Faith and Politics – some historical thoughts

Jim McAloon’s Presentation at the Napier Conference – for those of you who were not there, and for those who were :)

I want to explore in this talk some of the histories of faith-based political engagement in Aotearoa New Zealand. If my emphasis is on the political sphere and public questions, that is partly reflecting my particular interests and partly because I think it is important for people of progressive faith to know our past.

Why do I say that? Because I think that one unfortunate consequence of the increased strength of conservative forces in many of the Christian churches in the last 30 or so years has been a weakening of the faith-based element in movements for social change, and an almost default setting in the popular media that Christian commitment implies social conservatism (a default setting that many of the leaders of what used to be called mainline denominations encourage, wittingly or otherwise).

Hawkes Bay Here we Come

At the end of August 2014, the “Beyond the Borders” conference in Auckland attracted several of us from Hawke’s Bay.

We were excited to be there, in company with those for whom inclusivity is paramount and orthodoxy is inadequate.

We strongly identify with Progressive Spirituality, difficult as it is to define.

At least it is a movement of sharing and support for those, in and out of the churches, who identify as progressive. We were challenged (at a convivial conference dinner at St Luke’s Remuera) to consider hosting the next conference. So here we are, on the way to a next event…

Common Ground
Faith as Resistance to Ego, Orthodoxy and Empire
6 – 8 May 2016
St Pauls Church  89 Tennyson Street Napier