CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL An Episcopal Community in the Heart of Houston, Texas
SEPTEMBER 2018 CHRISTCHURCHCATHEDRAL.ORG
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In the Midst of the City: The Gospel and God’s Politics This September, Bright Sky Publishing releases In the Midst of the City: The Gospel and God’s Politics by the Very Rev. Barkley Thompson. In this collection of essays and sermons, Thompson argues that Christian faith and politics are inseparable, but though the Gospel is inherently political, it is not partisan. Says Thompson, to embody God’s politics, we must first steep ourselves in God’s vision for the world embodied in the Gospels, and only then can we act politically. In the Midst of the City addresses hot-button social issues of recent years by putting this principle into practice, challenging the reader to live God’s politics and, as Thompson says, “to be the vanguard of God’s kingdom in the world.” Longtime NPR host Diane Rehm says, “…Those who read this book will feel [Thompson’s] extraordinary ability to help us interpret both the divisions and connections we experience as we move through this complex religious, secular, and political world.”
There will be several opportunities to hear Thompson discuss his book within many contexts this fall; each will be unique.
THOMPSON READINGS, page 8
Roundtable: a deep dive into theological anthropology
THE REV. BETTY ADAM
THE REV. ART CALLAHAM
As part of the Cathedral’s 2018–2019 adult education programming, the Rev. Art Callaham and the Rev. Betty C. Adam will be facilitating a Theological Roundtable, scheduled to meet six times in the months ahead. “We’re inviting people into a deeper consideration of what they believe,” Callaham says of the unquestionably intense program. “To think about God is to ‘do’ theology, so, in a sense, we all are theologians. Because theology is defined as
ROUNDTABLE, page 6
What I did on my summer vacation “What I did on my summer vacation, by Barkley Thompson.” Remember those grade school essays? I was away for quite a while this summer, sixty days in fact. I was not on vacation but on sabbatical, which is not quite the same thing. In a sense, sabbatical is a parish’s investment in its priest. Because of that, I want to share with you how I spent the months of June and July, so you can glimpse the return THE VERY REV. BARKLEY on your investment. THOMPSON Jill, the kids, and I spent the month of June on Malta, where I served as the vicar of Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Holy Trinity consists mostly of British expats living on Malta. My time there was an opportunity to interact with and learn from our Anglican sisters and brothers, as well as study the religious history of Malta. That history includes St. Paul’s shipwreck, chronicled in the Book of Acts. Returning stateside, I put the finishing touches on my new book, In the Midst of the City: The Gospel and God’s Politics, which is dedicated to you, the people of Christ Church, and is now available in the Cathedral Bookstore. I also wrote an essay about a rather dark chapter in my family’s Texas history, which I hope to publish in a historical journal. Finally, I wrote the lectures for the Dean’s Hour series I will teach in October on God in Southern literature. It’s amazing how much research and writing one can accomplish when email is turned off and the phone doesn’t ring! In July, I served one Sunday at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Bellville while it is between rectors. I spent a day at General Convention in Austin, where it was wonderful to see friends from across the
REPORT, page 2