Clatworthy, The Rev'd Jonathan

God, government and Christian Nationalism – Guest Editotial

God, government and Christian Nationalism – Guest Editotial

Guest Editor The Rev'd Jonathan Clatworthy writes in his Editorial on 'God government and Christian Nationalism': Britain is getting through its prime ministers at speed. David Cameron lasted a whole six years, but in the last ten since then we have had May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak and Starmer. As I write Starmer is already being plotted away. They have all been opposed by a growing movement often calling itself ‘Christian nationalism’, much to the annoyance of both politicians and church leaders. Why is this happening? Who should govern us? And why should the rest of us consent? ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2026-05-19T17:29:36+00:00By Clatworthy, The Rev'd Jonathan|Tags: Politics|

REVIEW: Anthony Swindell, Going to Extremes in Biblical Rewritings: Radical Literary Retellings of Biblical Tropes

REVIEW: Anthony Swindell, Going to Extremes in Biblical Rewritings: Radical Literary Retellings of Biblical Tropes

Jonathan Clatworthy writes in his review: This book illustrates the literary reception of the Bible. The ‘extremes’ are the freedom which many writers bring to rewriting biblical stories. Some rewritings are antagonistic to the biblical text, the ‘hypotext’. Some use it as a departure point for a quite different development. Some amplify the hypotext, some condense it. There are prequels and sequels. Some change the tone, making it tragic or comic. Some give greater emphasis to minor biblical characters, or introduce new characters. Sometimes the viewpoint of the narration changes. For example The Dream of the Rood moves the viewpoint of the Crucifixion from that of an onlooker to that of the cross. ...

2023-10-28T17:56:18+00:00By Clatworthy, The Rev'd Jonathan|Tags: Believable Christianity|

The House of Bishops on gay marriage – Part two of a two-part study

The House of Bishops on gay marriage – Part two of a two-part study

In this second contribution to the current debate on gay marriage and the C of E's House of Bishops Report, the Rev'd Jonathan Clatworthy concludes: Reflecting on that whole history of church teaching about sexual ethics, one cannot help noticing that the changes since the early 1960s have been remarkably fast. I suspect this means three things. Firstly, the changes have been much needed. Secondly, younger people find it hard to understand why their parents and grandparents behaved as they did. Thirdly, we are left with much unfinished business. A century ago, there was a clearly understood ethical tradition about sex: it was only for childbearing within marriage. That tradition was sanctioned by a widely accepted moral authority, the Christian churches. Now, there is no clearly understood ethical system. If any principle is emerging as a criterion of acceptable sex, it is simply consent between the parties. In the process, the moral authority of the churches has collapsed. So far, nothing has replaced it. As long as the ecclesiastical leadership continues to tear itself apart over gay marriage, the general public cannot forget why the churches are no longer seen as a moral authority. ...

2023-02-06T23:27:53+00:00By Clatworthy, The Rev'd Jonathan|

Recent debates on same-sex partnerships – Part one of a two-part study

Recent debates on same-sex partnerships – Part one of a two-part study

The Rev'd Jonathan Clatworthy concludes: I therefore believe the Church of England’s leadership is trying to do the impossible. No institution can be run on the basis of the two competing epistemologies we have inherited from the Reformation. Either it can be run on the basis that biblical texts, read literally, determine what all true Christians must believe, or it can be run on the ‘classic Anglican’ basis in which the Bible, the Christian tradition and the reasoning powers of the current Church all play a part. It is impossible to run the same church in both ways at once. What the Church of England needs now is not better management techniques or better reconciliation processes, but better theology ...

2023-02-06T23:33:23+00:00By Clatworthy, The Rev'd Jonathan|