1½ cheers for Richard
Dawkins
There's so much to applaud in Richard Dawkins, says Stephen Tomkins, such as his rage against bad religion. But he's out of his depth
in his new book, The God Delusion, when he attacks all forms of faith. At Ship of Fools.
75th
General Convention legislative summary
Summary of final actions on legislation by the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church USA, provided by the Diocese of Chicago.
Colour poster, A3 size paper, Adobe Acrobat format.
The
ACC has created a serious challenge
Inclusive Church offers this essay by Giles Goddard.
Advent
Calendar
A poem by Rowan Williams. (Also note a section on the right about
St Nicholas: A closer look at Christmas by Joe Wheeler and Jim Rosenthal.)
Affirming
Laudianism
Brought to the web by the same folks behind Frankly Unfriendly Catholics. (Cross-listed in Odds
and Ends)
African
Anglicans
'Conservative Christians in Africa think America has lost its way. So they're joining forces with American conservatives to bring the
faith back to the United States. Hear about the new breed of African missionaries—working in America'. National Public Radio takes
a look at the state of the Episcopal Church. (This story originally broadcast on 27 January 2003.) The link is
to an archived RealAudio clip of just short of 10 minutes.
African
church has come of age
Obed Minchakpu, writing in Christianity Today, notes that the African church now sees the dual threat of Western heresy and Islamic militancy.
All
the fun of the folios
is an article in the Church Times by Nicholas Cranfield discussing illuminated texts as an introduction to an exhibition
at the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge.
Amazon
organist
On the BBC Religion and Ethics programme last week, we heard this intriguing story about an expedition to the Bolivian rainforest requiring
the services of an organist. Four English organists have volunteered. (Real Media format).
The
American Dream Snatched Away
by Paul Vallely in the Church Times.
Ancient
Easters caught in stone
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph (London) on Easter sepulchers in English churches.
Ancient
manuscript online
The BBC reports that a 12th-century manuscript featuring the tale of a liaison between one of Britain's early feminists and a monk has
been reproduced on the internet.
And
unto them a sermon is born
Peter Gorrie, writing in the Toronto Star, discusses the variety of Christmas sermons: short to long, simple to Christmas cocktail.
+Andrew:
Conversations with the Primate
The first webcast of an Anglican Primate, as far as we know. 'Archbishop Hutchison has said that among his priorities as Primate are
communications and the building of relationships, 'drawing people into the conversation'. Even if you're not part of the Anglican Church
of Canada, you may want to have a look: this is inclusive communication on the leading edge of technology and of open communication within
the church. His second 'Conversation' is also available.
Andrew
Goddard responds to the Civil Partnerships Act
Goddard, in his informed and thorough article for Fulcrum, analyses all aspects of the CPA, and includes links to sources and points
of view. Worth reading in preparation for the civil partnership pastoral statement from CofE bishops, which will be issued on Monday,
25 July, 2005.
Angels
heard on high C
A Dorchester choir endures despite tight finances, rising secularism: Yvonne Abraham reports on the musical state of All Saints, Ashmont,
Massachusetts, in the Boston Globe.
The Anglican and the Atheist
This Australian radio show is now available in podcast format. It features the Reverend Howard Langmead, Anglican priest, stand up comic,
laughter workshop facilitator, husband, dad and dog owner in dialogue with atheist Brett de Hoedt. Hootville
Communications, the producer of the broadcast, predicts that 'this will become the world's leading Anglican podcast'.
Anglican blogs
Blogs are possibly too volatile an area for Anglicans Online to begin a section and keep it up to date; however, if blogs are a part
of your Internet life, this is a large list of Anglican-related blogs.
The
Anglican church in India
Tristram Hunt, writing in The Guardian, reports on the current state of one of the few Anglican churches in India.
Anglican Church
of Australia Archive
'This archive is part of a strategy developed in the National Church Office to enable a better understanding of Australian Anglicanism.
We have initiatiated a number of community Identity seminars on our story [Anglican History], our beliefs [Anglican Theology] and how
we relate to others [Anglican Missiology]. These seminars work at the post graduate level and foster their respective disciplines and
publish the results of their work. More information can be found at the National Church Office website.' A well organised, attractive
site with searchable texts and images.
Anglican
Church -- out of touch and hope?
The Rugby League writer for Crikey (an independent Australian news service) deplores recent statements from Sydney.
Anglican church
rues lost unity
Alex Kirby, writing for the BBC, reflects on the inescapable end of the worldwide Anglican Communion and on churches that set store by
sexual definitions.
The Anglican
communion is not a single, monolithic structure
The Rt Revd David Crawley, Archbishop of British Columbia and Yukon, wrote this for his diocesan newspaper.
'Anglican
Communion Update' from the PBS Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly
The highly regarded weekly television programme provides a transcript of a brief interview with Archbishop Robin Eames.
Anglican identity
'Is there is such a thing as common worship or prayer across the Anglican Church of Canada'?
Anglican
Identity: Mediocrity or the Middle Way?
Margaret Coffey interviews Rowan Williams for the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation.
Anglican
rosaries
Robin Cuneo, writing in the Erie Times News (Pennsylvania), comments on the growing popularity of the Anglican rosary.
Anglicanism
and Protestantism
Alister McGrath writes in the Church of Ireland Gazette.
Anglicanism
in Crisis
TIME magazine features the Archbishop of Canterbury on the cover of its current African and European editions. His interview and other
resources are available online.
Anglicans
Already Breaking Up
The New York Times carries this Associated Press story on recent developments. 'As Episcopal leaders consider barring more gays from
becoming bishops to prevent an Anglican schism, the world Anglican family is already dying by a thousand cuts.'
The Anglicans'
annus horribilis
Bruce Kaye, writing for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, reflects on what a bad year it's been for Anglicans in Australia.
Anglicans
at war
Stephen Bates, writing in The Tablet, broods about the goings-on in the Anglican church, from a Roman Catholic point of view.
Anglicans
enthrone 'a saint'
John Wilkins, writing in the National Catholic Reporter for a Roman Catholic audience, discusses the recent enthronement of Rowan Williams.
Announcing
an Archbishop: a day in the life of the DCO
Martin Sheppard reflects on the announcement of Dr Sentamu's appointment to Ebor.
Antidisestablishmentarianism
An editorial in the Wall Street Journal discusses the value of an established church.
Apocalypse
(Almost) Now
In the New York Times, Nicholas Kristof links the blue, the red, and the End Times.
Appellate
Tribunal determination on Women Bishops
'The Anglican Church [of Australia]'s highest legal authority, the Appellate Tribunal, has cleared the way for the consecration of women
as diocesan bishops across Australia.' The full report is available online in Adobe Acrobat format here.
Apples: Chew on
this. How do we keep our faith when the sun, like love, abandons us?
In Killing the Buddha, Bia Lowe broods on apples, eclipses, love, princesses, and the loss of innocence, in prose as rich and lush as
brocade.
Applying
for a clergy post in England
A new feature of our Vacancies Centre was prepared for you.
Appointment of new dean of Westminster
Abbey
The Reverend Canon John Hall succeeds the Very Reverend Wesley Carr. Also see this story in The Guardian.
Archaic
rule harnesses the church and the Spirit
Carol Meyer, writing in the National Catholic Reporter, argues against the requirement that Roman Catholic priests be celibate.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
is a key figure in South Africa's history. His story will now be told in a vast internet archive. By Nick Jackson, in The Independent.
Archbishop
George Carey
A sermon delivered at St Peter Nottingham by the Revd Andrew Deuchar, who was Dr Carey's Secretary for Anglican Communion Affairs from
1994 until 2000.
The
Archbishop makes a mess
Mark Harris on the new Convocation of Anglican Nigerian Churches in America.
The
Archbishop of Canterbury's Address at the Third Global South-to-South Encounter
One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Pull up your chair, whether it's in North, South, East or West, and have a read of this brilliant, moving address on the four defining
marks of the church. As we read it, the implications for the Anglican Communion are fascinating. At one point, Archbishop Williams says:
'I mentioned in passing "the instruments of Unity of the Anglican Communion". I would be much happier, I have to say, if we
spoke of the "servants of Unity in the Anglican Communion", because whatever the instruments of unity are, I don’t think
that they are in any sense conditions to be met for Christian faithfulness'.
The
Archbishop of Canterbury's address to General Synod on the Anglican Communion
'Many have said, with increasing force of late, that we must contemplate or even encourage the breakup of the Communion into national
churches whose autonomy is unqualified and which relate only in some sort of loose and informal federation.'
The
Archbishop of Canterbury's Address to the Ninth Meeting of the World Council of Churches
Porto Alegre, Brazil: In this speech delivered on 17 February 2006, Rowan Williams notes that the 'question of Christian identity in
a world of plural perspectives and convictions cannot be answered in clichés about the tolerant co-existence of different opinions.'
The Archbishop
of Canterbury's 2006 Christmas Message
The
Archbishop of Canterbury's Sermon at a Service to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the Martyrdom of Thomas Cranmer
In this rich sermon delivered on 21 March 2006, Rowan Williams notes that 'a liturgical language like Cranmer’s hovers over meanings
like a bird that never quite nests for good and all – or, to sharpen the image, like a bird of prey that never stoops for a kill.
The word of God is not bound. God speaks, and the world is made; God speaks and the world is remade by the Word Incarnate. And our human
speaking struggles to keep up.'
The
Archbishop of Canterbury's Statement on HIV/AIDS for World Aids Day 2006
'As Christian disciples we recognize in God a self-offering in the face of suffering. We are thus compelled to address our responsibility
to do what we can to treat the sick and to educate ourselves and others so as to avoid further spread of the infection.'
Ardizzone prints from Barchester
Chronicles
Normally we don't advertise items for sale; however, our fondness for Trollope makes this site irresistible. Here are the original pen
and ink drawings of Edward Ardizzone, which illustrated Oxford University Press' 1940s edition of The Barchester Chronicles.
Arms
of Love
Bruce Birdsey, rector of the Church of the Holy Comforter, Richmond, Virginia, reflects on Holy Week hymnody in The Living Church (Milwaukee).
Artist
in Lettering
An interview in The Living Church (Milwaukee) with typographer/illuminator/priest Christopher Calderhead.
Authority
figures: John M. Buchanan writes in the Christian Century (Chicago) with questions for new clergy. 'Preachers always need
to ask about the intent of the prophetic sermon: Is it delivered to convince the congregation and enable change, or is it offered
simply to get something off the preacher's chest?'
As
we outlaw discrimination so we need discernment
Geoffrey Rowell writes in the Times (London) Credo column. 'The devices and desires of the human heart need to be set in order. Against
the magnetic field of distorted desire, there must be set the greater and counterbalancing magnetic field of grace and goodness, which
for Christians is the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life.'
Ashes
May Hold Joan of Arc's Secrets
American National Public Radio has this story about a large team of European scientists now examining what are believed to be the ashes
of Joan of Arc, currently kept in a French museum in the Loire valley.
Back-a-book
Lambeth Palace Library has announced a new programme in which individuals can sponsor the conservation and repair of books, some of which
were damaged as long ago as World War II. Following repair, each book will have a bookplate placed inside acknowledging the generosity
of its sponsor.
Banging
on heaven's door
'When was the last time you heard someone in church asking God what on earth he's playing at, allowing the world to go so wrong? David
Runcorn writes about the lost virtues of loss, lament and protest at God', over at Ship of Fools.
Barbara
Brown Taylor
One of the Episcopal Church in the USA's best known preachers is profiled in Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.
Batting
for God
Stephen Moss, writing in The Guardian, interviews the Rt Revd David Sheppard, quondam Bishop of Liverpool.
The Battle
Rages On
Deborah Caldwell, writing for Beliefnet, interviews Frank Griswold, primate of the US Episcopal Church.
The Beginnings
of Gothic Revival in New Jersey
'Two fascinating churches were built in 1845, both Episcopal. One marks the end of a tradition, the other a beginning; neither church
is well known, except to architectural historians, but both deserve to be'.
The
Bells that Make Cockneys
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph (London) on the 'great bell called Bowbell' within whose sound all true Cockneys are born.
Benedict
and the future of Europe
The Archbishop of Canterbury's speech at St Anselmo in Rome, given on 21 November 2006. 'But is there a sense in which we can speak of
Benedict and his rule as offering an orientation for Europe’s future? In the half-secularised, morally confused and culturally
diverse continent we now inhabit, does the Holy Rule still provide a beacon for common life? I want to argue that it does'.
The
best of enemies
Christopher Rowland, writing in The Guardian, observes the importance to modern Christians of vilifying their enemies.
Betjeman: Sir John Betjeman Centenary
In The Guardian, Terry Philpot looks at the role of faith in
Betjeman's poetry. In The Telegraph, Charles
Moore looks at his boldness. In the Oxford DNB Reading
room this month, you can read biographies of people connected in some way with this fine Anglican poet.
The
Bible: Reading and Hearing
The Archbishop of Canterbury's lectures in Toronto at a joint convocation of Trinity College and Wycliffe College. 'Ultimately, Scripture
brings us back to the uniquely creative moment of God’s freedom—to the grace of a free self-bestowal that can create what
is other and then, by love and welcome, transform that other into a sharer and communicator of the same joyful, generative act.'
A
big day for TS Eliot's Little Gidding
by Nigel Reynolds in the Telegraph: A hamlet of just 14 houses will
be overrun today by admirers of T S Eliot paying homage to its role in inspiring one of the greatest poems in the English language.
The
Big Jump
National Public Radio (Washington DC) has this story about a group of Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli mayors who jumped together into
a tributary of the Jordan River recently in order to raise awareness of a new cleanup campaign. A rabbi, imam and an Anglican priest
also took part in the event.
The
big man in the bulletproof limousine
Glenn McKenzie, writing for the Associated Press, describes the Most Revd Peter Akinola and his influence on Anglicans worldwide.
Bill
Moyers interviews Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori
"I think life is meant to be challenging. If we're going to use the fullness of the gifts that we've been given, it means we have
to continue to be stretched, and I look forward to that." Watch the video and read the transcript.
Birth
of a notion
Martyn Percy, writing in The Guardian, muses about baby Jesus and training for natural childbirth.
Bishop
David Say
The Times (London) carried this obituary of the very tall Bishop of Rochester who 'was able, with his impressive presence, warmhearted
manner and resounding voice, to embody the reassurance that all was well with the Church'. The Independent (London) carried
this detailed notice that unfortunately requires login.
Bishop
Drums to the Blues in Off-Hours
'John Bryson Chane, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, is a 59-year-old minister who sometimes takes a break from tending the flock
-- by drumming in a blues band. His group, the Chane Gang, plays the occasional fundraiser, interpreting blues standards'. Read more
at National Public Radio (USA), including sound clips.
The
bishop who ate his boots
Canada's Virtual Museum has an online exhibition about the Rt Revd Isaac Stringer, Second Bishop of Selkirk in Canada.
Bishop-elect
Gene Robinson responds
Listen to Fresh Air's Terry Gross ask the hard questions.
Bishop's News from
Peru
Harold William Godfrey, Bishop of Peru, blogs on his diocese's response to the devastation of a recent earthquake.
The
Blessed Evangelical Mary
Timothy George, writing for Christianity Today, asserts that we shouldn't ignore her any longer.
Blind
Bartemaeus
A sermon preached at Westminster Abbey on 26 October 2003 by the Revd Chris Chivers, Minor Canon and Precentor.
Blind
faith takes a back pew
The Sydney Morning Herald reports on a recent Australian study finding that 'people who carefully wrestle with their faith have a greater
sense of well being than those who uncritically hold to their beliefs'.
Blood
Sport
This editorial from The Living Church (Milwaukee) address the roles of the media as the Episcopal Church USA prepares for its
next General Convention. 'Ubiquitous discussion lists, blogs, and websites have made instant newsgathering, analysis, and commentary
a part of life within the Church. While these forums are invaluable communications tools with powerful potential as tools for ministry,
they also can and are being used as powerful weapons.'
Britain
needs more multiculturalism
Paul Vallely, writing in the Church Times, notes that racial tensions illustrate the urgency of nurturing ethnic identity.
Britain's
new cultural divide is not between Christian and Muslim, Hindu and Jew. It is between those who have faith and those who do not
In the Guardian, Stuart Jeffries reports on the vicious and uncompromising battle between believers and non-believers.
Broad
of church and broad of mind, by Ian Hislop
It may be comical, class-ridden and camp, but for our correspondent there is still comfort in the Church of England.
Building
and growing healthy congregations
If you have questions or need support for any of your church's ministries, you must mine this wealth of resources, this 'comprehensive
and easy to use guide to building and growing healthy congregations created and maintained by the Diocese of Toronto'.
The Busy Life of
a Parish Priest
A BBC News story by Anna Browning that showcases the Reverend Martin Lee's ministry to three parishes, also including something of his
own background and some statistics about the shortage of priests in the CofE.
A call
for unity
Daniel Burke interviews Njongonkulu Ndungane for the Religion News Service.
Can
gays be priests?
Timothy Radcliffe, writing in The Tablet, comments on the recently-leaked
Vatican document on homosexuality in the priesthood.
Can
the Church help stop child abuse?
A video clip of US Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at Trinity Church, Wall Street.
Can
the church survive?
William F Buckley Jr, writing for syndication, argues that the problem with churches is that we humans are members of them.
Can the Communion hold
together?
Ruth Gledhill, writing for The Tablet (a British RC weekly) reflects on whether or not it is possible to hold the Anglican Communion
together.
Canterbury
finds itself a startling new voice
A N Wilson, writing in The Telegraph, reviews the poetry of Rowan Williams and likes what he sees.
Canterbury
under siege
Simon Sarmiento, writing in Thinking Anglicans, discusses current conflict between English conservatives and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Cardinal Newman and the
Pope
In the Guardian (UK), Chris Hardwick writes about two opposed views of conscience.
The
Care of the Churches
Oliver O'Donovan writes in Fulcrum about the Anglican Communion. 'At the still centre of the storm in the Anglican Communion stands the
isolated, scholarly figure of the current Archbishop of Canterbury - the first holder of that office since the Reformation, it is worth
recalling, to have come to it directly from outside the Church of England, and probably the only one to have received his appointment
by something close to acclamation. It is necessary to recall the circumstances.'
Carey's
tough innings
Russell Twisk, writing for The Tablet, interviews George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, who will retire soon. The Guardian published this
news report about the interview.
Case
for the defense
Carol Zaleski writes in the Christian Century (Chicago) on proofs for the existence of God. 'The project of amassing evidence in God's
favor is [...] dismally unequal to the mystery that one means to represent. Yet it's reasonable to hope that we can supply reasons for
our hope.'
The Case of Job: Putting God on Trial
Robert Sutherland, a Canadian lawyer, an Anglican, and a Senior Fellow at the Mortimer J. Adler Centre for the Study of the Great Ideas
has published a literary, legal and philosophical study of the Book of Job. Several chapters are available on the website http://www.bookofjob.org.
The
Case of the Missing Gospel
Christopher Howse writes in The Telegraph (London) on a manuscript of the Gospel of John.
Cathedral
Cleaner Uses Toothbrush and Light Touch
This recent story by Noah Adams of National Public Radio (USA) provides a wonderful profile of Edwin Cardenas, who began work as a janitor
at Washington National Cathedral in 1990. He now works as a cleaning technician and preservation expert, tending to the cathedral's extensive
fabric.
The
Celestial Stranger
The Guardian reports that a treatise written 350 years ago by the Revd Thomas Traherne will be published soon.
Challengingdavinci.com
This new website produced by the Diocese of Sydney challenges The DaVinci Code's presentation of Christian history. 'Has the Church
been lying for 2000 years? [...] Has someone guarded this secret for centuries? Is this all news to Jesus? Find the truth.'
Champion
of Christianity, the man who should be No 1
A profile of John Sentamu in the Times (London).
The
changing face of the clergy
Peter Smith, writing in the Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) discusses the changing demographics of clergy in the United States.
The
Choice is Yours — Unfortunately
by David Walker, is an article in the Church Times. 'The deification of choice ignores the impact that my choices have on the options
available to others.'
Christ in cinema
Gregory and Maria Pearse review a half-dozen modern films on the life of Christ.
Christian
History Corner
Our Brothers and Sisters, the Episcopalians: Chris Armstrong, Managing Editor of Christian History magazine, reflects in Christianity
Today on the state of the US Episcopal Church.
Christian
Paradox
An extremely interesting article, especially for North American readers, in this month's Harper's Magazine. 'Only 40 percent of Americans
can name more than four of the Ten Commandments, and a scant half can cite any of the four authors of the Gospels. Twelve percent believe
Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.'
Christian
Unity
Christopher Wells writes in The Living Church (Milwaukee) on a recent document from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith. 'Obviously Rome’s ecumenical lexicon remains a stumbling block to many Christians [...]' 'The bottom line, as always, is
love — and faith, and hope.'
Christianity's
New Center
Philip Jenkins, the author of 'The Next Christianity' in the October Atlantic, argues that
most Americans and Europeans are blind to Christianity's real future.
Christmas messages from around the Communion (2006)
the Archbishop of Canterbury (English), (Spanish)
(French) (Arabic)
(Portuguese) (Korean)
(Dutch); the Archbishops
of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, Aotearoa and Polynesia; the Archbishop
of the Church in Wales (no Welsh version); the Primate
of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil (Portuguese only); the
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church; the
Archbishop of Hong Kong; the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
USA; Bishop of Tokyo (Japanese only); the
Primate of the Church of Nigeria; the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada; the
Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia; and the Archbishop
of the Church of Ireland.
Christ's
new mission statement
Chris Hardwick muses in The Guardian about the fading habit of attending church and what's required to change that.
The Church and Homosexuality
A thorough study of the Bible and homosexuality by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
A
church asunder
Peter Boyer writes for the New Yorker about the current state of the US Episcopal Church.
The
Church can't stop people from falling in love
In The Observer, Rachel Cooke offers a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at varied churches and people in the C of E, from the rapidly-growing
'evangelicals' to the 'radically tolerant'.
Church
Commissioners Report 2005
Released on 26 April 2006, the Church Commissioners Report for 2005 indicates a 19.1 percent return on the Church of England's investment
during the last year. 'The Commissioners' total expenditure in 2005 was £166.1 million (£163.8 million in 2004). Total non-pensions
expenditure, including support for ministry within dioceses and for the ministry of bishops and cathedrals, totalled £65.8 million
in 2005 – an increase of £2.2 million on the previous year.
The
Church Goes On
American Episcopal priest Ivor Hughes reflects in The Living Church (Milwaukee) on his optimism about an exciting future for the
parishes he serves, despite difficult times in national church politics. 'Is a possible break-up the only topic of the agenda around
the country? Are there other congregations simply trying to get on with their mission and ministry without pressing the self-destruct
button?'
A
Church in Need
Weekend America, a US public radio programme, recently featured a story about St John's Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The parish is
having to choose between preserving its architectural heritage or continuing its commitment to community outreach.
Church
joins university 'milk round' in hunt for young vicars
Elizabeth Day reports in The Telegraph.
The
Church must not sway to the siren voice of postmodern culture
Geoffrey Rowell writes in the Times (London): 'Faithfulness to the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and handed down in
the living tradition of the Church, is what must be both taught and lived if there is to be a true and challenging witness to the cultured
despisers of today.'
A
Church Opens in France
Carlyn Reynier writes in the Guardian (London) on the Church of the Holy Trinity in Nice, France. 'The church has two priorities, says
Canon Letts: to serve God, and to serve his people. Financially that makes life tricky.'
Church
seeks spirituality of youth . . . and doesn't like what it finds, by Ruth Gledhill
From the Times (London) Gledhill writes that the 'Church of England has debunked the widely held view that young people are spiritual
seekers on a journey to find transcendent truths to fill the "God-shaped hole" within them'.
A
Church that Matters?
With contributors including the Archbishop of York, head of the Church Commissioners Andreas Whittam Smith, and some of the church's "frontline"
parish priests, Andrew Brown asks how far the Church of England can continue to matter in English national life. Originally broadcast
on BBC Radio 4, Thursday, 21 November, 2002, a transcript
of the programme is available.
Church
to impose 'rule book' of beliefs
In The Telegraph, by Jonathan Wynne-Jones.
ChurchArt
A valuable UK resource for anyone considering adding art work of any kind to their parish. Among other things the site includes an artist
locator and how to organize and fund commissioned art for your church. It
might serve as a model for other such sites. 'Churchart exists to encourage artists, congregations, and those involved in the care
of churches to foster and engage the arts in the life of the church.'
Churches!
The Ecclesiological Society, founded in 1879 in England, is devoted to all aspects of church life, furnishings, history, architecture
and liturgy. You'll find wonderful links and monthly essays on everything from Medieval Scratch sundials to this month's "How
Do We Keep our Parish Churches?"
Church's
historic home in the City
Michael Byrne and G. R. Bush write in the Times (London) on St Mary-le-Bow in the City of London. 'A parish without residents or Sunday
services provokes envy in other clergy and puzzlement in lay people. Why should such a parish survive?'
The
Civil War still rages on
Giles Fraser, writing in the Church Times, argues that the Church
of England General Synod gives lie to the notion that the English Civil War ended in the 17th century.
Clergy
Need Help to Love Their Congregants as Themselves
Jonathan Romain writes in the Times (London). 'A recent report on the Church of England, The Future of the Parish System, revealed tales
of in-fighting, bullying and malicious gossip at variance with the genteel image of church life. It seems that some Anglican clergy spend
as much time separating warring factions and avoiding psychotic congregants as they do preaching the gospel of love.'
C
of E, RIP
The Anglican church's infighting about gays masks the real issue—that its days are numbered. In The Guardian, Theo Hobson argues
that the current row over homosexuality is really an argument about the structure of the church.
Collected
Papers Presented to the United Methodist-Episcopal Church Dialogue 2002-2006
This large PDF presents 13 papers on historical, doctrinal, disciplinary and ecclesiological matters considered in Methodist-Anglican
discussions in the United States.
A columbarium of Episcopal-search websites
A few weeks ago Anglicans Online asked: 'Where do bishop-search websites go after the elections are complete?' Douglas LeBlanc solves
the mystery.
'I have found that some dioceses, such as New
Hampshire, link to archive pages that offer the profile information on the elected bishop, along with the diocesan profile
from the time. (Most profiles of unelected nominees do seem to fade into the ether.) I found archives for New
Jersey and Oregon through Google. Louie
Crew's Episcopal Elections and Retirements page sometimes leads to pages that still list nominees, such as those for Nebraska and Western
Louisiana. Louie maintains this wonderful page that helps
election geeks like remember me who has run — where, when, and how many times. Bishop Clay Matthews of the Episcopal Office
of Pastoral Development has said he urges search committees to leave their websites in place for a time after an election, rather
than taking them down immediately, to preserve the dignity of unelected nominees. Episcopal News Service did this in the case of
the Presiding Bishop's election.The overall lesson is clear, though: If you find an especially thoughtful or quirky profile of
a nominee, it's best to save a copy on your hard drive'.
Douglas LeBlanc, Virginia
Coming
over to America to help
a statement from the Church of Nigeria about why it is opening a mission to America.
Commercialisation
of Childhood
The Archbishop of Canterbury's interview in connection with a recent report on advertising and childhood.
Commitment
or Numbers
The Guardian (London) carries this article by David Self. 'If the church prefers commitment to numbers, that is its prerogative. If,
on social issues, it wishes to be out-of-step with public opinion, that is its decision. If, as a result, it appears irrelevant, it must
not be surprised if it loses the perks of being part of the establishment.'
Communication
Breakdown
Leanne Larmondin, writing in Canada's Anglican Journal, offers an editorial opinion about the role of real communication in the global
church.
Communion
Matters: A Study Document for the Episcopal Church
On 1 June 2007 the Theology Committee of the US Episcopal Church released this 'document aimed at helping the bishops respond to the
requests made to them by the Primates of the Anglican Communion'. Background information is
available here.
Communists,
counterfeiters, and Catholics
The recently-retired Bishop of California writes about breakaway not-in-communion Anglican denominations.
Companions
of Life
Philip Jenkins writes in Books and Culture (Chicago) on 'the dramatic shift southward in world Christianity'. 'Christians of European
descent should learn that they are not necessarily the norm within the Christian tradition, still less the authentic core; nor, perhaps,
have they ever been. And whether they like it or not, the rules will continue to change and evolve, because that is the nature of growth.'
Complete
in the Beauty of Holiness: Anglican Identity and Aesthetics
[NOTE: This is a PDF file.] A lecture given by Mr Bruce Russell on 5 February 2003 at Saint Mark's Church, Saskatoon, as part of a series,
Anglican Distinctives, organized by the College of Emmanuel and Saint Chad for the Diocese of Saskatoon.
'Complex
reality at street level'
Arthur Jones of the National Catholic Reporter (USA) writes about the Revd Alice Callaghan, an Episcopal priest who was previously an
RC nun, and her community centre for garment workers in Los Angeles.
A
Confident Priesthood, by George Reindorp
George Reindorp (1911-90) was Provost of Southwark Cathedral 1957-61, and Bishop of Guildford 1961-73, and of Salisbury 1973-81. This
edited excerpt is from George Reindorp at St Stephen's 1946-1957: A Confident Priesthood, extracted from an unpublished biography by
John S. Peart-Binns. (Editor's comment: A delight.)
Conquer
the Sodomites
The Sydney Morning Herald published, in its Opinion section, a mock 'parish newsletter' whose purpose is presumably to poke fun at the
obsession with sex in the Diocese of Sydney.
Contemporary
Images of Christ
The Cathedral of St Paul in London has opened a major new exhibit that is the first in a linked series of different events that will
take place in six cathedrals throughout Britain in 2004. Click
here for news coverage.
Contending
with Anglican Realignment
In The Witness (USA), the Reverend Mark Harris writes: 'For a very brief period of time -- less than 160 years -- Episcopalians have
been able to point to the shadow of something almost solid that we called the Anglican Communion, and in which we took comfort. But it
was hard to define the nature of this Anglican Communion...'
Controlling
Church Energy Costs
by Michael O'Loughlin. From The Living Church (Milwaukee): 'According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if the 300,000-plus houses
of worship in the United States reduced energy use by 25 percent, they would save nearly $500 million that could be used more productively
for their mission priorities.'
Conversations
with Rowan Williams
In Autumn 2003 Channel 4 in the UK broadcast a series of conversations with the the Archbishop of Canterbury and four distinguished guests,
in which the Archbishop aired his views on a number of controversial contemporary issues. Only programme one is available (requires RealVideo),
but it's very much worth viewing.
Converting
to the RCL
Alan Lewis of Calvary Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania writes in The Living Church (Milwaukee) on lectionary change afoot.
The
Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas is a dangerous overreach
Mark Harris writes in his Preludium.
Covenant
This new website of reflection and commentary shows unusual promise. 'We are evangelical and catholic Anglicans, and fellow travelers
from the wider household of God, assembled and summoned to a common labor in the ecumenical Church of Christ, not least through the
present struggles and gifts of our communities.'
Creditor
Complex
by Rowan Williams. This article on William Tyndale is an edited extract from Christian Imagination in Poetry and Polity: Some
Anglican voices from Temple to Herbert by Rowan Williams [Fairacres Press, £3.50; 0-7283-0162-8].
The
creed that leads from Bunyan to Bridget Jones
'For 500 years, Protestantism has defined Britain. It still does, but in vibrant new forms of worship'. Tristram Hunt makes the case
in The Observer.
Crumbling
churches pray for £925m
The Guardian reports that repairing England's crumbling churches will require £925 million. Let us pray, indeed.
Cultural
Vandalism
Christopher Ohlson writes in the Guardian (London) on hymns in the Church of England.
Cutting
down a Christmas Tree in Vermont
National Public Radio (US) has this good story on how one Vermonter harvested his family's Christmas tree this year.
CyberFaith:
how Americans pursue religion online
A followup report to Wired Churches, from the Pew Internet Project.
Da Vinci Code
The Church of England created a webpage to explore some of the controversial issues the film raises: The
Da Vinci Code: Making your mind up.
The
dangers of unbalancing the 'broad church' of Anglicanism
In The (London) Times, Bishop Geoffrey Rowell ponders the genius of the Church of England.
Daring
To Be a Different Church
Patrick Gahan writes in The Living Church (Milwaukee) on the prospect of leaving ministry and some alternatives to it.
Dear
Rowan
The Guardian (London) republished an 'open letter' to the Archbishop of Canterbury by famed religion writer Andrew Brown.
Defender
of the Faith
Philip Jenkins, writing in The Atlantic (US), profiles Archbishop Peter Akinola.
Defending
the faith
Omayma Abdel-Latif, writing in Al-Ahram (Cairo), argues that Christianity in the US has been hijacked by extremist fanatics.
A
defensive, Canute-like position
Tom Horwood writes in the Guardian (London) on religious contributions to public debates. 'Today's increasingly aggressive attacks on
the role of religion in public life—whether against faith schools, grants to religious organisations or politicians who articulate
belief—will only be countered by reasoned argument that offers solutions to the dilemmas that decision-makers face.'
Desert
Songs
The Coptic monasteries of Egypt were plundered by the Victorians for their priceless early manuscripts. Now the texts are being restored
and reunited—as a virtual collection. Stuart Jeffries, writing in The Guardian, is entranced by their timeless beauty.
Desmond
Tutu warns against fundamentalism
The Associated Press reports that Desmond Tutu, retired Archbishop of Cape Town, warned that religious fundamentalism is on the rise
worldwide.
The Devil
is Real
The Reverend Lloyd Prator, an Episcopal priest in the USA, writes at beliefnet.com: 'I was skeptical about whether the exorcisms I performed
were doing anything—until an unseen force grabbed my hand'.
Dietrich
Bobhoeffer: The Archbishop of Canterbury's speech
at the opening of the International Bonhoeffer Congress, University
of Wroclaw, Poland: 'Dietrich Bonhoeffer was in no way a theologian who wished to be defined by negations. In his prison letters, he
deplores the tendency of religious apologists to concentrate on the weaknesses of the secular world-view ....'
A different
kind of truth: finding love and redemption in the Anglican Church
Princeton student, Emily Garcia, tells her story.
A Different
Set of Questions
Is the press ready to cover the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA? We thought it timely to look again at a June
2006 article written by Diana Winston for the Revealer.
Dismantling
the barriers to belief
The first in a series of articles in the Church Times by Alister McGrath. The remainder are The
attempt to disprove God; Reports
of the death of God are greatly exaggerated; and Reconnecting
with our storytelling roots.
Diversity
of belief is a very Anglican tradition
Martyn Percy writes in the Guardian on Anglican diversity: 'schismatic tendencies in Anglicanism would appear to relate to authority,
theology and ecclesial power. But this takes little account of the fact that such tensions have existed within Anglicanism from the outset.'
A divided
Episcopal Church?
Peter Steinfels, writing in the New York Times, reflects on what a split in the church might be.
The
Divine Compassion has steel as well as serenity
Geoffrey Rowell writes in the Times (London) on compassion in Buddhism and in Christianity.
Do They
Like Me?
United Methodist pastor James Howell writes in The Christian Century (Chicago) on the importance — or ultimate non-importance — of
likeability in pastoral ministry.
The
Doctor and the Vicar
The Sydney Morning Herald tracks the PR storms and blog battles that followed its publication last week about a situation in the Diocese
of Sydney.
Does
a bear live in the woods?
The Guardian reports that Rowan Williams, soon to become Archbishop of Canterbury, believes in the Bible.
Dome,
sweet dome
Lisa Jardine writes in The Guardian about Christopher Wren and St Paul's.
Don't call them
Conservatives
Teresa Mathes, on the website of San Diego's St Paul's Cathedral, argues that the religious lobbyists who call themselves 'conservatives'
are not that at all.
Don't
call us evangelicals
Thinking Anglicans has located, assembled, and annotated the Church Times' publication of an important new article by Theo Hobson.
Drive
for multi-faith Britain deepens rifts, says Church
In the Telegraph, Jonathan Wynne-Jones writes that 'The Church of England has launched an astonishing attack on the Government's drive
to turn Britain into a multi-faith society'.
Dumbed
Down
Timothy Renick writes in the Christian Century (Chicago) on 'what Americans don't know about religion'. 'surveys show that the majority
of Americans cannot name even one of the four Gospels. Only one-third know that it was Jesus who delivered the Sermon on the Mount, and
10 percent think that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.'
E-Seminary
The Living Church (Milwaukee) reports on an effort of the Diocese of Iowa to provide easy online access to seminary education.
An
Easter Message from the Primate
Andrew S. Hutchison addresses the Anglican Church of Canada in light of his recent visit to the World Council of Churches meeting in
Brazil.
Easter's
hawks and doves
Sin must be paid for with blood—that view of the crucifixion leads to support for capital punishment and war, writes Giles Fraser
in The Guardian (UK).
Edward
Heath
The obituary in the Church Times contain some delightful anecdotes. (Hands up everyone who knew the former prime minister was once an
editor at that newspaper.)
The
Electronic Collection Plate
Douglas LeBlanc writes in The Living Church (Milwaukee) on the phenomenon of electronic donations for church purposes. Anglicans
Online, by the way, has its own electronic collection plate to help keep
our computers running.
Emerging
Church
The Revd Paul Roberts, writing for Thinking Anglicans, reflects on the Emerging Church movement.
Epiphany Reflections 2007
Three good reflections on the Epiphany: From Geoffrey Rowell in
the Times (London); from Christopher Howse
in the Telegraph (London); and from Judith Maltby in the Guardian (London).
The
Episcopal Church at Its Best
The Living Church (Milwaukee) carries this story on a diocesan consecration that was 'a refreshing mixture of appropriate pageantry,
the kind of personal familiarity one normally finds at a wedding rehearsal dinner, and a hopeful grasping of closeness among all present'.
Episcopal Church Network
for Science, Technology, and Faith
'Facilitates dialogue between [the US Episcopal Church] and members of the scientific, technical, and medical communities; to be an educational
resource for this Church, its seminaries, and the wider Christian community; and to provide guidelines in Christian ethics for use in
everyday decisions within contemporary American culture'.
Episcopal
Dissidents, African Allies: The Anglican Communion and the Globalization of Dissent
This dissertation was submitted in May 2004 by Dr. Miranda K. Hassett to the Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill. This online version is a 1.1MB Adobe Acrobat file; a revised and shortened version of this text is under contract for publication
with Princeton University Press.
Episcopal
laypeople and evangelism
A graduate student in the USA is doing a survey to determine if there is a correlation between denomination and evangelism. If you are
associated with a US Episcopal church, please consider taking this survey.
Episcopal
split brings leadership opportunity
An editorial in the Nashville City Paper about opportunities for moral leadership.
Episcopalian
groups struggling to preserve unity
Associated Press reports on efforts to organize against schism in those dioceses whose bishops have been pushing for separation.
epiScope
'An episcope is an optical device for projecting flat opaque images, like postcards, prints, photographs, pages of books, but also three-dimensional
objects.' It is also the name of the new official weblog of the Episcopal Church USA.
Evangelicals
are strict, not stupid
Colin Sedgewick, writing in The Guardian, argues against the stereotype that evangelicals are not intelligent.
The
Eve of destruction
Karen Armstrong, writing in The Guardian (London), notes that all religions have had a problem with women and sex, Christianity more
than most.
Every Voice Network
The Anglican Voices United for Justice site contains liturgical, educational and sermon resources in time of war. Most notable may be
the resources dealing with talking to youth. The site contains many more topics.
Everyman's
History of the Prayer Book, by Percy Dearmer.
This classic is now online, well formatted, and worth your time. Note the Family
Tree of the Prayer Book.
Evil-minded parishioners making
life hell for clergy
Ruth Gledhill reports in The Times (London).
The
example of Jesus points the way to a meaningful pattern of prayer
Bishop Geoffrey Rowell writes in the Credo column of the Times (London). 'To know God is to seek for Him continually. In praying
we reach out to our Creator who both reveals and hides Himself, “smiting on the dark cloud with the dart of our longing love” as
that medieval Christian treatise The Cloud of Unknowing puts it'.
Exodus.
Numbers. Judges
As conservative parishes leave the liberal Episcopal Church, who shall inherit the real estate? Elizabeth Austin weighs the issue in
the journal Legal Affairs.
Face
to Faith
David Bryant, writing in The Guardian, talks about faith, guilt, and sin.
Face
to Faith
Church liturgy needs to use more metaphors in order to help people communicate with God in new ways, says Glynn Cardy.
Face
to Faith: A carnival of Christianity
In the Guardian (UK), Theo Hobson writes on why 'Christian culture needs to cultivate an anarchic lightness, a lust for freedom, a celebratory
spirit. It needs to learn from the boom in festival culture'.
The
Facts about a Misreported Mass
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph (London). 'Most things that the press says about the Tridentine Mass are wrong.'
Failure
is one of the greatest gifts bestowed on the faithful
Jonathan Sacks writes in the Times (London).
Faith
Communities in a Civil Society
Rowan Williams provides a Christian perspective in this address delivered on 10 September 2007. 'the presence of the Church, not as a
clamorous interest group but as a community confident of its rootedness in something beyond the merely political, expresses a vision
of human dignity and mutual human obligation which, because of its indifference to popular success or official legitimation, poses to
every other community a special sort of challenge'.
Faithful Cities
This important report from the Methodist Church of Great Britain and the Church of England, released on 22 May 2006, urges a new invigoration
of the churches' roles in urban communities. 'Faithful Cities is about the places we live and the way our lives are changing. Thinking
about cities, towns and other urban communities has involved us in thinking about citizenship, about politics and the challenges
God’s open future poses us as disciples. Getting urban policy right is of interest to all communities in our predominantly
urban society.' Reuters has
already commented, and so has the BBC.
The
Fat is in the Fire: The Network and the Windsor Action Covenant
by Mark Harris.
Father Matthew Presents
YouTube.com is not often where we look for fun in our spiritual life, but the Revd Matthew J. Moretz, new curate at St Paul's Church
in Yonkers, New York, is changing that. His weekly three-minute video blog — brimming with youth, creativity, and humour — is
addictive, like good candy. Do have a taste and see what you think.
'Fear
of Ideas: The Decline and Fall of Anglicanism'
An essay by Don Cupitt in The Guardian (London).
Few dioceses
are uniform in all their beliefs
An editorial in Canada's Anglican Journal.
Fewer Lords
Spiritual, or none at all
Paul Bickley writes in the Church Times (London) on the future of episcopal membership in the House of Lords. A related document was
released last month by the Theos thinktank for public theology: Coming
off the bench: The past, present and future of religious representation in the House of Lords.
Find
your own desert during Lent
In the Guardian Jane Shaw considers two central questions for Lent: who is our tempter and where is our desert?
Fireproofing
the house
Douglas LeBlanc interviews N. T. Wright for Christianity Today about the Windsor report. Dr Wright is Bishop of Durham. He also
wrote 'Blindly embracing diversity will damage unity' for The
Guardian.
First
handmade bible for 500 years
A team of artists from Monmouthshire is working on producing the first handwritten and illuminated bible to be commissioned for centuries.
A look at the state of the holy book being created for St John's Abbey in Minnesota.
Five
Talents
Craig Cole writes in The Living Church (Milwaukee) on a micro-credit programme sponsored by the Central Philippines and Five Talents
International. The Millennium Development Goals 'have become almost a rallying cry in The Episcopal Church, and they have released a
wonderful rush of energy to assist the world’s poorest. In another positive aspect, the goals are agreed upon by many members of
our denomination no matter where they stand on other issues.'
Five
Ways to Ease the Pane
One of five stained-glass window designs will finally replace a London church window shattered in 1940, writes Tim Adams in the Guardian.
The
Flowering of Exeter's Carvings
Christopher Howse writes in The Telegraph (London) on the roof-bosses of Exeter Cathedral.
A Fond
Thing, Vainly Invented
Richard Mouw writes in the Christian Century (Chicago) on prayers with/to/through the saints. 'I am still not ready to start talking
with Christians who have already gone on to heaven. But I am more aware of how many of us in the Protestant world operate with a too-small
circle of Christian fellow travelers.'
Foreign
Archbishops Flock to U.S. Congregations
American National Public Radio featured this piece in its Weekend Edition Sunday programme. 'In the past two years, there's been a flurry
of reverse colonization as archbishops from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Bolivia and Singapore have taken conservative Episcopal churches
under their wings.'
Forgiveness
in a Culture Stripped of Grace
The Times (London) has published this extract from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2006, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving
in a Culture Stripped of Grace, by Miroslav Volf.
'A
Fourth Way: On the Anglican Communion as an Ecumenical Fellowship'
Mark Harris, a priest of the Episcopal Church in the USA, looks at the limits of communion: 'I would (in good company) contend that (i)
for most Episcopalians there is nothing about the Episcopal Church that requires fixing (outside our normal processes of perfecting our
life together) and that (ii) there is no power in the Anglican Communion to fix it anyway, for the Anglican Community is a glorious example
of Ecumenical Hospitality, not an example of patriarchal ecclesiology'.
From bone
box to big screen, Jesus reconsidered
Abraham McLaughlin surveys the field in the Christian Science Monitor (USA).
From
Childhood Dreams of Priesthood to a Bishop’s Chair
The New York Times reports on 'the Rev. Laura J. Ahrens [who] is set to become Connecticut’s first female Episcopal bishop'.
From
Sex Pistols to Shadowmancer
Bob Smietana, writing in Christianity Today, comments on the life of Graham Taylor, English priest, author, and former roadie for the
Sex Pistols.
From
Uganda to York, shaped by the saints and martyrs
Sarah Meyrick, writing in the Church Times, comments on the new Archbishop of York.
'Fundamental
issues'
The Rt Revd Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, writes in The Guardian about Islam and Christianity.
The
Future Priest
Peter J. Surrey writes in The Living Church (Milwaukee). 'Who is best equipped to serve with distinction, the church in troubled times?
Given that we are always faced with changing conditions, what is the best human model to seek as a candidate for the priesthood? To many,
including myself, these are among the most important questions facing the Anglican Communion.'
Gay
communion
Stephen Bates, writing in The Guardian, reflects on why it is the Anglican church that is most obsessed with what gays get up to in the
privacy of their bedrooms.
Gay
spouses will need legal divorce
Political correspondent Gaby Hinsliff, writing in The Observer (London) notes that gay couples who split up face paying 'alimony' to
ex-partners.
George
Packard, military bishop
Phil Jones, writing in Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, interviews the Rt Revd George Packard, Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies, Episcopal
Church of the USA.
Getting
out of hell isn't easy
Christopher Howse, writing in The Telegraph, suggests that people aren't adequately afraid of being consigned to hell.
Gift
choices prove Magi were women
Willy Trolove, writing in the New Zealand Herald, pokes fun at one of the more widely-publicised segments of the recent General Synod
of the Church of England.
The Gift Outright
Dr Michael Poon and Mark
Macdonald, Bishop of Alaska, engage in dialogue about 'our common future'. Macdonald writes: 'Though it may seem absurd or amazing
or both, it appears, at least from the perspective of mainline church institutions that the Gospel is just now about to find its first
real home in North America'.
Girl
meets God: Memoir of a spiritual journey
Dale Neal writes in the Citizen-Times (Asheville, North Carolina) about Lauren Winner's conversion to Anglicanism.
Giving
up Christmas for Advent
Stephen Tomkins writes in the Guardian (UK) about fasting before feasting. 'It seems to me that, for all our hedonism, our fasting forebears
enjoyed their revelries more than we do, because they had to wait for them. We are like kids who peep through the wrapping paper.'
GlobalGood.org
'Produced by the [US] Episcopal Church's Office of Communication and launched on April 20 in observance of Earth Day 2007, this web site
is a tool to support your involvement in the top churchwide mission priority set by the 75th General Convention: peace and justice
ministries framed by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.'
Go
to work on Christmas
Digby Anderson, writing The Spectator, argues that you can avoid barbarity and blasphemy by making the Epiphany your big feast.
God
Has His Way
An interview in The Living Church (Milwaukee) with the new Latino/Hispanic missioner of the Episcopal Church USA.
God
in Peckham Rye
William Dalrymple, writing in The Guardian (London), argues that the characterization of Britain as anti-religious is not accurate.
'God
Is My Palm Pilot'
An essay by David Batstone and Bill Wylie-Kellermann in Sojourners: 'Is technology the tool of the devil? The primrose path to a better
life? Or something in between?'
God
of the Latté: Faith in the Suburbs
American Episcopalian author Lauren Winner has worthwhile words for 'Christians living in suburbia—and for those of us who share
in the sins of suburbanism from our perches in the country or the city'.
Goddard2Goddard
An InclusiveChurch/Fulcrum joint project of correspondence between
Andrew Goddard and Giles Goddard continues. There are now several letters from each contributor posted at Fulcrum and InclusiveChurch.
'We agreed just before Christmas to correspond with each other over the next few months on matters relating to the challenges facing
the Anglican Communion and the Church of England and to publish our exchanges online. The correspondence will appear on both the Fulcrum
and Inclusive Church sites although both of us are writing in a personal capacity.'
God's
will must override the dictates of feminism
Claire Smith writes, for the Sydney Morning Herald, a rebuttal to Muriel
Porter.
Going
to Church? Wear Your Thickest Skin
by Paul Handley. A Church Times special feature from December 2005. See also Good
manners put people at their ease, by John Lloyd; and Polite
poster campaign for 2006, by Christine Miles.
Goodbye,
Blog
Alan Jacobs writes in the current issue of Books and Culture (Chicago) on weblogs as 'the friend of information but the enemy
of thought'. 'I think first of the extraordinary anger that seems to be more present in the blogosphere than in everyday life. Debate
after debate—on almost every site I visit, including the ones devoted to Christianity—either escalates from rational discourse
into sneering and name-calling or just bypasses reason altogether and starts with the abuse.
God made me gay
Retired priest Bruce Lowe wrote this 'biblical affirmation of homosexuality' well before the current arguments started. We recognize
that this is the sort of piece that is likely to infuriate people whose opinion is different and bore those whose opinion is the
same, but we found it well written, not at all inflammatory, and worth reading.
God:
the Hollywood years
Scott Hughes, writing in The Guardian, reflects on the portrayal of God in the cinema.
Graphic
Violence
Alan Jacobs writes in Christianity Today's Books and Culture on Edward Tufte's 'profound respect for the power of well-chosen
designs—charts, graphs, outlines, and so on—to convey information quickly and powerfully'. Reading Tufte, 'You learn to try
out various ways to organize information—historically, thematically, geographically—and in the process you force yourself
to reconsider the way you habitually organize data in your own head'.
Green Church Awards 2007
The Church Times Green Church Awards have been established 'to acknowledge, encourage and support the practical environmental work done
by churches and their congregations; to spread the word about environmental action and encourage other congregations to get started;
and to celebrate good practice, by featuring the shortlisted projects in the Church Times and at an Awards ceremony'. Entries end
on 30 June 2007.
Groping
at shadows in a darkened room
Chris McGillion, writing in the Sydney Morning Herald, notes that religions have more in common than not; all are grasping for truth.
Guidelines
for Conversion
National Public Radio (Washington DC) carries this report from France on a set of new guidelines on conversion and missionary work proposed
by the World Council of Churches.
Halloween Choice
'Don't go grim this Halloween.' This fine site encourages a wide variety of choices for consumers in their decisions about Halloween.
'co-ordinated by the Communications Office of the Church of England-Diocese of Manchester'.
Have
you told your mum yet?
An anonymous woman narrates the story of her son's courage in revealing to his parents that he is gay.
The
Heartlands of Anglicanism
The Most Reverend Njongonkulu Ndungane, the Archbishop of Cape Town, has written this substantial reflection for the consideration of
the primates of the communion. 'We will find authentic Anglican answers if we conduct our debate within the fertile territory of the
rich Anglican heartlands, engaging with one another in a godly spirit of tolerance, trust and charity, and having confidence in the living
tradition of our Anglican structures, as part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, through which the Lord has preserved us,
guided us and led us, so mercifully in the past.'
Heaven
is the loser
Peter Stanford, published in the New Zealand Herald, writes joyfully about Desmond Tutu.
Hell
hits back
The Guardian (London) offers an editorial on the topic of Hell, responding in part to Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor's essay in
The Spectator and in part to a column in the Church Times (only in its paper edition, alas).
High
pressure, long hours and low pay—the life of a vicar is no longer a tea party
The Telegraph's Cassandra Jardine finds out what it takes to be a vicar in the 21st century.
The hijacking
of a Ship of Faith
Brian Williams writes from St Paul-within-the-walls, in Rome, on the conflict
in our church today.
A
historian opposed to preservation
Rachel Harden interviews Sir Roy Strong in the Church Times about coronations and the need to alter churches.
Homophobia
and the Global South
Simon Sarmiento, writing in Thinking Anglicans, has filed this report on a recent study by Amnesty International of the persecution of
gays.
Hope
for the Hereafter Nourishes the Urge to Live Better in a Grim Present
by Stephen Plant in The Times (London), who writes: 'belief in life after death need not be a distraction from belief in life before
death — it can be its motivation.'
How
I learnt to love atheists
John Ward writes in The Guardian about atheism, religion, and what they have in common.
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