Updated Monday afternoon
Geoffrey Rowell writes in The Times that The synod is the place to challenge the unjust and evil.
Andrew Motion said in an interview with Janet Murray in the Guardian that “All children should be taught the Bible at school”. Theo Hobson in the Spectator was not impressed.
Sunny Hundal writes in the Guardian that It is worth having a healthy debate on the interaction between faith and violence.
Jonathan Bartley writes at Ekklesia about Hearing what children are saying.
At Comment is free Theo Hobson and Julian Baggini discuss Is Christianity a good influence on British culture?
On the BBC Radio 4 programme Today (Baroness) Sayeda Warsi argued that politicians are ‘ignoring’ polygamy. See Politicians ‘ignoring’ polygamy and also Happily married?
Update
Giles Fraser’s article in last week’s Church Times is now available, see Why is the Left so anti-Jewish.
I wrote recently about a Theos report on Rescuing Darwin. Andrew Brown has now written at Comment is free about Science vs superstition, not science vs religion.
Last week in the Church Times Andrew Davison wrote that The C of E should nurture theology. For more about the Returning to the Church conferences, go here.
Giles Fraser wrote about the Credit Crunch, see The crunch needs global resolution. And don’t miss the lucid explanation of the Credit Crunch by Andreas Whittam Smith in a synod paper, The Inernational Financial Crisis and the Recession.
Earlier this week, Jonathan West asked Should I worry about the church?
The Archbishop of York wrote in the Daily Mail The intolerance towards Christians in the public sector is an affront. Another copy is on the archbishop’s own website.
Jenny Taylor wrote in The Times Let us use chastity to channel the soul’s energy.
Elizabeth Gray-King wrote in the Guardian about Valentine’s Day.
33 CommentsGeorge Pitcher wrote in his blog for the Telegraph on Why Pope Benedict is like Rowan Williams.
Giles Fraser wrote in the Church Times that Growing up is a moral business. (For background links see here.)
And he also wrote at Comment is free that Atheists should get a life and leave our slot alone. Related to this, Jonathan Bartley at Ekklesia wrote The politics of Thought for the Day.
John Packer wrote in the Guardian about the upcoming General Synod debates on various public policy issues in Face to Faith. (We shall cover these in more detail during the week.)
Roderick Strange writes in The Times: Credo: Riveted by Mark’s Gospel, in one sitting.
Jonathan Bartley wrote in last week’s Church Times about An honest, vulnerable President.
19 CommentsStephen Platten writes in The Times about Edwin Muir, in Beauty and hope born in poems of dark desolation.
Stephen Timms writes in the Guardian about Harnessing the power of faith. The full text of his speech is available from Ruth Gledhill’s blog, Labour ‘does God’ (scroll down for link to file).
John Madeley writes in the Guardian about the theology of enough.
John Barton writes in the Church Times that The BBC should not be impartial.
Giles Fraser writes in The Times about Cape Coast Castle in Cry out for mercy in the grey zone.
Paul Laity interviews Blair Worden in the Guardian about his new book The English Civil Wars, see A life in writing: Blair Worden.
3 CommentsGiles Fraser wrote in the Church Times about Obama and the devil in the hole.
Jonathan Sacks wrote in The Times that Obama renews a covenant and inspires fresh hope.
Simon Barrow wrote at Ekklesia about Re-investing democracy with hope.
Comment is free had a whole week of answers to the question: Will Obama be good for religion?
At the Telegraph George Pitcher had opinions on the inauguration speech, Barack Obama inauguration: God knows His place, and also on the accompanying deluge of prayers, We British pray better than Americans.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Karen Pollock writes in the Guardian about antisemitism, in Face to Faith.
4 CommentsGiles Fraser wrote in the Church Times about his visit to Ghana, see Being canny in the raw church. For a picture of this event, see the piece at the Telegraph by Jonathan Wynne-Jones Pro-gay vicar of Putney made an African canon.
George Pitcher writes in the Telegraph that Barack Obama’s faith, like Lincoln’s, is uncertain.
In the Guardian Ali Eteraz writes that The inauguration of Barack Obama will be a secular hajj for America’s collective redemption.
Nick Jowett writes in The Times about the Week of Christian Unity, see we must keep our eye on the pearl of great price.
Mark Vernon writes at Ekklesia on Making sense of Charles Darwin.
Back at the Telegraph Michael Portillo writes The British state mustn’t let go of the church.
1 CommentMichael Symmons Roberts writes in The Times: dream songs of faith, doubt and the God of rescue.
Barry Courtier writes in the Guardian that Metaphors can provide a useful way of forming an understanding of God.
George Pitcher wrote for the Telegraph that The Horsham Crucifix isn’t ‘horrific’.
Giles Fraser wrote in the Church Times about Being there to pray for the debtors.
Mark Vernon wrote at Comment is free about Darwin’s year.
Simon Barrow wrote at Ekklesia: On not being left eyeless in Gaza.
4 CommentsGeoffrey Rowell writes in The Times about Dancing in time to a divinely ordained rhythm of life.
Gerald Butt writes in the Guardian about flying.
Andrew Brown wrote at Cif:belief about Mr Algie’s honesty bucket.
Alan Wilson has written Blowing bubbles in Hard Times?
Giles Fraser wrote in the Church Times Longing for the truth of glory.
Two weeks ago, Jeremy Morris wrote in the Church Times that A learning Church is healthy.
Added later:
Michael Reiss has written in The Times that Darwinian thinking clarifies and deepens religious faith.
Paul Handley, the editor of the Church Times, has a major article in the Comment is free section of The Guardian today.
The Anglican Communion will finally split in 2009 – This will be the year of unavoidable schism in the church.
Also in The Guardian are these two items by Andrew Brown.
The New Atheism, a definition and a quiz – What makes a New Atheist different from an old one? Here are the five doctrines which distinguish them.
So the pope is a Catholic – You may disagree with him. But – properly read – his views on homosexuality are not egregious bigotry.
Jane Williams in The Guardian
Acts of the Apostles, part 3: An ideal church? – Acts implies that the Holy Spirit’s work always leads to the formation of community.
Jonathan Romain in The Guardian
How to survive a sermon – Many of us will be listening to sermons this week. They can be tests of endurance, but they can sometimes be life-changing.
Roderick Strange writes in the Credo section of The Times Commitment and fidelity are demanding qualities – A time to remember and appreciate what our families give us.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about English kings and St John the Evangelist.
8 CommentsBoth Guardian and The Times have columns about Hanukah, one from Howard Cooper, the other from Jonathan Sacks.
The Telegraph has Christopher Howse on The words that train the ear.
Giles Fraser in the Church Times has Celebrating where God gets real.
Comment is free asked What letter would you write to God? with answers so far from Julian Baggini, Mark Vernon, Francis Davis.
And for light relief, there is Andrew Brown saying that Science proves Anglicans smartest.
3 CommentsThe Dean of Perth (Western Australia), John Shepherd has written in The Times Salvation is not about who is in and who is out.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about Sister Wendy’s pictures of love.
David Peel writes about his battle with cancer in the Guardian’s Face to Faith.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times that One size of school can’t fit all values.
The Cif Belief Question this week is What should evangelicals believe? Answers come from John Richardson, Christina Rees, Justin Thacker and Graham Kings.
At Ekklesia Simon Barrow asks Which Jesus are we expecting?
19 CommentsComment is free Belief has a weekly question. This week it is Can religion help us through the slump?
There are five responses from Julia Neuberger, Francis Davis, Ishtiaq Hussain, Graham Kings, and Nick Spencer.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about the Enigmatic life of Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Michael Wright argues in the Guardian that Now is a good time for Quakers to reassess their priorities and find their tongues.
Catherine Pepinster writes in The Times The beauty of our creations is also part of our faith.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times that Borrowing is no way out of the credit crisis.
7 CommentsThe Church Times has a leader, The right way to spend Advent.
Roderick Strange writes in The Times that Advent teaches us the deeper lessons of waiting.
The Church of England has an Advent calendar. See related press release here.
Stephen Plant reviews a new book about Methodism in The Times at All the world can still be John Wesley’s parish.
In the Guardian The hajj is the perfect opportunity for Muslims to put our anger behind us, says Kia Abdullah.
At Cif belief the question this week is: How can we talk about God online? There are responses from Mark Vernon, Theo Hobson, and Stephen Tomkins.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about Auctioning off the bishop’s bequest.
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times that Bonhoeffer went to Bradford.
0 CommentsPewForum has an interesting report on How the News Media Covered Religion in the [US] General Election.
Stewart Dakers writes in the Guardian about how Faith and science need a collective reformation to celebrate the power of love.
Jonathan Sacks writes in The Times about Fashioning the world anew with winged thoughts.
Ekklesia has republished an article by Christopher Rowland on A kingdom, but not as we know it.
Giles Fraser talked on the BBC’s Thought for the Day last Wednesday.
Elaine Sciolino wrote in the New York Times about how Britain Grapples With Role for Islamic Justice.
2 CommentsGeoffrey Rowell writes in The Times, The moral integrity that makes for a powerful speech.
George Pitcher writes in the Telegraph, The Prince of Wales must keep the faith.
Nick Jowett writes in the Guardian about Baron Friedrich von Hügel.
Earlier this week, Giles Fraser wrote in the Guardian about Proposition 8 in California, Sanctified discrimination.
Yesterday, in the Church Times he wrote Forces buck the me-first trend.
At Comment is free Belief the Question is Should we fight war to end wars? Those responding include Jonathan Bartley, see Redemptive violence is a myth, and Alan Wilson, see Crusading gives me the creeps. So does Valhalla.
And thanks to both Alan Wilson and David Keen, for linking to How To Actually Talk To Atheists (If You’re Christian) by Joe the Peacock.
5 CommentsIn The Times Michael Smith writes that The crisis of confidence ignites a crisis of conscience.
In the Guardian Ian Bradley writes about TV talent shows in Face to faith.
At Comment is free Stephen Bates writes on How the faithful voted.
Gregory Chisholm at Thinking Faith explains What scares me about Obama (h/t Simon Barrow).
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times about Defending the Church by living out the gospel.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about Dame Felicitas’s handwarmer sold by nuns.
63 CommentsThis is the question now being asked at Comment is free Belief:
Is the US still ‘one nation under God’?
After the election, will America still be one nation? And will it still believe that it shelters under God’s providence?
Judith Maltby responds from Urbana, Illinois that The vision survives in surprising places.
In Muslim America and in Episcopalian churches, it’s an ideal that still has has traction
The Farmers’ Market in Urbana, Illinois on the Saturday morning before the US election seemed a good place to get some views on this question. Among the stalls groaning with more types of squashes than I knew existed, was the Champaign County Democrats table. It was being staffed by Al Kurtz, a Democrat on the county board. What did he think? He was upbeat. (I would have, just to be clear, put this question to the local Republicans, but they weren’t at the Farmers’ Market – Illinois’ electoral college votes are about as safe as they can be in Senator Obama’s bag.)
Earlier responses:
Neither one nation, nor under God by Harriet Baber
In 2008, American religion is inextricably linked to social conservatism and the political right
One nation under secularism by George Neumayr
If America is still one nation, that is because no one who might be elected to public office takes religion as seriously as its founders did
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.
8 CommentsGiles Fraser asks in the Church Times Why don’t humanists give value to humans?
Christopher Howse in the Telegraph writes about Peter Howson’s harrowing of hell.
Theo Hobson writes in the Guardian about the sex life of Adam and Eve in Face to Faith.
Stephen Bates asks on Comment is free Who would God vote for?
John Lloyd writes in the Financial Times about Uganda’s controversial pastors.
Earlier in the week, Andrew Brown wrote about The cult of personality.
Simon Barrow wrote a column for Ekklesia titled Beware politicians and ‘God talk’.
11 CommentsRoderick Strange wrote for The Times that We have been beguiled and betrayed by Mammon.
The economy may be in crisis, but there is a wealth of social capital at our disposal, says Pete Tobias in Face to Faith.
Christopher Howse wrote in the Telegraph about The survival of England’s Syon.
Giles Fraser’s column in the Church Times is about The fantasy of easy killing.
Simon Barrow wrote for Ekklesia about Seeking to build a just economy.
George Packer in the New Yorker had a very interesting article about the disaffection of Ohio’s working class. See The Working Vote. It turns out that Andrew Brown also read it, and he comments at Poverty and the sexual marketplace.
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