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Editorial:
Minority Report
Anna Rankin
Comment:
Racism in Ulster: Up-front and Ugly
Ken Newell
From
the Director: Naming Our Sin
David W Porter
Faith
in Ulster: Facing Up to Diversity
Stephen Skuce
Faith
and Practice
Walter Lewis
Interview
with Rose Ozo: Where the Heart Is
Anna Rankin
Craigavon:
Religious Liberty in the Shadow of Drumcree
Small Steps
Tim Foley
Embracing the Stranger
Richard Kerr
Review:
On Eagle's Wing
Ethel White
Review:
Conflict, Controversy and Co-operation
John W Morrow
Review:
The Subversive Manifesto
John Kyle
Review:
L is for Lifestyle
Claire Martin
Review:
It Will Not Be Taken Away From Her
Cary Gibson
Review:
Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance
Paul Rankin
Review:
Two Little Boys
John Gillespie
Review:
Son
David Smith
REVIEW:
Conflict, Controversy and Co-operation
by Norman Taggart
reviewed by John W Morrow
NORMAN TAGGART has recorded a very significant part of the story of the Irish Council of Churches and how it developed and responded to the first four years of the “Troubles” when he was its Executive Secretary.
It is easy to forget that prior to this period there was very little contact between the main Protestant Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. Many people will be unaware of the various steps which were taken on that journey during this period, partly stimulated by Vatican II but also in response to the social and political crisis which had emerged in Northern Ireland. The ecumenical journey in Ireland has never been an easy one. When it involved the official representatives of the churches it was faced with much internal opposition as the ICC sought to give leadership in obedience to the call of Christ to express our unity on the most central aspects of our faith and life. The deep suspicions in the wider society sparked off by the “Troubles” made any efforts at a united witness inevitably political as well as ecclesiastical. Indeed, those of us who had formed the Corrymeela Community felt that the need to find consensus on every decision meant that the case for a more independent initiative – freer to speak and act more quickly – was justified.
However, it would have been too easy to opt out of the attempt to create a structural instrument and allow our churches to evade the challenges of common witness posed by our divided society. We must therefore salute those who gave so much of their time to fashion such an instrument whereby we could speak and act together at a crucial point in our history. Norman gives many examples of the tensions this produced as they sought to give leadership but at the same time avoid being so out of touch with grass-roots feelings as to be counterproductive. Although that opposition or critique came partly from blatant anti-catholic or fundamentalist sources it also came from sincere evangelicals who felt that truth was being sacrificed for the sake of unity.
The record shows that whilst it was often necessary to begin co-operation on less sensitive issues such as drugs or housing the council did eventually succeed in tackling difficult issues like violence through the setting up of joint structures. In this way many important relationships were nurtured and trust developed between many key leaders of this period. The influence of the wider global ecumenism is also evident, and the contributions of the European Council of Churches and the German churches were, at times, very significant. Without this wider ecumenical support, joint witness would have been hard put to survive against the forces of distrust and opposition. A deep-seated tendency to equate ‘dialogue’ with ‘betrayal’ constantly dogged our steps.
The book outlines the process which led to the setting up of the first Irish Inter-church Meeting at Ballymascanlon, and the progress which led to the study, Violence in Ireland (later published as a book). Although some people were inclined to exaggerate the possibilities which this opened up, they were undoubtedly land marks on a necessary but painful journey. Many others have built on the trust which was pioneered during this period by Norman and other key leaders. There is honest reflection on successes and failures, interesting information about Youth developments, Conferences like Glenstall and the role of the Media. It is a valuable record of an important phase in Irish Ecumenism and will be a valuable resource to all who seek to follow on this journey in obedience to the call of Christ to make a common witness in our time.
REV DR JOHN MORROW is a former Lecturer at the Irish School of Ecumenics and former Leader of the Corrymeela Community.
CONFLICT, CONTROVERSY
AND CO-OPERATION:
The Irish Council of Churches and the Troubles 1968-72.
Norman Taggart
Published by Columba Press, 2004.
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