By Mark Michael Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby released a series of five short films about “Faith in a conflicted world” on April 27. Drawing on his own experience as a pastor and church leader, the series focuses on three core practices, being present, being curious, and reimagining new possibilities in the places where we hope to see change. In a promotional … [Read more...] about Welby: Be Curious, Be Present, and Reimagine
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A Priest’s Cautionary Narrative
It seems still difficult to talk about all the ways in which laity abuse clergy. The power does not always lie on the side of the ordained. Losing My Religion A Memoir of Faith and Finding By William C. Mills Resource. Pp. 170. $20 Review by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson My beloved New Testament professor Don Juel was a font not only of biblical wisdom but also pastoral … [Read more...] about A Priest’s Cautionary Narrative
The Church of England’s Vanishing Matriarchs
The Religious Lives of Older Laywomen The Final Active Anglican Generation By Abby Day Oxford University Press. Pp. 272. $70.00. Review by Richard J. Mammana In this vitally important new book, the University of London’s Abby Day examines the religious lives of English women born in the 1920s and 1930s — now in their 80s and 90s, many of them still considered the … [Read more...] about The Church of England’s Vanishing Matriarchs
Singing of Easter
By Lawrence N. Crumb The late Bishop James Pike of California was provocative for many reasons, especially for his developing ideas in the field of theology. At one point, he remarked that he could sing the creed but not say it. The resurrection of Jesus, which we are celebrating, was probably one of the reasons. But what does it mean to say that one can sing something … [Read more...] about Singing of Easter
Revival Immigrates into London
The Desecularisation of the City London’s Churches, 1980 to the Present Edited by David Goodhew and Anthony-Paul Cooper Routledge. Pp. 384. £114/$140 (cloth), £39.99 (paperback), £20/$41.13 (ebook) Review by Angus Ritchie Hostile media narratives often blame immigration for diluting England’s Christian ethos, but the overwhelming evidence of this collection is that the … [Read more...] about Revival Immigrates into London
Slow Erosion of Faith
Australia revealed the first of its 2016 census results last week, and faith received much attention. Australians are losing their religion: 29.6 percent of 23.4 million people described themselves as having no religion, up from 21.8 percent five years ago, and 9.6 percent declined to answer. Religious affiliation is the only optional question the census question. Anglicans … [Read more...] about Slow Erosion of Faith
What Britons Believe
By John Martin Polls about British religious beliefs continue to baffle the pundits. A new report by Westminster-based ComRes, commissioned by the BBC, found that a quarter of Britons who describe themselves as Christians do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. But almost one in 10 claiming no religion nevertheless said they believed the Easter story. A fifth of … [Read more...] about What Britons Believe
Christians and Doubt
The Rev. Anthony C. Thiselton, professor emeritus of Christian theology at the University of Nottingham, discusses his book Doubt, Faith, and Certainty on EerdWord, the weblog of Eerdmans Publishing: I wrote this book because there is a deep pastoral and practical need for it. Too many people blame themselves for any kind of personal doubt whatever, when not all doubts in … [Read more...] about Christians and Doubt