Church of England
Resignations alone won’t fix the Church of England
Will there be more resignations following the departure of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury? The Church is, as on…
Letters: the problem with emojis
Industrial waste Sir: I endorse your concerns about the closure of Grangemouth and Port Talbot and the statement that ‘if…
Why C of E bishops are so bland
Nolo episcopari. These were the words a person was expected to say on being offered an episcopal see. It basically…
The C of E’s raving madness
In February there was a commotion at Canterbury Cathedral. Or, to be more precise, there was a silent commotion. The…
The C of E needs to talk about sex
My friend Andy is getting married. It’s about time – he and his girlfriend have a one-year-old daughter. He wants…
The problem with flexible working
Lots and lots and lots of fuss about betting on the general election. Less attention is paid to the biggest…
The Church of England’s volunteering crisis
John Betjeman knew that a church cannot run on prayers alone. ‘Let’s praise the man who goes to light the…
Has the C of E got its reparations bill all wrong?
Reparations have a troubled history, and rightly. The word itself, in its familiar sense, seems to have been a euphemism…
Is the C of E about to say sorry for Christianity?
Is the Church of England going to apologise for Christianity? A report by something called the Oversight Group has declared…
Is the Church of England giving up on Sunday worship?
Is the Church of England giving up on Sunday worship?
God the ‘Father’ isn’t sexist
Calling God ‘Father’ may be ‘problematic’, pronounced the Archbishop of York at Friday’s formal opening of the General Synod. Watching…
The Queen’s life was anchored by Christianity
The Queen’s life was anchored by Christianity
‘Jerusalem’ is a rousing anthem – but who knows what the words mean?
‘Jerusalem’ may be our unofficial national anthem, but don’t ask anyone who sings it to tell you what it means, says Philip Hensher
In defence of meddlesome priests
The British constitution is best understood as a dinner party. Imagine the key institutions of national life personified and sat…
The art of changing your mind
Some years ago there was a study at Harvard that tried to find out what people did when they held…
How do we celebrate Easter in the shadow of war?
This week has been Passiontide, which means lots of wonderful plainsong in the choir of Canterbury Cathedral as my predecessors…
Letters: In defence of the police
A health-care disaster Sir: Kate Andrews’s piece on who really controls the NHS (‘Waiting game’, 12 February) gives us a…
Bring back communion wine
Don’t deny me my communion wine
Letters: Unfair care costs will turn the red wall blue
Take care Sir: Your editorial (‘Counting the costs’, 8 January) makes valid points regarding the funding of social care. The…
The churches must stay open
Hooray for Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who used the one day of the year when his pronouncements are amplified by the…
Why is Microsoft offended by ‘Mrs Thatcher’?
The interregnum between incumbents is a well-known and often elongated process in the Church of England. I have recently witnessed…
Letters: The contentious issues of religious conversion
Hard to reconcile Sir: Although not an Anglican, I appreciate Michael Nazir-Ali’s dilemma (‘A change of mind and heart’, 23…
The curious case of Boris and the bishops
Back in July the wedding of Boris and Carrie at Westminster Cathedral prompted Steerpike’s diligent colleague Robert Peston to ask…
