benedson

a disaster

No...it can't be, my favourite ever coffee shop has closed. Where will I have all my meetings now?

The web is dead; long live the web

"The web is an antienlightenment phenomenon, a destroyer of wisdom and culture and an infantile, Rousseau-esque fantasy. “It’s the cult of the child,” he says. “The more you know, the less you know. It’s all about digital narcissism, shameless self-promotion. I find it offensive.”

Read more here

Technorati Tags: Technology, The Web is dead

On being English

Today is St. George's day - the patron saint of England. So here is a list of some of my likes and dislikes about being English:

Like
A good English pub
The NHS
Football
Music
An English Breakfast
The Countryside
The BBC - although that is british
The cultural diversity

Dislike
Brits abroad
Alcopops
The Empire
The BNP - although that is british...
February winter nights
The Daily Mail
Our lack of cultural identity - probably because we have historically been the dominant one.
Americanisation

Technorati Tags: Ben Edson, England, England, puppy, puppy

Goldsworthy @ The Yorkshire sculpture park

We went to see the Andy Goldsworthy exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park last week. Photos on flicker.

Technorati Tags: Art, Goldsworthy

Dialectical Logic

I've just come across this concept that i find profoundly helpful when helping to deal with my unanswered faith questions, and also when pastorally working with those people with existential questions. I think that is also helpful for those who have left church because church has not been a place where they have been able to articulate their questions without fear of being burnt as a heretic.

It seems that certain sectors within the Church place to much value on formal logic, i.e. analysing a range of factors in order to get a right answer - apologetics. Whereas dialectical logic - a concept of Klaus Riegal - ends up with a question rather than an answer. It demands the ability to be able to tolerate contradictions and by pondering the contradictions to discover more profound questions.
Life is therefore seen and experienced as too complicated and rich to be held within our thinking and in this way energises the thinking process.

Fascinating stuff, that also ties in with Fowlers stage 5 in the faith process...

Technorati Tags: churchless faith, Dialectic Logic

on being a man...

I am away with my ordination training at the moment, which is fun...not. I've met a fellow blogger Nigel Wright - it's always fascinating to meet people whom you have previously connected with via the blogosphere.

We've been exploring a variety of subjects based around human relationships and I've been struck by the lack of resources that are engaging holistically with masculine spirituality. I'm aware of things like men's breakfasts, dads and lads weekends etc. but to be honest I'm still to be convinced by any of these approaches. Partly, because I have a suspicion that they perpetuate the problem of gender identity being based on that which divides rather than that which unites.

However, i think that there is also a crisis in masculinity - you only need to look at the levels of male suicide to see that that there is something very wrong. Patriarchy was oppressive and destructive, but when do we stop seeking forgiving for our gender and move on to work on the process of reconciliation? Reconciliation is about working together for the common good, and unfortunately i think that too much is still based on the differences rather than the unity.

Technorati Tags: Ben Edson, masculinity, puppy, theology

blah...manchester: Trinitarian Mysticism

April 26th | Trinitarian Mysticism
with Ian Mobsby 6:30pm – 8:30pm

How does the Trinity inform what it means to be church in a 21st Century culture of mysticism? How is the Emerging Church engaging with those who are spiritually searching in a post-secular postmodern culture?

Ian Mobsby explores these issues by drawing on recent research from the perspective of emerging church practitioners. Ian is author to the recently published book ‘Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church’.

Blah...manchester is a partnership between CMS and Sanctus1.

6:30-8:30pm
Admission free
Venue: Nexus

Drinks served from 6:30
Input begins at 7:00

For a map of the location see: http://www.nexusonline.org.uk

We have a limited number of places. It would help us to know in advance if you're coming, so please book a place and turn up!

E-mail Ben Edson on: blah@sanctus1.co.uk

Technorati Tags: Blah..., Trinity, theology

Mass Apathy

Interesting piece of research, here. regarding people's church attendance. There is also an online poll that asked 'If encouraged, would you go to church?' the current result of 3, 867 people is that 25% of people would...