Gender

Church of England schism: a timely new reformation or tit-for-tat boundary pushing?

On 31st October 1517, an obscure Catholic monk called Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints', the Castle Church in Wittenberg, protesting at the sale of indulgences and other abuses – an event taken as…

‘Dear Patrick…’ Words of comfort for clergy who feel forsaken by mutual flourishing

May 5, 2017
163 Comments

Returning to the Church of England's gender wars and sexuality skirmishes (which never really went away), the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, who advocates righteous discrimination against traditionalists who discriminate…

Gender justice and LGBT equality: Martyn Percy demands female cardinals and gay imams

April 5, 2017
453 Comments

In another 5,000-word essay, the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, demands "a thorough and wholesale review" of discrimination in the Church of England. And by…

Brexit and Gibraltar: Bishop bashes Government for issuing “bland statements of optimism”

April 3, 2017
280 Comments

The Bishop of Leeds isn't happy. In a speech to the House of Lords on Brexit and Gibraltar, the Rt Rev'd Nick Baines censures the Government for being optimistic. It…

Women bishops: the desperate and disingenuous distinction in the Five Guiding Principles

March 30, 2017
168 Comments

Of all the responses to the post on the 'review' instigated by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York into the operation of the Five Guiding Principles in the nomination of…

As Gavin Ashenden leaves the Church of England, the Ordinariate circles like a vulture

March 18, 2017
687 Comments

"I thought you'd already gone through the exit door a long time ago. Unless you actually want to stay and fight?" tweeted the Rt Rev'd Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden,…

Synod vote on same-sex relations: it was female clergy wot won it (or lost it)

February 23, 2017
243 Comments

The electronic voting results for the Synod motion on 'Marriage and Same-Sex Relations after the Shared Conversations' have been released. As we know, in an exercise of pure democracy, Synod…

A female Bishop of London “to make a statement”?

January 4, 2017
678 Comments

The Rt Rev'd Dr Richard Chartres retires as Bishop of London in February (he will be greatly missed - 'Peer Now!'), and according to the Times (..hold loosely..): Bishop Chartres…

“Is Justin Welby not showing the world Jesus?”

November 10, 2016
116 Comments

Here follows Adrian Hilton's response to Martyn Percy's first letter: Dear Martyn, Thank you for your letter. I appreciated the account of your conversation with the “senior commentator on religious…

Same-sex marriage/blessing confronts Church of England with "a structural flaw of fatal proportions"

August 30, 2016
192 Comments

We have reached Chapter 5 in the great Anglican sexuality saga: 'Church of England parishes consider first step to break away over sexuality'. It isn't clear what the dénouement…

Gender neutral pronouns: Mx Proudie laments the abolition of Mr, Mrs, Miss and Ms

August 19, 2016
234 Comments

Goodness! A little bird tells me of a disturbing development in Oxford. The socialist city council have decided, without consultation, to do away with honorifics on all official documents,…

May's 'one nation' mission: let's talk about white working-class boys

July 14, 2016
216 Comments

"But David’s true legacy is not about the economy, but about social justice," explained Theresa May in her first speech as Prime Minister. "David Cameron has led a 'one…

Gender identity and the plastic nature of self-definition

January 28, 2016
445 Comments

One school in Brighton (Brighton College) has decided to allow its students to decide for themselves whether they wish to dress as a boy or as a girl, irrespective…

Fr Raniero Cantalamessa – Preacher to the Papal Household – to speak at Synod Eucharist

November 1, 2015
425 Comments

As the Queen and Supreme Governor of the Church of England inaugurates the tenth General Synod on 24th November, it has been announced that the ceremony will be preceded…

Welby breathes new life into the crumbling Anglican Communion

September 16, 2015
34 Comments

Anglicanism: the final frontier. These are the prophetic voyages of Justin Welby. His continuing mission: to explore strange new reconciliations; to seek out new wine and new creations; to…

Welby preaches God, Jesus, sin and salvation to The Times

July 9, 2015
124 Comments

Journalists who work for The Times have a habit of tearing strips off the Archbishop of Canterbury. One day they berate him for loving big government more than Jesus;…

Against heresy: if Jesus called God 'Father', who are we to conflate Him with Mary?

June 3, 2015
340 Comments

'For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist' (2Jn 1:7). The…

Labour election rally segregated seating1a

Labour candidates address sex-segregated election rally

May 4, 2015
149 Comments

We are not in Lahore in the Punjab, but Hodge Hill, Birmingham. It is not a private gathering in a mosque or other sanctified space of holiness, but a…

Happy Parent B's Day

March 15, 2015
220 Comments

Our Parent A, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.. This is sure to catch on. With a slight touch of family-downgrading, parent-commingling and gender-neutralising, the Book of…

If babies may be aborted on the grounds of their sex, why not sexuality?

February 23, 2015
204 Comments

"Thank heaven for little girls," sang Maurice Chevalier in the 1958 film Gigi. The reason? Well, mainly because they i) "get bigger every day"; and ii) "grow up in…