Category: Resources for study

New publication on martyrdom

Martyrdom in an Ecumenical Perspective: A Mennonite-Catholic Dialogue, edited by Peter Erb, is the most recent publication in the Bridgefolk Series by Pandora Press. Acknowledging the martyrdom of Anabaptists, the 1998-2003 bilateral discussions between the Catholic Church and Mennonite World Conference resulted in a call for further reflection on the experience of martyrdom. In 2003 and 2004, Saint John’s Abby of Collegeville, Minnesota hosted two conferences in which Catholics and Mennonites discussed this subject. Martyrdom in an Ecumenical Perspective is a collection of perspectives presented at these meetings.

Contributors:

  • Brad S. Gregory
  • Neal Blough
  • Helmut Harder
  • Margaret O’Gara
  • C. Arnold Snyder
  • John D. Roth
  • Drew Christianson, S.J.
  • Chris K. Huebner
  • Jeremy M. Bergen

Books may be ordered from: www.pandorapress.com

New Monasticism in the news

Recent stories

Two recent stories in national newspapers offer different perspectives on what’s happening in new monastic communities. For a description of the movement by a scholar of American religion, see Molly Worthen’s piece from the Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/03/the_unexpected_monks

For an up close look at the day-to-day challenges of a community in its first year, see Stephanie Simon’s piece from the L.A. Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-monk26jan26,1,7718645.story?track=crosspromo

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove has written an introduction to new monasticism, especially paying attention to what new monasticism means for the church–and why new communities need the church. You can help get the word out about the book by pre-ordering a copy now:

http://www.amazon.com/New-Monasticism-What-Todays-Church/dp/1587432242

School for Conversion: Updated Calendar for 2008

If you’d like to be part of a School for Conversion event in 2008, a fresh list of locations and dates is now online at:
http://newmonasticism.org

As a matter of fact, the whole www.newmonasticism.org site has been overhauled. Check out new descriptions of SFC Latin America, new courses, links to community of communities and forthcoming books. Let us know what you think–and what else you’d like to see.

New Monastic Library Series

In partnership with Wipf and Stock Publishers, School for Conversion announces its New Monastic Library Series. For over a millennium, if a Christian wanted to read theology, practice Christian spirituality, or study the Bible, she went to the monastery to do so. There people who inhabited the tradition and prayed the prayers of the church also copied manuscripts and offered fresh reflections about living the gospel in a new time. Two thousand years after the birth of the church, there is a new monastic movement stirring in North America. In keeping with ancient tradition, new monastics study the classics of Christian reflection and are beginning to offer some reflections for a new time. The New Monastic Library Series exists to share reflections from new ! monastics and to print classic monastic resources unavailable elsewhere. To see books in the series, visit:
http://wipfandstock.com/browse/series/New%20Monastic%20Library:%20Resources%20for%20Radical%20Discipleship

About Paul Dekar’s new book, Community of the Transfiguration: The Journey of a New Monastic Community, Phyllis Tickle writes in her foreword: “What Dekar has managed to do here is tell his own story, a monastery’s story, and a movement’s story in such a way as to make them all of one piece. Like layers of a well-rendered landscape, each gives depth and texture to the other, each lends grace to the other… the news is of other Christians and their ways of devotion, of other winds of the Spirit blowing across our times, and of other witnesses for whose encouragement we can pray. May each of us find in all those things reason to rejoice as well as a passion and devotion by which to measure and amend our own.”
To read more or order a copy of Dekar’s Community of the Transfiguration, visit:
http://wipfandstock.com/store/Community_of_the_Transfiguration_The_Journey_of_a_New_Monastic_Community

Building Bridges of Reconciliation in Latin America

A recent publication from the Mennonite Central Committee — the cooperative agency of Mennonite denominations in North America for relief, development and peacebuilding — surveys bridge-building efforts between Roman Catholics and Evangelicals in Latin America. The April-June issue of the Peace Office Newsletter is available online at http://mcc.org/peace/pon/PON_2007-02.pdf. Introducing the newsletter is the following article: Continue reading “Building Bridges of Reconciliation in Latin America” →

Two new books by Bridgefolk (good conference prep!)

Earlier this year Herald Press published two books written or edited by Bridgefolk board members Marlene Kropf and Gerald Schlabach.  The themes of peacemaking and worship at God’s table coincide with the theme of our upcoming conference: Making Peace: At Table, in the World.   Dip into one or both of these books as you prepare to attend the conference or join us in prayer.   Continue reading “Two new books by Bridgefolk (good conference prep!)” →

Commentary on “Called Together” now available online

As enthusiastic supporters of the international dialogue between Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), Bridgefolk has made a number of resources available for the study of Called Together to be Peacemakers, the final report from its first round.  New on our website is a commentary that appeared with the document upon its initial release by the PCPCU.

Written by Professor Emeritus Jos. E. Vercruysse S.J., the commentary can provide a useful summary of the Called Together for those who have not yet had an opportunity to read it in full, along with certain points of critique that will interest those who are studying it closely.

You will find Called Together to be Peacemakers in various languages, along with information about an abridged study version with discussion questions, and commentaries by Prof. Vercruysse as well as others at http://www.bridgefolk.net/theology/dialogue.

Thanks to Gerald Stover of Bethelehem PA for helping to make Prof. Vercruysse’s commentary available.

Gerald Schlabach
Bridgefolk Executive Director
info@bridgefolk.net
www.bridgefolk.net

 

Presentations to Mennonite Catholic Theological Colloquium now available

All of the presenters at the July meeting of the Mennonite Catholic Theological Colloquium have now provided text versions of their presentations.  You can find them by going to the newly re-designed section of our website for Theological Dialogue and Reflection:  http://www.bridgefolk.net/theology/colloquia/2005theology.

The topic of the colloquium was “How Are We ‘Called Together?'”  A Mennonite and a Catholic panel was asked to comment on the final report of the international dialogue between Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity by answering the question, “What have we learned and what’s next?”  Mennonite panelists were Nancy Heisey and Earl Zimmerman; Catholic panelists were Margaret Pfeil and Drew Christiansen SJ.

The event began with a keynote address by John A. Lapp, church historian and former Executive Secretary of Mennonite Central Committee on “Ecumenical Dialogue as a Ministry of Reconciliation.”

Christianity Today cover story on the “New Monasticism” movement

Tne “New Monasticism Project” seeks to bring together Christian communities — Catholic, Protestant, and often Evangelical — that are seeking to be “schools of conversion” to lives of discipleship and that drawing on ancient monastic traditions to do so.

Recently Christianity Today magazine featured a cover story on the “New Monasticism” movement, highlighting the commitment of many of these communities to “blighted urban settings all over America.”  You can read the article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/009/16.38.html.

Also recently published is a book entitled School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of New Monasticism.  Bridgefolk co-founder Ivan Kauffman contributed a chapter to the book.  More information and links for ordering is available at http://www.thesimpleway.org/index.php/store/product/schools-for-conversion.

 

Study edition of Called Together to be Peacemakers now available

In 2003, theological exchange between Mennonites and Roman Catholics marked a historic milestone as delegations to the first international dialogue between representatives of Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Church Unity released a final report summarizing their five years of conversation.  “Called Together to be Peacemakers” (available at http://www.bridgefolk.net/theology/dialogue) offers a common narrative of watershed events in church history especially during the 16th and 4th centuries.  It explores theological perspectives that the two traditions both share and dispute concerning the nature of the Church, sacraments/ordinances, and peacemaking.  It closes with mutual confessions of repentance for past violence and recrimination, thus inviting a “healing of memories.”

A group of Bridgefolk volunteers has now collaborated with Pandora Press to publish a study version of this watershed document suitable study in a variety of settings.  The text has been abridged.  Helmut Harder, co-chair of the international dialogue, provides an introduction. Discussion questions and other tools are designed to give maximum flexibility to different kinds of study groups.

Some groups will commit themselves to in-depth study. Others will want to familiarize themselves with Mennonite / Catholic dialogue, but have limited time. Many will come with specific interests in peacemaking, local Christian cooperation or worship and spirituality. Some will have designated leaders and others will pass around leadership of their discussions. Three features allow study groups to tailor their preparation, reflection and discussion:

  • The appendix at the end of the book offers study plans of various length and focus, along with additional suggestions.
  • Discussion questions appear throughout the document, near relevant paragraphs.
  • Paragraph numbers from the full original document are retained for groups and individuals who wish to study more thoroughly, or for leaders seeking background.

Please consider using this resource in your congregation, parish or classroom.  Or better yet, use it as an opportunity to carry on a Mennonite-Catholic dialogue in your local setting.   Bulk rates are available.

Click here to order individual copies. Or write to Pandora Press (bookshop@pandorapress.com) for bulk orders.

from the back cover:

Called Together to be Peacemakers, the report of the International Mennonite-Catholic dialogue, is aimed at fostering a healing of memories. We are therefore delighted to see that the report is being used by Mennonites and Catholics in different localities. Although this abridged version has no official status, it will no doubt help to make the Report even more accessible.
This abridged version nicely summarizes perspectives found in the full report, At the same time the readers will be aware that they can get to the original in order to find the fuller expression of Mennonite and Catholic perspectives on the issues treated.

We hope that Called Together to be Peacemakers helps to foster new and closer relations between Catholics and Mennonites, and other Christians as well.

Larry Miller
Mennonite World Conference

John A. Radano
Pontifical Council for Promoting Church Unity