When I was much younger, merely a child, I collected lions. They might be small sculptures, toys, pictures, whatever. It was one of those things that meant that my many aunts never had to decide what to buy me for Christmas, or a birthday. They simply found a lion, or sent me a card withContinue reading “Leo: What’s in a Name?”
Category Archives: Society
The Re-Emergence of Class
Reflecting on the local elections last week I have felt – for the first time in my adult life, that is since the late nineteen seventies – the need for an analysis based on class. What might we mean by ‘class’ in 2025? It will be very different from the structures of class smashed byContinue reading “The Re-Emergence of Class”
Would the Fairies like Elon Musk?
As I was reading round material about myth, fairy stories and the use of story in religion I came across a comment that suggested one of the purposes of fairy stories was to ridicule the rich and powerful. One particular butt of the stories was the traditional figure of the miser. This is a character,Continue reading “Would the Fairies like Elon Musk?”
Facing a ‘Pandemic’ of Sexual Abuse
A speaker on the radio earlier last week, discussing the recent review of child sexual abuse across the UK and the recommendations contained in the report, claimed that we are facing a pandemic of sexual abuse. I was horrified by this statement, not because of the situation it purported to describe, but because of theContinue reading “Facing a ‘Pandemic’ of Sexual Abuse”
Charisma, Abuse and Learning from Second Century Christians.
There were two stories that struck me from last Sunday’s BBC Sunday programme. The first, almost inevitable given recent events, was a piece on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation. The programme chose to ask whether there was something specifically about evangelical theology and practice that allowed John Smyth to get away with his abusive behaviourContinue reading “Charisma, Abuse and Learning from Second Century Christians.”
The (Latest) American Revolution
What we have just seen in the USA in the last couple of weeks is an almost classic case of a Marxist revolution, albeit one that was disguised as the election of a new president. I am no Marxist, but his analysis of the evils and dangers of capitalism was pretty accurate. Where he wasContinue reading “The (Latest) American Revolution”
Teaching Critical Thinking or Teaching Empathy
I noted over the last week that the government is suggesting that one of responses to the recent riots should be to teach young people, from the earliest possible age within schools, how to engage critically with social media and how to recognise false news. Effectively this is a call to introduce critical thinking andContinue reading “Teaching Critical Thinking or Teaching Empathy”
Suffering
In working through a very wide range of disparate material to write my book on the story in religion, I have been reading some of Michael Jackson’s work. He worked in West Africa, in Australia and elsewhere, as an anthropologist but much of his work, particularly his most recent work, draws on personal and individualContinue reading “Suffering”
The End of an Era
Last week I attended the funeral of a dear friend. He was the parish priest of the church my partner and I attended whilst at university in Manchester. My partner also lodged at the church for a couple of years. We were associated with the church for about ten years in total, from 1984 toContinue reading “The End of an Era”
The Structures of Racism
I have just finished reading David Aaronovitch’s book on conspiracy theories. There is much of interest in the book and, especially in the present climate, it is very thought provoking. What is perhaps most interesting is that Aaronovitch takes the discussion back to the end of the nineteenth century and shows that the conspiracy theoryContinue reading “The Structures of Racism”
Martin Stringer Quartet 