Hugh Dawes spoke in a way detached from Sea of Faith concerns. He argued for a public space: he might have said if anti-realism and his view of public space can go together or if all language must be private. Don Cupitt had a paper that was interesting in seeing a place for postmodern religion and language in uniting the stances of science and art, but in the face of the other lectures these thoughts seemed detached too. What was this overarching language content and its implication for Anglicans singing the Magnificat or Free Church people engaging in unstructured prayer?
In the past themes have evolved not by intention but by happy accident. This year no theme evolved. However, I think there has been development from what started as a narrow, churchy, largely Anglican concern. Each year Sea of Faith has seen a broadening. It has rightly avoided a rationalist intellectualism and this year I think for the first time it got away from too much jargon. I am pleased that 1993 also saw a big step up in the contribution of other faiths, particularly Eastern views (if Westernised within the Buddhist vehicle) which have so much to offer the postmodern position, their useful cyclical structures of time adding to 'end of history' or death of linear time a perspective of postmodernity.
Sea of Faith has been wise to avoid going down the road of secular postmodern philosophies as a replacement focus. Ours should be primarily a religious gathering.
The Network has still to grapple with political radicalism, quietly dropped at the very first conference, and has still to grapple with a radicalism of rights, from passive inclusive religious language to a more active approach.
Sea of Faith has chickened out of taking a position on homosexuality right at the point where elsewhere it is a hot issue. After all, we were meeting when leading Orthodox Jews were coming out with revolting statements on genetic selection against a background of nationalism and ethnic cleansing, yet nothing was said by us. We do not want to be in a game of passing resolutions but perhaps next time round we should take risks about inclusivity and at least get a theme around that.
Lesley Jane writes: I attended as a complete novice, coming from a non-religious and non-academic background - a much diluted and inconsistent hotch-potch of Methodist influences in childhood and adolescence, plus five O-levels. So I believe I qualify to write the lay-person's account.
First impressions were of an organised and warm reception, two qualities which remained in evidence throughout the whole event. The common ground seemed to be a celebration of confusion, which I for one thoroughly enjoyed. We seemed to be joined together in the idea that 'Those of you who think you know everything are spoiling it for those of us who do'!
Karen Armstrong eloquently helped us explore the historical background to the most fundamental need that human beings have always had: a need to go beyond the personal to establish some kind of meaning and value to human life. Kulananda encouraged us to look into reality rather than away from it, to take responsibility for our own existence, to cultivate care and kindness, clarity and truthfulness, to become deeply attuned to the needs of others. So here I was, back to my 'religion', and I had never called it Buddhism!
Don Cupitt's message I found profoundly simple. That this world is the final world. That metaphysics is dead and that language is the tool par excellence. 'The Word and the Flesh', two unifying metaphors: with language humanity was born, language makes experience conscious. With language there is always a text and sub-text, language has an Unconscious. Language serves us, but what we need is a clear account of how language works.
With eloquence and humour he introduced us to the concept of 'woman as a cultural construct', and 'love as a certain way of being irritated by someone else'.
Wonderful! I loved every minute of it.
The most creative thing I did was to attend Anne Ashworth's poetry workshop. All that was required was that we bring a pen and a flexible mind. That's exactly what I shall be bringing to next year's Conference!