Rev'd Canon Dr (Labour) denounces South Yorkshire police officer (Ukip)
The Rev'd Canon Dr Alan Billings is a retired vicar of some academic standing: not only was he a member of the respected Youth Justice Board, he was director…
Pope Francis moves Rome toward reason and experience
As the headlines of "failure", "setback", "disappointment" and "dismay" spread throughout those parts of world which view just about everything the Church does as a failure or setback, or with disappointment and dismay, it is worth reflecting on some…
Justin Welby's call to battle
What exactly is the grand plan that is going to result in the disintegration and destruction of ISIS? On Tuesday military chiefs from 22 of the 60 countries making up…
While thousand are persecuted and martyred, the Church ponders sexuality
Apparently, ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State has declared war on Christians. The latest cover of their propaganda magazine Dabiq shows the black jihadi flag flying above St Peter's in Rome. It is…
It's Tristram Hunt who should be taking an oath, not our teachers
Poor Tristram Hunt. The Shadow Education Secretary's latest revolutionary idea of having teachers swear a public oath in the style of the Hippocratic Oath - committing themselves to the values of their profession…
Palestinian statehood: the hypocrisy of Labour's three-line whip
We know how the argument goes. If you oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, you are a bigoted Zionist who perpetuates suffering and injustice through illegal occupation. If…
Discerning the future of the Church is not an intellectual exercise
When I was at university studying Architecture, we were given the hypothetical brief of designing a new chapel for the campus. Having looked forward to it initially, it actually became…
Bishop of Willesden slams "unChristian" Tories and Ukip
The Clacton fallout has sent a few tremors around Westminster. So has the Heywood & Middleton spin-off. Not only have the people elected their first Ukip MP in a…
As Wonga falls, Welby's church credit unions arise
Wonga may still be hanging on as the big boy of the much-despised payday loans industry, but how much longer before it comes crashing down in a blaze of…
Christians are called to be 'non-violent extremists'
We have been here before. In fact, the illiberal proposal raises its portentous head with such frequency that it feels almost teleologically predetermined. From Labour's assault on "hate speech"…
Christianity versus Communism: Hong Kong's battle for liberty and democracy
No matter what issues of religion and politics have occupied us over the past week, there has been a feeling that we ought to be following the umbrellas, black T-shirts…
Why do left-wing clerics insult and alienate right-wing laity?
I don’t just disagree with Ukip. I despise them. I despise them for their smug Little Englander mentality. I despise them for their total absence of fellow-feeling towards vulnerable people…
Alan Henning’s compassion made him more Muslim than any member of ISIS
Our prayers and our thoughts have been with the family of Alan Henning over these last weeks, during which his life has been so publicly threatened. In his life Alan…
Survivors of child abuse need more than just understanding
So, Justin Welby is back blogging again after half a year. It looks as though a meeting with a survivor of abuse has made a significant impact upon him. He…
Targeted Aid for Oppressed Christians
There's a neat new book out co-authored by Brian Binley MP, Dr Lee Rotherham and Lord Tebbit entitled A Spotter's Guide to Sound Government Policies - "a platform for the…
Cameron prioritises national security and social justice
It is easy to be disenchanted by politics and cynical about politicians - especially if you're persuaded they're all disingenuous liars whose objective is shadowy manipulation and the pursuit of…
Politics and Religion at the Conservative Party Conference
Melanie Phillips writes: I chaired a most interesting fringe meeting discussion this lunchtime at the Tory party conference on the intersection between religion and politics. Unfortunately Sajid Javid, the Secretary…
Brooks Newmark's humiliating failure is not the real scandal
There are some enduring debates that will probably never be resolved. Did Lee Harvey Oswald shoot JFK? Are single-sex schools more effective than mixed ones? Should scones be pronounced sCOnes or scONs?…
The political purpose of claiming 10% of bishops are gay
This is a guest post by the Rev'd Peter Ould - a Church of England priest, consultant statistician and former blogger with an interest in the topic of human sexuality…
We should judge politicians by their fruits, not their failings
Mark Reckless MP is a man of faith; a faith which has, on occasion, caused him to delve into contentious matters of morality and probe certain state authorities which most…