From college to college

Quick trip to Nelson yesterday for Bishopdale Theological College's farewell to Tim Harris who leaves today for Adelaide and his new episcopal future there. The College seemed in very good heart, and Nelson's sun was very hot - one forgets these things when absent for a while. If there was a piece of gloom in the air as I talked with old colleagues it concerned something looming as a dark cloud over all NZ churches: future costs of insurance. By the way, as here in Christchurch, a number of parishes are vacant ... life in the South Island has its advantages ... any takers among clergy readers here?

Today's college visit is to St John's College Auckland. No visit there is uninteresting and I am expecting not to be disappointed today. :)

Then it is back to a lecture on Barth and Von Balthasar given by my colleague, Hugh Bowron. His theme is Intimacy with God.

Speaking of intimacy and Barth, I have been looking into his relationship with his secretary, Lollo van Kirschbaum. Views go back and forth on this, but I find it very hard to look at this photo and not think that an intimacy existed between them which amounted to more than shared theological interests in the pursuit of Barth's longwinding theological prose.

Do not ever say that the study of theology is less interesting than a tabloid newspaper :)