My most recent publication is the Tyndale New Testament Commentary on the Book of Revelation. You can order it from Amazon and other online retailers (make sure you order mine, and not the previous edition by Leon Morris!), or directly from the publisher on the IVP website.
My other recent publications include:
- How to Interpret the Bible: four essential questions (Grove, 2017)
- Being Messy, Being Church (Bible Reading Fellowship, 2017)
- Kingdom, Hope and the End of the World (Grove, 2016)
- The Book of Revelation: currents in British research (Mohr Siebeck, WUNT, 2015)
- Evangelical Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities (Grove, 2016)
My election prayer and manifesto
The Church of England communications team has released a prayer for the nation at the time of the General Election, and it has not been well received.
I offer here a prayer I wrote for Christian broadcaster Transworld Radio, which they recorded and broadcast earlier in the week. There were three main things on my mind in composing this prayer.
The first was to follow the Anglican ‘Collect’ practice (which is a good principle of all prayer) which is to locate our request within what we know of the character of God, expressing in an opening affirmation.
The second was to pray into a range of issues, not all of which have actually been on the agenda of the election. For example, as a culture we are out of kilter because we have lost a vision of the God-given pattern of a day of rest, and that has wide implications for our society.
The third was not to predetermine outcomes, but without being anodyne and lapsing into a kind of ‘Dear God, make us all nice’, which some official prayers have been in danger of doing.
God our Father, you teach us truth and call us to live lives of truth and integrity. We pray for all candidates and party leaders, that they will speak truthfully, honestly and fairly as they make the case for their particular policies.
Lord Jesus, you came in humility, not to be served but to serve and give your life for us. We pray for all who aspire to positions of leadership in our nation, that you will grant them true humility and a spirit of service in the cause of others.
Did Jesus fail to meet expectations in Matt 11?
The lectionary gospel reading for Advent 3 in Year A is Matt 11.2–11, and as usual is rather truncated, so you might want to extend the reading by a verse…
Is there any point in voting in the election?
My social media feeds are full of contradictory views on the election, with different friends and acquaintances spelling out with vigour and passion why it is simply impossible to vote…
What should a ‘Schools Charter’ for RSHE contain?
From September 2020, primary schools will be required to teach age-appropriate Health Education as well as Relationships Education, and secondary schools will be required to teach Relationships Education and Sex…
John the Baptist and the judgement of Jesus in Matt 3
The lectionary gospel reading for Advent 2 in Year 1 is Matt 3.1–12, and it contains many foundational themes of eschatology, the coming of God, and judgement, which set us…
What is the C of E’s position on abortion?
The question of abortion has been raised once more in the election campaign, because of statements in both Labour and Liberal Democrat manifestos. Labour includes their briefer comments in their…
Does it matter that Jesus wasn’t born in a stable?
I have posted this every year since 2013, and every year it stirs up a response. Why does it matter? For at least four reasons: 1. It demonstrates how, even…
Should we want to be ‘left behind’ in Matt 24?
With the advent of Advent on Sunday (!) we make the move in the lectionary from Year C to Year A. So, after journeying through Luke all year, this Sunday’s…
Women in the world of the New Testament
Dr Susan Hylen is Associate Professor of New Testament at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She has recently published Women in the New Testament World with Oxford…
What does Luke 23 tell us about Christ the king?
This Sunday was traditionally known in the Church of England as ‘Stir-up Sunday‘, a phrase derived from the BCP Collect for the last Sunday before Advent, which in turn inspired…
Mission, creation and incarnation
I was grateful to Philip North for offering a response to my critique of his views on mission in relation to the incarnation, published in the Church Times. There is…