Our first roundup is here.
Tim Wyatt Church Times Bishops’ call for vision provokes anger
Gaby Hinsliff The Guardian Want to make yourself look less nasty? Avoid picking fights with the church
Michael Sadgrove Ash Wednesday, the Bishops and the Election
Ian Paul Which party should I vote for?
This week’s podcast from the Church of England starts with interviews with the Bishops of Norwich and Leicester.
Michael Sadgrove always writes well and what he pens makes jolly good sense. I hesitate to describe him as the last of the Gentleman Deans as I recall that when Trevor Beeson took over the Winchester Deanery the obituary of his predecessor Michael Stancliffe described him as “the last of the Gentleman Deans”. A lady from the cathedral congregation commiserated with Dean Beeson for what she regarded as a slur upon his honour and character but Trevor didn’t have the heart to tell her that he had actually written the obituary.
Michael Sadgrove, if not the last of the gentleman deans, is one of the last of the theologian deans. His insights are not only original and refreshing, but shot-through with insights from his work as a Hebrew scholar, from literature, art and music, and from a generous, humane and critically intelligent approach to the Christian faith. All the more vital that we continue to hear his wise voice at this time of panic, lack of perspective and quick-fix solutions in the C of E.
A splendid analysis Stephen of the considerable talents of the Dean of Dunelm, his excellent Blog “Wool Gathering of a Northern Dean” never fails to educate and to entertain, it needs to be more widely known and commented upon.