Kenneth Cracknell
Encyclopedia
Kenneth R. Cracknell is a British
specialist in interfaith dialogue
and the Christian theology of religions
.
Cracknell has written many articles and books on interfaith dialogue and other subjects, including Towards a New Relationship (1985), Justice Courtesy and Love (1994), An Introduction to World Methodism (2005), and In Good and Generous Faith (2005). A festschrift
, A Great Commission (2000) edited by Martin Forward
, et al., includes scholarly articles by numerous friends and colleagues on the occasion of Cracknell's 65th birthday. He has pioneered a sensitive and respectful Christian approach to the religious Other while dealing skillfully with Bible
verses that for some demand a total condemnation of other religions and the conversion of their followers. Wesley S. Ariarajah, former director of inter-religions relations at the World Council of Churches
describes Cracknell's discussion as "a probing exegesis of the apparently exclusive verses."
Defining mission as witnessing to the compassionate presence of God in the world modeled by the life and suffering of Jesus Christ, Cracknell does not reject conversion from one faith to another but is more concerned with movement towards a deeper relationship with God and with loving action in God's world to reduce pain, poverty and prejudice. His Justice, Courtesy and Love examines the contributions of Christian scholars including missionaries whose encounter with the religious Other deepened their own understanding of the nature of God's concern for the restoration of human and planetary health. His career included pioneering the interfaith relations work of the British Council of Churches
, teaching at University of Cambridge
and at Brite Divinity School
, Texas from where he retired in 2007 as Distinguished Professor of Theology and Global Studies.
degree from the Universities of London
(1959) and Oxford
(1995). He was educated at the University of Oxford
(BA
, MA) and the University of Leeds
(Post Graduate Certificate with distinction in Religion) and at the Richmond Methodist College, London where he trained for ministry.
minister, he began his career teaching in Nigeria
through the Methodist Church Overseas Mission Division, then served as the first Director for Interfaith Relations in the British Council of Churches
from 1978 until 1987 at first under the chairmanship of David Brown, Bishop of Guildford
and (from 1983) of Bishop Jim Thompson
. He has been associated with the World Council of Churches
as a member of the Dialogue Sub-Unit, later the Office on Inter-religious Relations. Cracknell's scholarship is widely cited. Marcus Braybrooke, historian of interreligious relations, refers to Cracknell as "the influential Methodist thinker" in his contribution to Islam and Global Dialogue (2005) (edited by Roger Boase).
Several member churches including the Church of England
endorsed these before Cracknell left the BCC in 1987.
. As national conversation in the United Kingdom about citizenship
, identity and belonging and the place of the nation's Christian heritage (and established Church) developed, Cracknell began the process that resulted in the publication of an important Christian contribution to this discussion, Belonging to Britain: Christian perspectives on religion and identity in a plural society (1991) (edited by Roger Hooker and John Sargant) to which he also contributed.
and Kraemer
the twentieth century has gone backwards rather than forwards." Cracknell was awarded his Oxford BD for this book.
led him to view Western Christianity as too tied to cultural assumptions such as those of racial and civilizational superiority, from which it needs to be liberated. Ariarajah also praises Cracknell's exploration of the role of nations in God's purposes, when he asks if the cultures and faiths of all nations are not of value and worth, why did God permit their proliferation?
Working within the member churches of the BCC and outside the churches, Cracknell networked groups of committed individuals from across the faiths, encouraging and nurturing the formation of interfaith encounter groups. Many later affiliated with the Interfaith Network for the United Kingdom, a body that was launched just after he left office. Cracknell developed close personal relations with leading members of the various faith communities in the UK. A defender of religious liberty, he also helped to establish INFORM, a state-funded bureau for information on New Religious Movements including some that tend to be demonized, such as Scientology
and the Unification Church
.
, Cambridge
where he held the Michael Gutteridge Chair in Theology and was Senior Tutor, continuing at the same time to work closely with the interfaith desk of the World Council of Churches
and other interfaith groups. During his tenure in Cambridge, Cracknell also served as President of the Theological Federation
(1988 to 1995). In much of his writing, Cracknell drew on the scholarship of Wilfred Cantwell Smith
whose approach allows Others to define themselves, resisting the temptation to impose preconceived assumptions such as that any claim to experience God outside of Christ must be false. He was succeeded at Wesley by Martin Forward
who had directed interfaith relations for the British Methodist Church and who was also involved in the work of the BCC committee.
, Texas Christian University
, Fort Worth
, Texas
. At the same time, Cracknell's wife, Susan White, began teaching at Brite as well. While at Brite, he produced his reader on Wilfred Cantwell Smith, his book on World Methodism (as co-author) and his Good and Generous Faith as well as articles and reviews. Cracknell also oversaw a summer study abroad program for Brite students through Wesley House at University of Cambridge
. He retired in 2007. He now lives in Vermont, where he operates a book shop called Sutton Books and continues to lecture and to lead seminars on interfaith relations at various Colleges and Universities.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
specialist in interfaith dialogue
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
and the Christian theology of religions
Christianity and world religions
Christianity and other religions appear to share some elements. In a look at Christianity's relationship with other world religions, this article investigates the differences and similarities of Christianity to other religions.-Classical Christian views:...
.
Cracknell has written many articles and books on interfaith dialogue and other subjects, including Towards a New Relationship (1985), Justice Courtesy and Love (1994), An Introduction to World Methodism (2005), and In Good and Generous Faith (2005). A festschrift
Festschrift
In academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
, A Great Commission (2000) edited by Martin Forward
Martin Forward
Martin Forward is a British, Methodist Christian lecturer and author on religion and Professor of Religion at Aurora University, Illinois. He has taught Islam at the Universities of Leicester, Bristol and Cambridge, and had spent a period of time in India where he was ordained into the Church of...
, et al., includes scholarly articles by numerous friends and colleagues on the occasion of Cracknell's 65th birthday. He has pioneered a sensitive and respectful Christian approach to the religious Other while dealing skillfully with Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
verses that for some demand a total condemnation of other religions and the conversion of their followers. Wesley S. Ariarajah, former director of inter-religions relations at the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
describes Cracknell's discussion as "a probing exegesis of the apparently exclusive verses."
Defining mission as witnessing to the compassionate presence of God in the world modeled by the life and suffering of Jesus Christ, Cracknell does not reject conversion from one faith to another but is more concerned with movement towards a deeper relationship with God and with loving action in God's world to reduce pain, poverty and prejudice. His Justice, Courtesy and Love examines the contributions of Christian scholars including missionaries whose encounter with the religious Other deepened their own understanding of the nature of God's concern for the restoration of human and planetary health. His career included pioneering the interfaith relations work of the British Council of Churches
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is an ecumenical organisation. The members include most of the major churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It was formerly known as the Council of Churches of Britain and Ireland...
, teaching at University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and at Brite Divinity School
Brite Divinity School
Brite Divinity School is affiliated with and located at Texas Christian University. It is also affiliated with the Christian Church...
, Texas from where he retired in 2007 as Distinguished Professor of Theology and Global Studies.
Education
Cracknell obtained a B.D.Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
degree from the Universities of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
(1959) and Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(1995). He was educated at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, MA) and the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
(Post Graduate Certificate with distinction in Religion) and at the Richmond Methodist College, London where he trained for ministry.
Career
A British subject and MethodistMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
minister, he began his career teaching in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
through the Methodist Church Overseas Mission Division, then served as the first Director for Interfaith Relations in the British Council of Churches
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is an ecumenical organisation. The members include most of the major churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It was formerly known as the Council of Churches of Britain and Ireland...
from 1978 until 1987 at first under the chairmanship of David Brown, Bishop of Guildford
Bishop of Guildford
The Bishop of Guildford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Guildford in the Province of Canterbury.The title was first created as a suffragan see in the Diocese of Winchester in 1874. The suffragan bishop of Guildford assisted the Bishop of Winchester in overseeing the diocese...
and (from 1983) of Bishop Jim Thompson
Jim Thompson (bishop)
James Lawton "Jim" Thompson was an Anglican bishop. He was firstly the area Bishop of Stepney from 1978 to 1991 and later the diocesan Bishop of Bath & Wells in succession to George Carey who had become Archbishop of Canterbury...
. He has been associated with the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
as a member of the Dialogue Sub-Unit, later the Office on Inter-religious Relations. Cracknell's scholarship is widely cited. Marcus Braybrooke, historian of interreligious relations, refers to Cracknell as "the influential Methodist thinker" in his contribution to Islam and Global Dialogue (2005) (edited by Roger Boase).
The Four Principles of Dialogue
At the BCC, one of Cracknell's most important contributions was developing and promoting the "four principles of interfaith dialogue". He redacted these from the 13 principles contained in the WCC's Guidelines on Dialogue with People of Living Faiths and Ideologies (1979). They are:- Dialogue begins when people meet each other;
- Dialogue depends on mutual trust and mutual understanding;
- Dialogue makes it possible to share in service to the community;
- Dialogue becomes the medium of authentic witness.
Several member churches including the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
endorsed these before Cracknell left the BCC in 1987.
Promoting Christian Reflection
Cracknell founded the Association for Ministerial Training in a Multifaith Society, which held annual conferences attended by upwards of 200 clergy over several years, exploring how theological education ought to respond to the reality and challenges of multiculturalismMulticulturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
. As national conversation in the United Kingdom about citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
, identity and belonging and the place of the nation's Christian heritage (and established Church) developed, Cracknell began the process that resulted in the publication of an important Christian contribution to this discussion, Belonging to Britain: Christian perspectives on religion and identity in a plural society (1991) (edited by Roger Hooker and John Sargant) to which he also contributed.
Cracknell's missiology
The fact that the interfaith committee at the British Council of Churches was at the time located within the Mission Division and was mainly funded by Missionary Societies made reflection on mission an almost inevitable aspect of the director's role. Cracknell's sustained interest in Christian mission is indicated by the title chosen for the 2000 volume, A Great Commission, edited by Martin Forward, in honor of his scholarly contribution. Cracknell's 1985 book, Towards A New Relationship written while serving at the BCC explored many of the Biblical passages, such as John 14: 6 and Acts 4: 2 that Christian cite to defend an exclusive view of salvation as found only through an explicit, with the lips confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Cracknell argued that salvation is to be found "in the Name" but that "His Name is the Name because it affords the means by which human beings share in the grace and love that is the nature of God himself" His linguistic skill with the Biblical languages often disarmed critics, who saw his approach as a betrayal of Christian truth but who relied on English translations of the two testaments. Ariarajah says that "without denying any of the positive aspects of mission", Cracknell challenges Christians to re-think their attitudes to Others free from "prejudices stemming from the assumption of cultural superiority." Hugh Goddard refers to a "detailed study" of the Protestant World Missionary Conference of 1910 in Cracknell (1994) in which he "concluded that in some ways nineteenth century Christian thinking, including that of some missionaries, was readier than subsequent Christian thought to contemplate continuity rather than discontinuity between Christianity and other religions". "In that sense", says Goddard, Cracknell suggests that "under the influence of BarthKarl Barth
Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas...
and Kraemer
Hendrik Kraemer
Hendrik Kraemer was a lay missiologist and prominent figure in the ecumenical movement from Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands....
the twentieth century has gone backwards rather than forwards." Cracknell was awarded his Oxford BD for this book.
Networking
Traveling widely throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, in Europe and beyond promoting interfaith dialogue and visiting situations where Christian found themselves compelled to think about their relations with the religious Other, Cracknell was concerned to learn from their experiences but to also challenge a narrow perception of the meaning of faith, which is always God's gift and never a human work. His own experience in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
led him to view Western Christianity as too tied to cultural assumptions such as those of racial and civilizational superiority, from which it needs to be liberated. Ariarajah also praises Cracknell's exploration of the role of nations in God's purposes, when he asks if the cultures and faiths of all nations are not of value and worth, why did God permit their proliferation?
Working within the member churches of the BCC and outside the churches, Cracknell networked groups of committed individuals from across the faiths, encouraging and nurturing the formation of interfaith encounter groups. Many later affiliated with the Interfaith Network for the United Kingdom, a body that was launched just after he left office. Cracknell developed close personal relations with leading members of the various faith communities in the UK. A defender of religious liberty, he also helped to establish INFORM, a state-funded bureau for information on New Religious Movements including some that tend to be demonized, such as Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
and the Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
.
As Journal founder
Cracknell was founder-editor of the journal Discernment (from 1986 until 1990), which continued to be published through until 1998.Wesley House, Cambridge
After 10 years at the BCC, Cracknell moved to Wesley HouseWesley House
Wesley House is a Methodist theological college on Jesus Lane in Cambridge, England. It was founded in 1921 as a base for training Methodist ministers within the precincts of the University of Cambridge...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
where he held the Michael Gutteridge Chair in Theology and was Senior Tutor, continuing at the same time to work closely with the interfaith desk of the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
and other interfaith groups. During his tenure in Cambridge, Cracknell also served as President of the Theological Federation
Cambridge Theological Federation
The Cambridge Theological Federation is an association of theological colleges, courses and houses, based in Cambridge, England. The Federation offers several joint theological programmes of study open to students in member institutions; these programmes are either validated by or are taught on...
(1988 to 1995). In much of his writing, Cracknell drew on the scholarship of Wilfred Cantwell Smith
Wilfred Cantwell Smith
Wilfred Cantwell Smith was a Canadian professor of comparative religion who from 1964-1973 was director of Harvard's Center for the Study of World Religions. The Harvard Gazette characterized him as one of the field's most influential figures of the past century...
whose approach allows Others to define themselves, resisting the temptation to impose preconceived assumptions such as that any claim to experience God outside of Christ must be false. He was succeeded at Wesley by Martin Forward
Martin Forward
Martin Forward is a British, Methodist Christian lecturer and author on religion and Professor of Religion at Aurora University, Illinois. He has taught Islam at the Universities of Leicester, Bristol and Cambridge, and had spent a period of time in India where he was ordained into the Church of...
who had directed interfaith relations for the British Methodist Church and who was also involved in the work of the BCC committee.
Texas Christian University
After eight years in Cambridge, he took a position as Professor of Theology and Global Studies (later appointed Distinguished Professor) at Brite Divinity SchoolBrite Divinity School
Brite Divinity School is affiliated with and located at Texas Christian University. It is also affiliated with the Christian Church...
, Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
, Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. At the same time, Cracknell's wife, Susan White, began teaching at Brite as well. While at Brite, he produced his reader on Wilfred Cantwell Smith, his book on World Methodism (as co-author) and his Good and Generous Faith as well as articles and reviews. Cracknell also oversaw a summer study abroad program for Brite students through Wesley House at University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He retired in 2007. He now lives in Vermont, where he operates a book shop called Sutton Books and continues to lecture and to lead seminars on interfaith relations at various Colleges and Universities.