The Code of Silence in the Church
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on August 23rd, 2010
Episode #31 is a discussion between Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson about an often unknown but potent code of silence in the church.
Barbara begins the conversation by wondering aloud why it is that when women are given the chance to exercise leadership or authority in a 
religious community, men almost always want to dominate. It’s a phenomenon in society, but it seems to be especially notable within the church context.
For sure, this is not a male-bashing conversation, because we both acknowledge there are men who are very supportive of women and their authority. Also, most men we know are kind and good men. There seems to be something working within the system that puts men and women both in the position of having to defend the subordination of women.
As we probed the issues involved, we also asked ourselves what we know of Christ that is bringing resolution. We’re convinced that injustice must be overthrown by the divine law of justice; and that no one is left out of the good given by God. But we also recognize that without saying something or objecting to it, the evil force would continue to suppress. There is a code of silence that preserves the unjust status quo. No one made it up or ordered anyone to agree to it, but it operates in such a way that both men and women feel very threatened by it. We are eager to expose the problem for the purpose of shedding light for the benefit of everyone.
Please let us know what you think about this. We’re convinced Christ is breaking this form of injustice, and we’d love to hear what experiences you’ve had, big or little, that may give evidence of progress.
For related links:
- Paper by N.T.Wright: “Men, Women, and the Church
- Talk by Karen King: Women in Ancient Christianity: the New Discoveries
Mary Magdalene and Catholic womenpriests
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on July 26th, 2010
Episode 30 is a conversation with Barbara Zeman and Shirley Paulson about the connection between Mary Magdalene of 2000 years ago and the recent Vatican action regarding the ordination of women.
It’s an especially poignant topic for Barbara, since she is an ordained Catholic priest herself. She and I share a special appreciation for Mary Magdalene, as we find her an example of Christian leadership. Scholars are fascinated with this woman, because she exemplifies so many things right and wrong in the history of Christianity.
Here was a woman of obvious spiritual maturity who was a leader of the apostles 
during the time of Jesus and immediately after. But her male detractors succeeded in marginalizing or misconstruing her message and place among Christian thinkers and leaders. But her re-emergence as an important Christian in recent years is causing a great deal of re-thinking among scholars and church leaders.
It is ironic that only two days after the Vatican announced its new policy regarding sex abuse among priests – managing to equate the horror of pedophilia with the ordination of women – Barbara Zeman is giving a homily on the subject of honoring Mary Magdalene. Listen to our discussion on women leaders. We raise the point that there is a critical difference between a servant leader and a servant governed or manipulated by someone else. Both can serve, but the former serves according to her/his own heart. The latter serves due to the manipulation of others. Power and prestige is not the goal, but exercising the authority of one’s own conscience is.
- See Barbara’s poem: She goes before us
- USA today report on Vatican statement on child sex abuse
- Catholic womenpriests press release on Vatican statement
Dialogue with Buddhist Monk and Christian Scientist
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on March 27th, 2010
Episode #29 of SpiritualityandChristianity.com is a dialogue with Thai Buddhist Monk, Venerable Direxis and Christian Scientist, Shirley Paulson.
Venerable Direxis and Shirley Paulson
It was easy to find people to talk to at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and it was easy to find people who have lived religious lives quite different from my own. What rich conversations, everywhere I turned! Direxis and I found easy similarities in our faith practices too, between my Christian Science faith and his Buddhism, even though our languages and cultures are worlds apart from each other. We both take seriously the importance of the movement of our thought. As Venerable Direxis puts it, our thoughts always need to move to a centered place, a place of peace, where healing happens. We surprised each other when we discovered how we both commit our lives to healing others.
Direxis’ life of devotion started earlier than mine. When he was sixteen, Direxis became a novice and by the time he was 20, he became a monk. I always loved God and wanted to be of service to others, but I wasn’t ready to devote my whole life this way until after I had a family. He now spends his life practicing meditation for the Buddha, the God, and I spend my life praying for the purpose of healing. And of course, we’re both interested in listening and learning from others, since we met at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
When we tried to learn from each other the basis of our prayer/meditation and healing, we found such similar concepts with slightly different words. For example, we agreed we need to admit an original mind/Mind, and we both think it’s necessary to move our human thoughts away from the world of emotionalism/self-originated thought. We agree it requires meditation/prayer in order to move from the world of sensuality in order to find the peace and health of the universal love/divine Love.
Join us for a little conversation from people on the opposite sides of the world. I’m happy to discover “it’s a small world,” indeed.
Check out some of these related websites:
Christian Science practitioners
Photos from the Parliament of the World’s Religions
Please leave a comment. Let us know if you’ve had some similar conversations or discoveries.
The spirituality and practicality of Progressive Christianity
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in Podcast on February 15th, 2010
Episode #28 of SpiritualityandChristianity.com is a conversation that took place at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, December 2009.
Nick Brenton, a follower of a network of Spiritual Progressives, lives in Melbourne just a few blocks from the new convention hall. A conversation between a spiritual progressive and a Christian Scientist would naturally lead to an exploration of the meaning of spirituality. We agreed that the disconnect from human will is what allows God into the center of our lives. “Awareness” is the way Nick describes the consciousness into one’s inner being. Awareness is a joy, bringing awe and wonder. 
While we share a desire to find God at the center – whether it’s the “kingdom of God” or the consciousness within one’s being – we also agree that spirituality needs to be made practical. Nick thinks that one must take a position in the public sphere and be willing to engage politically. He said that progressives may tend to lean left, but their greater priority is to challenge the polarity of left and right. I also resist polarity, because I find Christ as type of “option 3” – that is, when left and right oppose each other, I think they miss the relevance of spiritual ideas. Prayer, we agreed, in its basic form awakens us to forces beyond the mundane life. This is where we find practical, real solutions for the human experience.
Let me introduce the magazine Nick shared with me: Tikkun — whose mission is to “create a new bottom line, a world that values compassion, creativity, ecological sanity, awe and wonder; and not just money and power.”
New Thought and its relationship with Christian Science
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on January 30th, 2010
Episode #27 of Spirituality and Christianity.com is a discussion about the relationship between Christian Science and New Thought.
Across the aisle from each other in the Exhibition Hall at the Parliament of the World’s Religion in Melbourne, were the booths (or, “stands”) of Christian Science and Association of Global New Thought. Christians Scientists think of their distinction from New Thought, whereas New Thought representatives welcome their origins in 
Christian Science.
Although we were all busy running around listening to talks on Buddhism, Islam, peace, pluralism, and a mind-boggling array of topics, we also thought it was important to take time to listen to each other! Indeed, Peggy Price surprised me with the similarities I wasn’t familiar with. The description of her healing practice sounded quite familiar to aspects of my own. Her motives – to love, to heal, to care for humanity – resonate with me. Also her commitment to the goodness of God and God’s whole creation is very close to my heart.
Peggy was easy to talk with, and following our initial conversation, I began to wonder if we could plunge a bit deeper. I went back to the booth and found other people willing to engage in conversation too. We dug into questions about the meaning of spiritualism and medicine. Also the role of Christ Jesus in our faith journeys. We discovered the place where we agreed to our disagreement, but this clarification did not diminish our mutual appreciation for each other’s commonalities.
Christian Science was a participant in the first Parliament, which took place in Chicago in 1893. New Thought wasn’t recognized as a religion at the Parliament in Barcelona five years ago, but the Alliance has grown, highlighting especially their love for youth and for interfaith activities at this year’s Parliament. It was good for us to become better acquainted.
The following websites are rich resources for both New Thought and Christian Science:
- New Thought sacred texts
- New Thought Movement Home Page
- International New Thought Alliance Declaration of Principles (includes all New Thought denominations as well as the agreement for adherents, as amended January, 2000)
- Official Christian Science website with discussion forums
- Daily Lift (two-minute inspirationals)
- TMC Youth (Christian Science activity and discussion for youth and young adults)
What does “spirituality” mean?
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on December 9th, 2009
I heard the word “spirituality” from so many people at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in so many different contexts, I began to wonder if anybody knows what we all mean by that word. I asked random people how they understand the word.
From a Catholic: “the essence of what my life is about; an expression of my relationship with God”
From a yoga practicing Christian from Latvia: “to know who I am; to see the same in another human being”
From Science of Spirituality: “refers to the Soul and God, which is the only true and permanent part of our life in this world of mind, matter and illusion” Read the rest of this entry »
Religion and the media
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on December 7th, 2009
I’ve been following the program cluster called “Media and Religion” at the Parliament of the World’s Religions these past couple of days. Many of the presenters are Muslim, and their concern with the media is obvious. They share many of the lessons they have learned, and these ideas are pertinent to all faiths - particularly to those who battle negative public images. Most, but not all of the following words of advice come from the Muslim community:
- Don’t fight the system; work with reporters, and let them see the value of your message.
- Social media gives more voices to more people, so it is important to let the entire faith community become well informed in the internal issues.
- Take care with what is said in social media, because it is very transparent. Writers cannot hide identities very well, and what is said is permanently locked into cyberspace.
- It is important to read and make space for negative feedback. These are often the best opportunities to clarify the message. Allowing negative comments give the audience trust in authenticity.
- Technology in dialogue is important, because its influence is growing exponentially. But it’s important to remember that even tech-savvy people don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. It’s integrity and authenticity that win the day.
- Using the media to convert others is mostly over. What’s important is communicating the story, the meaning of faith.
Why interfaith relationships are good for everybody
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on December 5th, 2009
The theme of the four sessions I attended on the first day of the Parliament of the World’s Religions was understanding why interfaith or inter-religious dialogue is important and how to do it.
The first session I selected was “Strengthening One’s Faith Through Interfaith Dialogue.” Before we could even start talking with others, our instructors, Peta Pellach and Jeremy Jones, instructed us to think through one or two basic ideas from our own faith experiences that were of profound importance to us. Things that we hold most dear. In my practice dialogue, I talked with a Jewish professor from Europe. I learned from our experience that sharing what we want to tell about ourselves isn’t really the goal. A good conversation begins with a sincere interest in hearing the other. And yet becoming more conscious of our own distinct messages and finding the freedom to say so makes it easier to hear the issues most profound for my conversation partner. Read the rest of this entry »
Parliament welcomes
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on December 3rd, 2009
Official welcomes from Melbourne and the “Western Creation” (a traditional Australian performance group) made us very conscious of the good reasons for the Parliament of the World’s Religions to meet in Melbourne, Australia. It’s an extraordinarily diverse population with a wide variety of world views and polished practice welcoming foreigners.
The opening Plenary included music from Didgeridu player, Alan Harris, along with the beautiful Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra. Welcome messages from religions around the world showcased singing, dancing, and prayers. The message from every language, custom, costume, dance, and song was — Welcome! Read the rest of this entry »
Christian Scientists gather in Melbourne
Posted by: Shirley Paulson in General on December 3rd, 2009
Christian Scientists from many parts of the world came together in Melbourne Tuesday night, in support of their presence at the PWR 2009 (Parliament of the World’s Religions).
One of the themes of the meeting was an honest self-examination as to why Christian Scientists so often find themselves isolated from mainstream conversation. It became clear that effective conversation is based on a two-way channel. We wondered aloud why there is a tendency among Christian Scientists, who are usually well informed about their own religion, are generally not so familiar with the religions of others.
Although none of the reasons are especially good ones, a couple of them included 1) that we have everything we need to experience our relationship with God, and 2) that the time spent in dialogue with others either slows down the spiritual journey or confuses us with unnecessary knowledge.
An adjustment of our motives gives us a powerful incentive to pick up the dialogue and commit to learning from others. Presbyterian Frederick Buechner once said, “The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” That idea is certainly applicable for all faith traditions, and it illustrates the reason why discourse with others does not retard our spiritual journey.
The Christian Scientists who came to the meeting on Tuesday were among those especially eager to break out of the isolation and to engage in the rich opportunity to learn from others and to work together to address the heart-aches of the world.