Page 12 RAIN May 1982 FAITH INT A Revival Of Christian Stewardship coy BRprhep^, whxc use IS ir poR cnxN tro sxy he hxs pxirb wheN he t>0€S NorhiN<5 ro show ir?... ip ITT t>oes MOt: Levb ro xcttion, it: is fN irseLp K UpeLess chiNq. James 2:14-17 (The New English Bible) by John Ferrell In 1979, Protestant evangelist Billy Graham, once a strong proponent of American military strength, announced on the CBS Evening News that he had experienced a change of heart. “I'm in favor of disarmament and I'm in favor of trust," he said. “As I look back . . . I think Mr. Truman made a mistake ... in dropping the first atomic bomb." In May, 1981, Spencer Kimball, president of the Mormon Church, came out strongly in opposition to the MX missile system as a gross extension of “the terrifying arms race in which the nations of the earth are now engaged." The following month, Roman Catholic Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen of Seattle counseled his flock to consider withholding half of their tax payments to protest the huge amounts being spent on nuclear arms. These events point up an important shift within segments of the Christian Church which have long been identified with conventional, even conservative, lifestyles and political perceptions. It is a shift which extends well beyond church leadership circles and is much broader in scope than the peace activism which has recently brought such dramatic headlines. “Mainline" and conservative church people are increasingly involving themselves in issues of economic justice, corporate responsibility, community renewal, and environmental awareness. In some cases, this involvement is already a matter of church policy; in others, it is still the work of relatively small numbers of concerned members within denominations. What follows is a representative sampling of these church responses to peace and social justice issues. It is meant to serve as evidence of what Mark Carlson, in "Churches and the Public Interest Movement" (see review below) has called an “underappreciated source of human energy" which needs to be much better understood by secular activists concerned with broadening their own impact and finding new sources of support. ACCESS: Christian Stewardship "Churches and the Public Interest Movement," by Mark Carlson, NRAG Papers, Vol, 3, No. 1,1979,30 pp., $3.00 from: The Northern Rockies Action Group 9 Placer Street Helena, MT 59601 "Many members of churches have internalized a genuine ethic of responsible service to society," this study reminds us. "They are used to giving of themselves, their time and their money." Author Mark Carlson, an environmentalist and active church member, believes that churches and the public interest movement have many present and potential interests in common which are not always fully recognized on either side of the pew. He gives examples of innovative social and environmental programs already taking place among "mainline" Protestant and Roman Catholic organizations, examines attitudes in the churches which have thus far tended to limit such activities, and explores means for public interest groups to better work with the religious community on issues of mutual interest. This is a good manual, both for public interest group members concerned with coalition building and for already politically active church members concerned with increasing their effectiveness among fellow parishioners. l I Rich Christians in an Age ofHunger, by Ronald Sider, 1977,249 pp., $4.95 plus $1.00 postage & handling from: The Other Side Book Service 2423 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL 60614 This book is representative of a growing body of religious literature which examines the gross inequities of world resource distriCont. on page 14
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