Culture

Bishop Philip North is good news for the poor – what a shame he’s sidelined

It is #GoodNewsFriday – space and time to tell of God's love, miracles, joy, hope and peace – and Bishop Philip North provides today's subject matter. Here are a few edited highlights from his sermon this week at New Wine,…

Justine vs Justin: the ‘not yet’ and ‘never’ of same-sex marriage in the Church of England

July 27, 2017
692 Comments

In an interview for Sky News last week on same-sex marriage and the Church, Justine Greening (the Education Secretary who also happens to hold the Equalities portfolio) told Sophy Ridge:…

The two opposed expressions of Anglicanism

July 25, 2017
873 Comments

There is a letter published in today's Telegraph signed by 23 conservative (/traditionalists/orthodox) Anglicans concerning the tensions in the Church over England (and wider Anglicanism) over same-sex marriage and other…

Theresa May did not instruct the CofE to allow gay marriage

July 20, 2017
157 Comments

'Prime Minister: The Church should "reflect" on allowing gay couples to marry', declares the Telegraph; 'Theresa May Suggests Churches Should Consider Conducting Same-Sex Marriages', says Huffpost UK; 'May: Church should…

Redefining hate: from diabolical anti-love to any criticism of the fragile self

July 14, 2017
327 Comments

This is a guest post by by the Rev'd Dr Gavin Ashenden. _____ During the General Synod debate on homosexuality I took to twitter. It’s like sitting up in the…

Lord Carey’s forced resignation is an injustice: he, too, was a victim of Peter Ball

July 4, 2017
155 Comments

This is a guest post by Martin Sewell, a retired Child Protection Lawyer and a member of General Synod. He considers here the wiles and manipulations of child-abuser Peter Ball,…

Hounding Tim Farron about gay sex deflects from LibDem vote to abolish faith schools

May 2, 2017
377 Comments

While the Christian leader of the Liberal Democrats was being harassed and hounded day after day by liberal metropolitan journalists to pronounce on whether he believed homosexual acts were sin…

Michael Gove sugar-coats Jesus and preaches fake good news

April 18, 2017
249 Comments

This is a guest post by the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden, former Chaplain to the Queen, who is presently in the (complicated) process of leaving the Church of England. ___________________________…

Palm Sunday – Christians cry ‘Hosanna!’, but the world seeks another messiah

April 9, 2017
225 Comments

Christians find their voice today: 'Hosanna!' they cry; Zion's king is coming. 'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he…

In defence of church pews: God save us from white plastic, stackable stainless steel and bright blue upholstery

April 2, 2017
262 Comments

There is "no theological basis" for the retention of church pews, declared John Gallagher, Chancellor for the Diocese of Rochester, as he dismissed the view of conservationists who wanted to…

Adrian Elms was a violent Christian before he became Muslim terrorist Khalid Masood

March 24, 2017
1,049 Comments

Through the modern geopolitical lens of Western categorical convenience, the world's countries are invariably ascribed a religion, or at least identified by majority ethnic religious adherence. Hence terms like 'Muslim…

Discrimination and discernment: an exercise in relativist supremacy

March 13, 2017
313 Comments

This is a guest post by the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden, former Chaplain to the Queen. ___________________________ In the great amphitheatre of Twitter a gladiatorial combat recently took place between…

BBC questions whether it’s appropriate for Christian MP to display her faith

March 4, 2017
600 Comments

"Was it appropriate for this MP to go to work with a cross on her forehead?" asks BBC Politics, with the presumption that she should be somehow "embarrassed" by such…

Is cohabitation still a sin, or is it an embryonic marriage with proof of love?

February 20, 2017
364 Comments

There are many who will guffaw at this very question: how absurdly old fashioned, not to say narrow-minded and bigoted of Christians to shame/alienate/offend lovely couples whose commitment to one…

The Church of England should not tear itself apart over homosexuality and same-sex marriage

February 14, 2017
896 Comments

The General Synod of the Church of England is due to 'take note' (or not) of the Bishops' report ‘Marriage and Same Sex Relationships after the Shared Conversations.’ In the…

Shared conversations: some came to seek truth; others to conquer. Why can’t we just be kind?

February 5, 2017
584 Comments

Commenting on the Bishops' statement Marriage and Same Sex Relationships after the Shared Conversations ("a gamma minus piece of drafting if ever there was one"), Canon Professor Mark Chapman prophesies…

Richard Chartres, Bishop of London – thank you

February 3, 2017
35 Comments

He radiates everything that a prince of the Church ought. There's a certain solemnity; a spiritual authenticity caped in holy gravitas. He exudes authority, grace and peace, like the Anglicanism…

Same-sex marriage: what does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?

February 2, 2017
541 Comments

This is a guest post by the Rev'd Dr Gavin Ashenden, sometime Chaplain to the Queen. ___________________________ ‘Archbishop Cranmer’ has written a balanced and generous analysis of the House of…

Integration tsar Dame Louise Casey has a problem with ‘religious conservatism’

January 11, 2017
301 Comments

In 2013 Dame Louise Casey was named by BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour as one of the Top 100 most powerful women in the UK. She was duly appointed by…

The establishment of the Church of England and the Christian Monarchy flourish together or fall together

December 28, 2016
387 Comments

This is a guest post by the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden, Chaplain to the Queen. __________________________ One of the many reasons I like twitter is for the jokes. “Why should…