This is a response to Martin Kuhrt’s article Dividing body, soul & spirit: Gnostic heresies live on Hi Martin, We don’t know each other but I subscribe to Grace + Truth and I read your recent article. I also do the same job as you in a different part of the country. I found your… Continue reading Listening to the ‘others’ we talk about
The ecclesiastical doughnut: why the C of E is ungovernable
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
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
Dividing body, soul & spirit: Gnostic heresies live on – by Martin Kuhrt
Photo by Andreea Ch on Pexels.com When I was a student in the 1980s, one of my left-wing, feminist friends said that the Prime Minister of the time, Margaret Thatcher, ‘was not really a woman’. At the time, I laughed it off. But I thought about it again this week when the Labour MP Rupa… Continue reading Dividing body, soul & spirit: Gnostic heresies live on – by Martin Kuhrt
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
Reality bites: migration, kindness & truth – by Jonathan Thomas
The last 5 years I have been on a journey with migration and Christian faith. This has changed how I think about both of these things. And myself. My initial interest in migration came from a place of international law and metropolitan liberalism, not faith. At 48 I went back to university, to do an… Continue reading Reality bites: migration, kindness & truth – by Jonathan Thomas
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
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