The martyrdom of Thomas Becket
On this day in 1170 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by the knights of King Henry II in Canterbury Cathedral. It was muddled politics and religion -…
Church
Andrew Lloyd Webber's vision to drag churches into the 21st century
Seemingly from out of nowhere, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who we might expect to be a little distracted by his 'babe' Nicole Scherzinger performing in the recently revived Cats, has announced that he is on a visionary mission to restore churches to the centre of their…
Christianity is the key to foodbank success – it must not be suppressed
It's been interesting reading through many of the media articles following the parliamentary launch of Feeding Britain. There have been plenty of them, that's for sure; the Church of…
Church of England to spend £2m on "new approach" to leadership
Politicians are out of touch. We know that, because we constantly hear about the 'Westminster bubble' or the 'Westminster Village', and Nadine Dorries once told us that neither David…
The blessing of the Nativity of the European Parliament
The Crib has been solemnly blessed in the European Parliament - that Brussels temple dedicated to the cause of ever closer secularity now has a discordant Nativity scene located…
The myth of the undeserving poor
Unlike most Christian initiatives, this week's Feeding Britain report on poverty and foodbank use has whipped up a media storm filling up plenty of column inches and broadcast minutes. And it…
Christian power lists: fame, popularity, judgement and false humility
Nominations have now closed in the quest to discover the 'Top 100 UK Christians' for 2014. Hundreds have been nominated - some with sarcastic citations (Sir Cliff Richard -…
Real Madrid and the offence of the cross
It was a really tiny cross. Honestly, it was barely noticeable in all that pearly pizzazz and gaudy gold. The Crown of Alfonso XII has been a sacred symbol of…
Without promoting marriage we cannot love the poor
Some truths are so blindingly obvious and yet, despite every reason to embrace them, we chose instead to turn our backs and walk the other way. Take the case…
The Community of St Anselm – satisfaction and spirituality
A few months ago the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced a new initiative at Lambeth Palace: the establishment of the Community of St Anselm, the objective of which…
See how these Christians hate one another
In the darkness of disagreement and dispute, there must be grace, peace and love. It is what ought to distinguish the differences and debate of Christians from the squabbles…
Slaughter in the synagogue is just politics as usual
There is a perception, if not a widespread understanding, that anything to do with Jews and everything to do with Israel is acutely political. Throughout its recorded history and…
Today we will not forget those who suffer for Jesus Christ
In 1955 a young Dutch Christian joined a Communist youth group in order to visit Eastern European countries, with the intention of discovering how Christians lived behind the Iron Curtain. Weeks…
The Church needs to rediscover its heart
Established religion satisfies the minds of some, but the hearts of the multitudes frequently go hungry. We are often told of the imminent death of the Church of England…
MPs call on churches to raise a new generation of politicians
Last Monday I found myself with a crowd of church leaders and parliamentarians from around the country listening to a group of MPs sharing stories of how Jesus has changed…
The Top 100 UK Christians – nominations now open
In the seemingly eternal quest for hierarchical supremacy in an era of competing rights, societal fragmentation and adversarial identity politics, you may have observed the emergence and proliferation of…
This is what a feminist theology looks like
Is this really what a feminist looks like? A feminist politician, perhaps. The men in particular feel compelled to humour this particular cause of equality, and so they don…
Justin wept over Church of England child abuse
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave a speech yesterday to the Parliamentary Press Gallery – a group made up of privileged journalists and reporters who mill around Westminster hour after…
How to prevent the extinction of the Church of England
If anyone isn’t aware that the Church of England is slowly walking down the statistical road to oblivion, the publication of the 2015 British Election Study last week should…
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…