Kids and Kingdom: The Precarious Presence of Children in the Synoptic Gospels

At a time when institutions of faith are increasingly confronted with scandals that have brought the vulnerability of young children to the fore of religious consciousness, some scholars have pointed to Jesus\u27 special concern and affection for children in the Gospels. Scholars are struck by how often the authors place Jesus in relation to children: healing them, blessing them, and challenging their marginal status by characterizing them as models for understanding the kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus. If the authors had concluded their stories of Jesus\u27 eschatological gathering with the blessing of the children, then their characterizations of children might seem nearly unparalleled. Yet, the narratives continue; children appear less; Jesus and the disciples move on. This work challenges the extent to which our long held interpretation that `Jesus loved the little children\u27 is well grounded in the gospel narratives. Instead, it is argued that the inclusion of young children in the kingdom of God presented in the Synoptic narratives is tempered by images of household disruption and alienation of children as a consequence of Jesus\u27 eschatological gathering of followers. Assuming the multivocality texts, a deconstructive literary approach is applied to the Synoptic Gospels, foregrounding children over other characters in relation to Jesus\u27 adult ministry. Passages such as healing narratives involving children, the `Child in the Midst\u27 (Mark 9:36-37 and par.), `One of These Little Ones\u27 (Mark 9:42 and par.), and `Let the Little Children Come to Me\u27 (Mark 10:13-16) are examined against sayings relativizing family ties and the lifestyle indicative of the radical call to discipleship in the Synoptic narratives. This work seeks not to resolve but to highlight the tensions between attempts at child inclusivity and the radical demands of discipleship on families

Managing Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks: A Comparative Assessment of the Minerals Management Service and Other Agencies

This study compares and contrasts regulatory and related practices—in particular, regulatory decisionmaking, risk assessment and planning processes, inspection and compliance, and organization structure, budgets, and training—of the Minerals Management Service (MMS, now the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, or BOEMRE) with those of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Comparing MMS practices with those of other federal agencies that also manage low-probability but high-consequence environmental risks provides a basis for identifying opportunities for enhancing regulatory capacity and safety performance in managing deepwater energy exploration and production. Our research finds important differences in processes for setting standards; peer review contribution to the rulemaking process; establishment of tolerable risk thresholds; and training of key staff. The paper concludes with several recommendations for how various EPA and FAA practices might be modified and used at BOEMRE to strengthen its regulatory and risk management processes.Minerals Management Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, risk management