Rule-Based Religion: Relational Rules & Spirit vs. Non-Relational Rules & Fear Second, what is at issue here is not the abandonment of moral standards since, obviously, Paul would still have us restrain ourselves from sensual indulgence. Rather, our point is two-fold. (a) Where there are ‘rules’ that should be followed, they are relationally orientated, and not a system of do’s... Continue Reading →
Storm Centres of History: HMS Victory & Trade and Empire
BBC Radio Devon – Pause for Thought: Storm Centres During the Pause for Thought recently, I’ve been talking about 7 places I have been to: Storm-centres of history. Today, we will go to Portsmouth. Last year I returned with my dad, to the dry-dock in Portsmouth that holds a very special piece of maritime history. We... Continue Reading →
Banishing Amiable Religiosity
During his 1907 Lyman Beecher lectures on preaching at Yale University* (these lectures became his classic Positive Preaching and the Modern Mind), Forsyth shared the three ways in which he thought the Church suffers: i. from triviality. ii. from uncertainty. iii. from satisfaction (with itself, or more specifically, complacency). He later went on in that address... Continue Reading →
Apologetic Resources
Here are just some of the great resources I’ve found over the years, and here they are in no particular order (compiling this short list here does not necessarily mean I wholly subscribe to all the associated groups or persons' theology, just that they have some very important things to say that are nevertheless, worthwhile and valuable):... Continue Reading →
Petulant Atheism
"The rather petulant subtitle that Christopher Hitchens has given his (rather petulantly titled) God is Not Great is How Religion Poisons Everything. Naturally one would not expect him to have squandered any greater labour of thought on the dust jacket of his book than on the disturbingly bewildered text that careens so drunkenly across its pages -... Continue Reading →
Poverty and Wealth: A Psychiatrists assessment
Many of the 1960's civil rights workers Robert Coles consulted in his psychiatric research came from middle-class families. Their parents nagged the kids about getting a real job and making something of themselves. One of them responded to his mother's concerned prayers over him: 'I wonder what Jesus said, listening to her prayers! I felt... Continue Reading →
Civilization and Culture
The distinction between culture and civilization is acute indeed, even I missed it and I was trying to pay attention! I needed help to see and when I picked up Terry Eagleton's Reason, Faith and Revolution, by mistake I might add (I was trying to get to another book), I couldn't put it down and four hours... Continue Reading →
Gralefrit Theology 