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Archive

Progress or Problem? Responding to Genetically Modified Food and Crops- Redcliffe Conference

The idea is a simple one. Transfer desirable genes from a donor organism into a plant to improve the recipient’s resistance to disease or herbicides, productivity or nutritional properties. Through genetically modified (GM) crops our problems of food supply would be solved or at least alleviated. But simplicity can be deceptive, and the controversy over GM crops and food has many different areas of concern. Are we “playing God” by moving genes between organisms and manipulating creation to this degree? As Christians, what are the ethical and theological implications? Is there a risk to food safety and what are the potential environmental dangers? And could a small number of multinational companies create a stranglehold over the food chain? Will GM crops help the developing world or become another means by which the developed world maintains control?

The Redcliffe College/JRI Environment Day explored these questions and more. The venue was Redcliffe College, Gloucester. Download the brochure .

A report will be published here soon.

Martin Hodson, 7 March 2013 | Category: Events |

Carnival Kingdom - biblical justice for global communities

Edited by Marijke Hoek, Jonathan Ingleby, Carol Kingston-Smith, and Andy Kingston-Smith.

Carnival KingdomFor many years JRI has had an excellent collaboration with Redcliffe College in Gloucester, UK. So JRI personnel, Martin & Margot Hodson, were pleased to be able to contribute  the Climate Justice chapter to a book coming out of The JusTice Initiative which is based at Redcliffe:

HODSON, M.J. & HODSON, M.R. (2013) Climate Justice: contemporary developments in science, policy, action and theology. In Carnival Kingdom – biblical justice for global communities. Eds. M. Hoek, J. Ingleby, C. Kingston-Smith, & A. Kingston-Smith. 125-143. Wide Margin Publishers.

For more details of the book (both printed and e-versions) and how to order it go to Wide Margin Publishers.

Alternatively the book is now available at Amazon UK and Amazon USA

BOOK ABSTRACT

The first Christians lived out a new social order and envisaged the world anew. Divisions, inequalities and injustices would be overturned as the world would reflect a new kind of reign. In the Kingdom of God, the powerful are brought low, while the oppressed are raised up; the hungry are filled with good things, while the rich are sent empty away; the wolf lives with the lamb, and the leopard lies down with the goat; the slave becomes the son, the master is the servant of all and the meek will inherit the earth. This same upside-down Kingdom is echoed in the Carnival festivals of the Medieval era, which both parodied the oppressive structures of their day and dramatically portrayed an alternative reality.

In this book, twelve scholars, theologians, and social activists from around the world take up the Carnival’s call for justice and a renewed society, and portray in their own contexts the Kingdom of God coming in justice and fullness of life – the coming of the Carnival Kingdom.

The book also has a Facebook Page.

Martin Hodson, 11 January 2013 | Category: Books |

The Earth is the Lord’s

EarthLordsThe South West Rural Conference 2013 will take place at Bicton College, Budleigh Salterton on Wednesday May 1st 2013 (10am-4pm). The Earth is the Lord’s conference is organised by the Joint Rural Issues Group of the Dioceses of Exeter and of Truro, and the Methodist Districts of Cornwall and of Plymouth and Exeter.

The main speakers are: Prof Sir John Marsh, Prof Michael Winter and Rt Rev Michael Langrish. The workshops are organised by Dr Martin Hodson of JRI and Dr Tim Gibson.

DOWNLOAD a leaflet giving more information and details of booking from the Arthur Rank Centre.

Martin Hodson, 3 January 2013 | Category: Events |

The Lausanne Global Consultation on Creation Care and the Gospel: Call to Action

The Lausanne Global Consultation on Creation Care and the Gospel met from 29 Oct – 2 Nov 2012 in St. Ann, Jamaica to build on the creation care components of the Cape Town Commitment. JRI has had considerable involvement in both this meeting, and in Cape Town in 2010. As a result of the meeting in Jamaica a “Call to Action” statement was produced. Lausanne have asked if JRI would be an institutional signatory to the statement, and we readily agreed. They also asked if we could get as many of our supporters as possible to read the statement, and if they agreed with it, then sign it themselves (you can sign at the BOTTOM of the page!)

Martin Hodson, 14 November 2012 | Category: News |

JRI Briefing Paper No. 25

We are pleased to announce the publication of JRI Briefing Paper No. 25 “Faith, environmental values and understanding: a case study involving Church of England ordinands” by Elizabeth A. C. Rushton and Dr. Martin J. Hodson. You can download JRI Briefing 25 as a PDF.

This 24 page paper is a report on social-science research. Using a questionnaire ordinands were asked to respond to the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP), and to statements about the importance of environmental issues and ecology in their faith. The questionnaire also collected data from a sample of environmentally aware Christians associated with the distance-learning course Christian Rural and Environmental Studies (CRES).

Data analysis revealed that churchmanship was the only variable that varied significantly within the sample. Evangelical ordinands gave some responses that might suggest less interest in environmental concerns. The CRES sample was generally more sympathetic to environmental issues than the ordinands. Environmental theological education within the colleges surveyed needs to improve if the Church is to have a leadership role in reversing the human-induced causes of the environmental crisis.

John McKeown, 14 November 2012 | Category: Publications |

JRI Newsletter

Our latest newsletter (November 2012, issue 28) is available and includes reports on the “Communicating Hope” conference at High Leigh, the Redcliffe College “Water for Life” conference, the JRI presence at Greenbelt and other events, the CRES course’s meetings, recent publications, and other items. Download colour PDF, four pages.

John McKeown, 13 November 2012 | Category: News |
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