Christians are united in the ecumenism of blood
'Follow Me' by Wael Mories. “In this moment of prayer for unity, I would also like to remember our martyrs, the martyrs of today,” said Pope Francis, as he…
Salvation
#PastoralLetter (2): Visions, dreams and nebulous notions of detachment
Having responded to the Preface of the Pastoral Letter from the House of Bishops "to the people and parishes of the Church of England for the General Election 2015", let us now consider the first five paragraphs which constitute…
Meaningful chocolate – The Real Easter Egg spreads the gospel
I have a question. Who on earth actually buys Easter eggs in January? I'm not talking about Creme Eggs (now no longer made with Dairy Milk and forever ruined),…
Bishop Philip North – catholic continuity and ecclesial unity
On 7th November 2014, it was announced by The Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street: "The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Philip John North to the…
Universities to censor Zionists, Pro-Lifers and advocates of Holy Matrimony
Prevent Duty Home Office 17 December 2014 Protecting the UK against terrorism The Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, which is currently before Parliament, seeks to place a duty on specified…
"What ceremony else?" Church of England to reform burial of suicides
"What ceremony else?" cries Laertes in Hamlet, as his dead sister Ophelia is buried to a single tolling bell with a meagre liturgy, as all suspected suicides used to…
Scottish Episcopal church equates Nigel Farage with Adolf Hitler
St John's is a thriving Scottish Episcopal church at the heart of Scotland’s beautiful capital city. Here we aim to express love for God and neighbour in all that…
The Queen of peace and reconciliation
"For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role model of…
Behold your God!
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be…
#ChristmasMeans anything but peace on earth
Today marks the official start of the Church of England's #ChristmasMeans Twitter campaign. Church congregations and clergy are being encouraged to get out their smartphones to let the Twittersphere know…
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…
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 -…
Real Madrid and the offence of the cross
It was a really tiny cross. Honestly, it was barely noticeable in all that pearly pizzazz and gaudy gold. The Crown of Alfonso XII has been a sacred symbol of…
The Community of St Anselm – satisfaction and spirituality
A few months ago the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby announced a new initiative at Lambeth Palace: the establishment of the Community of St Anselm, the objective of which…
Slaughter in the synagogue is just politics as usual
There is a perception, if not a widespread understanding, that anything to do with Jews and everything to do with Israel is acutely political. Throughout its recorded history and…
The Church needs to rediscover its heart
Established religion satisfies the minds of some, but the hearts of the multitudes frequently go hungry. We are often told of the imminent death of the Church of England…
Remembrance Sunday: Sacrifice, Freedom and Peace
Who would have thought a hundred years on that we would still be arguing over the shady causes of World War One; debating whether the lions were led by…
This is what a feminist theology looks like
Is this really what a feminist looks like? A feminist politician, perhaps. The men in particular feel compelled to humour this particular cause of equality, and so they don…
Pope Francis moves Rome toward reason and experience
As the headlines of "failure", "setback", "disappointment" and "dismay" spread throughout those parts of world which view just about everything the Church does as a failure or setback, or…
Christians are called to be 'non-violent extremists'
We have been here before. In fact, the illiberal proposal raises its portentous head with such frequency that it feels almost teleologically predetermined. From Labour's assault on "hate speech"…