Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 18 October 2008
New Issue of Search
The autumn issue of the Church of Ireland journal, Search, marks the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th of the publication of The Origin of Species. Professor Alister McGrath, most recently best known for his brilliant debunking of Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion, has written the leading article and there is also a piece from Dame Gillian Beer, of Cambridge University, much of whose work has concerned the effect of The Origin on 19th century literature. Cathriona Russell from TCD, discusses Wolfhart Pannenberg’s thinking on the dilemmas that evolution poses for some Christians, and there is a contribution from ethicist, Neil Messer, of Lampeter, whose recent work relates Darwin’s thinking to Barthian theology.
Another anniversary occurring this year is that of John Milton, who was born on December 9 1608. Tribute is paid both to the great epic poet and to his interpreter, C S Lewis, in Mark Sweetnam’s contribution, ‘Reading Paradise Lost in a Postmodern World.’
Throughout the coming months, Anglicans will continue to face the threat of schism as the Covenant Design Group continues its work. The Archbishop of Dublin is a member of that group and contributes an article considering the effect of the recent Lambeth Conference on its deliberations. Also in this issue is an article by David and Shuna Hutchinson Edgar on approaches to teaching the Bible in senior secondary school classes and at university.
Search is circulated to subscribers three times a year (details on www.searchjournal.ireland.anglican.org ) and is also available from Best Sellers and the Resource Centre Bookshop in Dublin and from the Good Book Shop in Belfast.
This morning at 10am the seventh Dublin symposium entitled ‘A Symposium on Swift in Ireland’ will begin in St Patrick’s Deanery. Papers will be presented by several noted Swiftians including Claude Rawson (Yale University), Sean Connolly (Queen’s University, Belfast) and David Womersley ( St Catherine’s College, Oxford). The chairman will be Professor James McLaverty from Keele University. The symposium will also include the launch of the Cambridge University Press edition of the Works of Jonathan Swift.
This afternoon (Saturday) at 2.15pm Changing Attitudes Ireland will host a public lecture in St George’s Church Hall, Belfast, where Dr Andrew Yip, Nottingham University, will speak on ‘Living Sexuality and Spirituality Positively’. The Kilmore Elphin & Ardagh Diocesan Synod will be held in Rooskey and on Tuesday the Armagh Diocesan Synod will take place in Church House, Armagh.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE will broadcast a Service of the Word with the Mission to Seafarers conducted by Canon Adrian Empey while at Evensong in Belfast Cathedral there will be a Mission to Seafarers Harvest Festival at which the preacher will be Bishop Edward Darling. The Archbishop of Dublin will open a new parish centre in Athy while the Bishop of Cork will dedicate the refurbished organ in Midleton. The Annual Swift Commemoration Service will be held at 3.30pm in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, where the address will be given by the Booker prize-winner, Anne Enright, while in Zion parish church the Dean of Cashel, Dr Philip Knowles, will be the preacher at the Annual Diocesan Healing Service.
On Tuesday evening in Lismore Castle the Bishop of Cashel & Ossory will launch The Diocese of Lismore, 1801-69 which has been written by the Dean of St Patrick’s, Dr Robert MacCarthy and published by Four Courts Press. In St Patrick’s on Wednesday evening at 6.30pm there will be an organ recital by Simon Harden from St Jurgen’s church, Gettorf.