SOFiA Newsletter 177 April 2025
 
 
Exploring Values, Meaning and SpiritualityImage of dover beach
 
Limestone cliffs like those at Dover, scene of the poem “Dover Beach”
If Jesus tried to feed the 5000 today
Don Cupitt
A tribute to the Rev Don Cupitt (22.05.1934 – 18.01.2025)
Don Cupitt was initiator of the Sea of Faith Network in the UK, which led to similar networks in New Zealand and Australia. The phrase ‘Sea of Faith’, taken from a Matthew Arnold poem, was used for his 1984 BBC series and book. Six episodes focus on individual theologians from Pascal to Nietzsche and Cupitt explores the changing character and influence of Christianity. It remains a masterclass. More…

Dr Te Aroha
The print media at work
Methodist Church President’s Sermon highlighted at Waitangi 2025..  More...

On reflection: book cover
On Reflection: Looking for Life’s Meanings

A review by Beverley Smith of Bishop Richard Holloway’s book with this title. Retired Anglican Priest Stephen Mitchell, writing for the UK Sofia magazine, said ‘this is a captivating book.’ For this reader, who has read many of Bishop Holloway’s books, I found insights often missing from my reading on spiritual matters.  More...

Mary Ellen Warren, Committee member
Maori Approaches to Death

Mary Ellen Warren looks at Maui’s quest for immortality, the significance of  Cape Reinga, Maori customs surrounding death/ and the importance of water. More...

Bob Dylan song "Not Dark Yet"
‘Not Dark Yet’: a Non-church Song for the Easter Season
John and Gillian Thornley reflect on a Bob Dylan song that they featured on Manawatu People’s radio.  More...

Richard Bentley
Don Cupitt on Life After Death

“On this [Richard Bentley’s] view life after death, along with the fears of witchcraft, evil spirits, bad luck and so forth, is just another of those superstitious terrors from which modern science has mercifully delivered us. We can now follow Lucretius and say that death is nothing to us, no more to be feared than falling asleep, not an event in life that we will experience but simply life’s horizon. Other people’s deaths are indeed part of life and have to be coped with: hence the Importance of our funerary rites. But my own death is not part of my life and I can disregard it.”
Only Human p 207-8. 

Mary Ellen Warren
Going out with bang, not a whimper!’

Hawke’s Bay branch of Sea of Faith in Aotearoa Is in the process of wrapping up.   There will be a luncheon meeting on May 18th, from 1.30 pm at the Taradale Club (55 Wharerangi Road, Napier).  The Lunch will be subsidized.  The current recipient of the Sir Lloyd Geering Scholarship in Religion at Victoria University in Wellington is developing a paper on “Religion Out of Bounds: How Gen Z are creating meaning in the face of existential crises beyond tradition”. Please contact Mary Ellen Warren by May 14 if you are able to attend. mewarren1@gmail.com or 06 8454623. And if not, to share your thoughts..

 Copy deadline for the next Newsletter is 1 June. 
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