Diocese of Oxford puts a green stumbling block into liturgy of baptism
On 15th June, the Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, issued an ad clerum to the clergy in his Diocese: Dear xxxxx, In every service of baptism, confirmation and the renewal…
Creation
Sunak vs Truss: where is the moral vision of leadership?
Rishi Sunak may become the first Asian Prime Minister of the UK. A practising Hindu, his faith is manifestly important to him. He swore his parliamentary oath on the Bhagavad Gita, and when he was Chancellor lit diyas for Diwali…
Net Zero.. racial justice.. mental health.. What exactly are cathedrals for?
Cathedrals can light the way to Net Zero, says the Rt Rev'd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and the Church of England's lead Bishop for Environmental Affairs. And he set…
Church of England contributes just 0.5% to the UK’s spiritual and religious narrative
It's a crude headline-grabbing statistic, derived from a distinctly unscientific list of apparently random figures, but by no means without a degree of truth and reliability to it. There is…
Environmental apocalypse: the religious drama of COP26
"Since it is difficult to distinguish true prophets from false, it is as well to regard all prophets with suspicion," warned Primo Levi in his 1947 work If This Is…
Welby adds his voice in support of terrorised MP Rosie Duffield
Labour MP Rosie Duffield cannot attend her party's conference this year, principally owing to the abuse and threats she is receiving from transgender rights activists for stating (quite simply) that…
The Pope, the Patriarch and the Archbishop unite for Earth’s sake
Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew and the Archbishop of Canterbury have united for the first time in history to issue an urgent appeal for the future of the planet. Never before…
Operation Ark: Pen Farthing saved his animals – and that’s a good thing
When former Royal Marine Pen Farthing set out to fly some 200 animals and his 60 Nowzad staff to the UK from Afghanistan, there was much scoffing and scorn in…
BBC Newsnight: Ian Paisley says “Absolute cobblers to your programme”
The election of Edwin Poots to the DUP leadership has caused a slight ripple in the media, with journalists focusing not so much on his policies or plans for getting…
Does an embryo made from monkey and human cells have a soul?
If life begins at conception, and it is at the point of conception that personhood is inaugurated, is there 'ensoulment' of an embryo made from human and monkey cells? If…
Bishop of Reading: ‘Evolution is God incarnate; the whole earth is God’s body’
The Rt Rev'd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading, has been reading a book. Perhaps she has been reading two or three. Her subject is Creation and Incarnation; her passion is…
The Order of St Michael and St George: a racist Royal honour, or just apocalyptic dualism?
As the statues fall, the expurgation expands. Someone has noticed (quite impressively) that The Order of St Michael and St George (instituted in 1818) depicts a white St Michael standing…
Enforced Sabbatical: Rest and Be Thankful
This is the 17th contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. The author wishes to be known that he is a feckless waster saved by grace.…
The Tower of Babel
This is the sixth contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. It comes from the Rev'd Robert Jackson, a sector chaplain. Over 3,000 years ago,…
CofE to be carbon-neutral by 2030 – but at what cost?
No-one disputes the Christian imperative to care for the environment: the stewardship of creation is a matter of generational justice and moral responsibility. In the vast web of nature and…
Which gospel shall be preached this Harvest? And which will the congregation hear?
We are now well into the season when our priests planning their services and delivering sermons in churches and schools to celebrate and give thanks for Harvest time, and in…
Bishop endorses Extinction Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion say billions of people will die in the next decade or so due to climate change, so they are blockading parts of London for a fortnight, preventing people…
Ely Cathedral holds a special service to bless and celebrate animals
Did any cathedral or parish church hold a service to celebrate animals before the Vicar of Dibley did so on 15th December 1994? The Rev'd Geraldine Granger was visited by…
Sir Brian Souter barred as sponsor of Turner Prize for being a morally orthodox Christian
Sir Brian Souter is a Christian. He also happens to be a wealthy Scottish businessman, philanthropist, and supporter of the SNP, but he is a Christian first and foremost: his…
Insect Armageddon: an Extinction Level Event
The Bible is full of insects and bugs: there are ants (Prov 6:6), bees (Jdg 14:8), fleas (1Sam 24:14), flies (Ex 8:24), gnats (8:16), grasshoppers (Isa 40:22), hornets (Deut 7:20),…