Jason John
poet, preacher, Penner, public speaker, palaverer
Poet
My contribution to slam poetry is my resemblance to a love child of Dr Seuss and Pam Ayres, who was adopted out to a scientist and an emotionally repressed priest.
The rest of the time I am an emotionally repressed priest (well, minister), with a background in science.
I try to skate the thin lines between good taste and vulgarity, between insightful commentary and farce, bringing politics, climate activism, religion, science and sex into awkward conversation. Because in my day job I have to bring climate science and religion and politics into very careful, nuanced conversation, most of which has to be approved by several people.
I’m not a Racist, But… will be out in ebook and paperback soon, and you can watch some of the poems performed if you click the blue button…
poet, preacher, Penner, public speaker, palaverer
Preacher
I’m a Uniting Church minister, who works as a Uniting Earth Advocate (yes, that’s a real job title).
For the last two decades I have helped the church collaborate with others of good will to explore what it means to live as better members of the Earth family, encouraging those who need to, to return from their prodigal ways.
There’s a bunch of writings and videos on my old ecofaith site, with information about the Adelaide and Bellingen ecofaith communities I started, and various theological ramblings. Or you can visit my professional sites as Uniting Earth Advocate, and Common Grace’s climate lead campaigner.
poet, preacher, Penner, public speaker, palaverer
Penner
There’s a free copy of Christian Sex Today: Lessons from Moses, Paul, Jesus and Darwin (working title) to anyone who can tell me a better word than Penner, which means author, and starts with P.
Hot off the paperback and ebook press is I’m Not a Racist, but I’ve got a Racist Butt.
Previously, I turned parts of my PhD on Biocentric Christianity into a short book. Another documents the history of the Adelaide Ecofaith Community. A third uncovers the horrors within the readings set for churches around Easter time, which consistently seek to exclude people, and details Jesus’ radically inclusive response. At the moment they are only available on Amazon (see below)
Worshipping Evolution's God
Christians worshipping God as part of life, not the centre of it.
What does it mean for humans to accept that we are not the centre of life, but continue to worship God in a tradition which has assumed that we are?
How do we worship the God of this evolving life? Why is it so hard to get babies out, and why are there so many weeds?
Why do we sin? How does our new understanding of our brain and its evolution help us answer this, and what do we do about it?
Are we inherently selfish and violent? What do we make of the whole story of Easter, seen through the eyes of a God who loves other animals as much as us, and never asked for ritual sacrifices of the innocent? What did Jesus make of Easter?
Why are we here? Is there an “after here?”
What do post-Darwinian Christians make of sex?
A Walk in the Park
Adelaide's Ecofaith Worship Community
This is a potted history of the first couple of years of the Adelaide ecofaith community, which I wrote in my final months there.
As of 2013 the community is still meeting.
This e-book doesn't handle the original image layout brilliantly, so if you buy it let me know and I'll also send you a full colour pdf.
Easter Horror Stories
Recovering Jesus' Good News
In the salvation stories the church reads in the lead up to Easter, someone always gets left out. Someone always has to suffer, because people cannot just be forgiven. Jesus disagrees.
Contents:
Salvation for Noah and his sons
Jesus gets started
Salvation for “the Jews.”
Bible breaking foreskin keepers
Salvation for obedient Jews
shut up about the Messiah!
Mustn’t grumble
the suffering, victorious son of man
Jeremiah: a new thing.
Jesus: a new thing.
The temple is a joke
You sort it out with God.
Bad things happen to good people. Even Jesus
Friday. There is nothing good about it
Mark's Easter: The world’s first cliffhanger?
poet, preacher, Penner, public speaker, palaverer
Public speaker
June 5th, 2020
Bellingen Poetry Slam MC • Bellingen, NSW
I MC’d the bello slam, which in this covid world was spread over two nights, and included some of the best poets from Australia, plus some astounding feature poets. Catch the action free at the BRWF FB site
June 3rd, 2020
Book launch(es) • Bellingen, NSW
For I’m not a Racist but… Actually there were two launches, one with Adam from BRWF responding to questions on FB live, and another with Debbie Lee from Ingram Spark, which included a few new poems.
March 14th, 2020
Up in Smoke: Beauty, Generosity & Justice in the Bushfire Emergency • Paddington Peace Talks
Now that the bushfire emergency of the last few months has eased, how do we make sure that we remember the cry of our neighbours (actually, our kin)- those billions of other creatures who lost their lives, and their relatives who struggle to survive?
Schedule an Event
jasonrobertjohn@gmail.com
Contact My Agent
Ha! Maybe one day. In the meantime, contact me ->
Contact Me
jasonrobertjohn@gmail.com