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I was invited yesterday to take part in a discussion this morning on ITV’s Good Morning Britain—but they wanted someone in the studio rather than on Zoom. The question to discuss was: does the Christian faith say something about politics, and should church leaders ‘interfere’ in politics. Introducing the item (at 7.20 am), the presenter … Continue Reading
Joshua Penduck writes: Best of times and worst of times, eh? With such a Dickensian title, this article needs to make an obligatory (read: clichéd) reference to Charles’ great novel. The worst of times are obvious: a Church of England with a declining and aging faithful; a looming financial crisis for many a diocese; and … Continue Reading
Labour MP Ben Bradshaw has called for the Church of England to change its doctrine of marriage or face the threat of disestablishment. His comments were prompted by the refusal of Hereford Diocese to allow same-sex married Mpho Tutu van Furth, daughter of the late Desmond Tutu, from officiating at her godfather’s funeral. Bradshaw claimed … Continue Reading
Jonathan Chaplin has just published Beyond Establishment: Resetting Church State Relations in England (SCM 2022)—which is available at 20% discount until the end of this month from the SCM website. I was able to interview Jonathan about this fascinating book. IP: I really enjoyed this book—your crisp and clear style, extremely well researched and informed, … Continue Reading
On Friday 3rd September, at 2.10 pm, I had a phone call from a number I did not recognise. When I answered, it turned out to be from a BBC researcher asking if I would appear on BBC1 on Sunday morning for a debate about the Church of England and same-sex marriage, in the light … Continue Reading
Will Jones writes: Findings from the 2015 annual British Social Attitudes survey published this month sent secularists into a mild panic. Showing an increase in those identifying as Christian, from 42% to 43%, and a corresponding decrease in those of ’no religion’, from 49% to 48%, they seemed to confirm that the steady decline in … Continue Reading
The continuing decline in Church attendance and the apparent marginalization of Christian perspectives within the country naturally lead to the question of whether the Church should be disestablished. Does it make sense to have the life of the nation tied in to Christian belief by having a Church ‘established by law’ if so few people are actively involved in that Church, and a growing number don’t share its beliefs?