Things about the place

Found these two articles interesting:

Diana Butler Bass comments on some churches in Nigeria killing children who they believed to be withces, justifying it with the verse in exodus. Makes for interesting reading in the romatising of African churches by conservative Western churches, which she argues began around Phillip Jenkins landmark book, the Next Christendom (rightly, i think too). I think she makes a case for the critical approach to the bible, not just a contexual one. More importantly, i think she rightly points out how glorfiying African churches is wrong. Furthermore, I'd argue that it is actually very paternalistic of conservative Churches to do this. These churches admire their African churches because they seem simplier, more pure, traditional.

The second is from Archbishop of Cantebury, Rowan Williams, on the environment and our need to get in touch with our humanity and our co-dependence on the environment. Worth a look.

Hat Tip to Brian McLaren for these findings...