Columns

Whose mission is it anyway?

Simon Barrow — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:21:32 +0100

Some section of the Anglican Communion are convinced that only their narrow vision of what is permissible in faithfulness to the Christian message is adequate, says Simon Barrow. But they are confounded by the biblical texts they claim loyalty to.

Moral practice and non-belief

Giles Fraser — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:59:17 +0100

Atheists are often criticising the ethics of religious belief, says Giles Fraser. But do they base their own moral practice too much on what they are against?

Gordon Brown’s search for purpose

Simon Barrow — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:59:27 +0100

Gordon Brown's recent poll humiliations have left him seeking to rebuild support, says Simon Barrow. The 'faith constituency' is one that he has a particular interest in - and it won't go away.

A real agency of transformation

Simon Barrow — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:53:01 +0100

'A love genuinely lived by a people joined to Christ for the sake of the world' is how Simon Barrow defines the mission of the church. It is about something more transformatory than projects or agencies alone, he says.

Why we need a prince of Peace

Jonathan Bartley — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:46:06 +0100

Why Prince William should carve out a new role for himself as peacemaker. As the recent focus on the growing death toll in Afghanistan brings into sharp relief, the best way to honour those affected by the disfigurement, maiming and killing which accompanies all wars, is not to glamorise those who do it.

Going leadership barmy

Simon Barrow — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:09:33 +0100

Now Cameron is up and Brown is down. But there is something unstable about the media-driven leadership swings and roundabouts, says Simon Barrow. Even so, the Prime Minister will have a job wooing the public.

A wonky church and welfare debate

Simon Barrow — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:07:04 +0100

When it comes to religion and public life, there is frequently unhelpful confusion in the debate, says Simon Barrow. Initial responses to the Von Hugel report on church and welfare illustrate this.

Moving religion from harm to healing

Simon Barrow — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:40:43 +0100

Religion that binds others with condemnation and superstition is far from the heart of the Gospel, says Simon Barrow. The church needs to face its arguments and seek to be a place of healing if it is to rediscover its global role.

Hearing hope through the babble

Simon Barrow — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:47:31 +0100

Globalisation constructed as top-down control and the triumph of the powerful needs to be disrupted by a different and gentler logic, says Simon Barrow. But will we choose Pentecost or Babel?

The struggle between good and bad religion

Giles Fraser — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:24:41 +0100

The struggle between good religion and bad religion is at a crucial juncture on te domestic and global stage, says Giles Fraser. He believes the Quilliam Foundation, a new Muslim think tank, can make a positive contribution.

Are Christians facing discrimination?

Jonathan Bartley — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:42:43 +0100

Constant Christian claims of discrimination don't hold water, says Jonathan Bartley. They are used to excuse privilege, and evade the more demanding self-giving dynamic of the Gospel.

Land of hope and glory?

Simon Barrow — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:03:19 +0100

The notion and shape of 'the land' means many things to many people, as the contradictory responses to this 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel are showing. Simon Barrow looks at the relationship between rootedness and aspiration.

Brown keeps politics in the family

Simon Barrow — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:41:36 +0100

Gordon Brown's political appointees represent corporate influence and PR savvy, says Simon Barrow. But is all this smoothness good for the soul of politics?

Why Christianity remains a novel idea

Jonathan Bartley — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:44:48 +0100

The Gospel has been much talked about but practically sidelined under Christendom, says Jonathan Bartley. Rediscovering the radicalism of Jesus' message is vital to the recovery of a proper public role for Christian faith.

True faith is always asking questions

Giles Fraser — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:34:36 +0100

Fundamentalism is a 20th-century invention, in many ways a response to the rapid social change brought about by modernity and global capitalism, says Giles Fraser. It is a perversion of religion, and in no way the real thing, let alone its 'heartbeat'.