MEDIA RELEASE

Interfaith and feminist Asian theologians to visit Australia

Date: 3/5/06

A church that won't be silenced! - Dialogue in church. A church in dialogue
New Pentecost Forum 2006

Two respected Catholic Asian theologians are to visit Australia on Pentecost week for a series of lectures on inter-faith dialogue and women and migration issues.

The New Pentecost Forum, a partnership of a dozen Christian justice and welfare groups, is sponsoring the visit of Professor Edmund Chia and Dr Gemma Cruz in Melbourne and Sydney.

Edmund Chia is an Assistant Professor of Doctrinal Theology at the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, and Gemma Cruz is a feminist theologian from the Philippines whose work focuses on liberation ethics.

The visit will commence in Melbourne from 25 May and climax in Sydney on Pentecost Sunday 4 June. The Sydney Forum will include notable Australian speakers.

The Australian speakers are Dr Paul Collins, an historian, broadcaster and writer; Ms Hind Kourouche, the first female President of the Arabic Welfare Council in Sydney and Director of the Islamic Resource Management; and Rev Rod Pattenden, Uniting Church minister, artist and art historian.

"The keynote speakers from Asia and Australia have been invited to inspire groups throughout the church to understand, analyse and take action on pastoral, social and political issues," organiser Fr Peter Maher said. "We must confront current issues in the world and the church lest we be complicit by our apathy. The gospel of Pentecost demands action - that is the focus of the New Pentecost Forum."

The Forum is part of a project to promote faith-based participation in public and political life as well as diversity and inclusiveness within the church. Each year the gatherings are in Pentecost week, which is a symbol of dialogue and diversity.

One of the unique qualities of this Forum is the use of the "free space" method of organising where any groups or individuals can gather to discuss issues or plan action for a more just and caring society based on Gospel principles.

Prof Chia likened the Forum the momentous eighth plenary assembly of the Asian bishops in South Korea in 2004, which was praised by the bishops and lay groups alike for its inclusiveness.

"I was involved in the organising of the South Korea plenary and I know I will be very comfortable speaking at the New Pentecost Forum. The participatory spirit of the Forum, which places great emphasis on listening and allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire, is both a Christian and an 'Asian' way of organising," said Prof Chia.

"'Where two or three are gathered'," he said quoting the bible, "God takes over."

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