Mark Roques - with Jim Tickner

The Good, the Bad and the Misled Monarch 1994 ISBN 1-85424-258-X

Mark Roques ("Rocky") with his drinking mate Jim Tickner, have been busy over the decades finding ways to connect with those the Almighty brings across their path, particularly younger people, trying to find a line by which the good news can be told in a matter-of-fact, down-to-earth way. This has to be done they believe in order to help their drinking mates, and whomever they meet, understand life, the universe and everything. Or at least, in order that the contribution that Mark and Jim make to their understanding of life at least makes some sense. They are not looking for religious arguments in pubs that would seal their martyrdom in a baptism of frustrated beer thrown in their direction to shut 'em up.

Mark and Jim enjoy a good yarn over a pint. They also know how to tell a story that can provoke deep and searching questions. In this book with its umpteen stories, they also provide some straight-forward, and occasionally hard-hitting, questions just to make sure that the readers are not simply reading the print, putting the book down and chalking up another on the blackboard of "How many books I have read this week."

Life is serious. People are being bombed by terrorists. People are being used as slaves. Christianity is marketed by fraudulent means and love is a scarce commodity. These things have to be thought about. These things are not just neutral "data" that can be filed away and then deleted. These things have deep significance. They are part of people's lives. Their world-view is shaped by how they do or do not respond to what goes on around them.

This book was written before their blockbuster about football - for those who do not know (generally Australians from Aussie Rules and Rugby League states as well as New Zillandars) that means soccer. That is by way of aside. If you want to find that book, you are already on the internet so you can punch in "roques" "kingdom of God" and "fields of God" and you can find out where to buy it.

Now this book that I am reviewing here may not be readily available - but that shouldn't mean you should ignore it. It is a book that has just got to be read. It is subtitled :"True stories reflecting different world views for use in secondary religious education". Their aim is to help teachers of religious education connect with students where rubber hits road. "A responsible and compelling Religious Education must deal with human brokenness and human evil. This side of life cannot be glossed over and neglected." As we read this book we begin to see how these things are indeed glossed over and neglected, even in the media reports that try to draw them to our attention - we will be right back to this disaster area after a few words from our sponsors. The aim is to get teachers and students to reflect together on their beliefs and the beliefs that allow people to integrate their lives even in the face of tragedy. In fact, argue our authors, since all are believers, and all have some or other view of what is basic, it is this which should be core in any Religious Studies programme in secondary education. Sure Roques and Tickner were members of the Bristol Christian Pub Drinkers Society and are keen to share the gospel, but as educators they are keen to help students face up to what they actually believe and not just become complacent because they know how to present answers that make themselves sound as if they accept what others say they should believe.

So what are some of the beliefs that this book explores? First, Consumerism and in this section Elvis gets a guernsey. The Paganism section includes some biblical background on the Canaanites, the peoples who occupied the promised land before Joshua fought the battle of Jericho. Fascism features Adolf Hitler and ethnic cleansing. There's also sections on Eastern religions, Communism, Orphism and Gnosticism. Islam has its own section. If the book were to be written now it would include a story about Osama Bin Laden but maybe also the Grameen Bank and that Islamic cleric who bravely offered himself in exchange for the Australian kidnapped in Iraq. There's a section on the New Age, Nihilism, Primal Religions and Christianity.

Sounds interesting does it?

It's not a book that barracks for the bible but it is not suggesting that Christians are the only ones who have good stories to tell. Still they do want to say that Christians should learn how to tell good stories and that Christianity is indeed a good story, a true account of how we are before God.

Does it sound like a book you'd like?

Well go look for it on Google or Amazon. And if you have no luck why not write to Mark Roques yourself at admin@wysocs.org.uk . He works in a programme for students who are trying to work out what their education has been about and what it should be about.

You can find some details of "Thinking Space" at www.wysocs.org.uk

Thanks for listening.

Harry Dubb <bcwearne@ozemail.com.au>

July 21, 05