Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 21 April 2007
New Book by the Dean of Killaloe
The Dean of Killaloe, the Very Revd Dr Stephen White, has been one of the more productive authors among the clergy of the Church of Ireland. He has written books on doctrine, on authority in Anglicanism, on human sexuality and was the editor of the APCK millennium volume A time to build.
He is currently engaged on a three volume project with Columba Press. The first book, A space for belief, which explored the nature and function of doctrine, was published last year and the second in the series, A space for unknowing, has just appeared. This latest volume concentrates on the place of unknowing (agnosis) in faith and argues that there is a real and vital place for this concept within the realm of theology and faith. The book traces the history of Christian agnosis and establishes it as a strand of theology which is firmly rooted in the Bible and in the mystical tradition. Dr White describes and advocates an open-ended method of doing theology and looks at links with other disciplines, especially the arts.
The third volume in the series, to be published next year, will address the issue of ecclesiology in the light of the theological method outlined in the previous two books.
Today (Saturday) CMS Ireland will hold a Spring Sale in St Philip?s church hall, Temple Road, Dartry, beginning at 10.30 am, in aid of the Dr Christine Matthews Medical Centre in south India. In the afternoon, from 3 to 5pm, there will be a Hot Gospel Workshop in St Matthias? Church, Ballybrack, led by Gordon Douglas and Anne Thielmans while in the evening in Glenageary the Archbishop of Dublin will bless the new parish centre.
The Centre Group from the General Synod of the Church of Sweden is visiting Cork. Today (Saturday) they will meet the Bishop of Cork at the Palace and have a tour of St Fin Barre?s cathedral, and tomorrow (Sunday) they will worship in different churches in the diocese.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE will televise a celebration of the Eucharist organized by the Bishops? Appeal. The celebrant will be the Revd Olive Donohoe and the preacher will be the Bishop of Limerick who is Chairman of the Bishops? Appeal Committee. In St Patrick?s Cathedral, Dublin, the choir will be joined by the boys from St David?s Cathedral, Wales, while in the evening the Director of the Church?s Ministry of Healing, the Revd Susan Watterson, will preach at a Healing Service in Clones.
On Monday the Clogher Clergy annual residential conference begins in Dunfanaghy and continues until Wednesday. The focus this year will be on ministry development and the leader will be Diane Clutterbuck.
This year is the centenary of Drumcondra National School and as part of the celebrations there will be a Service of Thanksgiving in Drumcondra parish church on Friday at 4 pm where the preacher will be a past pupil, the Bishop of Meath and Kildare. All past pupils will be very welcome and refreshments will be served in the school after the service. Earlier in the afternoon, at 3pm, the former Archbishop of Armagh, Lord Eames, will be presented with 2006 Tipperary International Peace Award. At 8pm in St Maelruin?s Church, Tallaght, there will be a concert by the Chamber Choir Chorus from Gothenburg in aid of the church roof appeal.
Next Saturday the Church?s Ministry of Healing will have a Quiet Day in St Mary?s church, Donnybrook where registration will begin at 10 am.