This is a longer guest article re-produced with permission from Ian Paul's blog Psephizo. I wanted to share with G+T readers as it grapples with the inescapable tension in the gospels between the inclusivity of Jesus and the startlingly exclusive claims he makes. As we approach Holy Week this biblical tension is worth reflecting on.… Continue reading The trouble with the ‘inclusive’ Jesus – by Ian Paul
Category: Theology
The Donald Trump of Narnia: a Shift in The Last Battle?
The Last Battle, the final instalment of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles, is an unusual children’s book. The plot involves all the main characters being killed, some in a train crash and others in battle, and the whole ‘Narnian world’ coming to an end. It is literally apocalyptic. And at the centre of the fall of… Continue reading The Donald Trump of Narnia: a Shift in The Last Battle?
Old wisdom for a New Year: “Thankfulness is a soil in which pride does not easily grow”
Michael Ramsey was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1961-74. He wrote these Five Helps for the New Year for his clergy. I first read them about 10 years ago and was struck by their deep spiritual insight and good sense. I have them pinned above my desk. The line about thankfulness as an antidote to pride… Continue reading Old wisdom for a New Year: “Thankfulness is a soil in which pride does not easily grow”
‘No one too lowly, no one too important’: Jesus’ birth breaks barriers of race, class & culture
Text of a talk by Eman Tabbasum, aged 16, at Streatham Baptist Church on 14th December When Jesus was born, God didn’t choose the mighty or the powerful to welcome Him. Instead, he chose people from opposite ends of society: the shepherds and the wise men. God brought them both to Jesus and their inclusion… Continue reading ‘No one too lowly, no one too important’: Jesus’ birth breaks barriers of race, class & culture
Is Kemi Badenoch right: is the welfare system “unchristian”? – by Krish Kandiah
The leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, was asked in an interview whether welfare spending was unchristian and she replied: “In early Christian times there was no state or welfare so I think that you can argue that, actually. The Christian tradition is about communities and families and charity, not about compulsory taxation in… Continue reading Is Kemi Badenoch right: is the welfare system “unchristian”? – by Krish Kandiah
Roots & fruits: why so many homelessness charities were set up by churches
Clockwise: collecting the gleanings from the harvest, the good samaritan, the prodigal son In a recent article, I wrote about the old, battered bible I bought in 1993, the first year I started working with people who were homeless. It was an anecdotal and subjective piece focussed on how this book has been a companion… Continue reading Roots & fruits: why so many homelessness charities were set up by churches
‘A light to my path’: my battered, 32 year old working companion
In 1993, I was in my second year studying social work at Hull University. I had just read Ron Sider’s book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger which relentlessly emphasises how much poverty and social injustice are core themes in the bible. It gave me further reason to question why many of the Christians… Continue reading ‘A light to my path’: my battered, 32 year old working companion
Living off the fumes of Faith (in the City)
Forty years ago, the Church of England published the Faith in the City report which focussed on the plight of the inner cities and urban poverty in the UK. The report hit the headlines, generated significant debate and sold 50,000 copies. A key reason was because it angered the conservative government, with one member of the… Continue reading Living off the fumes of Faith (in the City)
The judgement on all religion
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com For many years, a devout Muslim man lived next door to us with his family. He was just about the best neighbour that it is possible to have: friendly, kind and generous. He was very tolerant of the noise our young children made and cheerfully threw back the many balls… Continue reading The judgement on all religion
Untruthful cultures eat safeguarding for breakfast
A review of Safeguarding the Institution: how the culture of the Church of England facilitates abuse by Stephen Kuhrt (2025) Leadership guru Peter Drucker famously said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” What Drucker meant was that whatever values an organisation articulates, or whatever plans, policies or aspirations it has, will always be trumped by its… Continue reading Untruthful cultures eat safeguarding for breakfast
Grace + Truth 