Insect Armageddon: an Extinction Level Event
The Bible is full of insects and bugs: there are ants (Prov 6:6), bees (Jdg 14:8), fleas (1Sam 24:14), flies (Ex 8:24), gnats (8:16), grasshoppers (Isa 40:22), hornets (Deut 7:20),…
Prophets
The Conservative Party does not govern – or even exist – by divine right
The Conservative Party is often referred to as "the natural party of government". Certainly, they dominated much of the 20th century – being in power for half of it, while the Liberals and Labour shared the other half – with…
Mormons receive prophecy to drop ‘Mormon’ and rebrand as ‘the Church’
It’s good to be a Prophet. You can get things done. Russell Nelson is President of the Mormon church and therefore a Prophet. He had since 1984 been a member…
Don’t slam the Royal Wedding sermon: Bishop Michael Curry reached two billion souls with the love of Christ
Bishop Michael Curry's wedding address – or the US preacher's Royal Wedding sermon (as he and it shall henceforth be known) in the marriage service of Prince Harry to Meghan…
Israel at 70: a blessing to all the nations of the earth
On 14th May 1948, 70 years ago today, David Ben Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel. In celebration of this momentous anniversary, God raised up Netta Barzilai,…
Steve Chalke: the wrath of God and the experience of Grace
Steve Chalke tweeted about the wrath of God which is apparently often heaped on his head by 'Church people' (as opposed to Christians?), compared to the grace he experiences directly…
Anglican clergy to undergo psychological profiling to weed out prophets
Graham Tilby, National Safeguarding Adviser for the Church of England, gave evidence yesterday to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). When asked about how the Church of England…
Advent-cum-Mawlid: church holds joint birthday celebration for Mohammed and Jesus
Mawlid (or Milad) is the Islamic festival commemorating the birthday of Mohammed. The only thing it has in common with Christmas is that it isn't actually the day the celebrated…
The knives are out for Labour Leave and Socialist Brexiteers
Giles Fraser sends out a tweet: 'Poorest will gain most under Brexit, says Labour report'. And the derision poured forth: ...report by rabid Brexit supporters. As rabid a Brexiteer as…
CofE General Sex Synod 2017: not one question about the Persecuted Church
Over the past few months Christians in the village of Jalalabad in Ghazipur District, India, where temperatures frequently soar to 40°C, have had their water supply cut to force them…
The first British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee – God Save The Queen!
65 years ago today, King George VI put his hand into the Hand of God, which was better than light and safer than a known way. And in that very…
Same-sex marriage: what does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?
This is a guest post by the Rev'd Dr Gavin Ashenden, sometime Chaplain to the Queen. ___________________________ ‘Archbishop Cranmer’ has written a balanced and generous analysis of the House of…
Rev’d Dr Gavin Ashenden resigns as Chaplain to the Queen
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 –…
Lord Carey comes out for Brexit: "It is the refrain of freedom"
"Poor George," they'll sigh in the House of Bishops. "He's finally..." They won't bother to finish the sentence; just make little circular motions with their forefingers pointing to the…
Fr Raniero Cantalamessa – Preacher to the Papal Household – to speak at Synod Eucharist
As the Queen and Supreme Governor of the Church of England inaugurates the tenth General Synod on 24th November, it has been announced that the ceremony will be preceded…
A National Register of Faith Leaders? Government plans to vet all ministers of religion
There was an odd article in the Telegraph last week. Odd because the headline, photograph and content didn't quite cohere. Andrew Gilligan has apparently got hold of a leaked…
Was Jesus wrong about the timing of his Second Coming?
The imminence of the long-prophesied kingdom of God and the end of time has occupied Christians and Jews more than any other subject of theological conjecture. Certainly, at the…
"God told me to.."
Have you ever had a Christian say to you: "God told me to..", followed by a directive or (more usually) a subtly coercive exhortation to do something (usually) for…
Anti-terror legislation will be used against teachers who oppose same-sex marriage
The Extremism Bill seeks to extend the powers of government and law enforcement agencies to confront and neuter what they perceive to constitute 'extremism'. One of its provisions is…
Cameron can no more "destroy the Caliphate" than he can abolish the New Jerusalem
David Cameron's long-awaited speech on Islamic extremism (aka Islamism) was sort of worth waiting for. As he expounded his 'One Nation' vision to defeat the "poison" of extremism, he…