Liberalism

Bishop of Liverpool slams ‘so-called Evangelicals’, and so condemns himself

The term 'Evangelical' as applied to Christians has a long and well-chronicled heritage. In 1525, William Tyndale explained in his Doctrinal Treatises (p8): "Evangelion (that which we call the gospel) is a Greek word; and signifieth good, merry, glad and…

Why didn’t the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum speak up for Tim Farron?

November 29, 2017
209 Comments

Former LibDem leader Tim Farron delivered the Theos Annual Lecture last night, entitled: 'What Kind of Liberal Society Do We Want?' The whole speech is worth reading, because it is…

Abortion: people are becoming more pro-life – despite the liberal media hegemony

October 24, 2017
455 Comments

When Jacob Rees-Mogg was interviewed by Piers Morgan and asked for his views on abortion, he was condemned, stigmatised, mocked and reviled for opposing it in all circumstances – even…

Mawer, Percy, and the See of Sheffield: what if Conservative politicians had supported Philip North?

September 25, 2017
211 Comments

Sir Philip Mawer's report on the circumstances surrounding the nomination of Bishop Philip North to the See of Sheffield makes interesting reading, in particular what it means for the 'mutual…

Archbishop’s political adviser role advertised exclusively in Guardian and Economist

July 28, 2017
47 Comments

In the continuous stream of church life, things occasionally niggle. Some are easily shaken off with the passing of time, but others recur like an irritating charismatic leitmotif, keeping alive…

CofE General Sex Synod 2017: not one question about the Persecuted Church

July 6, 2017
203 Comments

Over the past few months Christians in the village of Jalalabad in Ghazipur District, India, where temperatures frequently soar to 40°C, have had their water supply cut to force them…

It’s not that Christians can’t lead political parties; it’s that Evangelical Christians can’t lead the Liberal Democrats

June 15, 2017
266 Comments

"To be a political leader...and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible's teaching, has felt impossible for me," said Tim Farron as he resigned as…

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. ___________________________…

Vegetarianism a protected belief? How can a quango ignore the will of Parliament?

January 23, 2017
285 Comments

At the end of last year, without much fanfare, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued Religion or belief: a guide to the law. It's the helpful kind of…

“Not very presidential”? That’s precisely why Donald Trump is now President of the United States

January 21, 2017
307 Comments

When Barack Obama spoke, it was the voice of a god. He intoned overtures of conciliation, his themes were honoured; his words raised the hopes of the world. He was,…

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…

Bishop of Burnley: CofE’s agenda is set by academia, moneyed elites, and sections of the secular media

December 3, 2016
272 Comments

The Rt Rev'd Philip North, Bishop of Burnley, decided to celebrate his 50th birthday with a splash in the Church Times, which has become a veritable flash in the Daily…

Martyn Percy: Justin Welby “is preparing the ground for a complete volte-face on human sexuality”

November 15, 2016
141 Comments

Here follows Martyn Percy's response to Adrian Hilton's second letter on 'Renewal & Reform' and the ministry and leadership of Justin Welby. It was a simultaneous exchange with Hilton's third…

Good Disagreement: report fellow Christians to the police for daring to disagree

September 11, 2016
228 Comments

It isn't entirely clear what happened to 1 Corinthians 6 in the Christian pursuit of Good Disagreement. It appears that if certain liberal/progressive Christians disagree with conservative/traditionalist ones, they think…

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…

The great canon doctor Martyn Percy implicates Justin Welby in "secular sorcery"

August 17, 2016
172 Comments

"Everything you need to know about the Bible can be summed up by the great canon doctor Martyn Percy: 'The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven.'," writes…

Ukip's "positive vision" for British Islam: ban all Muslim schools

August 8, 2016
278 Comments

Ukip has a Muslim problem, which is fine if they're not particularly concerned about courting the Muslim vote, but not fine if it leads to the formulation of policies…

Turkey purge: is military coup a lesser evil than Erdoğan's Islamism?

July 20, 2016
243 Comments

Following last week's military coup – which is never the answer to anything – President Erdoğan is purging Turkey's civic institutions of every whiff of opposition, dissent, criticism and…

Bastille Day terror: you can't counter Jihad with a Twitter Crusade

July 15, 2016
291 Comments

Here we go again. You clearly don't need a SIG Sauer MCX semi-automatic rifle or a suicide belt packed with explosives, ball bearings, nails, screws and bolts to massacre…

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…