For sure, I’m no Nostradamus. To cite just one example of my failures as a prognosticator, in 1999 I published a biography of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger containing four reasons why his election as pope was improbable. We’re now, of course, into the eighth year of his reign. A month ago, however, I finally got one Read more
A German court has rejected identity and history in favour of a liberal concept of choice, but there’s more to right and wrong. In November 2010, a Muslim doctor in Germany carried out a circumcision on a four-year old-boy at the request of his parents. A few days later the boy started bleeding and was Read more
In 1998, John Shelby Spong, then the reliably controversial Episcopal bishop of Newark, published a book entitled “Why Christianity Must Change or Die.” Spong was a uniquely radical figure — during his career, he dismissed almost every element of traditional Christian faith as so much superstition — but most recent leaders of the Episcopal Church Read more
Given the Judeo-Christian origins of our long-held tradition of caring for the frail, census data indicating the demise of Christianity and the ageing of Australia’s population could herald a perfect social storm. The 2011 census makes clear that Christian affiliation is diminishing, falling 7 per cent over the past decade to 61 per cent. The Read more
Influential church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch said he believes Christianity faces a bright future, but predicted the Roman Catholic Church will undergo a major schism over its moral and social teaching. “Christianity, the world’s largest religion, is rapidly expanding — by all indications, its future is very bright,” said MacCulloch, 60, professor of church history at Read more
In the most recent Census, almost a third of New Zealanders said they had “no religion”. As might be expected in an increasingly diverse society, far more people also aligned themselves to non-Christian religions, notably Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. It is, therefore, somewhat unsurprising that there is increasing tension about the teaching of the Bible Read more
Gossipy rumors have been mixed with more than a pinch of midsummer madness and served, stirred but not chilled, as a James Bond-like intrigue cocktail for Vatican conspiracy theorists who like to keep a glow on their paranoia. The main ingredients are the leaked confidential papers of Pope Benedict XVI in an incident that has Read more
The problem with living next door to the office is that the line between what is work and what is not work gets easily rubbed away. In my previous jobs, the vicarage has been located a decent walk from the church. So if I wanted to spend a quiet morning at home pottering around in my underpants Read more
We Christians have a remarkable talent for sticking our feet in our mouths. When searching the words most commonly associated with “Christian,” the list ain’t pretty. I think part of this can be attributed to a handful of phrases that, if stricken from our vocabulary, might make us a little more tolerable. Yes, these things Read more
Two Maori students, Dan Bidois and Natalie Coates, after receiving Fulbright awards for their study, recently graduated from Harvard University. This is a particularly uplifting story of achievement against the odds, one we need so as to bolster up our determination to build a viable future for our planet. ‘All is connected…’ Dan Bidois left Read more