Some people think that religion should be solely about spirituality. I don’t agree.
Richard Rohr says:
I believe that there are two necessary paths enabling us to move toward wisdom: a radical journey inward and a radical journey outward. For far too long we’ve confined people to a sort of security zone, a safe midpoint. We’ve called them neither to a radical path inward, in other words, to contemplation, nor to a radical journey outward, that is, to commitment on the social issues of our time.
This is why I was so pleased to read a news article about monastic activists. (Try saying that a few times if you’ve had a glass of wine or two!) The article begins:
Picture the scene: you are chairing your company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, there is somebody raising issues you really do not want to discuss and you are desperate for her to sit down and be quiet. Oh yes, and she’s a nun.
Apparently some monastic communities are targeting corporations they believe have questions to answer by deliberately buying a small number of shares in them. They then have the right to pitch up at shareholders’ meetings and ask those questions. And you’d have to be pretty ballsy to risk the PR backlash of shutting up a nun.
I guess this is a close cousin of using your feminine wiles to get ahead (which as a good feminist I disapprove of), but I have to say I think this is a great idea. Go sisters!
You can read the full story here.
Photograph by foxypar4
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Ha! Sneaky, subversive. I love it. I think that’s just using the noggin and wisdom God gave them. Go sisters, indeed!
Thanks HM. I love the word ‘noggin’!
That’s spectacular good thinking! Methinks that would cause God to chuckle and think “Go, sisters!” Himself!!
Thanks for writing about this, Tess!
“Noggin” is a good one. Very earthy sounding methinks. And probably a bit archaic. I’m actually one of the only people I know who tries to use it ocassionally.
Thanks Barbara, glad you appreciated it.
You know, it just makes sense! Thanks for posting this.
Thanks Soutenus. Welcome and thanks for commenting.
Thanks for this Tess. I totally agree that religion is much much more than spirituality. I get frustrated with faith formation resources that seem to focus only on “Jesus and Me” I love this activism. And heartily approve.
Thanks EJD!
I write about environmental issues for an online publication, and this has become a huge issue. If memory serves, more than 50 huge international companies have had to face difficult questions at their annual meetings based on shareholder resolutions brought by similar groups. The changes in corporate governance as the result would probably astound your readers!
Richard, thanks for this comment. The organisation where I work is currently in the middle of reviewing issues around carbon footprint. I’m pleased to say I’m part of this in the London office, partly by nagging and partly by putting myself forward to be on the team. But the reason it’s such a big issue is because of client demands, which in turn are because of shareholder demands. So you have a global business taking steps which might make genuine changes.
By the way, I can see I’m going to enjoy reading your blog over the next few days!