Kel Richards calls on Australians to ‘refuse to walk backwards’ in the fight against the evils of anti-Semitism

“A new expression was coined at the recent Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (or ARC for short) conference in London: ‘civilisational moment’.

The 1,500 delegates were warned that Australia, Britain the United States and all of the western world is facing a ‘civilisational moment’ – a tipping point in which we could lose the civilised values that have guided us for well over than a thousand years, and which have given us the freedoms we enjoy. …

The warning sign of our ‘civilisational moment’ is the epidemic of anti-Semitism sweeping the western world – what we thought was the civilised world. …”

– Kel Richards writes this opinion-piece at Sky News Australia.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s statement on antisemitism — 13 October 2023.

Image: ABC.

Why Ayaan Hirsi Ali became a Christian

“Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim and now a former atheist, recently declared that she has converted to Christianity. This is a cause for great rejoicing.

It is also a fascinating sign of the times. Her published account of why she is a Christian is somewhat odd, given that it mentions Jesus only once. It is, however, unreasonable to expect a new convert to offer an elaborate account of the hypostatic union in the first days of faith. This is why churches catechize disciples: Conversion does not involve an infusion of comprehensive doctrinal knowledge. And whatever the lacunae in her statement, the genuineness of her profession is a matter for the pastor of whatever congregation of Christ’s church to which she attaches herself.

Here is what makes her public testimony a sign of the times …”

– Carl Trueman writes at First Things.

Why I am now a Christian – Ayyan Hirsi Ali at Unherd.

Image: Crossway. Link via Anglican.ink.

The Christmas Countdown: from Speak Life

Speak Life in the UK has released this year’s Christmas video – The Christmas Countdown.

It’s something you could share with a friend, and then encourage them to consider the 321 course –

“321 comprises of 8 interactive video sessions designed to be completed at your leisure. Each session is around 20 min long and can be played, paused and accelerated to suit.

Presenter Glen Scrivener leads each session and offers the opportunity to think, question and test different worldviews.”

See also the Speak Life Christmas Video Rewind where Glen Scrivener and Nate Morgan Locke take a look at Speak Life’s previous Christmas videos.

Truth Be Told — Lionel Windsor on God’s Story Podcast

With current world events, there’s a great need for truth, and plenty of propaganda to mislead.

Moore College lecturer (and ACL Council member) Lionel Windsor speaks with the God’s Story Podcast about his forthcoming book Truth Be Told: Living Truthfully in a Post-Truth World.

“How do we live truthfully in a post truth world? Why are we in a post truth world and what is a post truth world anyway?”

Among other things, Lionel explains why the printing of his book has been delayed. It illustrates the theme of the book!

– Listen here. 30 minutes.

The Bible’s answer to poverty – with David WIlliams

A thought-provoking episode of The Pastor’s Heart:

“Poverty is fundamentally relational says David WIlliams.

What might a theology of caring for the poor look like?

The Bible’s terms for the poor (widow, orphan and alien) are all relational terms which describe someone who has lost relationships and as a result have lost connection with the land.

David and his wife Rachel started serving as missionaries in Nairobi, Kenya in 1999. David now serves as Principal of the Australian Church Missionary Society Training College St Andrew’s Hall, where Australian missionaries are trained for six months, before heading out to the field.

David has just given a provocative paper at the Anglican Aid conference at Sydney’s Moore Theological College and has agreed to come in and discuss it.

The issue for David is not just academic, with his first significant engagement with poverty, starting when working in the slums of Nairobi 20-plus years ago.”

– Watch or listen here.

Anglican Aid.

What’s your Hope? — Revelation 21 and 22

As the Moore College academic year (its 167th) draws to a close, Principal Dr. Mark Thompson preached on Revelation chapters 21 and 22 at the last College Chapel Service.

He lifts our eyes to God’s ultimate purposes. Most encouraging.

The Summer 2023 edition of Moore Matters is now up on the College website.

Iron Sharpens Iron: An Anthology of Wise Quotations

“Sentences have the power to stay with us. They can come to mind, even years later. As I’ve prepared various talks and lectures in the last few months, I’ve been struck by this, reminding me of the power and beauty of words to deliver truth, to help us feel the truth. In God’s kindness, we can learn from the wise words of Christian brothers and sisters.

Here are some of the one-liners and longer quotations that I’ve benefitted from recently and would like to pass on to you—‘[a]s iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another’ (Prov 27:17). …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Jane Tooher shares some wise and encouraging quotations.

New NSW “Religious Vilification” law

From Associate Professor Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia:

“An amendment to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977, making certain types of speech connected with religion unlawful, commenced operation on 11 November 2023.

The amendment, made by the Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Vilification) Act 2023 (No 15 of 2023) (‘the ADA’), is a form of ‘religious vilification’ law which has not previously been in force in NSW. It is not as bad as some forms of such laws in terms of its effect on religious freedom, but it is worth being aware of its potential operation. It will be important, for example, for those preaching and teaching the Bible (or other religious texts) to understand what the law does, and perhaps more importantly, does not, prohibit. …”

– Read the full post here.

The Priscilla & Aquila Annual Conference 2024 – Following Christ as men and women

From Moore College:

“Our 2024 P&A annual conference theme is ‘Following Christ as men and women’. Moore faculty member Andrew Leslie will unpack this topic in our morning plenary sessions. Understandably, much of our interest in the Bible’s teaching about men and women is centred on what it means in practice. In the morning plenary sessions, Moore College faculty member Andrew Leslie wants to take a step back from these practical concerns and reflect on the wisdom of this teaching. He’ll begin by exploring how the depiction of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden echoes the pattern of creation itself set out in Genesis 1. Reflecting on this pattern will shed much light on the nature of God and the complementary vocation he has given us as his image bearers. In his second talk, Andrew will take us to the New Testament where the same pattern underlays its description of Christ’s relationship to his people and the life of the church itself.

Our afternoon electives will further unpack the theme of ‘Following Christ as men and women’, with Clare Deeves sharing her PhD research about things to consider when men and women work together on a ministry team. Moore’s dean of Women Susan An and Senior Pastor of The Bridge Church Paul Dale will look at when we disagree with each other about complementarianism while being on the same staff team. Other electives include gender considerations in South Asian ministry; fatherhood; teaching the woman at the well in John 4; and if there are reasons for making different theological decisions than the Apostles.”

– See the details and book via the College website.

The blood that brings peace

“As the Israel-Gaza war rages, with all the tragic death and suffering it entails, many pressing concerns naturally spring to our minds.

Why is the situation so dire?

Who is to blame for the suffering?

And what are our political leaders doing about it?

I can’t begin to answer all these questions in this short article. But I want to point us to something that will help us: the cross of Jesus Christ. How does it help? I’m convinced that the message of the cross gives us a deep foundation and a vital framework for making sense of issues of conflict in our world as well as in our lives. …”

– A timely reminder – from Lionel Windsor at The Australian Church Record.

On Sexuality, Justification, and Sanctification

“There were many speeches made in favour of the Prayers of Love and Faith at the November session of the General Synod which raised my eyebrows. The prize for the most ludicrous, however, goes to …”

– Michael Hayden clears up some nonsense which was evident at the Church of England’s General Synod earlier this month.

In doing so, he points us to the beauty of the gospel.

Image: John Calvin by Hans Holbein the Younger

Church Society’s St Antholin Lecture 2023: Same-Sex Love in the Puritan World

From Church Society:

“This year’s St Antholin Lecture on Puritan Divinity will be delivered live on the Church Society Facebook page by Dr Christy Wang, a church historian from Singapore Bible College.

Dr Wang is also a Post-Award Visitor affiliated with the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford, where she was a tutor and earned her DPhil on ‘Puritan Conformity, Church Polity, and Anglican Identity, 1628–88’, having previously also studied at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and National Taiwan University.

The title of the lecture will be ‘By Love to Them I Cease Loving of Thee’: Journaling Same-Sex Love in the Puritan World.’…”

– Details here.

The lecture is on Wednesday 6th December at 6pm (UK time), 5:00am the next morning Sydney time.

Resources to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

From SydneyAnglicans.net:

“Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has commended the work of Anglicare as the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls on November 25. …”

– See the details here.

Image: Anglicare resources website.

A Gafcon Collect for those taking their Bible College exams

“Our gracious Lord God, we know that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ Jesus.

We pray for theological students in the southern hemisphere as they sit their final exams and complete their academic year. We pray that you will give them calm nerves and a quiet confidence in your sovereign goodness. Bless them with keen understanding and retentive memories.

We pray that you will help them to keep their eyes fixed on the ultimate end of these exams and their study: that they may grow in the knowledge of you and be equipped to faithfully teach and proclaim the gospel of your Son Jesus so that your kingdom may be extended, and your name glorified. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

– Grateful to GAFCON for the reminder to pray.