Visit our YouTube Channel to view recordings of past events.
How I Changed My Mind About Religion: Robert Renton – Review the video of Robert’s presentation to the PCNV meeting on 24 March. The following questions may assist you in persona reflection or holding a study/reflection time using this video:
Click Here to watch YouTube video
- Robert speaks about the influence of a young student minister in offering alternative thoughts and questions in his formative years. Were there voices and influences in your formative years that opened you to questions and alternative ideas about religion?
- Robert also mentions that often his teaching work provided more inspiration that his formal religious work or studies. What pursuits or work (other than in “formal religion”) have been sources of religious or spiritual understanding in your life?
- In the video we hear that the teachings of Jesus, without “the clutter of accretions of doctrine” can begin to open people’s minds and provoke their questions. Have you experienced that “opening” personally or see others open up to questions? Describe that experience.
- There is a reference to prayers, hymns and bible readings being of little value to communicating the possibilities of religion to an audience that has little experience of formal religion. Have you had experiences that would cause you to agree or disagree with that reference?
- At the end of the presentation Robert alludes to living in two “spheres” in terms of religious practice. One sphere maintains a lot of traditional religious activity and experience and the other is more liberated from it. Do you find yourself in two or more spheres in terms of your current religious experience? How does that feel to you?
How I Changed My Mind About Religion: Rod Peppiatt – Review the video of Rod’s presentation to the PCNV meeting on 24 March. The following questions may assist you in personal reflection or holding a study/reflection time using this video:
Click Here to watch YouTube video
- Early in the presentation Rod reflects on the contemporary designations of “religious,” “spiritual but not religious” and what they mean to him. How do these various terms feel to you? Do you use any of them and why?
- Rod mentions that he attempts to “hold my own sense of GOD while treading carefully with other peoples’ understandings.” What does that statement mean to you and how does it challenge or encourage you?
- Rod has adopted the expression GOD as a “symbol of unnameable experience of holy” rather than a name for something. How is this sense of symbolism helpful or challenging to your experience?
- Explore your own reaction to Rod’s sense of religion as “an expression of having a community of fellow travellers working at life together.”
- Towards the end of his presentation Rod mentions that the building of inclusive communities has become not just a matter of justice but a religious conviction. Explore whether that distinction makes any sense to you and how you react to it.
How I Changed My Mind About Religion: Alex Sangster – Review the video of Alex’s presentation to the PCNV meeting on 24 March. The following questions may assist you in personal reflection or holding a study/reflection time using the video at this link:
Click Here to watch YouTube video
- Alex mentions being called into religious life by a call of “deep burning and electric love” in her heart. How does this description of a sense of GOD resonate with or challenge you?
- There is a reference to intercessory prayer not making sense to Alex because “either God is love or God is not – with no power in the bolt of lightning kind of way.” What is your experience of intercessory prayer as a religious practice and how does Alex’s reflection support or challenge your thinking?
- Alex explains that the root meaning of “ministry” (offering or living out religious experience) is in expressions like “little” or “to be less.” How does this resonate with your previous and current understanding of religious or spiritual practice?
- If, as Alex says, the word religion springs from “awakening into connection” how does that challenge or empower your understanding of religious practice?
- Alex speaks of being both grateful to and annoyed at religious institutions for the experience they have offered her in shaping her religious understanding and practice. How (if at all) has your experience of organised religion been one of appreciation and annoyance?
Sunday 25 April 2021
The Transcript from John Smith’s Presentation to the PCNV on Sunday 25 April “Jesus & The Empowering Influence of Friendship – Why Gracious Living is More Important than Right Belief”
This book explores the values of the historical sage Jesus of Nazareth, considering not only the words and actions of the historical Jesus, but examining the values of compassion and acceptance shown in the relationships with the people he meets.
Click Here to download the transcript
We hope to bring you the podcast from this past event coming soon….
“What has happened to our values?” with Julian Burnside
Sunday 19 February 2017, 3 to 5pm
JULIAN BURNSIDE AO QC is well known as an eloquent and passionate advocate for justice and human rights. He is a barrister based in Melbourne and specialises in commercial litigation.
He is a former President of Liberty Victoria, and has acted pro bono in many human rights cases, in particular concerning the treatment of asylum seekers.
He acted for the Ok Tedi natives against BHP, for the Maritime Union of Australia in the 1998 waterfront dispute against Patrick Stevedores. He was Senior Counsel assisting the Australian Broadcasting Authority in the “Cash for Comment” inquiry and was senior counsel for Liberty Victoria in the Tampa litigation.
He is the author of a number of books including Watching Brief (Scribe 2007), a collection of his essays and speeches about the justice system and human rights, and From Nothing to Zero (Lonely Planet 2001), a book of letters written by asylum seekers held in Australia’s detention camps.
In 2004 he was elected as a Living National Treasure. In 2009 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia. In 2014 he was awarded the Sydney Peace prize.
In this address Julian Burnside will address a question in the minds and hearts of many Australians: “What has happened to our values?”. In considering what is making Australian society more unjust he will outline an alternative approach to the present unjust and inhumane treatment of refugees arriving by boat.
“Don’t Save the World; Just Get Involved” with Adrian Pyle
Our final meeting for 2016 took a different format and presented audio and video resources that proved stimulating.
You might like to access the key resources used by Adrian Pyle in his presentation: “Don’t Save the World: Just get Involved!”
Here are the links:
- Mary Oliver’s well known poem Wild Geese
- Mary Oliver reading the poem
- The passage from Robin Myer was from the book Spiritual Defiance: Building a Beloved Community of Resistance
- The interview with Parker Palmer and Courtney Martin – full video
- The interview with Parker Palmer and Courtney Martin – edited audio podcast of the Interview
- The TEDx presentation with David Whyte
Podcast from Hugh Mackay Presentation
Sunday 26 June 2016
The Podcast from Hugh Mackay’s Presentation to the PCNV on Sunday 26 June “The Good Life and Spirituality” is now available from the PCNV Podcast Store at this link.
Hugh Mackay, social researcher and author of sixteen books, ten in the field of social psychology and ethics.
Audio Files from David Tacey, Sara Sabbagh, Janet Turpie-Johnstone and David Galston
The PCNV Audio Download Store now has the following audio files to purchase and download:
- Wisdom from the First Peoples of the Land. Aboriginal Spirituality: Janet Turpie-Johnstone
- Embracing the Human Jesus: David Galston
- Beyond Literal Belief; Religion as Metaphor: David Tacey
- The Beauty of Islam: Sara Sabbagh
Click here to purchase these downloads.
Text of Rachael Kohn’s Address to PCNV
On 24 May 2015 Rachael Kohn addressed a PCNV meeting on the topic “What’s Temporary and What’s Eternal in Current Spiritual Trends”.
Click here to download the text file.
“The Once and Future Bible: Reading the Scriptures Today” with Greg Jenks
A presentation by Rev Dr Greg Jenks to the first regional PCNV forum held in April 2015.
“Is it Possible to be Christian in the Twenty First Century?” – Text and Audio Files
A panel presentation to a meeting of the Progressive Christian Network of Victoria on 22 February 2015
THE TOPIC
The core understandings of traditional Christianity were developed within a worldview dramatically different from informed contemporary worldviews. Is it possible to be Christian today? What could a positive and passionate contemporary Christianity look like?
1. Evolution has changed our understanding of humans.What could a Christian understanding of human life be in the 21st century?
Speaker: DAVID MERRITT
2. Biblical writings were regarded by many of our ancestors in the faith and somecommentators today as the divinely inspired Word of God and an exclusive guide to all truth. Contemporary studies and human experience have shown that there is a great diversity of ethical and theological assumptions among the Biblical authors reflecting the knowledge and context of these ancient writers. How could a meaningful understanding and experience of the Bible enrich our Christian life and practice in the 21st century?
Speaker: CHRIS PAGE
3. In the creeds of the early Christian centuries Jesus is depicted as a divine figure securing salvation through his sacrificial death. More recent biblical and historical studies have shown the varied understandings of Jesus in the first centuries of Christianity. What could a Christian understanding of Jesus be in the 21st century?
Speaker: LORRAINE PARKINSON
Click here to download a document with the text of each address.
To access the audio files of the speaker’s presentations, click here to access the PCNV Download Store.
“A View from Excommunication in the Catholic Church: A Priest’s Story”
The October 2014 meeting of the Progressive Christian Network of Victoria provided a unique opportunity to hear the personal story and experiences of a priest excommunicated by the Catholic Arch-Diocese of Melbourne for progressive views.
TOPIC: A View from Excommunication in the Catholic Church: A Priest’s Story
SPEAKER: Father Greg Reynolds
The text of Greg’s address is now available by clicking here. You can access an audio version of Greg’s address by visiting the PCNV Download Store here.
Fr Greg Reynolds is a former parish priest in the Catholic Arch-Diocese of Melbourne who has now been excommunicated from the Catholic Church. The reasons given include his work for the equality of homosexual persons in the Catholic Church, plus his advocacy of ordination for Catholic women. Fr Greg will tell his story, including his establishment of an unofficial Catholic community called ‘Inclusive Catholics’.
Presentation from Greg Jenks to PCNV, August 2014
Greg Jenks delivered two presentations to the PCNV in August 2014. Below are links to YouTube videos of the two presentations. The first presentation is actually a version Greg delivered to the Snowstar Institute in Canada, as that has was a higher quality video than that produced from the PCNV event.
- Looking for the Nazareth of Jesus: The Quest for the Historical Nazareth
- Following Jesus Today: Re-imagining Discipleship
“Progressive Wisdom Ways”
On Sunday 27 July the PCNV meeting heard presentations from Coralie Ling and Graham Ogden about Progressive Christianity and Wisdom. Recent biblical scholarship has given increased attention to a neglected part of Jewish and Christian traditions about Wisdom that open fresh understandings of Jesus with implications for progressive Christianity.
Click here to download the text of Coralie’s address
Click here to download the text of Graham’s address
Click here to access the PCNV Download Store to access the audio files of the presentations.
GRAHAM OGDEN discussed the special features of Old Testament Wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiates) that make it unique in the Old Testament. It ignores the features of ancient Israelite history and its traditions and leaders and instead derives its advice from human experience. There are insights for a more progressive Christian theology.
Graham has academic qualifications from Australia, Durham in UK and Princeton in USA, is the author of a number of biblical commentaries, and has missionary experience with CMS in Japan, Singapore and Taiwan. He is currently working on a new Chinese Study Bible.
Graham is a long term member of PCNV.
CORALIE LING spoke about the liberating Sophia/Wisdom experience that she has
had along with many feminist theologians, members of discussion groups and some
congregations. Wisdom theology has strong ecological and mystical dimensions and shares
these dimensions with process theology.
Coralie is a feminist liberation theologian with an interest in creative liturgy and multi-faith perspectives. She currently convenes the women’s committee of the Jewish Christian Muslim Association (JCMA). She is a Uniting Church minister, ordained 45 years ago, and has worked in a number of country and city churches. Coralie is on the Committee of PCNV.
Audio Recording of Bernard Brandon Scott in Melbourne
BRANDON SCOTT is a leading international New Testament scholar, writer and teacher. He is the author and editor of many books, including Hear Then the Parable, The Trouble with Resurrection, and Reimagine the World. His new book Rediscovering the Apostle Paul will be released shortly.
A charter Fellow of the Jesus Seminar, he is chair of Westar’s newly established Christianity Seminar. He served as chair of the Bible in Ancient and Modern Media Section of the Society of Biblical Literature, as well as a member of several SBL Seminars, including the Parable Seminar and Historical Jesus Seminar. Brandon was for many years until his recent retirement the Darbeth Distinguished Professor of New Testament at the Phillips Theological Seminary, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In September 2014 he returned to Australia to deliver a series of lectures. His Melbourne lecture entitled Understanding the New Paul is now available at the PCNV Download Store.
Click here to go to the store.
“Imagination, Vision and Spirituality: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Progressive Religious Thought” with David Tacey
At the PCNV meeting on 22 June 2014 there was a lively response to the address by Professor David Tacey of La Trobe University on this theme.
To download a copy of the key points of David Tacey’s address click here
Click here to go to the PCNV download store to download the audio file.
“Ethics; With or Without God” with Dr Noel Preston
The audio file from the presentation by Dr Noel Preston to the May 2014 meeting of the PCNV is now available.
Click here to go to the PCNV download store to download the audio file.
“Sex in the 1st and 21st Centuries” with Bill Loader, Presentation and Audio Files
The address by William Loader to the PCNV meeting on 4 May dealt with both historical issues that affected how New Testament writers wrote about sex and contemporary issues.
Around 80 people found it both informed and provoked reflection. Bill Loader has now provided a PDF file of the presentation slides that formed the basis for the address: ‘Sex in the 1st and 21st Centuries – Chasm and Connection.”
Download the PDF file by clicking here.
The audio file can be downloaded by visiting the PCNV File Download Store by clicking here.
Text and Audio Files from February Meeting: The Relevance of Jesus for Us Today
Text Files are now available from the February 2014 meeting.
To access the files click here.
To download the audio files from the presentations, visit the PCNV download store by clicking here.
The Relevance of Jesus for Us Today. with April Robinson, Alys Gagnon and Laura Cregan
A panel of people with with diverse professional backgrounds offer contemporary perspectives on Jesus with the emphasis on experience
WHEN: Sunday 23 February 2014
3.00pm to 5.00pm
WHERE: Glen Iris Road Uniting Church,
Glen Iris Road near the corner with High Street Road
Melway Map 60 A9. Parking in church grounds and the street.
APRIL ROBINSON: Jesus as Spiritual Guide: What Jesus might mean in the contemporary pluralistic world?
April notes that it’s often easier knowing what you don’t want, rather than what you do. With two young children, she started a degree in psychology but quickly learnt that was not what she wanted and found her place in community development.
Now through her Interfaith Relationships role with Uniting Church and her honours study, she has the opportunity to work in and research those places where race, religion, culture and identity meet in understanding ourselves. She works with a range of different media, melding poetry and performance with the esoteric and pragmatic, creating spaces for not only herself but others to explore and communicate how we understand ourselves, those around us and the communities in which we live.
ALYS GAGNON: Jesus as Social Prophet: Jesus and “son of God” metaphors; Can they still be a useful model for how to act justly in the current World?
Alys is a campaigner and organiser with over a decade of experience in progressive politics. This included work for State and Federal Labor MPs, and over five years in the National headquarters of the ALP. In 2013 she worked as a National Organiser on the Federal Election campaign, with responsibility for the ground campaigns in two states.
Alys is a lifelong Anglican who now works for the Uniting Church, Justice and International Mission in a role that, hand in hand with church members, lobbies and campaigns on social justice issues, both local and international and targeting Governments and corporate organisations.
LAURA CREGAN: Jesus as Movement Maker: Does the emphasis on Jesus detract from sense of Divinity in us all? Does Jesus keep getting in the way of what Jesus really has to offer?
Laura is currently a School Liaison worker with the Uniting Church in Melbourne. She came to Melbourne in January last year from Wollongong where she worked as a Child Youth and Family worker. Prior to this, in Newcastle, Laura worked in a range of capacities with at risk children, youth and families including School Chaplaincy in the Public School sector, casework and residential care work with teenagers in out of home care.
Laura has also worked on a range of programs such as helping early leavers; a program for teenagers who have been removed from School, School mentoring with the Catholic Schools office and is a facilitator for children and young people with the Season for Growth program assisting individuals with grief and loss.
Laura is currently a student at the School for Social Entrepreneurs in Melbourne where she is developing a project for teenagers in out of Home Care. Her faith background has included involvement with Catholic, Pentecostal and Uniting Churches. Laura completed her Undergraduate degree in Social Work from Newcastle University and her Masters degree in Theology through the Sydney College of Divinity.
“Ethical Dilemmas in Saving and Taking Lives” – Text and Audio Addresses
The November 2013 meeting of the Progressive Christian Network of Victoria featured Rev Dr Allen Edwards, Dr Harley Powell and Associate Professor Christopher Wright addressing the topic Ethical Dilemmas in Saving and Taking Lives. The text and audio files of the addresses are now available.
Click here to download the text file with all three addresses and support material.
Click here to access the PCNV audio download store to purchase the audio files of the addresses.
“At the Table: Common Ground between Paul and the Historical Jesus” with Kathy Ehrensperger
On 14 August 2013 Reader in New Testament Studies at the University of Wales Dr. Kathy Ehrensperger addressed the PCNV with an address entitled At the Table: Common Ground between Paul and the Historical Jesus
Click here to download the text of the address
An audio file of the address is available for download at the PCNV audio download store by clicking here.
“The Australian churches – Are they going down the drain?” – Video Presentation
On Sunday 28 July, faith-based researcher Rev Dr Philip Hughes presented to the PCNV on the topic “The Australian churches – Are they going down the drain?”
You can access a video presentation containing the presentation slides used by Philip along with the audio from the presentation by clicking this text here to begin downloading the mp4 video file.
Please be aware that the file is 66MB in size and can’t be readily presented in other forms, which is why we are offering it for download here.
“Where is Progressive Christianity At?”
On Sunday 30 June 2013 a large audience heard four panel members address this topic.
Click here to visit the PCNV audio download store to access audio files of presentations from Sally Douglas, Rex Hunt, Coralie Ling and Christopher Page.
