Martyn Percy

Christ Church dons launch new attack on the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics and Public Life

Christ Church Oxford and the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics and Public Life have been working together in scholarly harmony for over 12 years. The Centre is a highly regarded academic institution which has brought the University considerable funds from…

The harrowing of Martyn Percy (part ii): Church of England colludes in bullying

May 27, 2020
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The harrowing of the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church Oxford, ought to have ceased with his vindication in the judgment of Sir Andrew Smith. Professor Percy…

Martyn Percy dean christ church oxford university

The harrowing of Martyn Percy: Oxford University denies natural justice to the Dean of Christ Church

November 19, 2018
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Look here upon this picture, and on this. These images are not separated by years, but a matter of months. You may wonder how the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy,…

Nigel Biggar on the degeneracy of academic civility

April 10, 2018
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Professor Nigel Biggar has written for the Times: 'Vile abuse is now tolerated in our universities'. He tells us: "The spitting hatred I suffered over my views on empire shows…

‘Sorry’ seems to be the hardest word: apologetics and apologies in the Bishop Bell case

February 16, 2018
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This is a guest post by the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. _________ An apology is a written or spoken expression of regret and remorse;…

Safeguarding: why is the Church of England’s institutional compassion so constipated?

November 21, 2017
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This is a guest post by Martin Sewell, a retired child protection lawyer. _______ A few weeks ago I wrote about the way in which the Church of England had…

How Bishop George Bell became a victim of Church of England ‘spin’ and a narrative of ‘decisive leadership’

November 17, 2017
153 Comments

This is a guest post by The Very Rev’d Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. _______ Some may begin to wonder how exactly the Church of England’s National…

Mawer, Percy, and the See of Sheffield: what if Conservative politicians had supported Philip North?

September 25, 2017
211 Comments

Sir Philip Mawer's report on the circumstances surrounding the nomination of Bishop Philip North to the See of Sheffield makes interesting reading, in particular what it means for the 'mutual…

‘Dear Patrick…’ Words of comfort for clergy who feel forsaken by mutual flourishing

May 5, 2017
163 Comments

Returning to the Church of England's gender wars and sexuality skirmishes (which never really went away), the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, who advocates righteous discrimination against traditionalists who discriminate…

Sheffield gets its second best bishop – Pete Wilcox, Dean of Liverpool

April 7, 2017
158 Comments

Downing Street has announced the name of the second best Bishop of Sheffield. The Queen has had her mind changed on the matter. The Crown Nominations Commission had the name…

Gender justice and LGBT equality: Martyn Percy demands female cardinals and gay imams

April 5, 2017
453 Comments

In another 5,000-word essay, the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, demands "a thorough and wholesale review" of discrimination in the Church of England. And by…

Bishop of Sheffield: Martyn Percy asked for bread; Sentamu and Welby give a stone

March 27, 2017
625 Comments

No doubt there has been a lot of frantic to-ing and fro-ing between the palaces of Bishopthorpe and Lambeth since Philip North felt unable to take up the nomination as…

Discrimination and discernment: an exercise in relativist supremacy

March 13, 2017
313 Comments

This is a guest post by the Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden, former Chaplain to the Queen. ___________________________ In the great amphitheatre of Twitter a gladiatorial combat recently took place between…

Those who attacked +Philip North have made same-sex blessing compromise impossible

March 10, 2017
358 Comments

Remember that "radical new Christian inclusion" Justin Welby spoke of in the wake of Synod's decision not to 'take note' of the Bishops' report on marriage and same-sex relations? Well,…

Abstaining: Martyn Percy’s excellent (but flawed) Lenten reflection (on Sheffield)

March 8, 2017
479 Comments

Martyn Percy has written an excellent Lenten reflection on abstaining, in the context of the appointment of the next Bishop of Sheffield. We wait with bated breath to see if…

Safespacing the Church: revising doctrine to suit mental health

March 7, 2017
238 Comments

Mental health matters, right? Yes, of course it does. And the Church of England is right to focus on this often-neglected area of human flourishing and wellbeing, with speeches in…

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:…

Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden resigns as Chaplain to the Queen

January 22, 2017
225 Comments

After a conversation instigated by officials at Buckingham Palace, it is with regret that the Rev'd Dr Gavin Ashenden – theologian, academic, columnist and occasional contributor to this blog –…

Is it wrong to judge a blog by the comments it attracts?

January 9, 2017
539 Comments

"I guess I find it hard to take that particular blog very seriously really," wrote the Rev'd Canon Andrew Godsall, ministry development adviser in the Diocese of Exeter, of the…

The Reformation 500 years on: do we need 95 New Theses for the 21st century?

January 2, 2017
670 Comments

‘Protestants’ acquired their name because they were first and foremost, protesters. They publicly declared their dissent. In the expressing of dissent from and rejection of prevailing mores, they understood themselves…