CO-SPONSORSHIP: Christian Spirituality Unit, Ecclesiological Investigations Unit, and Vatican II Studies Unit

Difficult Conversations

Difficult conversations occur less today between religious believers and non-believers or between one religion and another than within religious communities, particularly in Christian churches. As Christian Nationalism gathers momentum alongside polarisations, cancel culture, and toxic masculinity, in addition to ongoing crises such as environmental degradation and anti-immigration policies and practices, questions of how to coexist within Christian communities come to the fore, especially considering newer experiments in co-responsibility for difficult conversations in church life, such as synodality.

• How do we talk about difficult topics such as women’s ecclesial leadership? Synodality was meant to carve a path forward for the Catholic church and yet, the latest Vatican commission on women deacons insists on a conclusion that not only ignores scholarship but also global calls for ordained women. Meanwhile, in the Anglican church, the elevation of the first female to the role of Archbishop of Canterbury meant for some, the church had reached a milestone, for others it was heretical and reason to disassociate. Do we concede that synodality is a failed exercise when it comes to women’s ecclesial leadership? What can Christian Spiritual traditions and histories contribute in these otherwise seemingly failed synodal exercises on women in the church?
• When people engage in ecclesial dialogues, do they consider being trauma-informed? What is the current practice at both local and international levels such as the World Council of Churches? Is it within the ecclesial imagination to ensure we do not further traumatize and marginalize peoples as we invite them into these conversations? How can we take responsibility for understanding power dynamics and ensuring we do not make more vulnerable those who are already vulnerable? Take for example, the way in which communities still tread carefully around welcoming the LGBTQ+ community. Is the welcome simply a beautiful ideal or can we have real, even if difficult, conversations that enable both sides to be heard while keeping all participants safe? Again, Christian spiritual traditions and histories might reveal existing alignments with trauma-informed approaches to dialogue. It can also reveal the complications.
• Last, how do we begin or continue to engage in the difficult conversations about being colonial Christians or Christians on colonised lands? That we often worship on unceded territories and on lands that have no treaties? That indigenous spiritualities are still seen with suspicion as evidenced by the reaction to the presence of the Pacha Mama statue during the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region in 2019? Can we talk about how as Christian communities, we are not there yet in terms of unlearning internalised racism as white and brown/black skinned persons alike, and dismantling Western-Anglo-European structures in our churches? How might Christian spiritualities enable us to face and dialogue on these difficult truths about ourselves and our communities?