The dangers of reading theology

It’s been a while since my last post and whilst a big part of that is down to moving, I no longer live in London, the real reason is that I’ve been at something of a low ebb since then. Moving took me out of my church and forced me to attempt to find a …

Trying to find a new Church when moving

The last few months have been unexpected for everyone, but for me I’ve been working from home most of this year and have the added joy that my wife is now expecting our second child. With this we’re realising that we will likely outgrow our two-bed flat and so we’re looking at potentially moving. Growing …

‘If the Church of England really is a hallway…’ and other thoughts

It wasn’t long since I stepped away from the discernment process that lockdown began in the UK. A lot of my thinking about Church since then has been rendered pretty abstract since we can’t actually go anywhere, especially given we spent Easter in lockdown this year. Yet I can’t help but wonder what things will …

O God, You are my God

O God, You are my God;Early will I seek You;My soul thirsts for You;My flesh longs for YouIn a dry and thirsty landWhere there is no water.Psalm 63:1 Not too long ago I wrote about my experience going through the discernment process for Priesthood in the Church of England. I mentioned that an outcome of …

Superficiality or Sobriety

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.1 Peter 5:8 Over the last year I have been in the process of discernment for Priesthood within the Church of England. This is been an intense period of self-reflection for myself and an examination into …

Magisterial Christianity after Conformity

The quote “No Bishop, No King” comes from King James I, who gave us the King James Bible, and comes from an event known as the 1604 Hampton Court Conference. This conference was a meeting between Puritans and Anglicans and from it a plea emerged from the former party to obtain toleration whilst maintaining a …

Opposition to Incense in the Early Church Fathers and Anglicanism

There was a recent thread in a patristics group I contribute to on the topic of incense in the early church. As a topic it was never one I paid massive attention to but I found the ensuing discussion really fascinating. It’s not something done in my own tradition but I figured it might be …

The Many Rooms of the Anglican House: The Problem of the Infallible Interpreter and Why I Am Still An Anglican

Recently I’ve been reflecting on an awareness in myself to chafe at the idea of considering myself an Anglican. It’s been an uncomfortable feeling but I’ve noticed it has start to colour my interactions with others. On reflection I can't help but describe it as a side effect of this extended period of cognitive dissonance …

Prayer and Grace as an in-app purchase in the 21st century

I recently read about an article about an App in India which commissions Hindu prayers for payment. It opens… How can i get a divine intervention for my career? That’s the question Ravi Ganne, a young investment banker in Bangalore, typed into Google seven years ago. His search results led him to the website of …

What does Sheffield have to do with Jerusalem?

I recently heard the news that a friend of mine had been accepted for ordination within the Church of England. This would normally be good news but I have not been able to shake the sense of conflict I experienced over the decision. The reason why? To be honest, its because she is a woman. …