Irene Lancaster
The Golden Calf - what does it really mean?
The three major biblical commentators, spanning from 1040-1271, between them deal with a variety of possible interpretative options.
It is not anti-Semitic to oppose a Holocaust memorial
I cannot discern widespread support within the Jewish community for this obtrusive construction. Instead, what I do find is very real concern about burgeoning anti-Semitism and at the same time a fear that our leaders will resort to nothing more than empty gestures that do little to make things better.
Gimmicks might catch the attention, but education puts down roots that will last
Not surprisingly, the helter skelter and other 'gimmicks' have raised some debates around the sacredness of church buildings
School assemblies and the sound of silence?
Should non-denominational schools be prevented from offering an act of worship which has until now been the law in this country? And should these schools even be taken to court by offended parents?
What does Judaism have to say about abortion?
As we are all created in G-d's image, a newborn is sacred, whatever their mental or physical faculties, and the rights of both mother and father to be parents are important.
The problem with relationships education
If we are prevented by law from teaching our children and grandchildren what we genuinely believe to be the correct way to live our lives, then it is not we who are being homophobic, but others who are being theophobic.
Paul: Jewish and Christian?
How Jewish was Paul really and where do Jews and Christians diverge when it comes to this complex man?
What D-Day can teach Brexit Britain
May all the commemorations and celebrations surrounding D Day give us pause for thought as this country embarks once again on the biggest of big decisions about its future destiny.
Fear and free speech: why defining Islamophobia could do more harm than good
Fear of offending Muslims has reached such heights in this country that self-censorship is becoming the norm but we must be free to question and to voice our concerns, whether it is about Islam or any other religion.
A Jewish woman's sacrifice and the spirit of Deuteronomy
What the congregation in San Diego would have read just before the shooting started were these unsurpassed injunctions in Deuteronomy and Isaiah to love everybody
Leviticus: it gets a bad rap but G-d meant it for joy
There is a reason why Leviticus is planted right in the middle of the five Books of Moses
What the Jordan Peterson scandal says about Cambridge University
Cambridge prides itself on being the best educational institution in the world but this unusual episode with Peterson gives rise to some questions about double standards.
Where was God during Purim?
G-d can be there in absentia, while human beings wrestle with doing the right thing.
Have Christians got Jeremiah 29:11 all wrong?
Jeremiah 29:11 has become the most popular verse on social media, according to a recent analysis.
Elijah and the prophets of Baal: A lesson in doing the right thing
'How long will you skip between two stools'? Elijah asks. 'Make up your mind: come to a decision.'
New beginnings: A sermon on Exodus 15-17
As in Isaiah, in Genesis 1 and the following verses depicting the creation, the whole mood is one of anticipation. In order to allow Israel as a body to act, G-d constantly restrains her physically.