Who is the prophet in the battle of Batley Grammar?
It is a curious headline in the Times. 'Prophet' is upper case, so the assumption is that all who see it will know to whom it refers. The word isn't…
Jesus
Easter Day: the triumph of Christ and the reign of grace
Without death there is no resurrection. Without the Cross there is no salvation. Without the Resurrection of Christ there is no eschatological act of grace, and no reign of Christ. No matter how many Easter Days come and go, the…
Myanmar nun offers her life to protect protesting civilians
Unarmed civilians are being arrested, tortured, or summarily shot and killed. Children are being slapped, teenagers beaten with batons, and the elderly maimed with rubber bullets. People have become police…
Curate says clapping Captain Tom is “a cult of White British Nationalism”
The Rev'd Jarel Robinson-Brown is a curate in London. He sets out his biography (and presumably mission priorities ["Black Prophetic Fire"]) on his Twitter account: "Human | Cleric | Writer…
Archbishops call the nation to prayer as Covid deaths reach 100,000
As the number of deaths caused by Covid-19 passes 100,000, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have written an Epistle to the Nation calling everyone to prayer. And if you…
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…
Wanted: Christians who can cause a little more offence
Would Luther have been a blast on Twitter? Historian Tom Holland thinks so. In an edition of 'The Rest is History' podcast, he observes: "What happens is that Luther obviously…
Sharia certainties and woke certitude cry out for reformation
This is a guest post by Mike Stallard, who has been in education all his life, and is now retired. Reza Aslan is an Iranian who lives in USA.…
Anglican spinach – a primary challenge for the Church’s mission
There was a subtitle fail in the Zoom service from Guildford Cathedral on Advent Sunday. It caused a bit of amusement on Twitter, but it presents an opportunity to explore…
Sabbatical problematical: give the Archbishop a break, for God’s sake
"Unlike the archbishop, Jesus could not retire to cultivate his personal spirituality because he was perpetually besieged by desperate people", writes Karen Armstrong in the Guardian's 'Comment is Free', objecting…
Communal worship banned in England
From 5th November, it will be illegal to gather for communal worship in England. The Government has decreed that church buildings may open for private prayer, but not for praying…
Wales lockdown isn’t only absurd; it denies freedom of religion
Tomorrow is your birthday. You've received a card from your Mum every single year of your life, without fail, even when you were abroad, and even when she was very…
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…
Transgender aged seven; puberty blockers aged 11; detrans aged 18
There is an evil here which needs to be addressed. O, some will hurl 'transphobe', others 'bigot', and still others 'homophobe' or 'hater', but it still needs to be addressed,…
If the SNP’s ‘Hate’ Bill becomes law, Scots’ freedom of religion will end
The SNP's Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill is currently wending its way through the committees and procedures of the Scottish Parliament. It provides for the modernising, consolidating and…
Catholic school sacks teacher for saying Mohammed was a false prophet
There is something very odd about this. Perhaps we haven't got the whole story, so it's necessary to tread carefully. But on the face of it Joshua Sutcliffe, a Maths…
Church covers ‘offensive’ gravestone of GH Elliott, ‘The Chocolate Covered C____’
GH Elliott was a musical hall singer and dancer who died in 1962. So full of gaiety and laughter was his act that he was invited to appear in the…
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.…
Sheep(dog) Sunday
Today is not liturgically designated as “Sheep Sunday”, but our lectionary readings effectively render it so, as up and down the country preachers dust off their ovine metaphors and try…
The Supper at Emmaus
Today’s Gospel reading gives me the opportunity to share with you one of my favourite paintings, that of The Supper at Emmaus, by the Italian Renaissance genius Caravaggio. It hangs…