The Rev'd Andy Rowland writes: By disregarding the Bible’s divisions into chapters, we can recapture some of the impact that John in particular made on his first audiences. The shorter letters at the end of the New Testament may give a clue as to the natural length of a piece of writing in the early church, and how that might be used to re-read John. ...
The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes in his Editorial: At the heart of any democratic system of government must lie the ability for the ‘will of the people’ to express their preferences in an orderly and fair election. This in turn should be followed by a smooth and peaceful transition of power from one leadership group to another. That’s the minimalist principle which vests state power in the people. However, it’s not always as easy as that and despite this being a year of elections in a host of countries we seem to be drifting towards elective autocracy ...
Bishop Trevor Mwamba, President of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) Zambia writes: In life it’s edifying to remember those who have inspired us to be noble and President Kaunda was such an inspiration. Sunday 28th April 2024 marks the centennial birthday of President Kenneth David Buchizya Mutepa Kaunda, our Founding Father and First President of Zambia. In celebrating the centennial of his birthday we thank God for the life and gifts He endowed President Kaunda with, making him a great statesman of our time who enriched Zambia, Africa, and the world, as a peacemaker. A peacemaker who sought love where there was hatred; unity where there was division; and peace where there was war. As a peacemaker he led Zambia’s struggle for independence. And on attaining independence, spearheaded our economic, educational, industrial, technical, and scientific development, that his name became synonymous with Zambia. ...
The Rev'd Dr. Keven Hall reviews Queer Redemption by Dr Charlie Bell: Dr Hall writes in his review of this book that Bell believes gay people don’t feel listened to in the church, not just to do with their sexuality, but about their personhoods. Not properly listened to by the majority in the Church of England, not properly listened to by its leadership. Bell sees his task as attempting to reach Christians and Christianity with how they can do better at meeting queer people 3-dimensionally. And, broadly speaking, to see how more of us can learn to live better with our complex, often difficult, psychologies and differences He seeks to return the church to the irreducible core of the life of Christ by resurrecting the best of Anglican theological method, with his use of experiences of gay people as his point of reference. ...
Anthony Woollard in his Guest Editorial writes: Turning and turning in the widening gyre, The falcon cannot hear the falconer. Things fall apart – the centre cannot hold – Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world…… Thus wrote W B Yeats, in the middle of the First World War and the Irish revolution. And it seems today that the world has circled back to just such a time. No centre – no purpose – “mere anarchy”, from Gaza to Ukraine to other parts of Europe (including the UK) and the US. And if we take the Falconer to be that mystery that we call God, and the Falcon to be the human race, it is all too clear that the latter “cannot hear” the former. ...
Dr. Gill Atkinson writes in her review of Adrian Thatcher's book: “Vile Bodies” is an extraordinarily well researched and in-depth study. As the title suggests the book is an account of the human body as a disgusting thing in Christian teaching, faith and practice; the term “vile” used by St Paul to describe his own body. An historical, theological and sociological approach is taken to the examination of cultural norms, taboos and practices which have resulted from, and fed into, Church scripture and teachings. In the introduction the author tells us that, the all-powerful idea in the Christian tradition that the body is vile has had a huge negative influence on millions of people past and present and that the purpose of the book is to explore why this happened, continues to happen and what can be done about it. ...
The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes: Sleeping rough in our cities has become commonplace and is on the increase. For those unfortunates spending the night in little more than cardboard boxes or makeshift tents, it’s no joke to be on the cold streets at night and physically and mentally dangerous. Tragically, now included in this category, we must add over a million people displaced from their homes in Gaza. These can also join the list of those bombed out of everyday existence in Ukraine. ...
The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes in his Editorial: The etymology of the adjective ‘woke’ is interesting, not least as the word seems central to the so-called culture wars currently ranging in the United States and in many other countries, including the United Kingdom. ...
In his New Year Editorial the Rev'd Dr.Nicholas Henderson writes: Bethlehem closed down for Christmas, Ukraine brings the season forward from 7th January to 25th December and hardly anything left standing in Gaza. Political will to resolve what is becoming a very uncertain New Year appears to be weakening. ...
The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes: The long war in Ukraine has been put quietly to one side by the press, public media and politicians even though a relentless battle continues. That conflict precipitated by a much larger country invading a smaller has become a stalemate war of attrition and gone off the front pages. ...
