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Introduction:
The Politics of Holiness
Derek Poole
Comment
David McMillan
From
the Director
David Porter
Boundary
Markers
Heather Morris
A
Passion for Holiness or Dangerous Purity
Bishop Harold Miller
In
the Flowing Tide
Steve Stockman
Holy
Sectarianism
Alwyn Thomson
Book
Reviews
Alwyn Thomson
THE
POLITICS OF HOLINESS
On the 1st November 1997 ECONI held its fourth annual conference entitled
'The Politics of Holiness' On the same weekend we invited churches throughout
the country to consider introducing this theme into their Sunday morning
worship service. The motivation behind these initiatives was to help raise
questions about the nature of holiness and in particular to explore what
it means to be 'set apart' for God in a divided society.
The Evangelical tradition has tended to view the biblical call to holy living exclusively in terms of avoiding the 'contamination' of the world. This has often resulted in a 'separatist' mentality that sees disassociation from the concerns and activities of the dominant culture as necessary for moral purity and doctrinal preservation. The problem with this solution is its negative consequences - it fosters an incestuous Christian sub-culture; it creates a psychological dualism that is simply bad for your health; it reduces faith to personal comfort and makes it socially irrelevant, and it denies the radical ethical and political praxis of the Evangelical heritage.
In the context of Northern Ireland, the theology of separatism can have more sinister implications. In a sectarian climate, the 'normal' fears and prejudices are greatly intensified when the primary threat to a people's 'purity' is perceived in religious terms - the belief that Catholic faith and culture are essentially idolatrous. When this fear is authorised by apocalyptic rhetoric and justified by righteous conviction then the distancing of ourselves from our 'neighbour' becomes necessary for both spiritual and cultural survival. The history of religious separatism and the antipathy towards all things Catholic has a deep resonance in the collective Protestant psyche.
This issue of Lion & Lamb reflects this concern and invites us to consider what it means to be a holy people in a community that has shown itself capable of the most unholy attitudes and acts. In A Passion for Holiness or Dangerous Purity, Bishop Harold Miller confronts us with our potential for domination and violence in the name of religious and cultural purity. By applying the work of the Croatian theologian Miroslav Volf to the conflict in Northern Ireland he challenges us to fulfil the meaning of Christian holiness by sharing our lives in love and service with a hurting community. Heather Morris in Boundary Markers considers the relational aspect of holiness and invites us to follow the example of the Apostle Paul as a boundary breaker. And in Holy Sectarianism Alwyn Thomson reminds us that it is incumbent on the followers of Christ to reject the 'darkness' that is in the world, but this should not be confused with a rejection of the world which is the focus of God's love.
ECONI WELCOMES the submission of unsolicited articles, but does not guarantee publication, and manuscripts cannot be returned. Opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECONI. Permission to reprint any original article in Lion & Lamb should be sought from the Editor.
Editor
Derek Poole
Asst Editor Ruth Hutchinson
Design Colin Maguire
Cover Spring Graphics
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