News

May the Fourth be with you: Faith, the Force and the spirituality of Star Wars
May the Fourth be with you, because yes, it's Star Wars day. What might be the spiritual insights of this pop-culture phenomenon?

'Keep them in the skies': How do we pray when the odds are against us?
I loved the romance of Northolt Airfield, especially as it was home of the Polish Spitfire aces during the war.

Japan's 'hidden Christian' persecution sites recommended for World Heritage status
Twelve sites connected to the persecution of Japanese 'hidden Christians' in the Edo period (1603-1867) have been recommended for World Heritage status by THE United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Paul Ryan backs down in spat with Catholic House chaplain Patrick Conroy
US House speaker Paul Ryan has found himself in a battle with the House chaplain, Patrick Conroy, after it emerged Ryan forced him to resign.

Why is the Bible different from other ancient literature?
Three new ancient Israelite psalms have been deciphered in Egypt. It's a fascinating discovery.

'Sing a new song': The ancient psalms recovered from an Egyptian papyrus
Two new Jewish psalms dating to before the eighth century BC have been discovered on an Egyptian papyrus, granting a unique insight into the religious life of the Israelites.

Avengers: Infinity War won the biggest opening weekend of all time. How did Marvel do it?
You might have that a little indie flick named 'Avengers: Infinity War' came out last week and duly demolished the box office. The film starring the villainous 'mad titan' Thanos had proved its own titanic worth, winning the biggest opening weekend of all time. How did Marvel do it?

These probably aren't the most effective preachers in the English-speaking world â and anyway, so what?
Now we know: these are the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world.

Former bishop of Exeter in controversial Syria visit questions evidence for Assad chemical attack
A former bishop who held high-level talks with the Syrian regime hours after last month's western air-strikes has said he was 'appalled' by the intervention and questioned whether president Bashar al-Assad was behind the chemical attack on Douma.

A done debate? Most US religious groups now back gay marriage
Most US-based religious groups now back the legalisation of same-sex marriage, according to a study released on Tuesday. Supporters of gay marriage in America now outnumber its detractors by two to one. Wwhat might this remarkable shift mean, particularly for the US church?

US officials return thousands of ancient artefacts seized from Hobby Lobby back to Iraq
US officials have returned more than 3,800 artefacts illegally obtained from suppliers in Iraq and sold to Hobby Lobby, the giant craft store chain owned by evangelical Christians.

English local elections: 3 reasons Christians should vote today
Christians should not be mere culture and keyboard warriors, ranting and raving about how society is going to hell in a hand-cart. It is about getting out into the world and acting, changing and shaping that society for the better.

Heather Cook, bishop jailed for drunk driving, applies for home detention
Heather Cook, the former Episcopal Church bishop jailed for drink driving after a hit-and-run crash killed a cyclist in 2014, has applied to serve the rest of her sentence in home detention.

Revelation for today: How to read Scripture well
CJ Sansom says in a note to one of his Tudor crime novels that it would have been better if Revelation had never been included in the canon of scripture at all, given the damage it's done.

Trump launches new faith initiative to give religious leaders stronger voice in government
Donald Trump is launching a new drive to give faith groups a stronger voice in government.

Ashers 'gay cake' case could go to European Court of Human Rights
Ashers bakery's 'gay-cake' case could go all the way to the European Court of Human Rights were they to lose their appeal at the Supreme Court, their backers indicated yesterday.