A ‘Church for England’, but whose understanding of Englishness?
Much has been written about the Archbishop of York's article in the Telegraph, in which he set out his vision for England woven with his preferred themes of Englishness, calling…
Foodbanks
Cutting benefits would be un-Conservative, uncompassionate and un-Christian
"What a day," the Chancellor declared in his speech at the Conservative Party Conference. "It has been tough," he continued, "but we need to focus on the job in hand." He spoke as though he were oblivious to market turmoil,…
‘Coming Home’: what role should the Church play in housing?
"Across the UK, eight million people currently live in substandard housing, 800,000 people are in overcrowded households and one in five households face real difficulties in paying their mortgage or…
Churches tackle the real Covid-19 fallout – loneliness and isolation
The news and media are dominated by the economic fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic. Will the recovery it be V-shaped, U-shaped, or L-shaped? Will the recession last two years or…
Archbishop of Canterbury in harmony with Tory Prime Minister
"Just because we're in the middle of a crisis, it doesn't mean that we can't have a vision for a future where justice and righteousness are the key stones of…
LibDems observe Ramadan, and Ed Davey lies about Lent
Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, is observing Ramadan. Apparently other LibDems are too, and it might even be the whole party, but let's focus on Ed Davey…
Vicar on Tory victory: “..the world just got harder & colder”
The Rev'd Caroline Beckett is the vicar at All Saints Church & St James Church in Brightlingsea, Essex. She serves her flock diligently and is clearly dedicated to mission. "Everyone…
Man shall not live by broadband alone
Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party has pledged to deliver free fibre broadband to every home and business in the country by 2030. "What was once a luxury is now an essential…
Four-day week: mandatory indolence or an interfaith ‘sacred weekend’?
When Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell mooted imposing a four-day week on the British economy (that is, a four-day working week; Labour has no plans to re-calibrate or 'modernise' the solar…
Diocese of Leeds is not in ‘financial crisis’: Bishop Nick Baines is balancing the budget
Apparently the Diocese of Leeds is in a state of "serious financial crisis". Bishop Nick Baines is pacing the cloisters with furrowed brow, anguished about having to sell off one…
Do we need a new public theology?
"There's such a need for good public theology," tweeted Fr Gregory Platten, Vicar of All Saints Church, London, N20. "Increasingly struck by how much theology is written for theologians alone:…
Bishop Philip North is good news for the poor – what a shame he’s sidelined
It is #GoodNewsFriday – space and time to tell of God's love, miracles, joy, hope and peace – and Bishop Philip North provides today's subject matter. Here are a few…
For millennials, Corbyn came as Father Christmas; May as the Wicked Witch of the West
"What do the millennials want from policy makers?" asked a group called Common Vision (CoVi) in their 'Manifesto for Millennials'. Millennials are 'young people', who appear to have (uncharacteristically) turned…
Bishop(-elect) of Sheffield: “Don’t vote Tory, or the poor will pay”
When Tom Freeman pointed out in a tweet that the tedious Tory mantra 'strong and stable leadership' fits the tune of 'All Things Bright and Beautiful', the urge to add…
“Is Justin Welby not showing the world Jesus?”
Here follows Adrian Hilton's response to Martyn Percy's first letter: Dear Martyn, Thank you for your letter. I appreciated the account of your conversation with the “senior commentator on religious…
Foodbanks will achieve much more if we stop seeing the government as the problem
If you need any insight into the realities faced when running a foodbank, look no further than the Lalley Centre as featured on Sister Rita to the Rescue all…
The social gospel is a legitimate child of evangelism
"I am so tired of hearing this social gospel held up as the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. The reason the Church pushes this social gospel is because by…
Welby preaches God, Jesus, sin and salvation to The Times
Journalists who work for The Times have a habit of tearing strips off the Archbishop of Canterbury. One day they berate him for loving big government more than Jesus;…
Cameron's 'One Nation' vision for stronger families is back on track
It was a big 'One Nation' speech yesterday from the Prime Minister. He set out his vision for education and plans for welfare reform while visiting the Ormiston Bolingbroke…
Welby: £3 billion worth of church social action is proof of God's power
Christians are good at telling stories but rubbish with numbers. This was one of the key observations at last night’s Cinnamon Faith Action Audit Report launch which presented the…