UNITING CHURCH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

WORKING GROUP ON RELATIONS WITH

PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS

FACE TO FACE

NOVEMBER 10TH & 11TH, 2008

ROF F2F WORKING PAPERS• HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEOFF!

• F2F AGENDA• MEMBERSHIP LIST• MATT & HEATHER’S PROFILE• PHNOM PENH INTERFAITH

DIALOGUE DECLARATION• FREEDOM OF RELIGION &

BELIEF DISCUSSION PAPER• ROF MANDATE/OPERATIONAL

GUIDELINES• ROF SMART GOALS• LIVING WITH THE NEIGHBOUR

WHO IS DIFFERENT • AUGUST TELECONFERENCE

MINUTES• 2007 COLLOQUIUM 2

DOCUMENTS: “THE WAY FORWARD” & DRAWING THE THREADS TOGETHER

F2F OBJECTIVES• IN PREPARATION FOR 2009

ASSEMBLY• WHAT DO WE NEED TO

PRESENT AT ASSEMBLY?• WHAT “MESSAGE” DO WE WANT

TO MAKE? • CREATIVE VIDEO - GEOFF• THINK ABOUT SYNOD REPORTS

& ASSEMBLY DISPLAY• CONTINUE IN THE TRADITION OF

STRENGTHENING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OTHER AGENCY - UNITING JUSTICE.

• ENCOURAGE & AFFIRM ONE ANOTHER’S GIFTS

• CONTINUE TO DREAM ABOUT FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

• HAVE FUN AS WE WORK

HOUSEKEEPING• BFAST FROM 7.30-9AM DINING

ROOM• LUNCH 12.30PM DINING ROOM• DINING OUT: CAPPED @ $25.

BYO ON THE WAY• GETTING TO RESTAURANT -

WALK/CAR • CONTACT DETAILS IF

CHANGED PLEASE LET JULIE KNOW

• CAB VOUCHERS SEE ANNA• INTERFAITH DIALOGUE BKLET

SEE JULIE• “A COMMON WORD”• ARRCC: AUSTRALIAN

RELIGIOUS RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

UNITING JUSTICE • FREEDOM OF

RELIGION AND BELIEF IN THE 21ST CENTURY PROJECT

• WORLD PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS: JOINT PANEL (DEC 2009)

• ONGOING WORKING RELSHIP WITH UJ

SYNOD REPORTS

• FOR THIS TRIENNIUM:

• HIGHLIGHTS IN YOUR SYNOD

• THE BIG THEOLOGICAL ISSUES & QUESTIONS

• WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE TO ASSEMBLY

INTERFAITH CURRICULUM IN THEOLOGICAL

COLLEGES • PROPOSAL: TO ENCOURAGE UCA

THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES TO CONSIDER INTERFAITH SUBJECTS AS PART OF THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

• NEED FURTHER RESEARCH• RESISTANCE TO MORE SUBJECTS

BEING ADDED TO THEOLOGICAL TRAINING.

• HOLD BACK PROPOSAL • BEGIN CONVERSATON WITH

THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES?• WHERE INTERFAITH SUBJECTS ARE

BEING TAUGHT - EVALUATE/RESEARCH

• AFFINITY: ISLAMIC SUBJECTS BEING TAUGHT THROUGH CSU

• SEF & MATT: CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY & RELIGIOUS PLURALISM & INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

• ACTION: WHO MIGHT LIKE TO DO THE RESEARCH?

ROF THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT • WHY DO WE NEED ONE?• CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY OF OTHER

FAITHS CONCERNS HOW WE UNDERSTAND GOD AT WORK IN OTHER FAITHS & THE EXISTENCE OF OTHER RELIGIONS & SHAPES HOW WE OUGHT TO RELATE TO THEM

• IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY CHRISTIANITY IS NOW MORE THAN EVER CHALLENGED TO GIVE ACCOUNT OF ITS OWN FAITH IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHER FAITHS

• PLURALISM IS HERE TO STAY - SHARING SPACE: CHERRYBROOK! WHAT THEOLOGY COULD UNDERGIRD GUIDLELINES FOR SHARING SPACE?

• NEED TO ENCOURAGE CONGREGATIONS TO ENGAGE WITH THE RELIGIOUS OTHER - AS AN INTEGRAL AND FUNDAMENTAL PART OF OUR CALLING & DISCIPLESHIP

• NEED A CREDIBLE THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT

• A STATEMENT ROF NEEDS FIRST TO OWN!

WHO IS THE STATEMENT FOR?

• THE UNITING CHURCH

• NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE BELIEVE

• A SOUND THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT EMPOWERS THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOOD GUIDELINES

WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE

• LIVING WITH THE NEIGHBOUR

• THREE TYPOLOGIES• EMPHASIS OF THE

SPIRIT OF GOD AT WORK IN OTHER RELIGIONS

• WE CAN TAKE THE STATEMENT FURTHER MOVING BEYOND THE THREE TYPOLOGIES

THE TRINITY AS A BASIS • A SOLID DOCTRINE• DISTINGUISHING (SOMETIMES

PUZZLING) CHARACTERISTIC OF CHRISTIANITY

• MOVES THE FOCUS FROM SALVATION TO DIVERSITY

• ENABLES US TO DEVELOP A THEOLOGY THAT IS BALANCED

• THE TRINITY AFFIRMS DIVERSITY - STEMMING FROM THE TRIUNE UNION ITSELF

• RELATIONAL /SPACE FOR A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE

• THE TRIUNE UNION MODELS DIVERSITY IN RELATIONSHIP

• AFFIRMS DIFFERENCE - DOES NOT ASSIMILATE

• VALUES & AFFIRMS UNIQUENESS OF IDENTITY

• ENABLES A RESPONSE TO EVANGELISM AND MISSION

• A BASIS FOR INTERFAITH DIALOGUE - FROM THIS UCA GUIDELINES ON DIALOGUE CAN BE DEVELOPED

FRAMEWORK & CONTENT OF

THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT

• NEED TO ADDRESS THE CONTEXT & THE PLACE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH WITHIN IT

• THE THEOLOGICAL ISSUES: EVANGELISM, MISSION & DIFFICULT TEXTS (WE CANNOT ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES RAISED AT THE 2007 COLLOQ.) WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEM VIA A RESOURCE SUCH AS C- CHANGE

• THEOLOGICAL BASIS - THE TRINITY • PRACTICAL OUTWORKINGS OF THE

STATEMENT - EG. INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

• THE STATEMENT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN

• SEF TO WRITE WITH CLIVE

• STATEMENT TO CIRCULATE

• YOUR COMMENTS & FEEDBACK

ASSEMBLY 2009 • DISPLAY

• SYNOD REPORTS

• ROF REPORT

• DVD

• RESOURCE BOOK

• THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT

GROUP WORK• INTERFAITH CURRICULUM -

HOW DO WE WANT TO PROCEED?

• ROF THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT: ANYTHING TO ADD?

• ROF DVD - IDEAS FOR GEOFF

• FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF

• ASSEMBLY DISPLAY/REPORTS - HOW? WHAT? WHO?

BRINGING THE STRANDS TOGETHERWHO? WHAT? WHEN?

• INTERFAITH EDUCATION IN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES

• ROF THEOLOGICAL STATEMENT• RESOURCE BOOK - SET A DATE

WITH SHANNON!• FREEDOM OF RELIGION &

BELIEF PROJECT• WPOR JOINT PANEL-DONE!• ASSEMBLY ROF REPORT• ROF DVD• ROF SYNOD REPORTS FOR

DISPLAY• ASSEMBLY DISPLAY• ROF RELSHIP WITH INDIA-

FOLLOW UP WITH UIM • INTERFAITH

EDUCATION/LEARNING IN SCHOOLS - ONGOING MARK HILLIS

DATES 2009• 2ND TUESDAY: 5-

7PM SYDNEY TIME

SUGGESTIONS:• FEB 17TH • MAY 12TH • F2F SEPT 30TH &

OCT 1ST