Thought Matters set to offer wide range of perspectives on anxiety
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
With the Thought Matters Conference coming up next month in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, the schedule has been announced, featuring many speakers who have never previously presented.
This year’s topic, ‘Do not be anxious about anything’, drew more abstract submissions than ever before, according to Major Sandy MacDonald, who is coordinating for Australian delegates. With 41 submissions, the organisers were challenged to choose which ones would be accepted, as Sandy said there was only so much room to include presenters in the schedule.
“It does show that the topic resonated quite widely, whether from the personal perspective or how it applies in faith settings, or … culture and community,” she said.
Sandy said the selection panel also tried to balance the more purely theological or sociological papers versus lived experience ones and trying to ensure there was adequate of both.
“It certainly wasn’t an easy process to come up with the list of accepted papers for the conference,” Sandy said.
The abstracts to be presented include a very personal reflection on the work of Catherine Booth by Lieutenant Emma Howan, a Salvation Army New Zealand Area Officer who is living with incurable cancer, a reflection on colonial anxiety from TSA New Zealand’s Caroline Jewkes and an exploration of the mental health impacts of increasing social challenges in Samoa from Litia Manuāvai'a Pelefoti-Gibson.
TSA Australia’s Major Melanie-Anne Wren, Captain Kris Halliday and Auxiliary-Lieutenant Rosy Keane are also presenting.
(From left) TSA Australia’s Major Melanie-Anne Wren, Captain Kris Halliday and Auxiliary-Lieutenant Rosy Keane, who are all presenting at Thought Matters.
Due to the breadth of topics raised in this conference, the organisers, led by TSA New Zealand’s Captain Stuart Tong have released a statement declaring the expectations of those engaging with the material.
“Thought Matters conference is a safe and respectful space for theological conversation,” the conference organisers wrote. “It is expected that there will be a wide range of views expressed through papers and in responses from delegates. The aim of the conference is to explore ideas rather than convince others of the rightness or otherwise of any particular position. Therefore, we look for presenters who are able to articulate ideas in a respectful manner, allowing space for disagreement and discussion with others. We will also be selecting papers which represent diverse voices, methodologies, approaches, demographics and perspectives.”
With registration closing on 30 September, organisers are urging delegates to secure their place. The conference will also be live-streamed for online attendees, and the link to access both options can be found here.
