John Cleese says Jesus was a psychopath
To be a psychopath in the vernacular of character abuse is to be mentally ill, if not quite mad or completely insane. The word conjures up all manner of personality…
St Paul
Crusader Kirill promises heaven to Russians who fight in his holy war
While the world’s eyes are on Putin’s glorious victory in his annexation referenda, and his ‘partial’ mobilisation to sustain the barbarism, genocide, and imperial ‘terrors of the earth’ subjugation of Ukraine, it’s easy in an age of secularity to lose…
Sandi Toksvig and her caricature Church of England
Sandi Toksvig is a patron of Humanists UK. She is also openly gay, and married to a psychotherapist called Debbie. Her relationship with the Church is strained at the best…
Sunak vs Truss: where is the moral vision of leadership?
Rishi Sunak may become the first Asian Prime Minister of the UK. A practising Hindu, his faith is manifestly important to him. He swore his parliamentary oath on the Bhagavad…
Diocese of Oxford puts a green stumbling block into liturgy of baptism
On 15th June, the Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, issued an ad clerum to the clergy in his Diocese: Dear xxxxx, In every service of baptism, confirmation and the renewal…
Is the Church of England about to ban prophets from Synod?
Anyone observing parliamentary debates over the last few weeks will know that the awkward question can be many things. It can be fair or unfair, accurate or misconceived, mischievous or…
The Downing Street party and the spirit of the law
Perhaps a gathering of a dozen or so people with cheese and wine doesn't constitute a party. Perhaps a gathering of a couple of dozen people at a place of…
Why are schoolchildren selecting Church of England bishops?
Caroline Boddington is barely out the door, and bishops are now being appointed by... schoolchildren called Temisan, Keziah, Honey and Sophia. With the retirement of the Rt Rev'd Pete Broadbent…
Queen reminds General Synod of its essential mission
The 11th General Synod of the Church of England was opened yesterday, and the Supreme Governor was absent for the first time since Synod was created more than 50 years…
General Synod elections: the ‘liberal drift’ is not a foregone conclusion
The Rev'd Peter Ould has been psephological over at Psephizo, and his analysis of the recent Synod elections merits some consideration in respect of the 'liberal drift' of the Church…
Should you need a Covid vaccination certificate to attend church?
It was a question posed by the Rt Rev'd Peter Carrell, Bishop of Christchurch in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Seeking the corporate wisdom and discernment…
What if Nottingham University were right to ‘cancel’ its Catholic chaplain?
TRIGGER WARNING: The following blog post includes a discussion of the harsh treatment experienced by a Roman Catholic chaplain, and issues of religious liberty, common sense and Christian compassion. Its…
Speakers’ Corner adopts a de facto sharia blasphemy code
"Saddening to hear Christian preacher Hatun Tash say Speakers' Corner - a bastion of free speech since 1872 - has become 'hostile and dangerous'", tweeted Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of…
Stop arresting street preachers, and laugh at them instead
Another street preacher has been arrested for proclaiming the gospel in a public place. This time it was in Uxbridge, in front of the Underground station. We've been here before…
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…
Adam was patient zero: he passed his virus on to all of us
This is the 16th contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. It comes again from the Rev’d Ian Chidlow, Curate at St Mary’s Parish Church, Cheadle. …
The mission of the Church is not ‘right ethics’
This is the 15th contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. The author wishes to be known as The Snail @. He has a background in…
The real presence of Christ in the community of the virtual Church
This morning I want to depart from our Lectionary readings to offer a text which inspired a first-class sermon which I once heard at Rochester Cathedral. A few years ago,…
Blogging and the voice of the Church
Someone recently tweeted that this blog should close down because people mistake it for a legitimate voice of the Church, and so it conveys a spiritual falsehood by sustaining a…
Boris Johnson becomes the first baptised Catholic to made Prime Minister
Today is the Feast Day of St Boris (really). And today Boris Johnson kisses hands with the Queen (not the hand of the Queen) to become the 55th person to…