What is the place of charismatic theology after Mike Pilavachi?

Christopher Landau writes: These are testing times for anyone even loosely connected with charismatic life within, or adjacent to, the Church of England. To discover that a figure whose ministry was widely celebrated ‘used his spiritual authority to control people and that his coercive and controlling behaviour led to inappropriate relationships, the physical wrestling of … Continue Reading

Is there an analogy between divorce-and-remarriage and same-sex marriage?

Ann Onymous writes: The journey to remarriage following a divorce is necessarily a painful one. Although it is now something of a trope (with increasing divorce rates and newspapers reporting on more and more celebrities and politicians who are on their third or fourth marriage) that marriage is beginning to be seen as something temporary, something … Continue Reading

What does the gospel say to family life today?

In March 2021, the Archbishops commissioned a project to look at issues around family and households; this was the third of four Commissioners arising from Justin Welby’s 2018 book Reimagining Britain (which I reviewed here), the previous ones covering housing and care respectively, alongside the ongoing commission on racial justice. Before I read the report myself, I … Continue Reading

Good disagreement? This isn’t it

Christopher Landau writes: It is a deep, sad irony. The Archbishop of Canterbury is an accomplished peacemaker, with reconciliation as a key priority in his ministry, and yet he is now presiding over some of the deepest disquiet and disunity seen in the church in two decades. Across the theological spectrum, the bishops’ pastoral letter … Continue Reading

Can we make ‘simple pastoral provision’ for same-sex relationships?

Andrew Goddard writes: In his diocesan synod presidential address the Bishop of Southwark joined the still quite small group of bishops (from the dioceses of Oxford, Worcester and Portsmouth) who have stated their hopes for the corporate Living in Love and Faith discernment process in which the bishops are currently engaged. Like all the previous … Continue Reading