Index & Papers - Anglicanism.org

An Eastertide Message: For a better Zambia. By Trevor Mwamba

An Eastertide Message: For a better Zambia. By Trevor Mwamba

The Rt Rev'd Trevor Mwamba, President of The United National Independence Party of Zambia (UNIP) writes in his Easter message: "The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." (Matthew 28:5-6) The angel’s statement to the women on the day of resurrection was profound. What did it mean to the women and to generations of believers since then? More significantly what does it mean for us? ...There are three Easter challenges we wish to highlight that Zambians are faced with ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-05-18T21:03:40+00:00By Mwamba, The Rt Rev'd Trevor|Tags: Culture & Faith|

So how might the Church keep up?

So how might the Church keep up?

Dr. Keven Hall writes: Matthew Syed in the Sunday Times (09/02/2025), writing of current distain for the institutions of democracy, exhorted western politicians to ‘find courage’. It might be said of church these days that, not just finding courage, but also combatting fears, are present necessities. Why do I write this? It’s all very well to make such exhortations, but how? How to find courage? How to combat fear? So how might church keep up? ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-05-14T21:33:31+00:00By Hall, Dr. Keven|

Review: Embarrassed – Living with a faith that makes no sense to my friends

Review: Embarrassed – Living with a faith that makes no sense to my friends

Book review: Embarrassed by Graham Turner - Living with a faith that makes no sense to my friends Dr. Margaret Jones writes - In this memoir Graham Turner is seeking to understand his ambivalence towards the Christianity which is depicted in the structures, language and worship of today’s churches. He fears that the church has become irrelevant to most people and an embarrassment to those who seek to follow Jesus and his message of love... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-04-20T20:41:36+00:00By Jones, Dr. Margaret|Tags: Theology|

Editorial: Are we our own worst enemy?

Editorial: Are we our own worst enemy?

The Editor: the Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes in his Lent editorial: So, a potentially ‘level-3’ threat asteroid is heading towards us at 38,000 mph with a 3.1% chance of hitting the earth. Increasingly, sophisticated astronomical observations are spotting more potential rock-like visitors coming from the region between the planets Mars and Jupiter and sometimes further afield still. Dystopian disaster movies and a better understanding of the ancient ages of the earth, on news of space debris coming our way, are always mindful of the epoch and evolutionary changing possibilities of another Dinosaur like extinction event. These usually resolve the crisis by sending a rocket to blow the culprit to smithereens (not wise) or much better to nudge a change in its trajectory. Interestingly, this latter scenario has been tried out successfully raising hopes for a safer future. Safer for what, we might reply? Very likely the rocket rescue concerned might come from a multi-billionaire with seemingly a huge amount of non-elected power. The same kind of power that could potentially turn off satellite navigation on a whim and plunge nations of the world into even more chaos. ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-03-17T12:52:21+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: War & Peace|

God’s Graffiti? – Guest Editorial

God’s Graffiti? – Guest Editorial

Professor Martyn Percy writes in his Guest Editorial: Undoubtedly the nation (by which I mean England) is now at a turning point in its history and culture. In 2034, the Church of England—a national Protestant church that decisively broke from Rome—will be 500 years old. Lambeth Palace has no plans to mark this event, as Anglicans are divided on whether this is their quincentenary. Some Anglicans think that the Church of England is a continuing Catholic church. That is not how the Vatican views this national Protestant denomination founded in Swiss-German Reformed theology. Unable to explain itself, the Church of England hierarchy stays quiet on such issues, doubtless hoping that keeping up appearances will obfuscate the reality. ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-01-22T22:01:54+00:00By Percy, Professor Martyn|Tags: Culture & Faith|

Renewing Communion: A queering of unity and colonialism

Renewing Communion: A queering of unity and colonialism

The Rev'd Dr. Charlie Bell summarises: The Anglican Communion as a trans-national and interdependent community of Christians is facing potential catastrophe. The Communion remains a creature of colonialism, both in the way it lives out its mission and in its structures. At the heart of the Communion’s breakdown in koinonia has been the ‘possibility’ of same-sex or same-gender love, something made somehow distinct and, as a result, problematised. This article considers the underlying complex dynamics of colonisation and the ongoing refusal of the Anglican Communion to engage in reflexive practice. The opportunity of redemption through queerness is identified, and the barriers to such a journey of hope in the Communion both engaged with and challenged. Similarly, the appeal to ‘unity’ is confronted and itself disrupted. Finally, the intrinsic relationship between decolonisation and queerness is identified and celebrated as a key to a healthy future for what it means to be Anglican. ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-01-17T20:24:25+00:00By Bell, The Rev'd Dr. Charlie|Tags: Sex & Sexuality|

Lived Mission in 21st Century Britain – Ecumenical and Postcolonial Perspectives

Lived Mission in 21st Century Britain – Ecumenical and Postcolonial Perspectives

The Rev'd Dr. Adrian Hough in his review of 'Lived Mission in 21st Century Britain - Ecumenical and Post Colonial Perspectives' writes: This is a good book; indeed, this is a very good book and an important book. If more people were to read it than ever will and if they were to then act upon what they had read, British Society would be improved and our churches would be more vibrant and effective at sharing the Good News that God has for everyone. As the existence of editors implies, this is actually a book of essays, fifteen in all, together with an introduction and a concluding discussion. The authors come from a wide range of backgrounds and denominations (although there are rather more men than women) and they were all asked to address the subject of Mission as a lived experience. In case the reader was unaware of the distinction, the editors also make it clear that Mission is not the same as Evangelism nor is it explicitly about evangelism. ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2024-12-30T17:50:43+00:00By Hough, The Rev'd Dr. Adrian|Tags: Culture & Faith|

Expensive votes for sale this Christmas but still no room at the inn?

Expensive votes for sale this Christmas but still no room at the inn?

The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson in his Editorial writes: During the Christmas season and on the cusp of what seems to have the potential to be an annus horribilis in 2025 news is being generated (like the carol ‘We three Kings’ “Westward leading, still proceeding”) from the United States. We learn that an unelected billionaire sidekick to the incoming/returning American President is extending his reach even unto the United Kingdom. The Reform Party a recent right-wing arrival on the British electoral scene, which specialises (like most far right parties) in agitating about immigration has apparently been offered a huge sum of money to support its electoral endeavours. Should this come about by one means or another it would seriously distort British politics and represent both foreign interference and the purchase of voting intentions. It should be noted in this respect that the precursor to the Reform Party was the Brexit Party whose eager embrace of the mantra “Take Back Control” that assisted in the disastrous exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union has reversed position by effectively being willing to cede control to the United States! ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-01-17T20:27:20+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Politics|

Archiepiscopal vacancy

Archiepiscopal vacancy

The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson, Editor: Anglicanism.org writes in his latest Editorial - The recent resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury, at first resisted, became almost inevitable. The astonishing and appalling nature of the sado-masochistic proclivities inflicted on well over a hundred young male victims in the UK and then in South Africa and Zimbabwe, by the late John Smyth QC in the name of religion have ensured that there would eventually be collateral damage, not least on the victims themselves. It is the Church of England under which auspices Smyth operated that must be most alarmed..... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2024-11-20T15:22:47+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|

When will it ever end?

When will it ever end?

The Editor: The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes in the latest Editorial - On Saturday 7th October 2023 the fifth war of the Gaza/Israel conflict began when Hamas-led militant groups led a surprise attack on Israel. This resulted in the deaths of 1,915 Israeli and foreign nationals including 815 civilians. Further, 251 hostages were taken captive into Gaza with the stated aim to release Palestinian prisoners and detainees. ... The Israeli reprisal invasion of Gaza that followed has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians and enormous destruction of property and homes in Gaza. The subsequent steady enlargement of the conflict from both sides has continued in a steady escalation of the war with incursions by the Israelis into both Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. This has drawn the Shiite powerful non-state militia Hezbollah into the conflict and the background influence of Iran has become increasingly obvious. ...CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2024-10-18T13:06:41+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: War & Peace|