENTS 1 COMMUNITIES of the KINGDOM 16 The Kings and Their Gods 2 THE VIEW FROM EPHESIANS FOUR 17 Tele-conversation 3 PRESIDENT’S REPORT 17 Plan Be 4 Anabaptism a New Monasticism 18 The Doors of the Sea 14 Making China Beautiful! 20 Herald Press 16 Church Planting Inner City 20 Half Day Silent Retreat

On The Road COVER SYMBOL: The lamb in the midst of briars The AAANZ quarterly journal publishes news, articles, book reviews, is a traditional Anabaptist symbol. It illustrates the and resource information. It is published online with a paper edition suffering Lamb of God, who calls the faithful to available for those without computer facilities. (Paper edition A$25 per obedient service and discipleship on the road. This year) To be added to the mailing list write: particular rendition is from Hymnal A Worship [email protected] or Book. Copyright 1992. Reprinted with permission of On The Road Editors, P.O. Box 738, Mona Vale NSW 1660 Australia Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, PA, USA. 1 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc.

THE VIEW FROM EPHESIANS FOUR MARK AND MARY HURST ...to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service

A major focus of this desperately issue of ON THE ROAD needs them... is the relationship new monastic between Anabaptism communities offer and new monasticism. a countercultural We are preparing for way forward rooted our exploration of this in the messianic connection at the AAANZ lifestyle of Jesus conference in January and the early 2009. One community disciples.” (118) that will be represented in January is the Throughout this issue we will introduce Community of the Transfiguration you to some of the key books about from Geelong, Victoria. A recent new monasticism. They are all very book - Community Of The readable and we’re sure you will Transfiguration, Paul Dekar, pick up the hints of Anabaptism in Cascade Books, 2008 – tells their these books. story. Dekar tells an interesting story Paul Dekar explores the from the Fourth World Conference contemporary and historic interest on Women held in Beijing. An in Christian community. In writing African woman confronted some about the Iona community in Americans and said “We are Scotland, he says “The testimony worried that you Americans are not of so many on Iona is that healing human. You don’t do most of what comes through living the questions, makes humans human. Do all your and not accepting easy answers. people sing? Does your community Somehow, the Church at large must dance together? Do you work at ways of restoring real community to its incorporate your young into the community? Do heart, and intentional communities such as Iona you have laws of stranger hospitality?” (118) can offer hard-won experience in the quest for This rebuke is not just for Americans, such an essential recovery.” (20) it is for all of Western culture and particularly The new interest in monastic our church communities. Are we creating communities is still small in the overall Christian communities of faith that celebrate life through community and could be easily missed except singing and dancing? Do we think about the that a number of their leaders are also prolific next generations and do things with them in writers. But like Anabaptism that has always mind? Do we welcome strangers through been “light on the ground”, new monasticism gracious hospitality? Good questions from an offers a prophetic witness to the rest of the African sister to stir us to love and good works. church. Dekar writes: “Throughout history, Enjoy the mix of articles, book reviews, there have never been many monks, yet the and announcements. We look forward to world has often depended on them. Today, seeing many of you in January as we gather to there are still not many monks, yet the world discuss these issues further. ...new monastic communities offer a countercultural way forward rooted in the messianic lifestyle of Jesus and the early disciples.

2 September 2008 PRESIDENT’S REPORT DOUG SEWELL Building Peace Through ignored the ability to become peacemakers is also Relationships lost. There is a tension here that is dynamic and requires creative responses to each situation. Christian Pacemaker Teams Australasia At the heart of peacemaking is relationship has taken off like a windstorm. “To devote the same discipline and self-sacrifice to non-violent building. peacemaking that armies devote to war” is the CPT AAANZ has also been building relationships slogan. And how appropriate it has been. at a different level across our network. A directory Erin and Casper Adson, members of of members along with a monthly prayer diary has AAANZ, have travelled the eastern states of been sent to AAANZ members. This allows not only Australia talking about how they worked alongside me but also every member to know a little more Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron. How Erin about other members and to pray for one another and Casper had their lives turned upside down by on a rotating daily basis. I have said before that for a the power of creative non-violence is a powerful network to function effectively every person needs to story in itself. Their alternative narrative of the be able to interact with every one else - like a web. Israeli and Palestinian story has brought new For a network that is broad and diverse in nature insight to the long-standing and complex conflict. this can bring about a fresh reappraisal of our own The opportunities for Christians to engage in direct understanding and an appreciation of each other. I’d action as peacemakers has generated huge interest like to say to all subscribers of the AAANZ Mailings amongst a wide spread of that have not yet become churches including Baptist, AAANZ members, I would Catholic, Quaker and the At the heart of welcome you as full members Uniting Church of Australia. of our growing network. The Adsons will visit Perth and peacemaking is Another benefit Adelaide and also plan to get of being a member is to to Tasmania and New Zealand relationship building participate in our phone tele- in 2009. conversations. In August, CPT Australasia wants AAANZ members joined an to engage with local and regional injustices such inspiring phone chat with Dave Andrews. Dave and as impacts of climate change and local indigenous his wife Ange, members of AAANZ, have lived and issues in West Papua, East Timor and the Solomon worked in intentional communities with marginalised Islands. CPT Australasia we believe will also be groups of people in Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, fundamental in moving churches to a commitment India and Nepal for more than thirty years. They now on peacemaking in coming years. live in a large joint household with their children, AAANZ has taken a central role in grandchildren and others in an inner city community the formation of the regional CPT group for in Brisbane. Dave spoke about his new book that Australasia. Peacemaking is a core conviction of the rescues the ‘Be-Attitudes’ from obscurity and uses Anabaptists. Foremost is a dedication to achieving them for ‘Plan Be’ - “being the change we want to peace through non-violent means. Our role is to see in the world”. support the victims of violence as well as to love Tim Costello will be our next speaker at the the perpetrators, by standing in the way of injustice AAANZ members’ tele-conversation on 4 October. and violence in all its forms and to work for just and To participate email me at [email protected] righteous outcomes that bring about reconciliation Also make sure that you don’t miss out and restoration in on attending the next AAANZ Conference 23 the same manner in to 26 January 2009 - The New Monasticism which Jesus loved and Anabaptism - to be held at Mt Evelyn near his enemies and by Melbourne. Communities such as Peace Tree in his actions and life Perth, Jesus Generation in Canberra, Community reconciles us. When of the Transfiguration near Geelong and Urban conflict is reduced to Neighbours of Hope in Melbourne will speak of causes and ideologies their experiences and the challenges of pioneering and where the new ways of living together whilst serving others. integrity of individual For more details and to register now go to www. relatiosnships are anabaptist.asn.au . 3 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. ANABAPTISM THE BEGINNING OF A NEW MONASTICISM MARK S. HURST Introduction ‘living arrangement’ worked out by the church Wolfgang Capito, a Reformer in and the culture is collapsing. Many parts of the , wrote a letter to the Burgermeister church are sinking with the culture and doing and Council at Horb in May 1527 warning about so without any resistance. The call for a new the Anabaptist leader Michael Sattler. He was monasticism is the work of God’s Spirit calling worried that Sattler was bringing about “the us to renewed understanding of the gospel beginning of a new monasticism.” (Yoder, 87) and faithful witness to it through new forms of Both Anabaptism and “new monasticism” monastic community.” (Rutba House, 9) are being explored today as relevant Alasdair MacIntyre’s conclusion in After expressions of the Christian faith in our post- Virtue is quoted often by these writers: “What Christendom environment. The connections matters at this stage is the construction of local between these two movements will be forms of community within which civility and examined in a conference sponsored by the the intellectual and moral life can be sustained Anabaptist Association of Australia and New through the dark ages which are already upon Zealand in January 2009 as they were in us...This time, however, the barbarians are a recent conference in Great Britain called not waiting beyond the frontiers; they have “New Habits for a New Era? Exploring New already been among us for quite some time. Monasticism,” co-sponsored by the British And it is our lack of consciousness of this that Anabaptist Network and the Northumbria constitutes part of our predicament. We are Community. waiting not for Godot, but for another-doubtless (See http://www.anabaptistnetwork.com/ very different-St. Benedict.” (Rutba House, 2) node/19 for papers from the conference.) The This idea “that our increasingly British gathering raised a number of questions fragmented and barbarous Western Civilization for these movements: can only be saved by a new Benedict...is the “We hear many stories of ‘emerging somewhat grandiose idea behind the call for a churches’ and ‘fresh expressions of church’, new monasticism that can produce disciplined but Christians in many places are also communities sustaining the virtues of civilized rediscovering older forms of spirituality life...The new monasticism...will have little of and discipleship. Some are drawing on the value to offer the world if it tries to meet the monastic traditions to find resources for a post- needs of the world as defined by the world. Christendom culture. ‘New monasticism’ is the What the world needs is Jesus, and a people term many are using to describe these attempts who allow their lives to be radically reshaped to re-work old rhythms, rules of life and liturgical in communities demonstrating love and non- resources in a new era. Is this a hopeful sign? violence of the One who sent Jesus.” (Rutba Or is this ‘monastic-lite’, a fad that is unlikely to House, 95) last? What does ‘new monasticism’ mean and These new intentional communities are what does it offer the church?” appearing in all the major western Christian traditions—Evangelical, Protestant, Catholic New Monasticism and Pentecostal-Charismatic—and although New monastic writers they vary in purpose, outlook, and theology, start with an exploration of our they share a common centre: a commitment 21st century Western setting: to follow Christ without compromise. Most “Today... faithfulness to the of these communities are small, and when gospel is in danger. As our viewed individually appear to be insignificant culture’s project desperately and ineffective. But when they are viewed as works to maintain control part of a global movement it becomes apparent despite its looming death, the that an equivalent to the Benedictine monastic 4 September 2008 movement of the first millennium is Scott Bessenecker in The New taking place in our time. This new Friars.” movement has much in common with Bessenecker writes: “When I the one that preceded it: read about the intense Christian • Its communities are being formed communities cropping up in corners by lay Christians. of our twenty-first-century world, • They are self-governing. something inside me cries out to • They are focused on prayer and be a part of them. For much of personal conversion. my Christian life I have sought an • They are devoted to radical expression of Christian community hospitality, especially for the poor. that defies the often-hollow suburban • Their members engage in life held up to us as the ‘American productive work in the wider community. Dream.’ We’re trained for an individualistic What is new about this movement of existence with self at the centre, especially Christian intentionality is however as significant for those of us in white American culture as its continuity with the past: who grew up in suburban, single-family • Its members are both dwellings, separate from our extended family, married and celibate. encountering neighbours only at a superficial • Its communities vary level. The new monasticism, as it is being greatly in organizational called, is partly a reaction to the self-absorbed structure. life of material accumulation, career obsession • They provide for large and amusement fixation that is promoted degrees of individual in the West and that is now being exported freedom. around the world as a picture of ‘the good life.’” • They are located in both (Bessenecker, 187) urban and rural places. These new monastics “are post- • Their membership is ecumenical, and their Protestants, breaking old liturgical and outlook is global.” (Kauffman, 2) theological taboos by borrowing liberally from Some see this development as Catholic traditions of monastic prayer, looking “suggesting unease with megachurch religion” to St. Francis instead of Jerry Falwell for their and are surprised at the movement among social values, and stocking their bookshelves Protestants who generally demonstrate with the writings of medieval mystics rather “distaste with all things monkish.” than the latest from televangelist Joel Osteen.” “ called monks and While their numbers are still small in the overall wandering friars ‘lice placed by the devil on American Evangelical scene, “their criticisms God Almighty’s fur coat.’ Of all Protestants, may resonate with more mainstream believers. American evangelicals in particular - activist, A recent study by Willow Creek Community family-oriented, and far more concerned with Church in Illinois... discovered that many than solitary study or meditative churchgoers felt stalled in their faith, alienated prayer - have historically viewed monks as an by slick, program-driven who focus alien species, and a vaguely demonic one at more on niche marketing than cultivating that.” (Worthen, 1) contemplation. The study suggested that Over 100 new monastic groups have megachurch members know how to belt out sprung up in North America “suggesting that jazzy pop hymns from their stadium seats, mainstream worship is leaving some people but they don’t always know how to talk to God cold.” These new monastic communities “share alone.” a common frustration with what they see as While New Monastics often live and the overcommercialized and socially apathetic worship together and “tend to favour simple culture of mainstream evangelicalism.” “They living, left-leaning politics, and social activism” perceive a ‘spiritual flabbiness in the broader they are different from the Jesus People of the church and a tendency to assimilate into a 1970’s in “their intellectual seriousness and corrupt, power-hungry world,’ writes author monastic forms of prayer and study that set 5 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. them apart...The real radicals aren’t quoting Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq at the Che Guevara or listening to Rage Against beginning of the present war. One was Shane the Machine on their iPods,” writes Wilson- Claiborne, one of the movement’s most popular Hartgrove in New Monasticism: What It authors, popular speakers and social activists. Has to Say to Today’s Church. ‘The true His book The Irresistible Revolution: Living revolutionaries are learning to pray.’” as an Ordinary Radical is a very readable Molly Worthen discovered that description of the movement and has won “Most New Monastics are trying to create praise from U.S. Evangelical luminaries like an alternative to conservative mainstream Brian McLaren, Ron Sider, Tony Campolo, evangelicalism. They embrace over Leonard Sweet, Tom Sine, and Rob Bell. doctrinal debate, encourage female leadership, Claiborne includes in his book the and care far more about social justice and the “Twelve Marks of New Monasticism”, a list environment than about the culture wars. Shane developed at a gathering of new monastics in Claiborne, founder of one of the best-known Durham, North Carolina. New Monastic communities, the Simple Way of “This contemporary school for conversion , asks that churches that invite him which we have called a “new monasticism,” to speak offset the carbon emissions produced is producing a grassroots ecumenism by his visit by “” from fuel.” and a prophetic witness within the North She concludes: “New Monastics American church which is diverse in form, but consider themselves ‘monks in the world.’ characterized by the following marks: They are not interested in extreme isolation 1) Relocation to the or ... Nearly all have regular jobs abandoned places of and social lives. From the traditionalist Empire. perspective, many break the most essential 2) Sharing economic monastic rule: they are married. Most groups resources with fellow support those who choose a celibate lifestyle, community members and and a few have a member or two who do so, the needy among us. but it happens rarely.” They seek “to better 3) Hospitality to the integrate core Christian values into their lives stranger as average citizens. This is the fundamental 4) Lament for racial difference between old monks and the new. divisions within the New Monastics often quote one of their heroes, church and our communities combined with Lutheran theologian , who the active pursuit of a just reconciliation. captured the ambitions - and the ecumenical 5) Humble submission to Christ’s body, the limits - of the movement when he wrote in 1935, church. ‘the restoration of the church will surely come 6) Intentional formation in the way of Christ only from a new kind of monasticism which will and the rule of the community along the lines have nothing in common with the old but a life of the old novitiate. of uncompromising adherence to the Sermon 7) Nurturing common life among members of on the Mount in imitation of Christ.’” . Some Evangelical critics of the 8) Support for celibate singles alongside movement fear New Monastics are getting too monogamous married couples and their Catholic, too New-Age, or too near Eastern children. religions. Some Catholics are also wary, fearing 9) Geographical proximity to community these new monastics are watering down age- members who share a common rule of life. old traditions while other Catholics ask “What 10) Care for the plot of God’s earth given to took you so long?” The monastic tradition is a us along with support of our local economies. spiritually rich one waiting to being discovered. 11) Peacemaking in the midst of violence and There are Anabaptist connections in this conflict resolution within communities along new movement, particularly in the area of the lines of Matthew 18. peacemaking. A number of early leaders of 12) Commitment to a disciplined new monastic communities joined Christian contemplative life. 6 September 2008 May God give us grace by the power of the etc. then the Aboriginal people would have Holy Spirit to discern rules for living that will had a spiritual experience similar to that of the help us embody these marks in our local ancient Celtic Christian...the role of the Celtic contexts as signs of Christ’s kingdom for the renewal in this nation is to encourage the sake of God’s world.” Church to embrace a faith that is more gentle Anabaptist themes like community and and incarnational than the colonial one that we reconciliation are reminiscent of this recent have inherited from our Anabaptist statement: “Jesus is the centre English forebears and less of our faith! Community is the centre of our ‘salesman’ like than the life! Reconciliation is the centre of our work!” recent American models (Becker) that we seem to have embraced.” (Simpson 3, 4) New Monasticism in Scott Bessenecker Australia helps in classifying some Darren Cronshaw of these communities in Credible Witness, his in his writing about the helpful book on Australian distinction between mission models, writes historic orders of monks: about “the postmodern “The cloistered (or inward) and the missional desire for a fresh experience (or outward) forces in these various monastic of mystery and everyday communities were often held in tension, spirituality.” He contrasts this with a “marketing some emphasizing one over the other. and management approach” used by many Likewise today we find both cloistered and churches today. “Rather than alleviating missional communities cropping up. The New spiritual poverty, marketing approaches can Monasticism often consists of households of foster it further...promoting a consumerist Christian men and women planted in dying approach to and reliance on inner-city communities within their home techniques rather than God’s leadership.” (28) country, attempting to live the Christian ideal Like new monastics in North America, many among their neighbours, drawing the lost, poor Down Under are looking for a more genuine and broken to themselves. They resemble Christian experience. more the cloistered order. The new friars, on Tom Sine in The the other hand, have something of the spirit New Conspirators of mission-driven monks and nuns in them, explains what is leaving their mother country and moving to happening among those parts of the world where little is known young activists and about Jesus.” (21, 22) innovators in the church One Australian by categorising them into group he includes at least four streams: among the ‘new friars’ emerging, missional, is Urban Neighbours mosaic and monastic. of Hope (UNOH). They These categories are identify themselves as fluid; communities in Australia seem to merge “a missional order” and aspects from the different streams. have a list of values The Celtic tradition is attracting attention very similar to the from a number of groups. Brad Bessell from Twelve Marks of New Adelaide wrote: Monasticism: “I believe that the role of Celtic Gospel Justice: We value living out God’s Spirituality in this nation is to bring healing and priority for those facing poverty. reconciliation between the Aboriginal and Non- Incarnational: We value the Kingdom Aboriginal. In fact, I believe that had Celtic coming among poor communities with whom monks come to Australia instead of convicts we live and identify. 7 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. Compassion: We value personally relating Christian monastic traditions to contemporary with those facing poverty, coming alongside life, the community is unique in that it continues them and responding to needs. the life and witness of a 135-year old Baptist Holistic in Mission: We value serving the congregation while drawing on classic sources whole life of our neighbourhood the way of .” Jesus would using Word, Deed and Sign. The Community of the Transfiguration Discipleship: We value loving and obeying began in the early 1970’s. Graeme Littleton Jesus as Lord ourselves and helping our and Steven Shipman met during a monastic neighbours to do this together. formation program at The Community of the Spiritual Formation: We value the life-long Glorious Ascension, an Anglican journey of growing closer to and more like in England. Littleton and Shipman studied Jesus through the use of spiritual disciplines the Rule of St. Benedict, Orthodox sources, and increasing simplicity in lifestyle. and a number of models of communal life, Team Building: We value working in teams including the Ephrata Cloisters, an Anabaptist so that we can mutually affirm and challenge experiment that began in the eighteenth century each other in seeing our vision become a in Lancaster County, . reality. As the community grew, members Organic Growth: We value reproducible developed a Resolve, the practices by which models of nurturing, training and raising they live: up of new team and leaders as the means - Being perfectly assured of your salvation, of growing UNOHers and Jesus-centred with your whole life proclaim your gratitude. movements. - Reject nothing, consecrate everything. UNOH also has a “Common Rule of - Be the good of love, for God, for Life” that guides its community with spiritual neighbour, for all creation. practices that include Solitude, Scripture, - Judge no one, not even yourself. Spiritual guides, Hospitality, Just Stewardship, - Love beauty. Servanthood, Worship, Living Among the Poor, - Maintain inner silence in all things. and Discipleship. - Show hospitality; err only on the side of The Peace Tree Community in Perth, generosity. Western Australia is cited by Tom Sine as an - Speak truth to power, especially power example of new monasticism in Australia. They without love. describe themselves as: A support group of “sinners anonymous” for “recovering consumers” who pray to embody God’s grace by transforming vacant ...Anabaptist- are blocks into gardens, dumpster the old “new monastics.”... bins into delicious feasts for anyone hungry, the Anabaptists sought to form empty homes into welcoming places for communities of intentionality the homeless and refugees, individual lives that would make the kind of “successfulness” into shared lives of of serious Christian life of faithfulness, enemies into friends, our charity “to the marginalised” into solidarity “with the discipleship and communion long marginalised”, the unskilled over-schooled into assumed only to be possible in workers on the land, swords into ploughshares celibate religious orders and live and other humble beautiful signs of God’s it out in families. They did so dream for creation (or “kingdom of God”). not because they couldn’t control The Peace Tree community has their desires and just had to get been inspired by an older Baptist monastic community known as The Community of the married, but because Jesus calls Transfiguration in Geelong, Victoria. Paul us to follow him as disciples in all R. Dekar has written about the community of life.” - Gerald W. Schlabach calling it “a compelling adaptation of historic 8 September 2008 - Let your only experience of evil be in integration between the inner and outer life. suffering, not its creation. (Murray Williams) - For us there is only the trying, the rest is Gerald W. Schlabach says, “In none of our business. explaining who Mennonites are I have Dekar says the community “exhibits sometimes quoted the historians who call many generic traits of its monastic forebears them, the , , and the Anabaptist and of the new monastic communities. These forebears who preceded them all, “married include the centrality of Jesus Christ, communal monastics...Anabaptist-Mennonites are the old life under a rule of life, vital worship, use of the “new monastics.” Growing out of late medieval visual arts, care for youth, care for the natural movements for lay renewal, the Anabaptists world; and ministries among marginalized sought to form communities of intentionality that persons.” (57) The community members “live would make the kind of serious Christian life their prayers and pray their lives.” (92) of discipleship and communion long assumed only to be possible in celibate religious orders Anabaptism’s Monastic and live it out in families. They did so not Roots because they couldn’t control their desires and What is Anabaptist just had to get married, but because Jesus calls spirituality? C. J. Dyck us to follow him as disciples describes spiritual life as in all of life.” (Schlabach, being “nourished through “Benedictine Values”) an intimate commitment to While Sattler’s Jesus Christ, individually and early influence among the in community.” (26) He sees Swiss Anabaptists is often several characteristics of noted, his Benedictine past sixteenth-century Anabaptist and how that influenced spirituality: him and the emerging - Community is important. Anabaptist Anabaptist movement is often spirituality is not merely medieval monastic overlooked. Weldon D. Nisly spirituality extended to the laity, but is a explores the connections redefinition of spirituality. In monasticism, the between Benedict and focus of community was on the interior life of the Rule he developed and Michael Sattler and the soul. In Anabaptism, community is faith the he helped write active in love as a life of obedience to God. in an article entitled “Hidden in Plain Sight: - Restoration of ethics into personal and Mennonite Benedictine Spirituality”. communal spiritual life. “ was born around 480 - Suffering was central. or 490 and died in 547. He wrote “a little rule - Holiness-sanctification as a living out of the for beginners” in the late 520’s, conceivably in new covenant alone and in community. (23) 529. Not much is known about Benedict’s life. I began with a quote warning about Yet the Rule of St. Benedict has guided a great Michael Sattler causing “the beginning of a monastic tradition in the Church ever since new monasticism.” Wolfgang Capito was not the sixth century. At a young age, Benedict alone in this opinion about Anabaptists. Martin abandoned a proper education in Rome with Luther accused them of having a “monkish” a deep sense that student life was morally life and doctrine and Zwingli saw Anabaptists corrupting, and went off into the hills east of as “restoring a full monkish system.” The Rome to live a monastic life. “All the rest of Reformers had several concerns about these Benedict’s life was to be subordinated to the Anabaptists: search for God and lived out...in separation - Their discipleship sounded like a return to from this dangerous world.” salvation by works. A thousand years later Michael Sattler - They were influenced by medieval was born about 1490 and died in 1527. We also monasticism and asceticism. know little about his life. But we know that he - They held a typically monastic emphasis on was a monk who left his Benedictine monastery 9 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. with a deep sense of monastic corruption. He The document that Sattler is most known soon joined the emerging Radical for is the Schleitheim Articles. They show movement and in 1527, Sattler shaped a Sattler’s Anabaptist vision and influence. The document that guided the emerging Swiss articles are about the practice of the church Anabaptist movement of the sixteenth century. more than doctrine. They come with the title: Sattler was the primary writer for these seven “Brotherly union of a Number of Children of Schleitheim Articles in which “We have been God Concerning Seven Articles:” united concerning the separation that shall 1. Baptism...only take place from the evil...which the devil has believers and no infant planted in the world”. baptism; Nisly places Sattler 2. Ban...discipline to back in his St. Peter’s follow Matthew 18 monastery in the Black model; Forest at a time when reform 3. Breaking Bread... was happening among the believers all united in as well in the baptism and confession/ rest of the church scene reconciliation; in Europe. Sattler held 4. Separation from evil the position of Prior of the and the devil...allegiance monastery before he left and to God in Christ alone; joined the Anabaptists. 5. Shepherds...chosen and supported by the “St. Peter’s monastery was caught congregation according to rule of Paul; in the middle of the peasant revolt and 6. Sword...ordering of God outside the reformation impulses, to say nothing of perfection of Christ not permitted for political and economic struggles and a Christians; reforming Abbot who fled. Under these 7. ...forbidden by Christ so must do all conditions presumably the Prior, Michael in the name of God in truthfulness. Sattler, was left in charge of the Abbey in Nisly sees some parallels between the spring of 1525. No documentation tells the Schleitheim Articles and the Rule of St. us exactly when he left the monastery. But Benedict summarizing them this way: the best judgment is that it was in May 1525, - Voluntary entry into the community and a during the peasant invasion of the monastery. public act of profession; (Snyder, 64) - Through that profession a person is subject As a monk and Prior of St. Peter’s of to a common way of life; the , Michael Sattler was caught - Discipline takes the form of exclusion from in the crossfire of reform in the monastery community activities; and the peasant’s oppressive plight. These - The community is separated from the concerns, not the pull of the Protestant and world; Anabaptist Reformation, are what seemed to - The spiritual leader is to be [s]elected drive Michael Sattler to take the dramatic step by the community, and is responsible for of leaving his Benedictine vows and monastic the spiritual growth and discipline of the community. (Snyder, 65) community (Snyder, 185). One additional element that we know The Schleitheim Article on baptism, – but know little about – is that sometime the Rule of St. Benedict and the Benedictine after Sattler left the monastery he married vow of profession call for repentance and Margaretha. Her last name is unknown but new life which is a dying to self and the world she is believed to be a Beguine who with other and living in the imitation of Christ (Snyder, Beguines was feeding poor people burdened 186). Obedience and discipline are very by the oppressive taxes collected by St. prominent in both documents and in the Peter’s monastery. That may well have further monastic community. The monastic profession influenced Sattler’s decision to leave the is a vow of stability, conversion of life, and monastery. obedience, with the knowledge of discipline 10 September 2008 for disobedience. One very important biblical - Identify interpretive and operative principles common ground in both Benedict’s Rule and for the church (ascetic life), Sattler’s Articles is the explicit reference to - Live with head and heart (listen and look Matthew 18. The Gospel formula set out by with the heart), Jesus for going to the sister or brother to listen, - Renew a rhythm of prayer and work (ora et admonish, and discipline in specific stages is a labora), frequent appeal of the Anabaptists. Likewise, - Seek new ways for living stability and chapter 23, of the Rule – “Excommunication for change (stabilitas & conversatio), faults” – is equally clear and biblically rooted. - Unite hospitality and service (receive/greet Nisly says: “Michael Sattler was shaped all as Christ), in life and faith as a Benedictine steeped in - Become a Eucharistic Peace Community obedience and discipline in the community. (sacrament, symbol, story, song), As an Anabaptist leader formulating the first - Establish new paradigms of authority and “rule” for communal life, Sattler can be seen obedience (responsibility & “the least of to draw heavily on his monastic life and the these”). Rule to establish the centrality of obedience In this list, the Schleitheim Articles, and discipline of the community. Nevertheless, and the Rule of St. Benedict one can find the we may see a difference in the direction of the roots of “rules” of many of the new monastic obedience for Sattler as a Benedictine and communities emerging today. The early Sattler as an Anabaptist. In the Benedictine Anabaptists and St. Benedict provide rich community the direction of obedience was spiritual resources for modern-day monks of all explicitly to the Abbot, as the representative stripes. of Christ, and to the Rule rooted in Scripture. Inhabiting The In the Anabaptist community the direction of Church, a 2007 title which obedience is to what is sometimes called the is part of the New Monastic “Rule of Christ” set out in Scripture and lived out Library book series, explores in the community. In the Benedictine monastery elements of the Rule of the Abbot commands ultimate authority while in St. Benedict. Three new the Anabaptist community that authority resides monastic writers “decided in the community where the shepherd has to use [Benedict’s] central special responsibilities but remains a member vow as a springboard for a of the congregation (Snyder, 189).” biblical-theological reflection Sattler lived less than two years as an that was true to our own Anabaptist before he and his wife were brutally free-church Biblicist roots.” (Stock, 5) Their martyred. Nisly says: chapters explore the Benedictine themes of “We can see that Michael Sattler brought Vows, Conversion, Obedience, and Stability. a Benedictine sensibility – more than an Schlabach in article entitled “The Vow obvious spirituality --with him into the Anabaptist of Stability: A Premodern Way through a movement. We can even see in Michael Hypermodern World” picks up on this one part Sattler a Benedictine in Anabaptist clothing. of the Rule of St. Benedict: It is probably less accurate at this point yet, “Benedict’s rule requires a “vow to see in the Anabaptists shaped by Sattler’s of stability” -- the uniquely Benedictine Schleitheim Articles, a Benedictine in Anabaptist commitment to live in a particular monastic clothing. There are strong roots and parallels. It community for life. At first, this may seem surely was an attempt to live a devout and holy to apply least of all amid other ways of life. life wholly rooted in scripture in a separated Yet precisely because it contrasts so sharply community of faith.” with the fragility of most commitments in our Nisly ends his article with some dreams hypermodern society, the Benedictine vow of about where this connection might take stability may speak more directly to our age Anabaptists today: and churches than anything else in the Rule... - Become immersed in 15 centuries between And one cannot understand the vow of stability the first & sixteenth centuries, apart from the Benedictines’ two other vows -- 11 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. conversion of life and obedience, which in turn object of pietistic devotion. requires us to face questions of authority. Still, - Integration of spirituality and what I wish to argue is this: discipleship. Arnold Snyder, Anabaptist It is no use rediscovering any of our historian, writes: “It is because Anabaptism church’s roots, nor discerning innovative ways echoed many elements of the monastic to be faithful to our church’s calling, if we won’t understanding of the ‘holy life’ that was slow down, stay longer even if we can’t stay put supposed to follow true faith that they related indefinitely, and take something like a vow of social, economic and ethical issues directly stability. Slow down -- because postmodernism to the ‘spiritual life’...The living of a life of may really be hypermodernism. Stay longer discipleship became paramount, just as it -- because there is no way to discern God’s had been in the monastic traditions.” will together without commitment to sit long -Ethical non-conformity. In a violent, together in the first place. A vow of stability image-driven and consumerist culture, the -- because it is no use discerning appropriate Anabaptist practices of non-violence, truth- ways to be Christian disciples in our age if we telling and generous simplicity are distinctive, do not embody them through time, testing, winsome and powerful. Re-monking the and the patience with one another that our church after Christendom is about counter- good ideas and great ideals need, in order cultural living. to prove their worth as communal practices. - A commitment to accountability in As one Mennonite church leader remarked to community, which is counter-cultural in our me concerning the impact of constant mobility individualistic culture. If new monasticism on our congregations: “It’s getting so the only imports liturgical practices from Abrahamic thing to do is to stay put.” monasticism and ignores accountability, this will not amount to re-monking. In fact, within Implications For Mission emerging churches there are real dangers In describing new monastics and other of irresponsible pillaging of ancient practices young radicals today, Tom Sine says “One can without appreciating their significance and hear a distinctly Anabaptist accent as these dangers. young conspirators in all four streams invite all Both Anabaptism and new monasticism of us to embrace a more radical, whole-life faith are about faithfully following Jesus – privately and to create churches that are more outwardly and publicly. Discipleship is a political act focused in mission.” Stuart Murray Williams calling Christians to be engaged with public asks “What encouragements or resources issues like poverty, climate change, economic can the Anabaptist tradition offer to those who disparities, and warfare. are exploring new monasticism today? What Both of these movements realise might re-monking the church after Christendom community is needed for Christians to be mean?” He lists six responses: faithful disciples. Lone Rangers need not - Hundreds of stories – Anabaptism is apply. Hospitality is a major mark of these a story-rich tradition – of Christians who communities. have attempted to follow Jesus as serious Both movements call for disciplined disciples, despite the cost of this, and whose discipleship – seen in documents like the lives impressed their persecutors. Schleitheim Confession and the Twelve - An in-depth critique of the Christendom Marks of New Monasticism. Accountability is mindset that continues to pervade the important. churches and insights on various issues Both movements are counter- that we will need to renegotiate in post- cultural. Following Jesus calls Christians to Christendom. be alternative, attractive, and articulate. This - An insistent focus on Jesus as the one stance takes them to the margins of society and we follow and whose life and teaching is our often the margins of the church. example and guide. The monastic tradition Both movements take seriously the is not always focused on Jesus in this way with particular emphasis – sometimes Jesus is marginalised or the on being peacemakers. 12 September 2008 Jesus told his followers “You are the Claiborne, Shane. The Irresistible Revolution: Living light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be as an Ordinary Radical, Zondervan, 2006. hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) He went on to warn Dekar, Paul R. Community Of The Transfiguration, Cascade Books, 2008. about hiding this light and then said “Let your Dyck, C.J. Spiritual Life In Anabaptism, Herald Press, light shine before all in such a way that they 1995. may see your good works, and glorify your Fry, Timothy, Editor. The Rule of St. Benedict In father who is in heaven.” (5:16) Anabaptists English, The Liturgical Press, 1982. have been guilty at times of hiding the light Rutba House, Editors. Schools for Conversion: 12 marks of a New Monasticism, Cascade Books, 2005. and just remaining the “quiet in the land”. But Simpson, Ray and Lyons Lee, Brent. Emerging living the light before a watching world speaks Downunder, ATF Press, 2008. powerfully. Living in community, following a Sine, Tom. The New Conspirators, Inter Varsity Press, disciplined spirituality, and caring for others 2008. allows the light to shine brightly. Snyder, C. Arnold. The Life and Thought of Michael Sattler, Herald Press: Scottdale, 1984 Stock, Jon, Otto, Tim, and Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan. The Challenge Inhabiting the Church, Cascade Books, 2007. Ash Barker from Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan. New Monasticism: What It UNOH says he loves being Has to Say to Today’s Church, Brazos Press, 2008. around radicals. “There’s a Yoder, John Howard. The Legacy of Michael Sattler, Herald Press, 1973. passion and feistiness that is indomitable” but the down Articles side is “the constant loss Becker, Palmer. “What is an Anabaptist Christian?” of community experiments (http://aaanz.mennonite.net/Resources) by Protestant radicals Byassee, Jason. “The new monastics: Alternative after short periods of time. Christian communities”, Christian Century Magazine ( http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=1399 We’ve been great at prophetic announcements, (18 October 2005). critiquing what is wrong with our church and Kauffman, Ivan. “The New Saint Benedict”, New society, but we have had real trouble building Monasticism Website http://www.newmonasticism.org/ communities long enough to see transformation (8 December 2004). occur.” He says “these kinds of communities Nisly, Weldon D. “Hidden in Plain Sight: Mennonite Benedictine Spirituality”, Ecumenical Institute Lecture, are almost second nature to Catholic structures http://www.newmonasticism.org/nm_docs/weldonnisly. with their various orders...however it is almost pdf (19 April 2001) always the cause of argument and schism Murray Williams, Stuart. “Anabaptism – re-monking within Protestant ones.” (123) the church after Christendom”, Anabaptist Network Maybe Anabaptist and new monastic Conference http://www.anabaptistnetwork.com/files/Re- monking%20church%20after%20Christendom.pdf radicals can learn something from the Celtic (May 2008) and Benedictine traditions that will allow us to Schlabach, Gerald W. “Benedictine Values and the Need create more stable communities – “specialist for Bridging”, Monastic Institute, Saint John’s Abbey communities able to live out the gospel in http://www.bridgefolk.net/prayer.php (6 July 2006) radical, sustainable and innovative ways ______. “The Vow of Stability: A Premodern Way through a Hypermodern World”, Bluffton College without trying to be everything for everyone.” Conference on “Anabaptism & Postmodernity” (Barker, 123) http://personal2.stthomas.edu/gwschlabach/docs/stablty. htm (6-8 August 1998) Works Cited ______.“Stability in the World: An Oblate’s Books Reflections”, Bluffton College http://personal2.stthomas. edu/gwschlabach/docs/oblates.htm (12 July 2000.) Barker, Ash. Make Poverty Personal: The Bible’s Call Sine, Tom. “Joining the Anabaptist conspirators”, The to End Oppression, Urban Neighbours Of Hope, 2006. Mennonite http://www.themennonite.org/issues/11- Bessenecker, Scott A. The New Friars, Inter Varsity 11/articles/Joining_the_Anabaptist_conspirators Press, 2006. (3 June 2008). Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together, Harper and Row, Worthen, Molly. “The unexpected monks”, The Boston 1954. Globe http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/ Cronshaw, Darren. Credible Witness: Companions, articles/2008/02/03/the_unexpected_monks/ Prophets, Hosts & Other Australian Mission Mode (3 February 2008) ls, Urban Neighbours Of Hope, 2006.

13 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. [The following Fusion news story came to us from Mark and Sandy McCormack, AAANZ members in Tasmania. Their son Jesse participated in Fusion’s outreach in China. Photos provided by Heather Bradbury, Visual Media Manager, Fusion International Educational Exchange] MAKING CHINA BEAUTIFUL!

On Friday 8th of August, the Opening Night of the Olympics, authorities across China shut down public celebrations. However in the Earthquake zone in Sichuan Province, local authorities allowed a Fusion International team along with many local Chinese volunteers, to bring hope to a local community through an Open Crowd Festival. This was the first Festival of a number that took place during the Games that has seen thousands of local Chinese at Open Crowd Festivals spread across various locations in four Provinces of China. Over the last 18 months since the first workers arrived in China, Fusion has conducted specialised training in Open Crowd Festivals So many children have lost many of their friends. for in excess of 1,000 local people. Whilst 180 You have brought joy to our town. We will not forget Fusion International Educational Exchange team it.” In his location, until now, very few foreigners from Fusion centres across the world came in have ever been seen. to strengthen the exercise at this time, Chinese The Principal wrote a thank you letter that Nationals have increasingly been taking the initiative in part read “... In our most vulnerable time friends and leading Open Crowd Festivals as the Games from Fusion came and arranged various activities unfolded. Fusion International is committed to for our students, teachers, parents and people in the building and establishing lasting connections and community. We are thankful for the joy you brought networks (Social Capital) that will help humanise us as well as your care and hard work. We invite and transform local communities and build a you back again.” harmonious and inclusive society, so that others can A TV crew arrived to film one evening of find their place in a higher local and global purpose. the Festivals. The Producer asked, “Why isn’t the whole world hearing about this?” As they interviewed the team one of the reporters had tears in her eyes – moved both by what she saw and our motivation for doing it. Profoundly moving were parents who had lost their children watching other children having fun and smiling. The story that seemed to best sum up the impact of our time in this region was when a small boy caught up in the joy of the centre games at the Festival came to one of our workers and enquired “Where are you from? Are Earthquake Zone you from heaven?” Fusion was invited to run Open Crowd There were stories of people and families Festivals in two areas where the devastating coming together as a result of the Festivals. One earthquake of 12th May hit the Sichuan Province. team member spoke to a boy who wanted to join the In these regions, most of the children have been team, but he had caused a few difficulties earlier in traumatised by what they have experienced. In the night. He pleaded, “Please give me a chance to some places a whole generation of children be a good boy!” have been lost. One Festival team was based in a community where a school collapsed and Across the Country 96 children and 14 teachers died. The Festival In the lead up to the Games Fusion ran took place on rubble 300 metres from where the preparation Festivals across the country. In one school used to be. After two nights of Festivals a community five different Festivals have run since community leader said, “Your timing is remarkable. May and a local leader said, “This place is different now; people are talking to each other, people are 14 September 2008 not angry with each other like before. There is a workers, evidently trying to say something important noticeable move in the level of community in the and it turned out woman wanted a hug too. After housing complex.” A parent added, “Our children our worker recovered, she looked up to see a line can’t get to sleep they are so excited!” One teenage was forming of other waiters and waitresses waiting boy who has had trouble making friends now has for a hug. new friends much to the delight of his parents. The Resident Committee are now active supporters as they see what has been happening. Communist Party Officials too are supportive of the Festivals. One of the new team commented, “Every single person needs to go to the Festival – it will change their lives. You plant seeds in children’s hearts and it grows bigger and bigger.” As a result there are now more than 50 people in this community who are part of the Festival team. As they were leaving, the Chief of Police in the area said, “I hope I can see you again. We will be very happy to welcome you back for National Day Festivals.” The whole operation worked at so many different levels, it is hard to convey all the subtleties. The relationship with the authorities that could Fusion is seeking to build and establish change frequently; growing sense of trust as lasting connections and networks that will help mothers and grandmothers brought small children humanise and transform local communities along to give to team members to give them a hug; and build a harmonious and inclusive society young children running to team members to be in communities all over China. A key aspect of picked up and hugged. This is not normal in China, the strategy involves three Festivals a year in a but it happens as people receive a glimpse of the community, over three years. Currently during way life was meant to be. China’s National Day holiday, around October 1st, there are more than 14 communities planning Festivals mostly being run by local people of goodwill, who love their community and have been trained by our Fusion International team. One of our team was given a Chinese name “Mei Man” which means “fully beautiful” because as the Chinese lady explained, “This is what you have been doing – you have come to ‘Make China Beautiful’!” At the Festivals in the Sichuan Earthquake zone one of the leaders said, “When you came here everything changed. The children began to laugh for the first time. They became themselves – they are children again. You may have come from afar but you are here at the right time.” Something is building. Attitudes are The whole experience could be summed up changing. Hope is rising. when a small child came up to one of our workers and said “I am hungry!” The team member went http://www.fusion.org.au/china_pilgrimage.php and got some food. But when she approached with some food, the child said “No, not that.” It was evident that it was food for the soul and the spirit that he was hungry for. He just wanted a hug. On another occasion at a restaurant there was obvious affection and bonding taking place amongst the team. The restaurant staff was watching. A staff member greeted one of our

15 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. CHURCH PLANTING IN THE INNER CITY The Urban Expression Story JULIET KILPIN & STUART MURRAY, GROVE BOOKS Stuart Murray may be Kingdom, the distinctive features of church known to some members of planting in the inner city and the resources AAANZ. This short booklet, needed by urban church planters. The in the well known Grove discussion does not present Urban Expression series, tells the story of as a ‘success story’ (whatever that might mean) Urban Expression in which but as an ongoing journey of discovery rooted he has played a key role in our core values of relationship, humility and from its launch in 1997. creativity. Urban Expression is an urban mission The issues being grappled with in the UK agency that recruits, equips, deploys and context are highly relevant to Christian mission networks self-financing teams pioneering in the Australian context. creative and relevant expressions of the For those who want Christian church in under-churched areas of the more information,. For more inner city. details check their website at: In addition to the discussion of the http://www.urbanexpression. foundation and operation of Urban Expression, org.uk/ the authors also reflect on the recent history of REVIEWED BY DOUG HYND, CANBERRA urban mission and church planting in the United THE KINGS AND THEIR GODS The pathology of power DANIEL BERRIGAN EERDMANS 2008 We live in strangely Berrigan certainly minces no words in ecumenical times indeed, his assessment of that biblical era. Prophets, when a stunning midrash kings, and the gods they worship — all are on 1 and 2 Kings, by found wanting. Berrigan is ironic and teasing in Daniel Berrigan, Catholic his questioning of who these gods actually are. priest and peace activist is Only towards the end of the Books of the Kings published by Eerdmans an when we come to the prophet Isaiah is a sign of independent, Reformed publishing House from hope acknowledged by Berrigan. Grand Rapids, Michigan. The writing style is shaped by Berrigan’s It is interesting to recall that nearly 40 poet’s sensibility. Paragraphs are short, allusive years ago Eerdmans published the English in their vocabulary and encourage reflective translation of a series of studies on passages reading. The discussion and the judgments and from 2 Kings by French sociologist and questioning of the characters and the author(s) theologian Jacques Ellul The politics of God are informed by the experiences of a life and the politics of Man. devoted to an active prophetic response to life The biblical text of 1 and 2 Kings is in the shadow of the US military empire during certainly a turbulent one. Daniel Berrigan’s the latter half of the twentieth century. contribution is quite different in style and The complex terrain of these two biblical focus to that of Ellul, yet there is a certain books is explored by Berrigan in a way that family resemblance, in that each in their own opens our eyes to the deep flaws of their oft- way reads the text with an eye to the times in praised characters. I certainly had much that which they live and neither was constrained by I have taken for granted about the stories in conforming to the traditional style of academic these books brought into question and indeed biblical commentary. it is a profound questioning that Berrigan brings

16 September 2008 to bear on our pious and unreflective readings of witness. Here this modern-day prophet distills David and Solomon and their successors. the wisdom gained from his long reflection on Berrigan shows that this dark time in and reading of scripture and his remarkable biblical history is in many ways repeating itself life of discipleship. The book is both a today. The wars of these kings, he says, are our masterful biblical commentary and a clarion wars now, and we are in the process fashioning call to rightly understand our time and escape our own gods to approve our misdeeds. These the pious avoidance of the moral ambiguities two books of Scripture come to vivid — and of the text of the Kings as it has come to us. sometimes terrifying — life when we recognize The Kings and Their Gods balances these undeniable similarities and find that the polemics and poetry, despair and joy. It books hold up a mirror to our own times and that is truly a midrash, a probing reflective reflection subverts any easy assumptions of moral exploration of scripture for our troubled advance or superiority of the twentieth century. times, not a conventional moral argument or The Kings and Their Gods reveals that ideological polemic. It is both an indictment Berrigan at eighty-seven years of age has lost of the horror that is the lot for so many in the nothing of his passion and the clarity of moral world today and an invitation to the great concern that has marked his whole life and goodness and grace that may be. REVIEWED BY DOUG HYND PLAN BE DAVE ANDREWS,AUTHENTIC http://wecan.be/ Dave Andrews has been Dave suggests that the way forward insisting for some time that for the church would be to become a series the Sermon on the Mount of “recovery” groups based on opening needs to be rescued from ourselves up to each other in accountability the reverent obscurity to as we seek to live out the Beatitudes. Now which it has been consigned there is a thought. by most churches, at I must confess that I have been least until recently. Some encouraged by this little book to start the theologians have begun to recover its relevance process of memorising the Beatitudes, by challenging the framework within which it has reflecting on what they might mean for my mostly been interpreted over the past 1700 years. life and the tensions that they expose within Dave has started by getting us to focus on me as I struggle with what it means to be a the Beatitudes as providing the key to living the ‘public servant” in the public service. virtues Jesus called for in his disciples. REVIEWED BY DOUG HYND Plan Be is a simple series of reflections on the Beatitudes that challenges us to let these AAANZ MEMBERS’ ONLY affirmations of Jesus begin to shape our Christian TELE-CONVERSATION FEATURING discipleship. Activist Christians among whom he counts himself have focused too much on trying TIM COSTELLO to change others. We are he argues the ones who CEO OF WORLD VISION AUSTRALIA need to be changed and to begin to practice the Beatitudes is the path to become the change that 4 OCTOBER 2008 - 6 PM we wish to see in the world. (Australian Eastern Standard Time) This is a book that takes us back to the teachings of Jesus. A challenge to let our hearts GATHER A GROUP FOR AN and minds be reshaped and to begin the process EVENING OF TABLE FELLOWSHIP of imaginatively approaching the transformation AND CONVERSATION! of the world through the spiritual discipline of reading, memorising and reflecting on the FOR DETAILS CONTACT DOUG SEWELL AT Beatitudes. [email protected] 17 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. teach in the first place and who no one actually THE DOORS OF THE SEA worships. At the same time, lurking behind Where Was God in the Tsunami? moral protests to God’s existence lies the DAVID BENTLEY HART, WM B. EERDMANS, 2005 cultural memory of the distinctively Christian In this striking little view of God as a God of infinite goodness and book, Eastern Orthodox absolute love. It is this that leads critics to have theologian David Hart the moral expectations of God that they do, for explores how Christian belief there is “no God other than the Christian God in an all-powerful and all- of infinite mercy who merits the effort of active loving God can be can be unbelief” (54). Within the very atheism that squared with the realities of refuses to believe in God for moral reasons human suffering and natural there resides an honouring, in an elliptical way, evil, such as witnessed of the Christian God. in the recent tsunami that Much more troubling for Hart are devastated parts of southern the sub-Christian views of God that many Asia and claimed up to a quarter of a million Christian apologists employ in their attempts lives. Much has been written on this so-called to rationalise suffering and evil. These range problem of “theodicy”. But what makes this book from callous interpretations of earthquakes so rewarding, apart from its exquisite prose, is and tsunamis as manifestations of God’s wrath that it approaches the question from an Eastern against the ungodly, or as merely pedagogical Christian perspective rather than the more devices for teaching important lessons, to familiar Western perspective. more sophisticated efforts to incorporate The author is particularly scathing of earthly suffering into some larger providential Calvinist attempts to resolve the dilemma by plan of God to achieve a greater good. exaggerated appeals to divine sovereignty. He Now the desire to see a single acknowledges that there is more to Calvinism transcendent will operating behind everything than its radical predestinarianism, or its that happens, including every instance of “disfiguring heresy” of limited atonement, but “I suffering, violence and loss, is understandable; would be lying if I denied that, in many of the it offers some level of comfort in face of broad themes of the theology of Calvin, there apparently arbitrary and indiscriminate pain. is something in my view terribly amiss and But it comes at an enormous price. It pictures extremely remote from the theology of the New God as absolute will or irresistible power Testament” (94). alone, and does little to answer the objection Interestingly Hart is little troubled by that if God’s plan of salvation requires the unbelieving critics who consider innocent torture of children, as well as every other suffering to be a fatal objection to the very cruelty or fortuitous misery the world has ever existence of God. Such an objection may have known, then participation in final salvation considerable emotional or even moral force, should be declined on moral grounds. “For if but, for Hart, it is wholly lacking in intellectual indeed there were a God whose true nature persuasion. “Unless one can see the beginning – whose justice or sovereignty – were revealed and end of all things, unless one possesses a in the death of a child or the dereliction of a divine, eternal vantage upon all of time, unless soul or a predestined hell, then it would be no one knows the precise nature of the relation great transgression to think of him as a kind between divine and created freedom, unless one of malevolent or contemptible demiurge, and indeed can fathom infinite wisdom, one can draw to hate him, and the deny him worship, and to no conclusions from finite experience regarding seek a better God than he” (92). the coincidence in God of omnipotence and The fundamental weakness in all perfect goodness. One may still hate God for deterministic theodicies is that they refuse to worldly suffering if one chooses, or deny him, but take seriously the cosmological perspective of one cannot in this way ‘disprove’ him” (13-14). the New Testament. For the New Testament All too often sceptics presuppose a deistic writers, the purposes of God cannot be read conception of God that Christian doctrine doesn’t off the surface of nature or natural events. 18 September 2008 (Hart observes that so-called “natural theology” if by economy God brings good from it. may be able to deduce from the marvellous None of this is to diminish God’s ultimate complexity of design in the world that God is governance of reality. God’s sovereignty and an immeasurably wise and powerful engineer; providence reside, not in his predestination but at the same time it is forced to conclude of all things, but in his final triumph over all that death, brutality and violence are structured that resists his will. There is no contradiction into every level of created reality). Instead, in affirming that God can both allow created to the eye of faith, the purposes of God are freedom full scope, yet so constitute the world most truly disclosed in Christ’s empty tomb. that nothing can prevent him from bringing The resurrection bespeaks God’s implacable about the final beatitude for which all things opposition to suffering and death, and were made. “To say that God elects to fashion proves that the world as we know it is not the rational creatures in his image, and so grants way it was intended to be. Creation is still them the freedom to bind themselves and the resplendent with God’s glory, yes. But this is greater physical order to another master...is a broken and wounded world that exists “in not to say that God’s ultimate design for his the long melancholy aftermath of a primordial creatures can be thwarted. It is to acknowledge, catastrophe” (62) and which languishes under however, that his will can be resisted by a the domination of principalities and powers that real and (by his grace) autonomous force of never cease in their enmity toward God. defiance, or can be hidden from us by the It is this that accounts for innocent history of cosmic corruption, and that the final suffering in the world. Suffering does not occur realization of the good he intends in all things because God wills it, or causes it, requires it has the form...of a divine victory” (63). in order to achieve his saving plan; it occurs in Doors of the Sea is a profound and outright defiance of the reign of God. However moving meditation on the problem of pain from unsettling it may be, the biblical writers simply plainly a brilliant theological mind. Its brevity do not share “the solicitude shown by some means a lot of big ideas are touched on all too Christians for total and direct divine sovereignty briefly (such as his defence of the increasingly in all the eventualities of the fallen world” (66). unfashionable doctrine of divine impassibility). Indeed “there is a kind of ‘provisional’ cosmic The book is not primarily an exercise in dualism within the New Testament: not an Christian apologetics; it is an impassioned ultimate dualism of course, between two equal protest against fellow believers who, out of principles; but certainly a conflict between a acute anxiety to protect God’s sovereignty, are sphere of created autonomy that strives against all-too ready to see the hand of God behind the God on the one hand, and the saving love of horrors of human history and the disasters of God in time on the other” (62-63). the natural world. For Hart, the greatest, and It is necessary, therefore, to distinguish indeed the only, comfort a Christian can find between what God wills and what God permits, in the death of a child is the or between primary causation and secondary knowledge that in the tragedy causation (a distinction Calvin denied). God one sees, not the face of God, permits evil to occur rather than to violate the but the face of God’s enemy, autonomy of the created world, since freedom whose ultimate defeat is is essential to achievement of the ontological assured. good for which we were made. But this does REVIEWED BY CHRIS MARSHALL, VICTORIA not mean God wills or needs evil in order to UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON achieve his ends. It is theologically incoherent to say that God requires evil to achieve his Be part of the AAANZ community - purposes, or that it was necessary for his in prayer, tele-conversations with creatures to pass through sin and death to interesting speakers and hospitality as arrive at some higher state (Calvin taught that you travel. God even predestined Adam’s fall). Evil has no applications online at contribution to make to God’s purposes; it is www.anabaptist.asn.au entirely contingent and devoid of meaning, even 19 On The Road #38 Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand Inc. NEW PRODUCTS FROM HERALD PRESS Marpeck: Sing A Life of Dissent the and Conformity BY WALTER KLAASSEN AND Story 2

WILLIAM KLASSEN During the 16th The music century’s tumultuous years featured here of religious reformation is based on and revolution, Pilgram the book, Sing Marpeck consistently but the Story. discreetly stood up to the The music ruling powers, calling for embraces the heart of our worship and and separation of church devotion: Jesus Christ. The selections and state. Walter Klaassen and William Klassen, especially focus on the seasons of the editors of The Writings of , have church year from Advent to Pentecost, deeply mined Marpeck’s writing and dialogue with telling the story of Jesus. Sing the Story other Reformation leaders. They place his life, 2 CD features the Story Musicians of work, and theology in the context of his violent, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Shekinah, an changing times. This thorough biography shows independent female singing group based how Marpeck, perhaps more than any other early in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia; and Anabaptist figure, helped lay the theoretical and Sons of the Day, young men who explore practical foundations of the believers church. the wide variety of a cappella traditions. Come on a Half Day Silent Retreat with the Anabaptist Association When: Saturday 18 October 1-5 pm Cost $30 Where: Warriewood, NSW Bookings essential: 02 9997 4632 or [email protected] “Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you” James 4:8

Anabaptist Association of What is Anabaptism? Anabaptism is a radical Christian renewal movement Australia and New Zealand Inc. that emerged in Europe during the sixteenth-century Reformation. Whilst Anabaptism was a grassroots movement The purposes of the Association are: with diverse expressions in its early development, its enduring • To nurture and support the Christian faith of individuals and legacy usually has included the following: groups in Australia and New Zealand who identify with • Baptism upon profession of faith the Anabaptist tradition. • A view of the church in which membership is voluntary and • To network and link individuals, churches and groups of members are accountable to the Bible and to each other Christians who share a common Anabaptist • A commitment to the way of peace and other teachings of understanding of the Christian faith. Jesus as a rule for life • To provide religious services including teaching, training, • Separation of church and state pastoral care, mediation, and counsel to its members • Worshipping congregations which create authentic and others interested in the Anabaptist tradition. community and reach out through vision and service • To provide resources and materials relating to the tradition, perspectives, and teaching of Anabaptists to both the AAANZ Christian and general public. c/o Mark and Mary Hurst • To convene conferences and gatherings which provide opportunity for worship, teaching, training, consultation, P.O.Box 738 Mona Vale NSW 1660 celebration, and prayer in the Anabaptist tradition. Australia • To extend the awareness of Anabaptism in Australia and New Zealand assisting individuals, churches and groups [email protected] discover and express their links with the Anabaptist tradition. • To provide an opportunity for affiliation for churches and AAANZ Homepage on the internet groups who wish to be known in Australia and New Zealand as Anabaptists. http://www.anabaptist.asn.au 20 September 2008