Noted

This is our regular feature in which we briefly record interesting publications and websites that have come to our attention. Inclusion of an item in this format does not preclude a possible longer review in a later issue. We welcome suggestions for inclusion.

John Coleman’s new CD Shade Tree Place

 (in collaboration with the poet Noel Davis) is being launched in Sydney on September 19, Canberra September 27, and Hobart November 13. This link is for the song Nothing More, Nothing Less, a reflection on the Quaker Spices. It was sung by JYFs at Yearly Meeting.  John Coleman is a long-term member of L’Arche and currently employed in a pastoral role by the Uniting Church in Hobart, working closely with the Choir of High Hopes. He is a singer/songwriter of songs that explore spirituality, land and story.

War on Trial at the Global Peace Film Festival

After pedaling across an airport tarmac on a red tricycle, Bryan Law, accompanied by Graeme Dunstan, smote a military helicopter with a mattock.  This protest, in the tradition of peacemakers to “beat swords into ploughshares”, led to their arrest.  Facing a long sentence but encouraged by supporters and socially networked friends around the world, Dunstan decided to put the government and the helicopter on trial.  War on Trial documents this story of peacemaking in an era of perpetual war in the belief that “Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore”.

This movie had its world premiere during Australia Yearly Meeting on 6 July 2106 and was partly funded by the Peace and Social Justice Fund. The Global Peace Film Festival, held in Florida,  is the main festival for Peace & Justice Films in the World.

Some websites for the more adventurous

www.nontheistfriends.org   This website is a rich source of writings by contemporary American and British non-theist Quakers, but contains wisdom for everyone.

http://www.nontheist-quakers.org.uk/ A collection of the thoughts of British non-theists. It includes two major articles: Where do Nontheist Friends Stand in Relation to the Quaker Christian Tradition? by Hugh Rock, and Being Quaker Now, in which Michael Wright gives a personal response to the views put forward in the 2014 Swarthmore Lecture by Ben Pink Dandelion.

http://transitionquaker.blogspot.com.au/  I’m not sure of the origin of this site.  It is British, despite its Australian address.  Nevertheless, it contains a lot of writings describing the wide spectrum of colours of Quakerism.

http://www.sofn.org.uk/ The Sea of Faith Network started in 1984 as a response to theologian Don Cupitt’s book and TV series of the same name. It describes its theme as “Exploring and affirming religious faith as a human creation…”.  The website contains many writings from the non-theist and non-realist school, including some from the non-theist Quaker David Boulton.  You can download his book “A Reasonable Faith: Introducing the Sea of Faith Network”.