Opinion

What are the three pillars of Judaism, and why is 'hutzpah' so important today?

Jewish academic Irene Lancaster asks what are the three pillars of Judaism â what are the three things that hold Judaism up so that it carries on under adversity and refuses (despite the best efforts of others) to be swallowed up, fade away, or die?

Dr Who is female. Should the Church take note?

I'll admit it â I'm a huge science fiction fan but not a Dr Who obsessive. I can take it or leave it and most of the time, to be honest, I leave it.

Bastille Day: Some reflections on the revolution in France

The ideological battle over the French revolution goes on, especially today. Was it a moment of empowerment for ordinary people? Or does it prove violent revolutions will almost always fail to create good societies?

The General Synod of the Church of England was so shocking. Here's why

David Baker reflects on the apparent absence at synod of real theology â in other words, the ability to reflect on complex issues with calmness, depth and clarity from an explicitly Christian perspective.

Why this weekend's General Synod could be a disaster for the Church's witness

The Church of England's General Synod is being asked to consider issues on which its members have wildly divergent opinions and beliefs. The problem is that these debates are only ever partly about the actual issues themselves.

How did we ever make Holy Communion so complicated?

Sometimes when as a church leader I contemplate everything connected with this thing we call 'church' I ask myself: 'Did Jesus ever really intend all this to be as complex as we often seem to make it?' I am 99.9 per cent sure the answer to that question is 'no'!

No, he isn't the Messiah: Why you need to stop worshipping your political idol

GK Chesterton is said to have remarked: 'When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.'

Revelation 18: Babylon's burning

Continuing the Revelation series from David Robertson.

New studies show the UK deeply divided. What can be done?

A new report says, 'Without deep-seated reform, social and economic divisions in British society are set to widen with consequences for community cohesion and economic prosperity.'

The real risk of the DUP deal - peace in Northern Ireland

The British Government has to be an honest broker in Northern Ireland. Can it command the full confidence of both communities?

Your family is in serious danger. What are you going to do about it?

That's a pretty arresting headline, right? Perhaps a tiny bit manipulative, but certainly difficult to ignore.

More sinner than sinned against? Tim Farron in the court of public opinion

In a post-Christian country which has a church attendance rate of around 10 per cent, it's clear that most people don't have a detailed concept of what 'sin' actually is. Yet it was Farron's belief (or not) that homosexuality was a 'sin', which brought down opprobrium on him.