News and Views for Ministers Number 1, February 2007 Published by Presbyterian Publishing Company Ltd PO Box 9049, Wellington Religion and politics Contents Editorial ................................................................. Amanda Wells ............................................... 3 Essays Religion and politics: A healthy mix ........................ Kevin Ward .................................................... 4 Should Christians be involved in politics? ............. George Bryant .............................................. 6 Religion and politics don’t mix? .............................. John Murray .................................................. 9 “A prophet of God’s justice” .................................... Nathan Parry ............................................... 12 A response On being a minority of the majority ........................ Frank Glen ................................................... 13 Reviews A Religious Atheist: Critical Essays on the Work of Lloyd Geering .......................................... Rinny Westra .............................................. 17 Letters to the editor....................................................... ............................................................. 18 Candour 2006 article index ....................................................... ................................................ 20 Noticeboard Candour is a monthly magazine about ministry and lead- ership. It is published by the Presbyterian Publishing Worship Resource Bank Company Ltd. For more information, contact: Communications Unit Many of us who prepare worship are inter- Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand ested in both having access to other peo- PO Box 9049 ple’s ideas and to sharing our own resources Wellington with others. The articles in Candour reflect the views of individual One way in which we can do this is through ministers or contributors writing in a personal capacity. the worship resource bank which is being They are not representative of the Church’s official developed at www.presbyterian.org.nz. position. Please approach the author for permission if you Our hope is that worship leaders will e-mail wish to copy an article. us the worship resource(s) they have cre- ated. We will post it under what seems like Contributions the most appropriate category so that oth- We welcome responses to published articles. If you ers can access and use it. We would also be would like to write a piece replying to any of this happy to receive recommendations of wor- month’s featured articles, please contact: ship resource websites which we can also Amanda Wells (editor) post as a link on the site. Telephone: (04) 381-8285 Email: [email protected] If you go to www.presbyterian.org.nz, then PO Box 9049, Wellington to “minister’s resources” and then to the “worship resource bank” you will see the Advertising topics which we are hoping to stock with re- One-quarter page: $80 plus gst (87mm x 117mm) sources and web-links. One-third page: $95 plus gst (87mm x 160mm) Half page: $130 plus gst (184mm x 138mm) a. Theology of worship Any artwork must be supplied electronically and in a b. Calls to worship and benedictions high-resolution format. Measurements are indicative c. Prayers only and subject to layout requirements. d. Worship and sermon preparation The next advertising deadline (for the March issue) is e. Communion 28 February 2007. f. Baptism and confirmation g. Music Candour delivery h. Youth If you know someone who would like a copy of i. Children Candour, please encourage them to get in touch. j. Drama Subscribers: please contact candour@presbyterian. k. Funerals and memorial services org.nz if you change your postal or email address (whichever is relevant). l. Wedding m. Alternative worship n. Ordination/induction services Glen Innis Vacancies o. Blessing and other service liturgies February 26 - March 5 Homestead/Cottage March 5 - 12 Homestead Seasonal resources will also appear on the March 12 - 19 Cottage resource bank. Any resources you would be March 19 - 26 Homestead/Cottage willing to share with others on these themes To enquire about vacancies, please email would be gladly received. [email protected] or telephone 06 855-4889. Contributions can be sent to Sharon Ensor: Ministers are welcome to inquire regarding vacancies due to cancellations. [email protected] (04) 472-6402. 2 Editorial Courting controversy Amanda Wells eligion and politics: two topics best unaddressed in healthy. Perhaps the persistence of Christian parties in Rpolite conversation, perhaps? the Kiwi political context has been a blessing in terms of effectively shutting religious extremes out from the British entertainer Elton John, who visited New Zealand mainstream of power. late last year, had this to say about religion: “I would ban religion completely. Organised religion doesn’t seem to But everyone’s actions are informed by their worldview, work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and and to imply that politicians act in a religion-free vacuum it’s not really compassionate.”1 is to deny reality. To deny that religious belief is increas- ingly significant politically on the global stage is simi- And what is politics? One of the first essays I wrote in larly perverse. Examples are scarcely needed. Perhaps 10 my time at university concerned the proposition that the years ago it seemed that postmodernism had squelched novel in question (Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s religious fervour with its uncertainties and relativism. In Tale) was essentially political. What did this mean, I today’s climate, the influence of faith is hard to underes- wondered. My eighteen-year-old self associated the term timate. with elections and political parties. But politics is really about power, as the lecturer’s question intimated; about Any group generates internal power dynamics; any kind “who can do what to whom”, which Atwood’s novel ex- of institutionalism induces politics. Most of the essays in plores. this month’s collection explore the connection between the Church and external political processes but to have Combine the two ingredients above to produce an explo- considered our internal political balances would have sive mixture. been just as valid. Kevin Ward considers the role main- stream Christianity has a played, and continues to play, But politics and religion can’t be separated. Think of the in the New Zealand political context. George Bryant struggles of the Sanhedrin and the myriad Jewish fac- provides a personal reflection on his long involvement tions confronting Jesus. Denying the impact of power in the political process, and considers whether Christian plays in the sphere of faith is to take an overly naïve parties provide an effective approach. John Murray asks view. Anything that hits people on an emotional level some questions and answers some others in an attempt to will induce non-rational reactions that are vulnerable to negotiate the delicate balance of state and faith. Nathan manipulation. In this issue of Candour, Frank Glen’s sen- Parry offers an insight into the paper presented by Chris sitive exploration of being representing minority view in Marshall at last year’s Focal conference entitles “A a congregation suggests ways in which putting politics prophet of God’s justice: Reclaiming the political Jesus”. in perspective can provide a more Christ-like model for The issue appropriately concludes with Rinny Westra’s loving one another. review of an essay collection focusing on the work of the recently honoured Lloyd Geering. Put “Christianity” and “politics” in the same sentence and right-wing implications aren’t far away, particularly The March issue of Candour has the theme “Maximising if it’s the US political climate under consideration. I had pastoral visiting” and contributions would be appreciat- many conversations in January about right-wing ma- ed. The deadline is Thursday 1 March; anything between nipulation of the Bush/Gore election (the literary fiction 700 and 2500 words is fine. Reviews are also welcome I insist on reading while tramping having considerably and these can be shorter if desired. Email contributions less conversational potential than US satirist Al Frank- to me at [email protected] en’s The Truth (with jokes)). One of this book’s more fascinating features was an analysis of both overt and covert evangelical support for Bush, and the apparent arrogance with which this skirted a number of US elec- References tioneering laws. Whether you see truth in this interpreta- 1 Quote cited in “Elton not shy about views”, the Domin- tion or not, there can be little doubt it makes the New ion Post, 27 November 2006. Zealand political climate seem comparatively tame and 3 Ess ays Religion and politics: A healthy mix Kevin Ward, School of Ministry, Dunedin eligion has no place in politics” proclaimed the Party emerged in New Zealand, it included many promi- “Rdeputy Prime Minister, Michael Cullen, as he nent churchmen among its leading members. Harry Hol- mounted the platform to speak at the New Zealand La- land had been a street preacher with the Salvation Army. bour Party 2006 conference in Rotorua. He was express- When it came to power, its first Prime Minister, Michael ing a commonly held view that is not only naïve but also Joseph Savage, reclaimed his Roman Catholicism and suggests that most of New Zealand’s political history has described his Government’s policies as “applied Christi- in fact been flawed, including much of