Ekklesia | Columns | The Jonathan Bartley Column

Why Humanists aren’t asking the right question

Jonathan Bartley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:49:16 +0000

Some religious, and specifically Christian, commentators are a bit miffed that the money they have given to the Atheist bus campaign has been rolled over to support another poster drive which raises questions about the religious identity of children in the context of faith schools. It would be interesting to see whether they would support a question about how Jesus might run a school, says Jonathan Bartley.

Give freedom a chance

Jonathan Bartley — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:33:14 +0000

Remembrance commemorations focus only on one, contested, idea of freedom. It needs to change to embrace freedom in all its fullness, says Jonathan Bartley

Thought for the Day must reform or die

Jonathan Bartley — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:52:56 +0000

Those responsible for Thought of the Day should learn a lesson from history, says former contributor Jonathan Bartley. When an institution does not reform, it loses its authority and credibility.

Why the churches should listen to what Nick Griffin said on Question Time

Jonathan Bartley — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:45:13 +0100

Whatever their views about the rights and wrongs of Nick Griffin’s appearance on Question Time last night, church leaders will now have to think long and hard about some of the arguments they employ.

Brown's TV decision

Jonathan Bartley — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:01:14 +0100

Will he or won't he? The BBC is suggesting that Gordon Brown may announce today in his conference speech that he will go head-to-head with the leaders of the other two main parties in a series of television debates. Brown should do the right thing says Jonathan Bartley.

Anger, love and climate change

Jonathan Bartley — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:50:21 +0100

Social and environmental change needs anger - but tempered by love, says Jonathan Bartley. Self-righteousness does not aid change, it merely lets ourselves and others off the hook.

How evangelicals are betraying their heritage

Jonathan Bartley — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:23:51 +0100

The new coalition of evangelical and Anglo-Catholic parishes launched within the Church of England, claiming to uphold the "traditional biblical view" on homosexuality was unlikley to have been considered in times gone by, says Jonathan Bartley

Ditchkins' demise?

Jonathan Bartley — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:09:57 +0100

Writing for the Guardian newspaper, Jonathan Bartley recaps the latest bout between religion and secularism. He reviews 'God Is Back: How the Revival of Religion is Changing the World' by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge and 'Reason, Faith, and Revolution: Reflections on the God Debate' by Terry Eagleton

Banking on the NHS

Jonathan Bartley — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:56:06 +0100

The bailout of the banks has left old assumptions about public finances behind. It's time to decide what our priorities are and look around for the money to fund them, says Jonathan Bartley

Churches and the rejuvenating of democracy

Jonathan Bartley — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:46:36 +0100

Churches could have a vital role to play in rejuvenating democracy, says Jonathan Bartley. But it needs to be through a faith-engagement with politics based on openness and change.

Christian values in schooling means ending discrimination

Jonathan Bartley — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:33:47 +0100

The Church of England has at last set out what is means by a "Christian ethos" in schooling, says Jonathan Bartley. Its espoused values are very positive. So now is the time to end discrimination in schools run by the church but funded by the general taxpayer.

A challenge to the church's integrity

Jonathan Bartley — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:41:25 +0100

Some Church of England leaders are complaining that others are stealing their opinion space in the media, says Jonathan Bartley. The answer is to act with integrity, rather than to demand attention.

Responding to the BNP over 'What Would Jesus Do?'

Jonathan Bartley — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:17:04 +0100

Given all the previous pronouncements about the BNP, why did the Archbishop of York and the Church of England refuse to answer the BNP when it asked what Jesus would do, asks Jonathan Bartley

We need mediators not agitators

Jonathan Bartley — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:47:27 +0000

Some Christians are crying 'persecution' when conflicts over belief arise in public life, says Jonathan Bartley. The way to halt this juggernaut of paranoia is to bring a lot more mediatory light, and far less antagonistic heat to the situations involved.

Hearing what children are saying

Jonathan Bartley — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:47:57 +0000

The whole point of the Children Society’s latest project was to hear what children were saying and to give them a voice, says Jonathan Bartley. But the world of adult decision-making does not really want to know.