Prophetic peacemaking in action
It was January 1989 when J. R. Burkholder taught liberation theology at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind. Interterm at AMBS is one course, usually studied over 13 weeks, compressed into less than three, including all the lectures, readings and assignments. In Burkholder’s class, students were encouraged to find a way to apply the learnings…
More superheroes . . . or a Saviour?
When an army of nasty aliens in giant reptilian ships threatens to take over the Earth and enslave all of its inhabitants, one superhero is not enough to stand in the way. For a threat of this magnitude, a group of six very diverse superheroes is called for, a group calling itself The Avengers, the…
Forced to make ‘hard choices’
A new book by Jerry Buckland a professor at Menno Simons College, a Canadian Mennonite University institution in downtown Winnipeg, reveals how Canada’s banking system excludes the poor.
Joining the Doxology
Those who had the opportunity to see Gadfly: Sam Steiner Dodges the Draft will recall that this drama—based on the 1960s lives of Sam Steiner and Sue Clemmer—ends with the cast singing the Doxology. “Sam” joined in part way through the hymn. Some observers thought this an abrupt ending, and wondered how a draft dodger,…
Draft dodger Doxology
gad·fly – [gad-flahy] 1. any of various flies, as a stable fly or warble fly, that bite or annoy domestic animals.
Unveil your heart
Rohina Malik was 14 when her family moved from London, England, to Chicago. It was there that she lived through—and continues to live through—the misunderstandings about Muslims, veiled Muslim women in particular. In an effort to change North American perceptions of such women, Malik wrote and stars in her one-woman play, Unveiled, portraying five different…
From print to podcasts
Canadian Mennonite is at an exciting place in its history, Larry Cornies told board members of the Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service (CMPS) at their annual meeting and fundraiser on March 24 at Toronto United Mennonite Church. “We’ve come to the intersection of Christendom’s decline, the rise of new communication tools and a new paradigm in…
Exposing society’s appetite for violence
The Hunger Games is on its way to becoming one of the biggest blockbuster films of all time. Two sequels are assured. Since it is aimed at a teenage/young adult demographic—in spite of its 14A rating—it is important to take note of what our young people are watching. The film is based on the bestselling…
A great year for spiritual films
My four favourite films of 2011 all had Christian themes, something that has certainly never happened before. Two of them—Of Gods and Men and The Way—were reviewed in Canadian Mennonite last year. The other two, which are the subject of this review, will not appeal to audiences expecting a plot-driven narrative, action or even dialogue,…
Reading Mennonite novels as works of art
Although sailing troubled waters over the past 50 years, Mennonite novelists have taught Mennonite readers how to approach their texts with boldness and humility as “we learn more about ourselves through their works of art,” Paul Tiessen said last month in wrapping up a nine-week series of lectures by Mennonite writers at Conrad Grebel University…
