Christianity
From Barbary corsairs to people-traffickers: the violence of the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean has always been central to European civilisation — and a source of drama and conflict, says Anthony Sattin
At last: a calm, definitive account of the Armenian genocide
The atrocities suffered by an estimated one million Armenians in 1915 have been largely ignored by historians and officially denied by the Turks. It’s a centenary we can’t afford to neglect, says Justin Marozzi
Original sin makes us better people. I wish Muslims believed in it
These days, on the subject of Islam, non-Muslims have mostly divided into two camps — though there’s a little wandering…
Why Pope Francis could be facing a Catholic schism
It’s not just Vatican infighting any more. Pope Francis has a potential schism on his hands
Did Mrs Thatcher ‘do’ God? Denis thought so, and he should know, says Charles Moore
As I swink in the field of Thatcher studies, this book brings refreshment. It is a welcome and rare. Far…
Why wasn’t there more about the other faiths over Easter on the BBC?
There was no shortage of Easter music and talks across the BBC networks with a sunrise service on Radio 4…
Justin Cartwright on redheads, anti-Semitism and the betrayal of Christ
Peter Stanford is a writer on religious and ethical matters. He was for four years editor of the Catholic Herald.…
It takes a village (or six): the battle for rural churches
Can England’s 10,000 rural churches survive?
Why calling for an ‘Islamic Reformation’ is lazy and historically illiterate
What’s wrong with calls for an ‘Islamic Reformation’
This ex-priest’s history of the gospels could unsettle the most faithful churchgoer
When James Carroll was a boy, lying on the floor watching television, he would glance up at his mother and…
Was this Christian pioneer of radio evangelism a fraud?
She was the sequinned star of the airwaves back in the 1920s, the first preacher to realise the potential of…
God, aliens and a novel with a mission
They say never work with children and animals. They could just as well say don’t write about aliens and God.…
Watch out Pope Francis: the Catholic civil war has begun
Uncertainty over how much reform Pope Francis wants is splitting his church into factions
Should ‘suicide’ mean pig-killing?
There was a marvellous man in Shakespeare’s day known as John Smyth the Sebaptist. ‘In an act so deeply shocking…
The cult of 'mindfulness'
Separating meditation from faith might not be as harmless as it seems
Jonathan Sacks on religion, politics and the civil war that Islam needs
Former chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks on the return of religion to public life and the civil war that Islam needs
Spectator letters: St Augustine and Louise Mensch, war votes and flannel
Faith and flexibility Sir: What a contrast in your two articles on religion last week: one liberal atheist parent (Claire…
Is forgiveness a weapon in the war on terror?
Could you ever torture someone? Could you, under different circumstances, in a different world (I hope) than the one which…
Rowan Williams has been reading too much Wittgenstein
It used to seem rather obvious that the world was full of evidence for God. These days, theologians no longer…
The Islamic State is destroying the greatest melting pot in history
The fighters of the Islamic State are bringing a deadly new intolerance to a territory rich in ancient sects
Spectator letters: VAT and sugar, Boris Johnson and cricket, whisky and bagpipes
Sugar added tax Sir: Julia Pickles (Letters, 14 June) suggests a sugar tax to combat the obesity epidemic and discourage…
Churchgoing is good for you (even if you don’t believe in God)
And that’s true whether or not you believe in God
Why Beyoncé is a conservative icon
Meet popular culture’s most powerful advocate for marriage
Simon Callow’s notebook: What it’s like to lose at an awards ceremony
It was one of those weeks. On Monday, I was in four countries: I woke up at crack of dawn…
The SNP’s 'cybernats' are a modern political scourge – with the zeal of converts
Daniel Jackson 30 August 2014 9:00 am
The push for Scottish independence is driven forward by converts’ zeal