Diversity

Philip North crisis: ‘Good Disagreement’ has become ‘bad bullying’

This is a guest post by the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden, former Chaplain to the Queen. ___________________________ When the house that has been painstakingly constructed on the sand falls flat, there is nothing to rejoice over. Discernment works better when…

If Philip North can’t be Bishop of Sheffield, the Church of England ceases to be catholic

February 25, 2017
620 Comments

The Dean of Christ Church, Professor Martyn Percy, has issued an ultimatum circumspectly entitled 'Questions of Ambiguity and Integrity'. It's quite long, but essentially it boils down to a choice:…

The Church of England should not tear itself apart over homosexuality and same-sex marriage

February 14, 2017
896 Comments

The General Synod of the Church of England is due to 'take note' (or not) of the Bishops' report ‘Marriage and Same Sex Relationships after the Shared Conversations.’ In the…

Chobham Academy makes Islamic religious observance mandatory for pupils of all faiths

September 13, 2016
193 Comments

According to Ofsted, Chobham Academy in the London Borough of Newham is an outstanding school. It is important to begin with that observation, because the school's leaders, governors and sponsor…

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…

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…

Michael Gove doesn't want to be PM: he wants meritocracy and freedom

June 4, 2016
50 Comments

"Michael Gove won't admit it, but tonight's EU debate is his first audition for the Tory leadership," wrote Asa Bennett in the Telegraph. Except he didn't because it wasn't.…

Sadiq Khan is Muslim. Get over it!

May 7, 2016
360 Comments

Sadiq Khan has been elected the first Muslim mayor of London. Muslim, Muslim, Muslim. Islam, Islam, Islam. The council-estate sons and daughters of Pakistani bus drivers are taking over…

EU Referendum: Welby asks the fairest questions of all

March 13, 2016
86 Comments

The froth masks the urgency of the substance; the heat deflects from the dominant paradigms of light. The EU Referendum debate is being reduced to a Tory pantomime of…

The Woolf Institute is wrong: Christianity is needed in public life now more than ever

December 15, 2015
223 Comments

This is a guest post by Will Jones who holds a PhD in Political Philosophy from the University of Reading and a diploma in Biblical Studies from Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He currently works…

Bishop of Chelmsford repudiates episcopal "talent pool"

October 1, 2015
0 Comments

It was a glorious sermon, with an audacious, if not subversive (which some may call prophetic) intervention on the Church of England's emerging "talent pool" approach to recognising bishops.…

Queen's Birthday Honours: Bishop Anba Angaelos honoured for services to religious freedom

June 13, 2015
60 Comments

Congratulations to His Grace Bishop Anba Angaelos on being appointed OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2015. As General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, he…

Homophobia, Islamophobia and the triumph of ideological 'Truth'

March 22, 2015
258 Comments

Christianophobia has never really caught on. Perhaps it is a clumsy etymological construction: three syllables before '-ophobia' is at least one phonetic unit too many, and it isn't at…

Secularists must not be allowed to distort the argument for faith schools

March 16, 2015
254 Comments

Today a new book, The Ins and Outs of Selective Secondary Schools, by the think-tank Civitas is being launched in Parliament. I will be there alongside David Davis MP, Tristram Hunt MP…

What are 'fundamental British values'?

January 29, 2015
178 Comments

In a context of fractious social division and increasing religious tension, the Government is on a quest for national identity, and education is the means by which it will…

What are 'Muslim values', Lady Warsi?

January 25, 2015
165 Comments

The problem is her article's timing, and that when David Cameron stretched out his hand in friendship and promoted and indulged her time and again, there was impatience, irritability…

Since when has knowing what lesbians do been a British value?

January 22, 2015
189 Comments

The task of education is to impart knowledge - especially of that which might develop literacy and numeracy, for without proficiency in words and numbers one may be muted…

Farage is right to defend our Judæo-Christian heritage

January 17, 2015
373 Comments

Some things in politics are so utterly predictable that we can guess what our politicians are going to say with a high degree of certainty before they open their…

Church of England to spend £2m on "new approach" to leadership

December 15, 2014
124 Comments

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…

Gendercide Abortion – a Bill to unite Pro-Life and Pro-Choice advocates

October 31, 2014
258 Comments

Fiona Bruce MP has drafted a rather important Ten Minute Rule Bill which she intends to present to Parliament on Tuesday 4th November. It has the support of a…