title: Interreligious prayer: Prospects and parameters

authors: Pratt, Douglas

subjects: religion

abstract: The coming together of people of diverse religions to plan or reflect upon a common action or venture, and to consider, let alone engage in, an act of shared spiritual experience – such as interreligious prayer – is something comparatively novel and relatively rare. Yet the impetus for acts of inter-faith prayer, worship, or other liturgically shared acts, is increasing as more and more experiences of cross-religion engagement and dialogical encounter occur, and as communities encompassing religious diversity address issues in common, or respond to crises that affect all. In some corners of the globe this is already very much the case; for others it is only just emerging into view on the horizon of possibility. 

In this paper I explore the question of interreligious prayer arising from my involvement in a joint World Council of Churches and Vatican Study undertaken during the 1990s. The questions which lay behind this co-operative venture remain, of course, live ones today and require continual reflection and fresh thinking. When the natural human response is to pray, and the context of that response is multi-religious, what can we do together? How can we do it? Indeed, ought we to do it? And if we do, on what basis may we proceed? What justification can we give in respect of our own faith? What are the issues to be addressed? How, if at all, may they be resolved?

text: Interreligious prayer: Prospects and parameters The coming together of people of diverse religions to plan or reflect upon a common action or venture, and to consider, let alone engage in, an act of shared spiritual experience – such as interreligious prayer – is something comparatively novel and relatively rare. Yet the impetus for acts of inter-faith prayer, worship, or other liturgically shared acts, is increasing as more and more experiences of cross-religion engagement and dialogical encounter occur, and as communities encompassing religious diversity address issues in common, or respond to crises that affect all. In some corners of the globe this is already very much the case; for others it is only just emerging into view on the horizon of possibility. 

In this paper I explore the question of interreligious prayer arising from my involvement in a joint World Council of Churches and Vatican Study undertaken during the 1990s. The questions which lay behind this co-operative venture remain, of course, live ones today and require continual reflection and fresh thinking. When the natural human response is to pray, and the context of that response is multi-religious, what can we do together? How can we do it? Indeed, ought we to do it? And if we do, on what basis may we proceed? What justification can we give in respect of our own faith? What are the issues to be addressed? How, if at all, may they be resolved?

year: 2006-10

title: Introduction: Reading Bakhtin educationally

authors: White, Elizabeth Jayne

subjects: Education

abstract: Reading Bakhtin is a literary experience that leaves the reader gasping for air yet wanting more. His ideas are elusive, foreign, and dark, while at the same time alluring, hopeful, and joyous. To read Bakhtin and the work of other members of his circle calls the reader to a place of instability and confusion-not only in reading the seemingly contradictory nature of the text and grappling with translated misunderstandings, but also in grasping the Aesopian style of writing that characterizes his work.

We offer this collection as a starting point to explore and perhaps even exploit some of the ramifications of Bakhtin's dialogic work; and in doing so consider its relevance for educational theory, practice, and policy across the globe. We welcome the potential for dialogical engagement within this collection by educationalists and others, and look forward to the resulting dialogues-pedagogies and policy encounters-this book will, hopefully, invoke.

text: Introduction: Reading Bakhtin educationally Reading Bakhtin is a literary experience that leaves the reader gasping for air yet wanting more. His ideas are elusive, foreign, and dark, while at the same time alluring, hopeful, and joyous. To read Bakhtin and the work of other members of his circle calls the reader to a place of instability and confusion-not only in reading the seemingly contradictory nature of the text and grappling with translated misunderstandings, but also in grasping the Aesopian style of writing that characterizes his work.

We offer this collection as a starting point to explore and perhaps even exploit some of the ramifications of Bakhtin's dialogic work; and in doing so consider its relevance for educational theory, practice, and policy across the globe. We welcome the potential for dialogical engagement within this collection by educationalists and others, and look forward to the resulting dialogues-pedagogies and policy encounters-this book will, hopefully, invoke.

year: 2011

title: Lavinia and Henry Dunbar Johnson

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: Rawinia Manukau, of Ngati Tamatera, married Henry Dunbar Johnson in 1868, when aged 21. Johnson had been a storekeeper at Coromandel from 1863 onwards and after 1866 had the first store at the site of the future Paeroa. In both places, but particularly in the latter, there was always the fear of conflict with the local Maori population, despite his being protected by a rangatira. After spending time at the new Thames goldfield, from 1871 onwards he was a partner in another Paeroa store, being able to erect a house because a rangatira related to his wife wished her to settle there. Lavinia (as she was known to Pakeha) obtained interests in several blocks of land in Ohinemuri, and her husband also acquired some land for a farm. He prospected Karangahake mountain from 1866 onwards, despite Maori opposition, and in 1875 and the following year actively mined there, unprofitably; Lavinia was not involved with this field, but did acquire interests in two claims when the Te Aroha one opened.
A petty squabble with a Thames neighbour resulted in Lavinia telling the latter to go back to England – she was feisty in defending her heritage. Through his marriage and close contact with Maori, Johnson understood and admired the Maori language, leading to his being appointed a licensed interpreter in 1872. After being a leading pioneer of Paeroa, in 1879 he went to Wellington to work in the Native Office, leaving his wife and family behind for a while; after then she was employed by Pakeha as a nurse and midwife. 
In 1885 Johnson was appointed to oversee the development of Rotorua, where he attempted to have Maori children educated (as his own were) and had to cope with the aftermath of the 1886 Tarawera eruption. Retrenched in 1888, he farmed for a while on his wife’s land at Te Aroha West, becoming involved in local issues and local politics. During the 1890 he obtained more official positions, and from 1896 to 1906 was a land court judge.
The Johnson family was well integrated into the dominant culture, all his daughters marrying Pakeha apart from one who married a ‘half-caste’ who had been brought up as a Pakeha. Johnson was not a Pakeha Maori in the original sense, but was accepted by Maori when living in Paeroa and as a judge tried to be kind to poverty-stricken Maori, although in time he viewed Maori as becoming lazy compared with those he had lived amongst during his first two decades in New Zealand.

text: Lavinia and Henry Dunbar Johnson Rawinia Manukau, of Ngati Tamatera, married Henry Dunbar Johnson in 1868, when aged 21. Johnson had been a storekeeper at Coromandel from 1863 onwards and after 1866 had the first store at the site of the future Paeroa. In both places, but particularly in the latter, there was always the fear of conflict with the local Maori population, despite his being protected by a rangatira. After spending time at the new Thames goldfield, from 1871 onwards he was a partner in another Paeroa store, being able to erect a house because a rangatira related to his wife wished her to settle there. Lavinia (as she was known to Pakeha) obtained interests in several blocks of land in Ohinemuri, and her husband also acquired some land for a farm. He prospected Karangahake mountain from 1866 onwards, despite Maori opposition, and in 1875 and the following year actively mined there, unprofitably; Lavinia was not involved with this field, but did acquire interests in two claims when the Te Aroha one opened.
A petty squabble with a Thames neighbour resulted in Lavinia telling the latter to go back to England – she was feisty in defending her heritage. Through his marriage and close contact with Maori, Johnson understood and admired the Maori language, leading to his being appointed a licensed interpreter in 1872. After being a leading pioneer of Paeroa, in 1879 he went to Wellington to work in the Native Office, leaving his wife and family behind for a while; after then she was employed by Pakeha as a nurse and midwife. 
In 1885 Johnson was appointed to oversee the development of Rotorua, where he attempted to have Maori children educated (as his own were) and had to cope with the aftermath of the 1886 Tarawera eruption. Retrenched in 1888, he farmed for a while on his wife’s land at Te Aroha West, becoming involved in local issues and local politics. During the 1890 he obtained more official positions, and from 1896 to 1906 was a land court judge.
The Johnson family was well integrated into the dominant culture, all his daughters marrying Pakeha apart from one who married a ‘half-caste’ who had been brought up as a Pakeha. Johnson was not a Pakeha Maori in the original sense, but was accepted by Maori when living in Paeroa and as a judge tried to be kind to poverty-stricken Maori, although in time he viewed Maori as becoming lazy compared with those he had lived amongst during his first two decades in New Zealand.

year: 2016