Considering Grace records the deeply moving stories of 120 ordinary people’s experiences of the Troubles, exploring how faith shaped their responses to violence and its aftermath.
The result of a research project commissioned by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the book is the first to capture such a full range of experiences of the Troubles of people from a Protestant background.
Presbyterian ministers, victims, members of the security forces, emergency responders, healthcare workers and ‘critical friends’ of the Presbyterian tradition are among those to provide insights on wider human experiences of anger, pain, healing, and forgiveness.
It also includes the perspectives of women and people from border counties and features leading public figures, such as former Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon of the SDLP, Jeffrey Donaldson of the DUP, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, and former Victims Commissioner Bertha McDougall.
Considering Grace contributes to the process of ‘dealing with the past’ by pointing towards the need for a ‘gracious remembering’ that acknowledges suffering, is self-critical about the past, and creates space for lament, but also for the future.
About the authors
Gladys Ganiel is a sociologist of religion at Queen’s University Belfast. Her previous books include Transforming Post-Catholic Ireland; Evangelicalism and Conflict in Northern Ireland; Unity Pilgrim: The life of Fr Gerry Reynolds CSsR; and The Deconstructed Church: Understanding emerging Christianity with Gerardo Marti.
Jamie Yohanis’s academic background is in theology and education with a particular interest in the intersection of confessional faith and state-funded education; the field in which he conducted his doctoral studies. Professionally, he has worked as an RE teacher and now works in an educational capacity with service users within the criminal justice system.
Launch events
Considering Grace will be launched on Tuesday 5 November.
Regional launches will take place throughout November in Londonderry, Ballymena, Armagh and Enniskillen. Further information on those launches will be made available on web site address below,
Videos
A series of videos in relation to Considering Grace are available on PCI’s Vimeo site.
In the videos, public figures both inside and outside the Presbyterian Church speak about their personal experiences, as well as the role of the Presbyterian Church during the Troubles.
List of contributors: Nicola Brady; Stewart Dickson; Jeffrey Donaldson; John Hutchinson; Danny Kennedy; Seamus Mallon; Sean Murray; Geraldine Smyth; and Trevor Williams.
Congregational resource
A study resource to help congregations unpack the themes emerging from Considering Grace is being developed and will be available in Spring 2020. It will help local churches think through how they care for their own members, and also how they might make a contribution to wider discussion about the past in order to shape a better future. Themes explored in the resource will include lament, remembering, prayer, forgiveness, and seeking a more reconciled community.
Purchasing
Copies of the book can be ordered online –
[[] https://www.presbyterianireland.org/consideringgrace ]
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