EG Issue 30

‘I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…’ Romans 1:16

JOHN RW STOTT 1921- 2011 · LICC Founder & President

John Stott – of Gadflies Jacob, Joseph and the Future John Stott was LICC’s President, and one of its principal founders – Mark Greene reflects on his last meeting with John, and his message to those he has left behind…

WHEN

he said it, it stopped me in my tracks.

It turned out to be the last time I saw him; which, inevitably, invested the whole encounter with even greater significance.

I’d gone to see him down at his care home to share my impressions of the Third Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization. I told him about the things that encouraged me, and about the things that I had hoped might have happened, and didn’t, but still may…

By that time, John’s capacity to speak in paragraphs had become limited, but he didn’t need a paragraph. ‘It lacked a gadfly,’ he said. It was this that stopped me in my tracks.

And he was right.

Somehow, for all the good things that had occurred at the Congress, for all the wisdom and praise present, it had lacked that sense of urgency, lacked someone so passionate about something, so impelled by the Spirit that they could not be silent – someone with a message, a corrective that would help set the course ahead. ‘Well, it would have been pretty hard to get anywhere near the microphone,’ I said, perhaps a bit defensively. ‘In 1974, they didn’t ask for permission, they just grabbed it,’ he replied. Indeed, and in the theological ferment that followed, the evangelical movement changed forever.

But beyond that, I was simply surprised into a deeper appreciation of

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John. Here was an upper middle class Englishman, the very soul of courtesy, a man of extraordinary discipline and organisation, lamenting the absence of a person to stir things up, the absence of a holy irritant, a voice breaking out in righteous provocation. Maybe, if I’d known John longer and better, I wouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. God’s people need the voice that shakes us out of our complacency, the person who will not accept the status quo, who sees what

others cannot see and will find some way, whatever way, to get that message out and force its consideration, at whatever risk.

Such were many of the prophets.

There is a time for decorum and there is a time to make a holy rumpus.

Similarly, there is a time for deference and a time to fight, as John showed in his life. And that’s why I love the cover photograph of John. It was not John’s favourite because, as he said to the photographer, Adam Greene, ‘I can see it’s a great photograph but it’s not how

I see me.’ I can understand that. And it doesn’t capture the whole man – his grace, his kindness, his warmth, his humility – no photograph could capture everything. But it does capture one aspect of him that might be easy to forget: he was tough – in the Lord. He was not a tame lion, any more than Aslan was, or Jesus is. Here, after all, was the man who persuaded evangelical Anglicans not to leave the Church of England, despite Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ opposing conviction.

Here was the man who, along with Billy Graham, persuaded global representatives of the evangelical church that to engage in social action was not necessarily to become a liberal and forsake the true gospel but rather to fulfil it.

Meekness is not the absence of strength but its restraint. John was never spoiling for a fight but he was battle-ready and battle-hardened.

I’d gone down to see John with Matthew, my 19-yearold son. Before we left him, John asked Matthew to read out some Scripture on evangelism. He read from Luke 4. ‘That’s a marvellous text,’ John said. Indeed, but again I found myself surprised.

Here was John, physically frail, surely not long for this world, now unable to read himself and therefore with fewer opportunities to engage with the word of God. He doesn’t simply ask for some Scripture to encourage him, he asks for some Scripture on evangelism. Where

were John’s thoughts directed – to his own needs? No. To the tasks he could still accomplish? No. John, confined to a beautiful Christian care home in a small town in Southern England, retained his yearning for the lost.

But I was also moved by John asking Matthew to read him Scripture. John was a master discipler, a great encourager of the young. Indeed, there are countless stories of his impact on young Christians across the globe and he was deeply committed to students, both in his time at All Souls, and in his global ministry.

Furthermore, it was that commitment to making disciples that lay behind the focus of the courses he designed and taught for so many years here at LICC – John’s concern was to raise up faithful disciples who would be able to engage fruitfully in the world for Christ.

So I wondered what was in John’s mind when he asked Matthew to read him something on evangelism. Will Matthew ever forget that day? And will he ever forget that John Stott honoured him by asking him to both choose and read him some Scripture on evangelism? I doubt it.

Indeed, for Matthew, who had met John only once, some ten years before, being in his presence and being asked, as we were, to help him sit up straight, recalled for him the words of John the Baptist about Jesus: ‘He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie’ (John 1:27). That was the impact of John’s very presence – even in frailty.

The next time I was due to see John I had flu, and it wouldn’t have been appropriate to risk seeing him.

And then John died. I have written elsewhere about him and you can find many tributes on our website (see page 4). His legacy is indeed enormous – through the many people saved through his ministry, the millions of people who have heard him speak, through the organisations he influenced, through his friendship and through his 50 books. Indeed, I am writing this from the Soul Survivor Festival. Opposite me at the table, a young leader called

Sam Weightman is reading John’s last book The Radical Disciple. I ask him what he thinks of it. He says, ‘Most books with ‘radical’ in the title are just about motivating you to go do it, this one really tells you how.’ Sam, a 19-yearold, is learning to be a radical from a 90-year-old.

More broadly, right here in the UK’s largest youth festival, John’s inf luence through Lausanne on the inseparability of the proclamation of the gospel and practical, social action is abundantly clear.

After just three days, 496 young people have already given their lives to Jesus, and not a plenary meeting has passed without an exhortation to commitment to social action in Jesus’ name. That would not have been the case in youthwork in the UK in 1974 or 1984 or 1994, but it is the case now. Praise God.

And so it was with John. He asked that those who wanted to make a thanksgiving offering to the Lord for his life would direct it to the Langham Partnership International and to LICC. I don’t think he did it just because he founded both organisations and wanted us to flourish. I think he did so because he believed that these two organisations are champions for a cause that he considered vital to the fruitfulness of the church’s mission today and tomorrow:

‘Meekness is not the absence of strength but its restraint. John was never spoiling for a fight but he was battle-ready and battle-hardened.’

Jacob, Joseph & John You won’t be surprised to discover that a man in his late 80s, who is looking to the long-term, even in a meeting with a 19-year-old in a retirement home, might also be looking to the long-term in the instructions given for the arrangements after his death. How might his passing serve the progress of the gospel?

There is long biblical precedent for such forethought. Jacob commands his sons to bury him in the cave in the field of Machpelah in Canaan, where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah and Leah were buried. It was a reminder that Egypt was not their home, a reminder about the location of the land which God has promised them. With similar intent, Joseph commands his brothers to take his bones to the Promised Land. God, he tells them will ‘surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised...’ (Genesis 50:24). In sum, both father and son use the instructions for their burial as a way to remind God’s people of his unfailing promise to them and his purposes for them.

— God’s mission is global. Essential to that enterprise are men and women in all nations who know the Bible well, and can teach others to live it out in the power of the Spirit. And there is a dearth of such well-trained men and women in many, many nations. ­­­ God’s people are called to mission — in all of life, to listen to the world and to listen to God’s word and apply it courageously and faithfully to every situation – private and public, leisuretime and work and school.

So John, by highlighting these two organisations, directs our attention beyond himself to consider the missional emphasis they represent – the envisioning and equipping of all God’s people to take part in God’s mission to the whole world.

So, whether or not you contribute to John’s Memorial Fund (see page 5), maybe this is a moment to pause not only to give thanks for John’s life but also to prayerfully consider how Jesus would have you continue to participate in his mission – as John did, from his conversion at 16 at Rugby to his last days in the confines of a retirement home.

And that would certainly bring joy to John’s eternal heart because it would bring joy to the living Lord he served so fervently.

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Memories of John You can find tributes to John from all over the world on the tribute section of the LICC website, including contributions from LICC staff past and present.

And you can add your own memory in the Remembrance Book. Do go to www.licc.org.uk/tribute. Below are some excerpts…

Unknown Mentor…

Unknown to him (though he knows now), he was my mentor from my conversion in 1960, through ordination and ministries of various kinds, right up to this present moment. I thank God for him and for the influence he has had on so many for so many years. May the Lord raise up more like him to lead and feed his Church.

Michael Fox

‘It was easy to love this orderly, purposeful man with his downto-earth realism and his deep sense of care and concern.’

A Trip to the Theatre…

Working with John was a great joy. His impact on my own life was considerable, from his grasp of the Bible and theology, his love of the arts, his skills at communication, his hospitality and his commitment to good relationships.

He always asked the big questions – penetrating to the very heart of issues – and was keen to expand his own learning. I loved the way that he was willing to change his mind when another argument prevailed. He would often admit that many turning points in his thinking had come when people raised points which challenged him to re-examine his own assumptions. I now realize, even more, how unusual that is in a leader of his standing and experience. It was this openness which made John such a comfortable colleague. He was someone who had nothing to prove and no ego to defend…

Although he was single-minded in his own use of time, he did not expect this of those with family commitments.

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His pastoral care was exceeded only by his generosity. Towards one Christmas, I remember him phoning the Institute to leave a message and found I was working very late. “Why aren’t you at home with the family?” he asked. I replied, “because, sadly, someone still has to do the accounts.” With no proper accountant at that time, I had just received an anxious phone call from someone who had looked through the draft figures.

There was heaps of work to do before the auditors came, and no-one else available to do them. A few days later when the crisis was over, a large cheque arrived from John with a message, “Do take the whole family to the theatre. I suggest Les Misérables.” It was very typical of his care and concern, and his desire to bless the family.

Elaine Storkey, Former LICC Executive Director

was so humble. But he demonstrated for me that being a Christian wasn’t about shouting clichés and ramming religion down people’s throats, but quietly, gently, respecting the person you were working with, talking to, trying to teach or help them to learn – I think in that sense he was a person who helped other people to learn, as much by how he went about it as what he was saying.

Martyn Eden, Former LICC Dean

Good News for Women…

He was an amazing man indeed! He revolutionized my thinking on ‘engaging with the world’. I am grateful to God I had the opportunity to meet him and hear him speak. My life has never been the same since my time at LICC. I will never forget the moment I received my course certificate with my project entitled “Is the Gospel Good news to Women?” He looked at me and said, “Indeed, the Gospel is good news to women!” His work will continue to influence many. Such is the legacy of a godly man!

‘His legacy of dedication to Christ, his word, and his world will live forever.’

The Teacher’s Humility…

John was one of the most humble and simplelifestyle people I’ve ever met. When you introduced him to somebody, or when he met somebody for the first time, he never assumed that anybody knew him. He was one of the most senior and significant and influential church leaders in the twentieth century, but he never assumed anybody would have the slightest idea of who he was. He’d always say, “I’m John Stott, who are you?” He

Kavitha Emmanuel

A Rare Breed…

It was easy to love this orderly, purposeful man with his down-to-earth realism and his deep sense of care and concern that extended far more widely and to far more people than seemed possible. I am sure there are others like him, but I have met very few of them. To have known him, been taught by him and enjoyed his company is one of the richest blessings of my life.

Margaret Killingray, Lecturer in Ethics, LICC

Blue Jackets & Jangling Coins…

Issues Facing Christians Today is one of two books that changed the way I looked at the world as a Christian. ‘Uncle John’ invited all LICC students to his flat, treated us to dinner, then showed us slides from his bird watching trips, all the while jangling the coins in his pockets (in one of his blue suits). This will be the enduring memory I have of him, a truly wonderful example of a disciple, ever gracious, pointing us to Jesus.

Siew-Peng Lee

The Careful Marker…

A recent moving example of John’s care for students – in a filing cabinet I found a short paper written by a young Indian: John had read the paper carefully, detailed its deficiencies and suggested improvements, but in such a kind and constructive way that only love could motivate. ‘We shall not look upon his like again’.

Eunice Burton, Former LICC Librarian

Confidence to Explore…

The impact that John had in me and LICC was to help me understand that if the Christian faith is true, it can stand up. We don’t need to be scared. And the confidence that he had, the way he showed how you ‘do it’ was terribly important, that you can address any issue and the Bible is interested in it. And often these issues come with us, and we think, “Oh my, I haven’t discovered this before, and the church hasn’t explored this...” but every issue we can ever experience, the Bible was into first.

And that’s the confidence that he has. And it’s that understanding that all truth is His truth, He invented truth, and we are just trying to discover it, so the Bible and the Christian church is about exploring this truth. And the influence that he has on me is that we can work into these areas, understand that God is in it.

Washing-Up… LICC began its life at St. Paul’s Robert Adam Street before St. Peter’s Vere Street was completed. I was a lay assistant (1982-83) and touched by John Stott’s humility. At one conference the church was hosting for LICC I was trying to clear up behind the scenes, and clearly flustered. John Stott, who had far more important things to do, and people to network with and mentor, came up to me and offered to help with the washing up in the kitchenette. He was a genuinely humble man, who noticed the small things as well as the large. He radiated the character of Christ. I will be profoundly and eternally grateful for his gracious example, scholarship, clarity, incisiveness, and passion for the world church, and my shelves would be much emptier but for his writing...

Finishing Well…

My wife and I had the privilege of sitting under the teaching of Uncle John when we attended the ‘Christian in the modern world’ course at LICC in 2001.

We have been fans of John Stott since then! His life of simplicity a nd hu m i l it y, his challenge to practice ‘Double Listening’ – listening to the Word & the World – and his many writings have had a huge impact on our lives and our church ministry in Chennai, India. He finished well. A remarkable life and legacy that inspires us to finish well too.

Nigel Taylor

Jeyakaran Emmanuel

‘He was a genuinely humble man, who noticed the small things as well as the large.

He radiated the character of Christ.’

More about John Biography The biography of John Stott included in the tribute section covers his conversion, his local, national and international influence and some of his most influential written works.

Video Interview Back in 2007, John Stott gave an in-depth interview to LICC’s former Lecturer in Contemporary Culture, Brian Draper, as part of the Institute’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Now you can watch ‘Uncle John’ share his thoughts on how he would like to be remembered, why he founded LICC and the vision of the Institute, principles for whole-life discipleship, when he felt most alive and why LICC needs to continue.

Resources & Books You can download from the website a number of articles that John wrote for LICC, as well as purchase books by and about him from the LICC online shop.

Also available are a number of CDs of talks John delivered at LICC over the years.

Donations to the John Stott Memorial Fund It was John’s expressed wish that any donations given in his memory should benefit LICC and the Langham Partnership International (LPI) – the two ministries which he personally founded and which received the lion’s share of his attention and concern over the years. If you wish to make a donation in John Stott’s memory, you can do so via our online tribute site.

‘I think I know what it is in public worship to be transported above and beyond myself into a world of ultimate reality, with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven.’

John Stott

James Catford, Former LICC Board Member 5

Κύριος ’Ιησου̑ς

Two words that changed our world ‘Jesus is Lord’, the earliest Christian Creed, and for John Stott LICC’s key text – if we were ever to have one. In this extract from The Contemporary Christian, John explores its meaning and its implications for us today.

THE

apostolic gospel went beyond the fact and significance of the cross and resurrection to their purpose: ‘For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living’ (Romans 14:9 RSV).

Indeed, it is well known that the earliest, shortest, simplest of all Christian creeds was the affirmation ‘Jesus is Lord’. Those who acknowledged his lordship were baptised and received into the Christian community. For it was recognised, as Paul wrote, on the one hand that ‘if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved’ (Romans 10:9), and on the other that ‘no-one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 12:3).

It may at first sight seem extraordinar y that two Greek words, Kyrios Iesous or ‘Lord Jesus’ (for there is no connecting verb in either of the two verses quoted in the previous paragraph), could possibly be a satisfactory basis for identifying and welcoming somebody as a genuine Christian. Are they not hopelessly inadequate? Is this not theological reductionism at its worst?

The answer to these questions is ‘No’. For the two words concerned, which sound like a minimal Christian confession, are pregnant with meaning.

They have enormous implications for both Christian faith and Christian life. In particular, they express first a profound theological conviction about the historic Jesus and secondly a

radical personal commitment to him in consequence. It is this conviction and this commitment which I propose to explore in this chapter.

Behold he is God Perhaps the best way to investigate the doctrinal overtones of calling Jesus ‘Lord’ is to take a fresh look at Philippians 2:9-11. These verses form the climax of what is sometimes called Carmen Christi, ‘the song of Christ’. For Paul is probably quoting an early Christian hymn about Christ. In doing so, he gives it his apostolic imprimatur. He affirms that Christ, although he shared God’s nature and enjoyed equality with him, yet both emptied himself of his glory and humbled himself to serve, becoming obedient even to death on a cross (verses 6-8). He continues:

‘It was tantamount to saying that “Jesus is God.’’’

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Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (verses 9-11).

As a Christian hymn, used by the church and endorsed by the apostle, it indicates how the early Christians thought of Jesus. Three points stand out.

First, Paul gave Jesus a God-title.

That is, he referred to him as ‘Lord’. It is true, of course, that kyrios was used with different meanings in different contexts.

Sometimes it meant no more than ‘sir’, as when Mary Magdalene thought the risen

Jesus was the gardener (John 20:15) and when the priests asked Pilate to have the tomb made secure (Matthew 27:62-63).

But when used by Jesus’ disciples in relation to him, kyrios was more than a polite form of address; it was a title, as when they called him ‘the Lord Jesus’ or ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’. This becomes clear against the background of the Old Testament.

When the Old Testament came to be translated into Greek in Alexandria about 200 bc, the devout Jewish scholars did not know how to handle the sacred name Yahweh or Jehovah. They were too reticent to pronounce it; they did not feel free to translate or even to transliterate it.

So they put the paraphrase ho kyrios (‘the Lord’) instead, which is why ‘Yahweh’ still appears in most English versions as ‘the Lord’. Lovers of biblical numerology may like to know that it occurs 6,156 times in this Greek version, the Septuagint. Or so I have read somewhere; I have not had the inclination or the patience to check it.

What is truly amazing is that the followers of Jesus, knowing that at least in Jewish circles ho kyrios was the traditional title for Yahweh, Creator of the universe and covenant God of Israel, did not scruple to apply the same title to Jesus, or see any anomaly in doing so.

It was tantamount to saying that ‘Jesus is God’.

Secondly, Paul transferred to Jesus a God-text. In Isaiah 45:23 Yahweh had soliloquized: By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.

Now Paul, or the hymn-writer he is quoting, has the audacity to lift this text out of Isaiah and reapply it to Jesus.

The implication is unavoidable. The homage which the prophet said was due to Yahweh, the apostle says is due to Christ; it was also to be universal, involving ‘every knee’ and ‘every tongue’.

A similar example is the New Testament use of Joel 2:32. The prophet had written that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (sic. God) will be saved’. On the Day of Pentecost, however, Peter reapplied this promise to Jesus, urging his hearers to believe in Jesus and be baptised in his name (Acts 2:21, 38).

Similarly, Paul wrote later that the Lord Jesus ‘is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”’ (Romans 10:12-13). Thus the saving power of Yahweh to Israel has become the saving power of Jesus to Jewish and Gentile believers alike.

Thirdly, Paul demanded for Jesus God-worship. However we may interpret the confession of the tongue that he is Lord, the bowing of the knee to him is certainly worship.

Indeed, prayer is regularly addressed to Jesus in the New Testament, especially when Paul links ‘God our Father’ and ‘our Lord Jesus Christ’ as being together the source of grace and the object of petition (e.g. 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 3:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:2,12; 2:16). One is reminded too of Hebrews 1:6: ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’ It is assumed in the New Testament documents that grace flows from Christ, and that prayer and worship are due to him. Indeed, Christolatry (t he wor ship of Christ) preceded Christology (the developed doctrine of Christ).

But Christolatry is idolatry if Christ T he L ondon I nstitute

for

C ontemporary C hristianit y

is not God, as Athanasius saw clearly in the fourth century when arguing against the Arian heresy that Christ was a created being.

Here, then, are three important data contained in the Christian hymn Paul was quoting. The early Christians gave Jesus a God-title (‘Lord’), transferred to him God-texts (regarding the salvation he bestows and the homage he deserves) and offered him Godworship (the bowed knee). These facts are incontrovertible, and they are all the more impressive for being uncontrived and almost casual.

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designation. But it was most commonly employed of owners, whether of land, property or slaves. Possession carried with it full control and the right of disposal. It is with this understanding that Paul, Peter and James began their letters by designating themselves ‘slave of Jesus Christ’. They knew that he had bought them at the cost of his lifeblood, and that in consequence they belonged to him and were entirely at his service.

This personal ownership by Christ, and commitment to Christ, is to penetrate every part of his disciples’ lives…

The dimensions of this commitment are… intellectual (bringing our minds under Christ’s yoke), It is noteworthy, moreover, that the New Testament writers did not argue the rightness of making the daring identification that Jesus is God, for there was no need for them to do so. Paul defended the gospel of justification by grace through faith, and that fiercely, because it was being challenged. But he did not debate the divine lordship of Jesus (the truth that ‘there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 8:6)), which must mean that it was not being disputed. So already within a few years of the death and resurrection of Jesus his deity was part of the universal faith of the church.

The confession that ‘Jesus is Lord’ has a second theological inference, namely that he is Saviour as well as God. The tradition in some evangelical circles is to distinguish sharply between Jesus the Saviour and Jesus the Lord, and even to suggest that conversion involves trusting him as Saviour, without necessarily surrendering to him as Lord. The motive behind this teaching is good, namely to safeguard the truth of justification by faith alone and not introduce worksrighteousness (obeying Christ as Lord) by the back door. Nevertheless this position is biblically indefensible. Not only is

Jesus ‘our Lord and Saviour’, one and indivisible, but his lordship implies his salvation and actually announces it. That is, his title ‘Lord’ is a symbol of his victory over all the forces of evil, which have been put under his feet. The very possibility of our salvation is due to this victory. It is precisely because he is Lord that he is able also to be Saviour (Cf. Acts 2:3339). There can be no salvation without lordship. The two affirmations ‘Jesus is Lord’ and ‘Jesus saves’ are virtually synonymous.

‘It is precisely because he is Lord that he is able also to be Saviour.’

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Under new ownership The word kyrios could be used, as we have seen, as no more than a respectful

moral (accepting his standards and obeying his commands), vocational (spending our lives in his liberating service), social (seeking to penetrate society with his values), political (refusing to idolize any human institution) and global (being jealous for the honour and glory of his name).

This edited extract from T he C ont emp or a r y Christian is reproduced here courtesy of the publisher, IVP. You can order it, and many other Stott titles, direct from LICC. Call 020 7399 9555, email: mail@licc.org.uk, or visit the online store at licc.org.uk/shop

Friends of LICC will find a real treat enclosed with their issue of EG – a copy of the brand new edition of John Stott’s classic book, Understanding the Bible. Commenting on this new edition, Mark Greene, LICC’s Executive Director, said ‘John Stott didn’t just try to understand the Bible, he committed himself to living it out in all of life… and those twin concerns are at the heart of this liberating guide.’

If you’re not yet a Friend of LICC, why not become one today? Simply complete the enclosed form, and return it in the envelope provided. Your support will help us continue the work of equipping Christians and churches for whole-life discipleship for which John Stott founded LICC.

The Bible: Shaping Culture, Shaping Church?

Nigel Hopper & Antony Billington in conversation on the Bible and Culture

JOHN

S t o t t f a m ou sly asserted the need for ‘double-listening’ – for Christians to listen both to the Bible and to the particular culture in which they are called to work out their faith. Nigel Hopper talks to Antony Billington about recent explorations of the impact of the Bible on shaping our culture, approaches to Jesus and how the Bible is being read today.

Nigel: John Stott, LICC’s founder, emphasised the need for Christians to relate their biblical faith to the contemporary world; how would you describe the place of the Bible in contemporary British culture?

A ntony: Well, there’s no doubt that the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible has given the Bible an increased public exposure, which means the issue of the impact of the Bible on British culture has been raised again and again in recent months.

And from some unlikely places too. In the first week of May, Stylist magazine carried a piece on the Bible. So, in amongst profiles of Karren Brady and Gwyneth Paltrow, beauty tips, fashion pages, and perfume adverts, was a threepage article on the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible! That article also included examples of ways the Bible has inspired contemporary culture, taking in examples from songs (like Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’), art, novels (like Yann Martel’s Life of Pi), music, and film.

So, we’ve had lots of reminders of the impact of the Bible on English literature and language. In fact, even

well-known atheists like Richard charitable work of the Victorian social Dawkins and Christopher Hitchins reformer Octavia Hill. In others sorts of have been saying that our language and ways, Bragg argues that the King James culture would be somehow incomplete Bible was a force for democracy. without the King James A nother example translation of the Bible. wor t h ment ion i n g, But others have been although it casts the net pointing out that its wider than the Bible’s impact is more extensive influence on Britain, even than that. is Vishal Mangalwadi’s Melvyn Bragg, for The Book That Made instance, has published Your World: How the a volume called Book Bible Created the Soul of Books: The Radical of Western Civilization Impact of the King (Thomas Nelson, 2011).

James Bible (Hodder This is particularly & Stoughton, 2011) interesting because it’s Vishal Mangalwadi in which he traces an written by an Indian emancipatory impulse in scholar and author. the Bible – showing how it has played Mangalwadi is a Christian but grew a role in changing society. Of course, up immersed in Eastern religions, there’s already a revolutionary notion at and so he brings a perspective to this work in the Bible being translated from topic which allows him to explore the Latin into English which moves Scripture differences between what he sees as the from the elite to give access to all – the biblical perspective on life compared ploughboy as well as the priest. And then with alternative worldviews found in that impulse continues – in the movement (for instance) Islam and Hinduism. to abolish slavery, for instance, and in the Mangalwadi makes the case that the

‘The Bible created the modern world of science and learning because it gave the Creator’s vision of what reality is all about.’

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Bible provides the foundation upon which Indian democracy as well as western civilization rests. Pretty much anything seen as of ‘value’ in western civilization – and Mangalwadi covers rationality, technology, heroism, revolution, languages, literature, university, science, morality, family, compassion, true wealth, and liberty – he credits to the influence of the Bible.

In all these ways, then, the Bible has shaped various dimensions of our culture – often without us really being aware of the extent to which it has done so!

Nigel: It seems to me, looking around, that the Bible – and the gospels in particular – increasingly serve as a foil for contemporary re-tellings, or re-imaginings of its story (usually of a sensational nature), Philip Pullman’s The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ being a recent example. Do you think this is helpful inasmuch as it puts the Bible in the limelight, and how can Christians ‘rescue’ the story of Scripture from contemporary interpretations?

Antony: Yes, it’s interesting to see how the figure of Jesus, however much he might be misunderstood, is deeply ingrained on our collective cultural consciousness. In The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (Canongate, 2010), Pullman uses the idea of Mary having twins, one named Jesus and one named Christ, as a literary device to explore what he sees as the difference between the ‘historical Jesus’ and the ‘churchly Christ’. In part this becomes a way of Pullman representing the leaders of the future church who make sure that the ‘truth’ recorded in the gospels is what they consider it should have been.

But he’s clear that he’s writing a piece of fiction, even if he also seems to be wanting to make a point by doing so.

And that, fundamentally I think, is the big issue with re-tellings of the story of Jesus. What seems to happen is that the story of Jesus becomes about something else – an exploration of the human need for love, for instance, or a

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critique of ecclesiastical authority – and it’s this ‘something else’ that becomes all-important. And in the telling of that ‘something else’, the gospels get left behind and (somewhat ironically) Jesus gets left behind!

Even well-meaning Christian readers can sometimes be in danger of abstracting ethical truisms or theological ‘nuggets’ from the gospel accounts of Jesus, as if the accounts themselves are just a convenient vehicle for those things and can then be left behind once we’ve worked out what the gospels are really all about. Except, of course, that the gospels are about Jesus, and we can’t separate

and Epistles along the way. But Grayling takes ‘secular’ texts from western and eastern traditions and weaves together their ideas and insights about how ‘the good life’ should be lived – without reference to any divine being.

What we get, then, is lots of material on the virtue of friendship, wisdom for life, the value of liberty, and so on. And, of course, all of that Christians can affirm – especially as we believe in the ‘common grace’ of a God who sends rain and makes the sun shine on all. All truth is God’s truth.

But, I’d want to say that so far as Christians are concerned, best sense is

the abstracted truths (about justice or love, say) from the larger story of Jesus – indeed, the larger story of Israel which the gospels say Jesus has come to fulfil.

made of those things – like virtue and wisdom and liberty and hope – in the light of the bigger story the Bible tells.

Indeed, it’s telling, I think, that while the longest sections in Grayling’s Good Book are Histories and Acts (drawing mostly on stories from ancient Greece and Rome), his Bible lacks a connecting narrative from beginning to end – which is what you might expect if there is no God. And that dimension, I think, is a crucial distinctive of the Bible. For Christians, the Bible tells not a story about a god, but tells the story of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who will make good on his promise to Abraham to bless all nations, and brings that promise to fulfilment in Jesus – back to the concerns of the previous question.

Nigel: Although not a sensational volume, A.C. Grayling has recently published his The Good Book – an unashamedly secular Bible, if you like, that attempts to be a compendium of wisdom for living without reference to God. What do you see as the main flaws in such an attempt to cherry-pick ‘workable wisdom’ from the Bible (and other ancient texts) whilst keeping God out of the story?

Antony: Yes. This has been an interesting development too...

It’s a little bit tongue-in-cheek, perhaps, but the book consciously mimics the design of Bibles with short chapters divided into verses. And it’s organised in fourteen sections, beginning with Genesis and taking in Wisdom, Parables, Lamentations, Songs, Histories, Proverbs,

Nigel: Finally, I started by asking you about the place of the Bible in contemporary British culture, let me finish by asking you for your view on the place of the Bible in the contemporary British church?

Antony: Survey after survey in recent years – carried out with people in churches, leaders and non-leaders, as well as non-church people – has confirmed what will probably not come as a huge surprise to many of us, that there is an increasing lack of biblical literacy in the church as well as in society more generally. The surveys reveal that the vast majority of people in churches feel positive about the Bible, and consider it to be revelation from God, but fewer and fewer, it seems – even leaders – are reading it for themselves. And when they manage to do so, they’re not always sure what to do with it. And then, on top of

that, are the challenges from secularists we’ve already spoken about.

That’s why I’m delighted that LICC is part of ‘Biblefresh’ – a movement of churches, agencies, colleges and festivals seeking to encourage and inspire Christians and churches to a greater confidence in, and appetite for, the Word of God. Biblefresh has been focusing on four areas this year – encouraging individuals and churches to take practical steps

in reading the Bible, being trained in handling the Bible, supporting translation work, and experiencing the Bible in new and creative ways.

It would be great, I think, if we could all move forward a little bit this year.

For some of us that might mean reading the Bible on our own more regularly than we have been. For others it might mean using some Bible reading notes when we read to take us further in our understanding, or going to a Bible study, or meeting someone once a week in a coffee shop to discuss a Bible passage.

For church leaders and preachers it might mean being even more self-conscious about handling the Bible carefully or thinking through its significance for our people in their everyday contexts. For others it might be a commitment to give to the work of Bible translation so that others can read God’s word in their own language. Think how amazing it could be if we all took just one step forward!

We started with how the Bible has shaped British culture, but of course Christians formed by the Bible are themselves culture shapers. But we will best engage with culture and society today as people who are first shaped by the Bible, through hearing and then living according to the voice of God in the pages of Scripture.

Antony Billington is Head of Theology at LICC. Nigel Hopper was our Lecturer in Contemporary Culture and Communications Manager until August. He has now joined Arocha UK, an organisation close to John Stott’s heart, as Marketing Director.

This is an edited extract of Nigel’s conversation with Antony. You can hear the full version at licc.org.uk, where you can also download a complete transcript of their dialogue.

Ask Antony Perhaps you’ve got your own questions about the Bible and culture that weren’t answered by Antony’s responses to Nigel. If so, why not ask Antony yourself? He’ll be online to answer your questions on Friday September 23 between 1.00pm and 2.00pm, and on Wednesday November 2 between 6.45pm and 8.00pm. To join in the discussion, log on to http:// www.livestream.com/liccltd If you would like to submit your questions in advance, please email them to mail@licc.org.uk.

Whole-Life, Whole-Bible Together with LICC’s Margaret Killingray and Helen Parry, Antony Billington has produced a new book, Whole-Life, WholeBible. The book takes readers through the story the Bible tells in 50 reflective readings, compiled from the original LICC email series, and provides questions to aid contemporary application. Pre-order your copy now at licc.org.uk

Integrated: The Bible in Professional Life Saturday October 1, 9.30am – 4.30pm All Souls Church, Langham Place, London LICC’s Antony Billington, Tracy Cotterell and John Wyatt are among the speakers at this day conference organised by our friends at All Souls Church, Langham Place. The programme provides an opportunity to be inspired, stretched and challenged along with other professionals seeking to understand how to integrate God’s word into every aspect of working life. For further details and to book, visit allsouls.org

biblefresh.com The Biblefresh website provides information and ideas for individuals and churches to take practical steps in reading the Bible, being trained in handling the Bible, supporting translation work, and experiencing the Bible in new and creative ways.

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Executive Toolbox, Executive Action LICC’s initiatives to support mission at work continue to grow.

Executive Toolbox is the most recent. Paul Valler, the course leader, reflects...

“I JUST

can’t think of anywhere else I could get this kind of interaction and equipping.”

“Without doubt the most inspiring programme I have ever attended.” “God has continued to open my eyes in the workplace and to provide opportunities to get alongside people and to effect change.”

So said delegates after the closing module of LICC’s first Executive Toolbox.

The course grew out of work we have been doing with men and women in senior positions over a number of years.

We were looking to create a process which would enable executives not only to develop a richer biblical vision for their mission at work but to find a variety of ways to help them have a significant impact on the way they work, the people they work with and the organisation they work in. How can we work, as God put it to Jeremiah, 'To seek the peace and prosperity of the city’ we are called to. (cf Jeremiah 29:7) How might the Lord’s kingdom come, his will be done in our organisations? (cf Matthew 6:10) So we developed a multi-faceted approach, studying scripture through a workplace lens and using a variety of learning methods in three 24-hour modules over a 5 month period. We combined that with guided reading and reflection between sessions and the opportunity for mutual support through triplets. But would it work?

We l l , p e r s p e c t ive s c h a n g e d , testimonies abounded and prayers were answered – sometimes well beyond the expectation of the person requesting prayer. One delegate was bewailing the absence of other Christians in his workplace. Someone else invited him to pray together for two. As he put it, “I didn’t think I had faith for that.”

Within three months there were five.

As for perspectives changing, one of the challenges in any workplace and indeed at any level in an organisation is not to accept the methods and ethos of that organisation as the only way to do things. After all, most organisations approach challenges Jill Garrett through the essentially

how did Jehoshaphat go about seeking national change? (2 Chronicles 17-21) How did David abuse the communication systems that opened up to him when he became king? (2 Samuel 11) One delegate was faced with the question: “How should I approach a performance review process which compels me to put 15% of the team into the ‘below expected’ category, regardless of whether they are actually in it?” When the Bible was applied, and the wisdom of the group brought to bear, not only to the ethics of the issue but to the relational dynamics of the situation, it was encouraging to me to see the lights going on and new vistas opening up.

In the first 24-hour module delegates were invited to take a fresh look at their workplace and learn to diagnose their workplace culture, to recognise what Christ is doing and clarify what ‘good’ might look like – through biblical reflection, analysis, prayer and a guided meditation. Now, as you might suspect, guided meditation is not everyone’s preferred mode but one of the goals was to expose delegates to a range of learning methods and spiritual traditions. With fruitful results (see the blue box).

‘The biggest challenge is how to lead where you have no positional authority. Great leaders influence and lead beyond their own boundaries.’

atheistic, rationalist lenses of much organisational theory and practice. How not to be conformed to the world? (Romans 12:1-2) Delegates tackled case studies drawn from real world situations, as well as reflecting on their own, seeking to bring biblical principle and biblical practice to bear. Mark Greene helped us look at the theology of work and also at how biblical leaders responded to analogous leadership challenges:

‘The highlight for me is to have met women (speakers in particular) who I would aspire to be like. It’s shown me qualities/attributes and skills (work related and personal/spiritual) that I have not seen or had access to in work or church in 12 years. It’s inspiring and yet rather sad…

The challenge is for me to grow, grow and grow. As a daughter of God.’ 12

‘Catching the vision of the potential of all of us as agents of transformation in our organisations and, just with a higher level of consciousness, seeing God at work. That this is less about striving and more about praying and joining in! The whole programme has served as a real awakening. I am now very excited about the fact that my church seems to have caught the vision or at least wants to.’

In one of Bev Shepherd’s sessions entitled “God at work” she led us on a meditation in which we were invited to picture Jesus at our workplace. The scene was set with music and this scripture read out slowly; ‘Walk with me and work with me, – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you will learn to live freely and lightly.’ (Matthew 11:28-30. The Message) We were invited to picture Jesus standing at the front door of our workplace, welcome him in and then watch and follow where he went, who he spoke to and what he did. I had the most powerful encounter as he strode in to the business and went around the lower floor stopping with everyone.

He did different things with each person. For example, he reached into someone’s chest and pulled out a black heart and put a new one in. Another he embraced and just kissed the top of his head repeatedly.

I decided to take this and share it with my prayer group at work. (Out of 300 people we have 9 people who normally attend the prayer group but we don’t meet on site.) Our normal practice is to recap on answers to prayer, find out what is current and write a ‘list’ which we then pray through. Of late, the group had felt tired and numbers were dwindling. I desperately wanted to share this experience with the others, so I asked them if they would come

into work at 7.00am, with the promise of coffee and pastries. Bringing the group into work was potentially risky, but I felt it was the right thing to do.

Eight blear y- eyed people arrived and we dived straight into the meditation. Although not as professional as Bev’s delivery it was equally as powerful! Everyone had a picture, some for the first time, and amazingly each person saw something different, yet all overlapping and integrating perfectly, and there was a clear theme running throughout.

One person who regularly attends, but usually says very little, shared the most tender, compassionate and moving picture concerning two specific individuals.

Since then we have reverted back to praying outside of work, but now we wait on God in silence and share what we believe the Lord is saying before we pray. People are having pictures and sharing them, which is so amazing and encouraging. It has taken the pressure off prescriptive praying and is deepening our friendships. How wonderful is that?

Jesus only did what he saw his father doing. So what is God doing in your workplace? Why not seek to find out?

If you have no prayer group, ask God to bring one other Christian across your path. Try the above kind of meditation.

Until you choose to do something and purpose in your heart to give it a go, you won’t do anything.

‘It has taken the pressure off prescriptive praying and is deepening our friendships.’

The second 24-hour module focused on relationships at work which are so critical to wellbeing and effective performance.

Delegates used a five dimensional model of relational health (described in Mark Greene’s book The Best Idea in the World) to analyse the relational dynamics in their workplace and the possible reasons for team success and team failure. What might we do to enhance the quality of our relationships? Afterwards, one delegate prayerfully decided that in order to solve a performance question in his team he would have to improve his relationship with his rather direct boss and become rather more direct himself.

An opportunity soon presented itself, so with an arrow prayer and hoping that he would not get his P45, he quietly but firmly engaged his boss in a robust exchange. The subsequent discussion went well and the outcome was opposite to what the boss had initially demanded, and may well save the job of someone else in his team.

In fact, a growing sense of empowerment is evident amongst a number of delegates – a sense of proactivity. People have come to Executive Toolbox with an issue and found that the way they see that issue has changed. Often this released them from a feeling of being trapped and created a new understanding of what God was calling them to do. The r e su lt wa s that they have gone back to work with a strengthened c onv ict ion that ‘God can 13

make a difference through me’ and that just surviving as a Christian in a secular world is not enough anymore.

The final module focused on transforming leadership and Jill Garrett presented and contrasted ‘transformational leadership’ and ‘transactional leadership’. T he transformational leader effects change that lasts beyond their own tenure whereas the transactional leader may create change but it tends to evaporate once they leave. Jill used Nehemiah as a case study, offering a leadership response that distinguished between the specific situation that Nehemiah faced – a demotivated team, very strong opposition and a leadership vacuum – and the more general principles of leadership.

Of course, we all know that wisdom for life and work is found in the Word and from the Holy Spirit. We all know that we need time to step back and reflect. We all know that we are often helped by the insights of others. But most of us haven’t created a way to make those three key elements a part of our lives. Executive Toolbox, like LICC’s experimental work with thirtysomethings with Mission Scotland, not only provided a context for such a potent three-pronged combination but created the opportunity for it to continue.

Indeed, delegates from the 2011 course have chosen to come to a fourth module

Executive Toolbox 2012 For more information on course goals and content go to www.licc.org.uk or call LICC. Dates: 2nd/3rd February, 23rd/24th March and 21st/22nd June. 24 hours – 6pm on first evening to 6pm on second day. It is important that delegates commit to attending all three 24 hour modules.

Venue: Royal Foundation of St Katharine Conference Centre, London E14 Cost: £450, including accommodation, catering and resources (books not included) The Teaching Team: Will comprise experienced executives, leading workplace consultants and engaged theological observers, including Alex Lloyd Davies, Jill Garrett, Mark Greene, Beverley Shepherd, Paul Valler and others.

Closing date for applications: Friday 2nd December 2011.

Applications: via Stephanie Smith at LICC, email: stephanie.smith@licc.org.uk or tel: 020 7399 9555.

to be run this autumn and we will seek to encourage each year’s alumni to create their own learning community. In the long run, we believe this will grow our ability to catalyse organisational transformation and to increase the church’s capacity to be a blessing to the nation whose peace and prosperity we have been called to pray for and seek… that many might come to know the glory of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As I write, our 2012 Executive Toolbox is already half full. If you are in a middle to senior position of influence in your organisation, get in quick!

Paul Valler is the former Finance Director of Hewlett Packard, the author of Get a Life (IVP) and an LICC Associate Workplace Speaker.

Continue Making a Difference It’s amazing the difference a legacy can make.

A few years ago, it was the receipt of a legacy that enabled LICC to produce Supporting Christians at Work. Over 35,000 copies have been distributed, and it’s gone as far afield as America, Australia and Canada, and it was even translated into Chinese! It was a vital moment in LICC’s history – the first mass distribution of an LICC resource, and it created a model that has led to the distribution of thousands of copies of Imagine, Let My People Grow and, most recently, The Great Divide.

At LICC we find ourselves with ever-increasing opportunities to disseminate the vital ideas that were in John Stott’s mind when

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he founded LICC, as we work in partnership with denominations, theological colleges, Christian organisations, churches and a growing number of individual Christians.

We’re seeking a sustainable, long-term change in the culture of the UK church, but our future plans need to be matched by financial resources that will enable our vision to become a reality over the long term.

Do take a moment to browse the enclosed leaflet and fill in the coupon to find out more about how you can continue making a difference by remembering LICC in your will.

AUTUMN EVENTS PROGRAMME

7 Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership

The LICC Lunchtime Lectures, Autumn 2011

September 26

10@Work – Exploring the Ten Commandments and their Applications for Today’s Workplace With John Parmiter When the workplace doesn’t work well, it impacts the whole of society. Recent crises in banking and the parliamentary scandals are testimonies to failures in today’s working culture. The consequences can be profound: moral bankruptcy, weak values and a corrosive de-humanising in the working world.

Exploring the power of the Ten Commandments to help Christians make a difference in such a culture, John Parmiter (a town planner and surveyor, and partner at Roger Tym & Partners) develops his thesis: the solutions for our workplaces are not regulatory but spiritual and the Ten Commandments provide the foundational principles for these. For they are a way of love and a set of promises; a demonstration of God’s love and a commitment by his Spirit to working these out in our working lives, as we submit our whole lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

For ten weeks this autumn, John will give a short lunchtime lecture on each commandment, working back from number ten to number one. Each lecture unpacks the issue in the light of the workplace – the coveting heart, honesty, truth-telling, rest, family life, modern idols and so on – and suggests a range of ways in which we might respond in love, and in co-operating with the Holy Spirit as he does his work of transformation in us, and so impacts the lives of others in the workplace. ✛ September 21: Discovering Contentment ✛ September 28: Remaining Honest ✛ October 5: Prospering with Integrity ✛ October 19: Maintaining Healthy Relationships ✛ October 26: Keeping the Peace ✛ November 2: Living with our Past ✛ November 16: Keeping a Balance ✛ November 23: Maintaining Respect ✛ November 30: Working in Freedom ✛ December 7: Staying Focussed Time: 1:00-1.40pm, followed by 10 minutes Q&A Venue: LICC, St Peter’s, Vere Street, London W1G 0DQ Cost: Free (Bring your sandwiches, drinks available).

With Kate Coleman Increasing numbers of women exercise influence through their leadership in the workplace. They’re called to flourish and to be fruitful as followers of Jesus in those places, yet they can face significant hindrances. Structural barriers to effectiveness are often emphasised but women can also struggle with attitudes and behaviours that undermine their leadership and create internal dis-ease. These selfdefeating patterns are like ‘deadly sins’.

This lively, interactive seminar is designed to give women an overview of seven of these ‘deadly sins’, with a particular emphasis on one: limiting self-perceptions. We will consider what this ‘sin’ looks like, and explore steps to overcome it.

Time: 6.30-8.30pm (refreshments from 6.15pm) Venue: LICC, St Peter’s, Vere Street, London W1G 0DQ Cost: £7 (£5 concession) – includes refreshments Booking: Call 020 7399 9555, email: mail@licc.org.uk, or visit licc.org.uk

Evangelism at Work – Yes, Really!

October 3

With Martien Kelderman There’s a lot more to being faithful at work than evangelism, but it can’t be ignored. So, in the context of today’s diverse, pressured, politically correct workplaces, how do we go about cooperating with God in evangelism amongst those we relate to day by day?

Martien Kelderman is a speaker, consultant, business person and pastor based in New Zealand and Australia. He has been exploring and experimenting in how to live out faith in the workplace for eight years, and mentored a large range of people in a variety of work contexts.

Martien has both run his own businesses and managed others, ranging from international consulting companies to local building supply companies. He has worked in Christian organisations and secular, government sector and private. Martien is qualified in theology and in business, and has just completed a thesis entitled Theology of Profit. Come and Lesslie Newbigin join him in this interactive seminar to explore a ‘takeaway menu’ of options for you to engage your faith in your workplace in an appropriate and effective way.

‘The primary action of the church in the world is the action of its members in their daily work.’

Booking: Call 020 7399 9555, or email: mail@licc.org.uk to book for one, or all of the lectures.

Unable to make the lectures but want to hear them? Send an email to mail@licc.org.uk and we’ll sign you up to receive a link to recordings of the lectures during the series.

Time: 6.30-8.30pm Venue: LICC, St Peter’s, Vere Street, London W1G 0DQ Cost: £7 (£5 concession) – includes refreshments Booking: Call 020 7399 9555, email: mail@licc.org.uk, or visit licc.org.uk

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A Day in Numbers – Faithfulness in the Wilderness October 13

With Richard Briggs The Book of Numbers tells the story of discipleship and pilgrimage in the wilderness, offering a portrayal of life with God in hard circumstances. The book poses a strong challenge: can we trust God in the midst of daily difficulties?

Combining teaching sessions with opportunities for discussion, this day workshop will be suitable for all those who would value an opportunity to dig deeper into a relatively unfamiliar book of the Bible, exploring how Scripture nurtures and sustains Christian identity and discipleship in the world today.

The day will be led by Richard Briggs, Director of Biblical Studies and Lecturer in Old Testament at Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, Durham University. In addition to being a stimulating teacher, Richard has a background in cross-cultural mission and has also been involved in church leadership. He is the author of several books, including Reading the Bible Wisely (SPCK) and The Virtuous Reader: Old Testament Narrative and Interpretive Virtue (Baker).

Among other projects, he is currently working on a commentary on the book of Numbers.

Time: 10.00am-4.00pm (coffee from 9.30am) Venue: LICC, St Peter’s, Vere Street, London W1G 0DQ Cost: £15 (£10 concession) – includes lunch and light refreshments throughout the day Booking: Call 020 7399 9555, email: mail@licc.org.uk, or visit licc.org.uk

Don’t Put Yourself Down

‘Wisdom involves revelation and it involves being given eyes to see... Wise readers are to develop wise habits of reading Scripture that will allow them to discern ‘God’s breath’ in it, and see the appropriate ways in which it speaks to them today.’

Richard Briggs

October 18

With George Pitcher George Pitcher is one of the most outspoken critics of attempts by lobbyists to have assisted suicide legalised in the UK. He believes that no proper case can be made in law, medical practice or theology for the establishment of a two-tier system of human life in which some lives are considered of less value than others.

Join us for this evening event, where he will expose the weakness of the cases for assisted suicide, trace the decline in standards of end-of-life care in foreign jurisdictions that have introduced it, and reveal what he sees as the cynical attempts of those who campaign for it to circumvent our legislature.

The evening will inform and engage all those interested in learning more about an issue that Rowan Williams has described as ‘probably the sharpest moral and legal question of our time’.

George Pitcher is the author of the widelyacclaimed book, A Time To Live: The Case against Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. He is a journalist by background and has worked as an award-winning Industrial Editor of The Observer and as Religion Editor of The Daily Telegraph, before spending a year as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Secretary for Public Affairs.

Time: 6.30-9.00pm Venue: LICC, St Peter’s, Vere Street, London W1G 0DQ Cost: £7 (£5 concession) – includes refreshments Booking: Call 020 7399 9555, email: mail@licc.org.uk, or visit licc.org.uk

Why God Won’t Go Away November 23

With Alister McGrath Alister McGrath has established himself as one of the most important critics of the New Atheism. In his recent book, Why God Won’t Go Away, Alister provides a detailed assessment of the cultural factors leading to the emergence of this movement, and how Christians can respond to its main criticisms of religious belief.

In this lecture, he will give an assessment of the significance of the movement, and engage with three leading concerns: the relation between religion and violence; the rationality of religious belief; and the relation between religion and science. The lecture will be of major interest to church leaders, those engaged in parachurch ministries (especially those concerned with students) and reflective Christians wanting to understand their faith better and engage in dialogue with non-Christian friends and colleagues.

Time: 6.30-9.00pm Venue: LICC, St Peter’s, Vere Street, London W1G 0DQ Cost: £7 (£5 concession) – includes refreshments Booking: Call 020 7399 9555, email: mail@licc.org.uk, or visit licc.org.uk

Connecting to LICC If you would like to find out more about LICC – how to receive our mailings, or our ever-popular weekly emails, ‘Word for the Week’ and ‘Connecting with Culture’ – please call us on 020 7399 9555, email mail@licc.org.uk or write to us at the address below.

The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity St. Peter’s · Vere Street · London · W1G 0DQ (t) 020 7399 9555 (f) 020 7399 9556 · (e) mail@licc.org.uk · (w) www.licc.org.uk Editor: Nigel Hopper · Executive Director: Mark Greene Designed & printed by X1 · www.x1.ltd.uk · (t) 01753 215300 All articles ©LICC – use only with prior permission from the publishers. LICC Ltd is a registered charity No. 286102