Candlemas: from the Presentation of Christ to ‘Radical Inclusion’
Today we mark a Church Feast which is known as either Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation of Christ at the Temple. I doubt if any of us will…
Good Samaritan
Holy Innocents: why are we putting 12-year-olds in solitary confinement for 23½ hours a day?
Herod then with fear was filled: "A prince," he said, "in Jewry!" And all the little boys he killed At Bethl'hem in his fury. Childermas – the Feast of the Holy Innocents – is rarely referenced, still less observed, in…
Manchester suicide bomber rescued by Navy? Yes, it’s the price we pay for being Christian
"The Manchester suicide bomber was rescued by the Navy from war-torn Libya three years before his pop concert atrocity, the Mail reveals today." It's a great opening line for an…
Met Police confirm that criticism of Islam constitutes ‘Islamophobia’
The Metropolitan Police Service report 'Hate Crimes against London's Muslim Communities' was published five years ago, and it outlines the everyday nature of Islamophobic incidents: The Islamophobic incidents reported to…
There is only one way for Christians to respond to ‘Punish a Muslim Day’
Punish a Muslim Day apparently falls on 3rd April this year. No idea what day it was last year: it isn't clear if it's governed by the phases of the…
“I need a friendly bishop,” said the child abuse survivor, as the prelate passed by on the other side
This is a guest post by Martin Sewell, a retired Child Protection Lawyer. _____ Two years ago, Archbishop John Sentamu gave one of those sermons which you know you will…
Brexit, the Bible and democracy: the judgment of God is the voice of the people
As the dust settles... Perhaps that's a premature denouement. As the winds of Brexit crack their cheeks throughout Europe, and the refiner's fire purges the political parties – if…
A Christian approach to immigration cannot be simply opening the doors to everyone
One of the handful of joys that blogging brings me is the opportunity to get to know a lot of people who have a similar interest in the relationship between religion and politics.…
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…
Swarm, flock or multitude, Christ walks among the Calais migrants
"This is very testing," admitted David Cameron. "I accept that, because you have got a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life, wanting to come…
BBC 'Kill the Christians' – at last, thank God, but please don't leave it there
As regular readers of His Grace’s blog will be fully aware, the plight of Christians around the world is a subject that is discussed frequently on these pages. I…
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…
Why do left-wing clerics insult and alienate right-wing laity?
I don’t just disagree with Ukip. I despise them. I despise them for their smug Little Englander mentality. I despise them for their total absence of fellow-feeling towards vulnerable people…
Survivors of child abuse need more than just understanding
So, Justin Welby is back blogging again after half a year. It looks as though a meeting with a survivor of abuse has made a significant impact upon him. He…
Targeted Aid for Oppressed Christians
There's a neat new book out co-authored by Brian Binley MP, Dr Lee Rotherham and Lord Tebbit entitled A Spotter's Guide to Sound Government Policies - "a platform for the…