Contents
Articles
- The Ethics of Value-Creation, Don Cupitt
- What, if Anything, is Moral Relativism?, Mary Midgley
- May the Force Be With You Not, Richard Holloway
- The Mostar Bridge Rebuilt, Cicely Herbert
Reviews
- Stephen Mitchell reviews Bringing God Back to Earth, Stephen Mitchell
- Hilary Campbell reviews Casting Off, Hilary Campbell
- Denis Gildea reviews Happiness, Denis Gildea
- William Oxley reviews Damnatio Memoriae, William Oxley
Poetry
- Limbo, Tom Owen
- A Poison Tree, William Blake
- William Blake: Poetry and Prose from the Closing Session, Rob Wheeler
- Futility, Wilfred Owen
Editorial
Note on sof To avoid confusion SoF (roman upper and lower case) is used to refer to the Sea of Faith Network and sof (lower case italics) to the magazine. sof is the root of the Greek word for wisdom: sofia; wise: sofe (f), sofos (m). It is in the English word philosophical. sof magazine does not think wisdom is dispensed supernaturally from on high, but that it can only by sought by humans at home on Earth. sof is for diggers and seekers; it is radical, rooting for wisdom down to earth.As sof is for a world with room for many worlds, printed below are the Chinese characters meaning ‘root of wisdom’: rooting for wisdom down to earth Conference Issue sof 73 September 2005 The theme of SoF’s Annual Conference this year was ‘Beyond Good and Evil:
The Challenge of Reconciliation’.
At the Conference AGM the motion to change the magazine’s name to sofia was defeated, but only just. It was a close thing. As there was not enough time for discussion, I’ll propose the name sofia again next year; everyone I show the magazine to says it makes more sense. Meanwhile, sof or sofia, I love the magazine, which has no lack of talent to draw on. As Blake said, ‘energy is eternal delight’ and I’ll continue to put my energy into making it as good as I can. At the Conference I met interesting, kind and sensible people and some possible new writers. And readers, please continue to send in ideas for articles and reviews, as well as letters.
At the Conference. I enjoyed listening to the three highly individual talks from our distinguished speakers, Mary Midgley, Richard Holloway and Don Cupitt. I am still thinking about what they said.
Like Don, one of my favourite poets is the early Wordsworth and, to quote from his Tintern Abbey, I know I was not the only one to come away from the talks ‘with pleasing thoughts/ that in this moment there is life and food/ for future years.’ All three talks are printed in this packed Conference issue of the magazine, as well as items from Richard Holloway’s Liturgy and Rob Wheeler’s Closing Session, so that’s enough of an editorial and over to them. editorial Don Cupitt was born in 1934 and educated at Charterhouse (where he was a Foundation Scholar), Trinity Hall, Cambridge (where he was an Exhibitioner), and Westcott House, Cambridge.
Oliver Essame, sof Letters’ Editor, Gospel Hill Cottage, Chapel Lane,Whitfield, Brackley NN13 5TF. Email: oliver@essame.clara.net Sof 72 was interesting in that the editor had chosen one main theme, rather than the usual pick-and-mix of earlier editions. However, her introductory article and her rendition of the ancient creed on the last page seemed to me to be irrelevant for the 21st Century.
For centuries of Christianity the problem for the Christians was how could the divine Jesus be also only a man and then how could the man Jesus be also God?
Neither of these can be genuine concerns now, as the distinction between the notion of ‘God’ and ‘Man’ no longer exists, surely? In this century our need is to recognise that we are indeed all separate humans, each different from another, and yet we share a common humanity. And more than that, we have a sense of life shared with all living creatures, and more than that, we have a sense of unity with ourselves and the immense universe, and more than that, we sense that even this is part of a greater whole.
There is nothing ‘other’ or distinct about the greater whole. We are part of the greater whole and it would not exist without us. This is like the sea – without this one drop of water and the next and the next, there would be no sea. The sea is more than, and yet also only, every drop. If there is any modern reason to use the word ‘God’ it has to be as this inclusive notion of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, and yet not existing without the parts.
Every person can recognize their importance in the formation of the whole and recognise the equality and value of every other person too. Our treatment of other humans and other life forms will be enriched when we can take on board the notion that every single living being is a necessary manifestation of the whole.
In the end, this is very similar to the old Christian belief that we should try to see Christ in the other person – but it has got rid of the awful, divisive notions of a god ‘out there’, overseeing the lot. There is one whole and we are in it and it wouldn’t exist without us and all else. This century must learn to accept the reality and live well in it.
Joanna Clark 2 Coopers Court Sherborne Dorset DT9 4HU ‘Where there is hatred, let me sow love.’ Prayer of St Francis, famously misquoted by Margaret Thatcher on the threshold of 10 Downing Street in 1979. letters sof 73 September 2005 18 Stephen Mitchell reviews Bringing God Back to Earth:
— Joanna Clark, Sherborne, Dorset