Judith Maltby writes in the Guardian that Barack Obama may be able to repair the damage done by the US Christian right, in Face to Faith.
The Times Literary Supplement has a book review titled Soulgasms of the Christian Right by Thomas Laqueur.
The New Yorker has an article titled Red Sex, Blue Sex by Margaret Talbot.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times about GAFCON: A garment that will tear apart.
Last week, Peter Selby wrote in the Church Times about immigration policies: This means more pain for the poor.
Theo Hobson writes in The Times that Milton’s vision for Church and State is our answer.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph that Bomber Command’s bombing of Second World War civilians was wilful murder.
I wish I could share Judith Maltby’s optimism about wresting the word “Christian” back from the right. I fear it is like the term “liberal”…once a proud description, now little more than an epithet, such that those of us to the left of center in US politics are forced to resort to “progressive” to describe ourselves (exactly as Maltby does in her column). The problem is that the right has poisoned the word for an entire generation of Americans…the generation that includes my two college-age sons. They are each practicing Episcopalians, but I suspect they’d have difficulty calling themselves “Christians”… Read more »
There is a new irritating expression at present, which is “behind the curve”. Theo Hobson is behind several. The form of religious meeting that is in liberty was given by Ernst Troeltsch as ‘Mysticism’ – the free gathering of individuals who make their faith. It has also been tried. The English Presbyterians decided to follow no creeds and articles but only the Bible, and the result was they eventually became Unitarian, which is that free gathering…
I think the best opinion piece was Giles Fraser in the Church Times. He shows the dishonest spurious nature of the Reform-FIF alliance. Unfortunately he makes a faux pas.. the article of religion he refers to condems the invocation of Saints and not “icons”!
Robert
22nd article:
The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of Images as of Relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.
Images?
Giles Fraser, in his Church Times article, says: “Many traditional Catholics are feeling unloved by the C of E. I wish it were not so. But to believe that Catholic sacramental theology is safe with GAFCON is a self-deception.” And so do many of us, Giles, ‘wish it were not so’ – in the Anglican Communion around the world, who are in any way catholic in spirituality and orientation. On this weekend, when most of us are celebrating our co-inherence with the Saints and the Departed, on the Feast of All Saints and All Souls; the Diocese of Sydney, for… Read more »
Giles I still think it was brilliant and it complemented my letter so perfectly. I bet there are some who think we were hand and glove! But just listen to the latest, Forward in faith has asked Sydney not to allow this innovation. Ironic, when most of the ritual and doctrines of Forward in faith were introduced ” illegally ” from the Roman Catholic Church in the nineteenth century. What about a future column where you comment on how Reform , who claim the Bible is clear on moral issues have deliberately avoided divorce and re-marriage in their Covenant. Furthermore… Read more »
Dr. Maltby has written an intelligent, wonderful article that is absolutely right on. This should be mandatory reading for the American press who has been lead around by the nose by the Christian right for years.
In the wake of what has happened over the last couple of days in the U.S., Judith Maltby’s insightful article on the defeat of the ‘religious right’ in America, may yet beoome a reality. America, under President Barack Obama, may just wrest the banner of Christianity from those conservative, bigoted and puritanical believers who, hitherto, have claimed the moral high ground in that country. Who knows, it may even effect a policy of peaceful co-existence with other religious entities in the United States and around the world – to the extent that the former countries, declared by President Bush to… Read more »