Presentation as part of St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Gisborne's lecture series on public theology.

1. Faith & Activism

Growing Up

Influences

Urban Vision

Catholic Worker

Ploughshares

Private vs. Public Theology

Biblical Imperatives

2. Growing Up

lower-middle class,
egalitarian family

mainstream church
upbringing

teenage evangelical
conversion

3. Growing Up

crisis of faith

2nd
conversion

Urban Vision

Te Ora Hou

4. Moana Cole (1993)

5. Catholic Worker
− Dorothy Day & Peter Maurin
− Rule:
 works of mercy & hospitality
 communal farming
 nonviolent resistance
− Christian anarchism
− Notable associates:
− Phil & Dan Berrigan
− Thomas Merton
− Amon Hennesey
− etc.

6. Ploughshares / Plowshares

7. Ploughshares
 9/9/1980: General Electric Nuclear Missile Facility in
Pennsylvania – Berrigans + six others damaged
nuclear warhead nose cones & poured blood on
documents
 Principles:
 absolutely nonviolent to people;
 remaining on the scene to take responsibility;
 some effort to turn swords into ploughshares
 up to 18 years imprisonment
 targets: live nuclear weapons, fighter jets, personal
field weapons, satellite dish, etc.

8. Ploughshares

9. Private vs. Public Theology
 Privatised faith
− Americanization of faith
− Christianity & Consumerism
− super-spirituality, dualism & other-worldliness
 Bad Public Theology:
− abortion clinic bombings
− ‘enough is enough’ march
− Hero Parade protest
 The Principle of Grace (1 Corinthians 13)

10. Biblical Imperatives
Jesus' public mission (Luke 4)
OT imperatives:

Judges / Kings / Prophets

justice, hope & liberation
NT imperatives:

grace, hope & new order
Personal-Public faith continuum

11. Faith & Activism in NZ
• Parihaka + prophets
• Suffragettes
• 20th
Century Conscientious Objectors
• Riverside Community
• Anti-nuclear protests
• Springbok Tours
• Hikoi
• New Monasticism

12. East Timor (1993-1997)

13. America’s Cup 1995

14. Waihopai 2008

15. Waihopai 2008

16. South Pacific Christian Anarchists

2006 (Tauranga); 2007 (Queensland); 2008
(Akaroa); 2009 (Melbourne); 2010
(Wellington)
Sarvodaya (the constructive programme):

alternative business models, gardening, neighbourhood
organising, refugee support, youth work, low carbon lifestyle, etc.
Satyagraha (the resistance programme)

anti-war civil disobedience, dumpster-diving, decolonisation
education and activities, etc.

17. Te Tairawhiti 1998-
2010