Month: January 2016

The YouGov poll on same-sex marriage

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Jayne Ozanne, former director of Accepting Evangelicals, commissioned YouGov to undertake a poll of attitudes to same-sex marriage, and has done a good job of getting the results out in the media yesterday and today. It featured on Radio 4 this morning, and is reported in The Guardian and The Telegraph. Peter Ould, who is … Continue Reading

The Challenge of Loneliness

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The latest Grove Pastoral booklet explores the challenge of the growing loneliness many in Britain face in old age. Written by John Dawson, a hospital chaplain, and Pete Rugen, a parish priest in Chester diocese, it is a multifaceted exploration of the problems of loneliness—and some possible solutions. It begins by offering some typical examples of loneliness … Continue Reading

Why labels are important

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Two years ago, we moved from a rather hideous 1970s breeze block house to a detached Victorian former farmhouse. It has lots of lovely features, one of which is a walk-in pantry off the kitchen. One member of our family (who shall remain nameless) has a thing about Tupperware, so several shelves of this pantry … Continue Reading

Is Church decline the fault of evangelicals?

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Last week Mark Woods posted an intriguing article asking whether evangelicals are to blame for the decline in people claiming to be ‘religious’. He is responding to a new survey conducted on behalf of Linda Woodhead which shows that, for those under 40, ‘no religion’ is the new religion. In a strange way, this might be … Continue Reading

The Primates and Public Relations

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In my last post (I hope) on the Primates’ gathering, I want to reflect briefly on what has happened since in terms of public relations. Pete Hobson, Canon Missioner at Leicester Cathedral, commented on Friday last week: So this is the actual final Communique. A clear and strongly-worded challenge to homophobic violence and prejudice. A … Continue Reading

Tyndale NT Study Group 2016: call for papers

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The Tyndale New Testament Study Group is part of the Tyndale Fellowship for biblical and theological research, based at Tyndale House in Cambridge, and including evangelical scholars from all over the world. This year’s NT Study Group will be meeting with the other Tyndale groups from 4th to 7th July at High Leigh Conference Centre, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire for the joint … Continue Reading

Leadership and the Anglican Communion

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This was my immediate reflection on the Primates’ statement last Thursday, published on the Premier Christianity blog. Prior to the gathering this week of the Anglican Primates (heads of the 38 autonomous Anglican provinces) almost everyone predicted it would end in disaster. There was suspicion from the moment that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, … Continue Reading

Is ‘inclusion’ a Christian virtue?

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Most people reading the title above will wonder what the debate is about—but in different directions. Some will say ‘of course is it’ and others ‘of course it isn’t’. The latest title in the Grove Ethics series explores this vexed question and is a powerful and important study by Dr Edward Dowler, formerly Vice Principal of St Stephen’s … Continue Reading

What does the Primates’ Statement mean?

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So, it happened. A bit like the last General Election, the outcome of the gathering of the Primates of the Anglican Communion ended as no-one thought it would—together, with a statement, an affirmation of ‘traditional’ understandings of marriage, and a rebuke of sorts for the Episcopal Church of the USA (TEC). I am not sure … Continue Reading