Last week saw yet another Church of England report into safeguarding and institutional failings in the handling of abuse allegations. Almost 400 new cases involving actions by clergy, officials and volunteers against children and vulnerable adults were uncovered. In a foreword to the report, Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, the archbishops of Canterbury and York, wrote of… Continue reading The ecclesiastical doughnut: why the C of E is ungovernable
Author: Jon Kuhrt
Jon Kuhrt has worked with people affected by homelessness for over 30 years. He is a former government adviser on how faith groups address rough sleeping and is now CEO of Hope into Action. He lives with his wife in Streatham, south London and they have 3 children. He likes football....but loves cricket.
The worst prepared youth work ever
I was at church last Sunday. As is normal after about 20 minutes, the children and young people left for their groups. About 5 minutes later, one of the young people came and tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘Jon, we are all waiting for you.’ My heart sank with a rush of panic.… Continue reading The worst prepared youth work ever
Rigorous religion or sloppy spirituality?
In his book Faith, Hope and Carnage, singer Nick Cave shares some fascinating insights into how faith has influenced him and his music. He says: “The word spirituality is a little too amorphous for my taste. It can mean almost anything, whereas the word ‘religious’ is just more specific, perhaps even more conservative, has a… Continue reading Rigorous religion or sloppy spirituality?
‘Service in life; hope in death’: Welby’s counter-cultural message
I can understand the feelings of those who struggled with aspects of yesterday’s funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. However much respect and gratitude there is towards the Queen, the fusion of militarism, opulence and imperial power alongside Christian worship should create dissonance and provoke questions. The medium cannot be separated from the message. It’s a struggle… Continue reading ‘Service in life; hope in death’: Welby’s counter-cultural message
The God of small things
We are witnessing an incredible response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The thousands queuing for hours on end to file past her lying in State will be talked about for generations. And the funeral tomorrow will be a unique, global event like no other in history. The power of reaction to her death… Continue reading The God of small things
Farewell to Britain’s best public theologian
In the summer of 1997 I started a job with Centrepoint, the youth homelessness charity, as manager of a new hostel for young people in the City of London. One of the things I learnt on my first day was that it was going to be formally opened by the Queen. The official opening happened… Continue reading Farewell to Britain’s best public theologian
Something better than happiness
In the last 2 weeks I have been struck by the incredibly positive reactions of young people coming back from Christian summer camps. Even from those normally more reticent with their enthusiasm, I have seen faces light up and heard the superlatives flow: 'Amazing', 'brilliant', 'so good', 'incredible', 'definitely going back next year'. These camps… Continue reading Something better than happiness
Rough sleeping & the inverse reality of social media
The plight of another human being sleeping rough is one of the most visceral and obvious expressions of poverty and social exclusion. The instinctive empathy it provokes makes rough sleeping a potent subject on social media. For example, a few years ago a video went viral which showed how Amazon Prime could be used to… Continue reading Rough sleeping & the inverse reality of social media
‘A toolbox for peace & liberation’? An activist reads the Bible
Review of Open for Liberation: an activist reads the Bible – by Tim Gee (Christian Alternative, 2022) Tim Gee believes the Bible is chiefly a narrative of liberation for the oppressed. In Open for Liberation, he claims Jesus led an anti-colonial movement of the dispossessed which affirmed women's leadership, racial equality and sexual diversity. Gee… Continue reading ‘A toolbox for peace & liberation’? An activist reads the Bible
Pure Class: Flintoff’s challenge to cricket’s elitism
The issue of class is woven into the history of cricket like no other sport. As a non-contact game, it was more socially acceptable for the English upper classes to play alongside the working class. It was a shared sporting endeavour but without the potentially awkward physicality of rugby or football. Thus cricket helped forge… Continue reading Pure Class: Flintoff’s challenge to cricket’s elitism
Grace + Truth 