Bishop Robert Thompson’s ‘Redemption Song’

Excerpt for Observer column - 29 March 2021 (unedited)

 

by Jean Lowrie-Chin

The virtual Launch of Bishop Robert Thompson's book, "Redemption Song: Reading the Scripture for Social Change" was hosted last Thursday by Christine Randle, CEO of Ian Randle Publishers. The retired Anglican Bishop of Kingston has often given us a reality check on our social conditions and his book calls on his church community to take a different approach to theology.

Rev. Thompson refers to "the deep legacy of colonialism" which he believes "continues to stifle" our national development. He is challenging the established church to cast away Euro-American interpretations of Scripture and share a theology that "embraces and affirms all people across class and culture."

In the book's foreword, Archbishop Howard Gregory noted its importance for educators and students as well as lay leaders involved in "serious study of the Bible and gospel as 'midwives' for social transformation."

This should be an excellent read during this Holy Week which will see us adapting to new ways of worship for the holiest days in our Christian calendar. This past year has shown us that we can pivot and thrive. 

Bishop Thompson's call in "Redemption Song" echoes Jesus' counsel: "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins." (Mark 2:21-2)