Numinous programme
In this programme, we are aiming to collect stories and provide tools for mapping how people make sense of their experiences and their relationships to the world through their participation within, or connection to, religious belief, sense of spirituality, communities of faith and/or communities of spiritual practice. The numbers of people attending churches is declining in many Western Christian denominations. When faced with this existential crisis they are increasing their focus on their mission and growth. The Church of England has created the Strategic Development Fund which "supports major change projects which lead to a significant difference in dioceses’ mission and financial strength." https://www.churchofengland.org/about/renewal-reform/funding-mission-and-growth/strategic-development-funding However, this is also requiring the different denominations to consider what is fruitful growth and richer ways of evaluating this than counting 'bums on seats'.
Contents
Target participation
Public projects
"A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whereas parables have human characters.[1] A parable is a type of metaphorical analogy.[2]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable
Jesus told parables to get his followers to think about an issue. When a lawyer talked with Jesus about how he might inherit eternal life he knows he must follow the Jewish law – love your neighbour as yourself – and so he asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?”
Jesus responds with the story of the Good Samaritan:
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among [b]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, [c]when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbour to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:30-37 New King James Version https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010%3A25-37&version=NKJV
Many parables have become part of common parlance and are still helping people to interpret life many years after they were originally told.
This Numinous project will present a series of parables from different world faiths with a view to revealing how they are even now shaping how we interpret the world around us and how to live alongside each other in society.
Participation projects
These are established projects which you can either join or replicate
The Australian Anglican project (needs a name)
Spiritual and religious leaders
Summary Main article: Spiritual and religious leaders
Kickstarter projects
These projects have a minimum number of participants to trigger their initiation and may run as cohorts
Events
Current thinking
- The meaning of parables in the modern world
- Liberation theology revisited
