Uncharitable readers might call this piece a rant rather than a polemic. I would reply that there is much to rant about. But I chose the word ‘polemic’ deliberately. What I really want to do is to set a hare running and would be delighted to see this issue widely discussed in the Fulcrum forums: … Continue Reading
‘Law and Faith’: Lecture 1 LondonSchool of Economics, February 14 2008 Introduction: Signs of the Times I am grateful for, and honoured by, the invitation to start off this series on law and faith. A theologian lecturing in the London School of Economics feels much as an economist might if invited to preach in Westminster … Continue Reading
‘Law and Faith’: Lecture 1 London School of Economics, February 14 2008 All this, second, is part of the postmodern revolution which deconstructs more or less everything about the eighteenth-century western settlement. Technology has brought nightmares as well as blessings. Post-Enlightenment empire has enslaved more millions than it has liberated, has brought wealth to the … Continue Reading
Law, Faith and Freedom: a critical appreciation of Archbishop Williams’s lecture by Jonathan Chaplin The hysterical furore triggered by the ill-informed commentaries on Archbishop Rowan Williams’ lecture on ‘Civil and Religious Law in England’ is now subsiding and it is time to take stock. What has occurred is depressingly similar to an equally unedifying public … Continue Reading
republished, with permission, from the Diocese of Durhamsite Dear Friends, The astonishing misrepresentation of Archbishop Rowan in virtually all newspapers over the last few days, and the scorn and anger which this has fuelled, have caused many people within the church to ask what on earth is going on. The issues are complex, but let … Continue Reading
Islamic Law and the Anglican Communion: Is there a Common Vision? by Andrew Goddard The heart of Archbishop Rowan’s now infamous lecture on Islam and the law is a vision of how to enable order, cohesion and belonging in a single political society which seeks to embrace multiple religious and other communities under the rule … Continue Reading
Prudence and Jurisprudence: Reflections on the Archbishop’s interview and lecture by Andrew Goddard As I start writing this on Friday evening, I’ve just watched the BBC Evening News and Newsnight (where Jeremy Paxman had the nice line – ‘How do you solve a problem like sharia’?). They are still dominated by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s … Continue Reading
Chapter Eight of ‘The Wild Gospel’ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 The notes in the text are hyperlinked into the end notes; to return to the text, click on the end note number When I was little my friends and I … Continue Reading
Britain, Christianity and Islam by Ben White The differing responses to Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali’s interview with the Daily Telegraph on 6 January 2008 tended to focus on his claim that across Britain, “Islamic extremists have created ‘no-go’ areas” for non-Muslims. However, there is a different approach to a constructively critical engagement of Nazir-Ali’s … Continue Reading
co-published, with permission, from The Church Times, 25 January 2008 St Paul, facing shipwreck off Malta, spotted the soldiers getting into a small boat to rescue themselves. “Unless these men stay in the ship,” he said to the centurion, “you cannot be saved.” A similar urgent plea must now be addressed to those who, envisaging … Continue Reading