Does it matter if Church of England parishes wither on the vine?
At the inaugural meeting of 'Save the Parish' this week at Great St Bartholomew's in Smithfield, London, the Rev'd Marcus Walker was animated and agitated. Time is short, he told…
Inculturation
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 for the Church of England to be a church for…
BBC Panorama smears the Church of England as ‘racist’
'Is the Church racist?', asked the BBC's Panorama yesterday evening, as reporter Clive Myrie interviewed a few minority-ethnic clergy who have experienced some awful abuse at the hands (or from…
Sheffield Cathedral sacks choir – because God told them to
The Dean and Chapter if Sheffield Cathedral have sacked their choir, and this has caused a bit of a stir in the media and consternation on Twitter. They explain: For…
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…
Bishop Nick Baines derides Brexit British hopelessness
There's a lot of anxiety about. The torch which once lit our path is being extinguished. Our institutions and communities are beset with moral problems, dilemmas and quandaries. Our politics…
The General Synod of the Church of England puts same-sex relations over youth evangelism
There is perhaps nothing more challenging in mission than the proclamation of the gospel to those who have never heard it, in a foreign land, in an unfamiliar culture, in…
The search for the Top 100 UK Christians – nominations now open for #CranmerList2016
It's that time of the year (again.. comes round quickly, doesn't it?) when our minds turn naturally to consideration of year's momentous events, significant people and lists of achievements: best…
Divorce and remarriage: Catholic crisis, chaos, conspiracy, or just contextual theology?
The fallout from the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church (aka 'Synod on the Family') has been considerable. Whatever the reported…
Communicating truth in a “dictatorship of relativism"
Cardinal Raymond Burke preached this week in Oxford against the “dictatorship of relativism” which brands Christians “fundamentalists and extremists”. The Tablet recounts: Quoting the Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Burke…
The Church of England exists for all people – not just Christians
According to Bishop Lesslie Newbigin, "there is not and cannot be a gospel which is not culturally embodied". He maintained that the missionary task of the Church is to…
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 -…
General Synod to be addressed by Muslim extremist …NOT
It is troubling that the first non-Christian to address the Church of England synod can be linked to extreme Islamist networks. By inviting Fuad Nahdi, the Church is lending…