Reformation 500: we are all Protestants now
‘Reformation’ is an awkward word; so, of course, is ‘Protestant’. Both terms convey a sense of theological unity or ecclesial uniformity wrapped in a righteous evangelical zeal, when, in fact,…
Protestants
Ofsted chief says they have ‘no anti-faith bias’, but does she have anti-Protestant leanings?
Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman gave a speech yesterday evening entitled 'The Ties that Bind', which concerned the need for a little more 'muscular liberalism' in education. She spoke at the think-tank Policy Exchange, and gave a spirited defence of…
Theological illiteracy: 46% of Protestants think it’s okay to worship idols
Talk about theological illiteracy: the recent YouGov poll asking whether the 10 Commandments are still widely considered important principles to live by yielded some data of jaw-dropping incredulity. There's no…
Filial Correction: laity who are more Catholic than the Pope
The Pope of Rome hath erred. So, of course, hath the Pope of Alexandria, the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and we mustn't forget the Pope of the Christian Palmarian…
Protect the Pope? Francis is “destroying the Catholic nature of the Church”
'Protect the Pope' was a blog established in 2010 by the Rev'd Nick Donnelly, a kindly, humble and intelligent deacon in the Roman Catholic Church (and the second-nicest Catholic in…
BlessU-2: a robot priest and the parable of technological emptiness
"Bless me, Robot, for I have sinned." "Do you want to receive absolution in a male voice or a female voice?" The penitent presses a button on a touchscreen torso,…
The Reformation 500 years on: do we need 95 New Theses for the 21st century?
‘Protestants’ acquired their name because they were first and foremost, protesters. They publicly declared their dissent. In the expressing of dissent from and rejection of prevailing mores, they understood themselves…
Catholics for Trump: “We are in a battle for the soul of America”
The Lord has chosen Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. At least Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen believes so. Perhaps if you were Donald Trump's lawyer…
Batley and Spen by-election: you don't respect a murdered MP by suspending democracy
"Following the tragic killing of Labour MP Jo Cox, the Conservative Party has decided not to contest the forthcoming by-election as a mark of respect to a much-loved and…
Archbishop Cranmer – 10 years of religio-political edification and enlightenment
Ten years ago today, on 21st March 2006, the Archbishop Cranmer blog burst into the Blogosphere. Well, perhaps the irruption wasn't so much a burst as a seep, for…
Time to forgive Guy Fawkes?
"Guy Fawkes should be forgiven because he has become a ‘global brand’, says headmaster of Catholic plotter's old school." That's a summary of an inept piece in the Telegraph…
Christians are united in the ecumenism of blood
'Follow Me' by Wael Mories. “In this moment of prayer for unity, I would also like to remember our martyrs, the martyrs of today,” said Pope Francis, as he…