In my opinion, there is a lot more going on in the churches' discussions on the Northern Gateway than simply being "experts on pipelines." The pipeline and what it has come to represent has implications for ecology, climate, economic expansion and resource development, solidarity with Indigenous peoples, appropriate democratic and environmental review process and so on. KAIROS (an ecumenical social justice coalition in Canada of which the CRC is part) has a history of working on resource extraction and Indigenous rights issues, and has done a substantial amount of work related to the Northern Gateway pipeline. I'm grateful that Mr. Cotter's article makes reference to this, as it is an important contribution to the ongoing public dialogue.
I disagree with the suggestion that by speaking publicly in favour of or against the Northern Gateway pipeline the church is necessarily acting as an 'expert' on pipelines. I think a better way of approaching it is that the church is applying its theology - its understanding of God and God's relationship to and sustaining work in all parts of God's creation - to real-world situations. If this application does not inspire - indeed require - action, then I am at a loss to describe of what importance faith in God is, especially a christian faith that claims to be reformed.
I also disagree with the suggestion that if church can be an experts in pipelines, then it leaves the door open for oil companies to be experts on theology. I do not think that this is a logical conclusion - there is no necessary reciprocity of 'expertise.' But the question did get me thinking... it may do us good as North American Christians and a North American Church to look at the ways in which we already permit, or the ways that we protect against, companies or 'the economy' to do our theology for us, or at least to shape the way we do theology. How does our current focus on the economy shape our understanding of God? Or, how does our understanding of God shape our current focus on the economy? What does our theology lead us to believe about this pipeline, and about what it represents, regardless of whether this is spoken by the individual Christian or the institutional church?
The Northern Gateway pipeline has become a divisive issue within the church as in broader civil society. I think this division is partly about the pipeline itself, but also about the pipeline as a symbol of economic progress and success in Canada, and other important issues of ecology, climate, Indigenous rights and so on. Perhaps the church can serve its members and society by facilitating robust public dialogue that has so far been muted, or out-shouted by polarized and polarizing rhetoric. In that spirit, I would be interested to hear how Mr. Zylstra and others approach and perhaps have arrived at a decision about this pipeline, and how it is guided by your Christian faith and the way that you see and understand God moving in this world.
Posted in: When Churches Start Becoming Experts on Pipelines, Does That Mean Oil Companies Can Become Experts on Theology?
In my opinion, there is a lot more going on in the churches' discussions on the Northern Gateway than simply being "experts on pipelines." The pipeline and what it has come to represent has implications for ecology, climate, economic expansion and resource development, solidarity with Indigenous peoples, appropriate democratic and environmental review process and so on. KAIROS (an ecumenical social justice coalition in Canada of which the CRC is part) has a history of working on resource extraction and Indigenous rights issues, and has done a substantial amount of work related to the Northern Gateway pipeline. I'm grateful that Mr. Cotter's article makes reference to this, as it is an important contribution to the ongoing public dialogue.
I disagree with the suggestion that by speaking publicly in favour of or against the Northern Gateway pipeline the church is necessarily acting as an 'expert' on pipelines. I think a better way of approaching it is that the church is applying its theology - its understanding of God and God's relationship to and sustaining work in all parts of God's creation - to real-world situations. If this application does not inspire - indeed require - action, then I am at a loss to describe of what importance faith in God is, especially a christian faith that claims to be reformed.
I also disagree with the suggestion that if church can be an experts in pipelines, then it leaves the door open for oil companies to be experts on theology. I do not think that this is a logical conclusion - there is no necessary reciprocity of 'expertise.' But the question did get me thinking... it may do us good as North American Christians and a North American Church to look at the ways in which we already permit, or the ways that we protect against, companies or 'the economy' to do our theology for us, or at least to shape the way we do theology. How does our current focus on the economy shape our understanding of God? Or, how does our understanding of God shape our current focus on the economy? What does our theology lead us to believe about this pipeline, and about what it represents, regardless of whether this is spoken by the individual Christian or the institutional church?
The Northern Gateway pipeline has become a divisive issue within the church as in broader civil society. I think this division is partly about the pipeline itself, but also about the pipeline as a symbol of economic progress and success in Canada, and other important issues of ecology, climate, Indigenous rights and so on. Perhaps the church can serve its members and society by facilitating robust public dialogue that has so far been muted, or out-shouted by polarized and polarizing rhetoric. In that spirit, I would be interested to hear how Mr. Zylstra and others approach and perhaps have arrived at a decision about this pipeline, and how it is guided by your Christian faith and the way that you see and understand God moving in this world.