Set 4: Contemporary Society
Friday, January 4, 2013, 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
NO EXTERNAL RESOURCES
You are the rector of a congregation in a medium-sized city with a centrally located church building. For several years, yoga groups have met in your parish hall; a number of your members attend these classes. More recently, under the leadership of the last rector, the rise of interest in meditation brought a Zen Buddhist meditation group to meet in your chapel once a week; a few of your members participate in these meditation sessions. A group of Muslims has now approached you to ask if it could rent space for Friday prayers because the lease has expired on the last place it met.
Canonically, you know that the use of space is the rector’s decision, but you wish to involve vestry members in replying to the request and setting future policy. They are looking to you for guidance.
In an answer of 1,000 words:
1. Relevant to the decision you must make, describe how these three religious practices (yoga, Zen meditation, Friday prayers for Muslims) relate to Christianity.
2. Explain how the relationships identified in Part 1 inform your decision about whether or not to agree to the request of the Muslims and whether or not to continue to allow the other two groups to meet in your facility.
General thoughts about Contemporary Society Questions:
So these questions are often tricky because they are about contemporary society and the church and that is just a tricky subject. It is really, really important to ANSWER THE QUESTION with these ones because in all probability you are going to have some intense emotional gut reaction. The big issue here is that the readers do not, as a rule, want to know your personal opinion on contemporary society they want to know whether or not you are AWARE of the issues in contemporary society and general opinion.
This question in specific...
There is a lot going on here, a lot of opinions that can be expressed, and a lot of need as a test taker to stay focused on the questions at hand.
The first two paragraphs:
You are the rector of a congregation in a medium-sized city with a centrally located church building. For several years, yoga groups have met in your parish hall; a number of your members attend these classes. More recently, under the leadership of the last rector, the rise of interest in meditation brought a Zen Buddhist meditation group to meet in your chapel once a week; a few of your members participate in these meditation sessions. A group of Muslims has now approached you to ask if it could rent space for Friday prayers because the lease has expired on the last place it met.
Canonically, you know that the use of space is the rector’s decision, but you wish to involve vestry members in replying to the request and setting future policy. They are looking to you for guidance.
In this case these paragraphs are not fluff, but they involve a lot of extra information that are not relevant to the questions that follow. So pay attention to facts about the situation and not feelings.
First section
Relevant to the decision you must make, describe how these three religious practices (yoga, Zen meditation, Friday prayers for Muslims) relate to Christianity.
So the question being asked is how does the “religious practice” relate to “christianity” and you have 500 words to do it. I am going to fill this outline out a bit with my own thoughts to give an idea of where to go.
Yoga (166 words)
1) [Identify what Yoga is] Yoga is a physical practice that comes out of the cultural and religious heritage of India. While it comes out of a spiritual tradition it is taken up by many solely for exercise and health benefits.
2) [Identify how it relates to Christianity] The physical practice of Yoga does not require any specific metaphysical beliefs. Christians who enter into it can find spiritual nourishment in it the same way they would in running or other forms of exercise. They should, however, be aware of its religious roots and approach that tradition with the same care they would other religious beliefs.
Zen
Meditation (166 words)
1) [Identify what Zen Meditation is] Zen Meditation is a centering practice developed within Zen Buddhism. It is distinctly part of that tradition and practitioners must take up some of the ideals of Zen Buddhism in order to fully engage with it but not ascribe fully to the beliefs of Zen Buddhism.
2) [Identify how it relates to Christianity] Zen Buddhist meditation practices have many things in common with Christian Centering Prayer practices. Many devout Christians, the Trappist Monks Thomas Keating and Thomas Merton for example, have found their Christian faith nourished by learning from Zen Buddhist. Zen Buddhism holds some tenets that are not in line with Christian thinking and Christians who engage in conversation or mutual times of prayer/meditation with Zen Buddhists need to keep this fact in mind.
Friday Prayers for Muslims (166 words)
1) [Identify what Friday Prayer for Muslims is] Friday evening prayer for Muslims is the religious equivalent to Sunday morning worship for Christians.
2) [Identify how it relates to Christianity] This is a principle service for believers of the Islamic faith. Full participation in it by non-believers who are not potential converts might be problematic if not offensive. Christians could not, in good conscious, fully participate without having to deny core essentials of Christian faith. It is important, in the midst of our differences, to note that Christianity and Islam have a long history of both peaceable living and full out warfare as well as a common religious heritage.
Considerations on the first section...
I want to be clear what I did here. I tried my best, with the information in my head, to present my knowledge of how these practices exist within contemporary society. I might think that Yoga is intrinsically pagan, but that is not how it is perceived in contemporary society. I might think that any one who looks into Zen Buddhism is on a road straight to hell, but that is not how many very traditional Christian’s view it. I might think that Muslims should never enter into a church building and pray, but that is not what is being asked. ANSWER THE QUESTION. [For the record I prefer Tai Chi to Yoga, there is a Zafu and Zabuton set a foot from the desk I am sitting at, and I have a deep respect for practitioners of Islam in the midst of many theological differences.]
Second Section
Explain how the relationships identified in Part 1 inform your decision about whether or not to agree to the request of the Muslims and whether or not to continue to allow the other two groups to meet in your facility.
So this is one of those rare cases where the GOE is actually asking for your specific opinion. Be true to yourself but please do not say anything too radical. It is also important to realize what is at the heart of this question: How does the relationship between Christianity and a Religious Practice inform our theology of hospitality. Also the reader's want to make sure you are not going to decide on a whim to upset practices that have been part of a Church's faith life for several years.
My response, for those who want to see an example, would run something like this.
When Christ sent out the disciples he told them to go out to a town and rest in the house that offered them peace in return for their peace. Difference in beliefs or religious practices does not forbid us from sharing peace with one another and offering hospitality. Being in community with people who hold beliefs contrary to ours and figuring out where we disagree and where we agree, where we can be together and where we can be apart, is difficult but life giving. The goal is to learn to disagree better in the midst of peace. The Parish has already found itself entering into this reality and discerning opening our space up further, while maintaining the core beliefs in the Creeds, is a a distinct possibility. etc. etc. etc.
So there we go. As always, answer the question, keep your personal opinions at bay unless they specifically ask for them, and check your spelling and grammar.
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