The Christmas Day sermon by the archbishop of Canterbury is the centerpiece of the Church of England’s seasonal celebrations. However, with the resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby, Anglicans will have to make do with a homily from the bishop of…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams is the past Archbishop of Canterbury, the retired master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and one of the world’s greatest living theologians. He is also a person who has thought concretely about social issues, governance and government over the…
Womanhood, white Christian nationalism and Queen Elizabeth
On Thursday evening, church bells began to chime in Oxford, where I am living for much of this fall while on research leave from Baylor University. I’d planned a long writing day, but I simply sat, my front door open,…
Let’s be clear: Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is not about the rapture and Russia in biblical prophecy
As soon as “Russia” and “war” are mentioned in the same sentence, all the premillennial, rapture, tribulation, Armageddon believers are on high alert. The Rapture Index (yes, there is such a thing) is at 186. The all-time high for the…
When religion turns hateful, it loses its moral voice
In this craziest of presidential primary seasons, I have not mentioned the Republican candidate with the “best plumage,” the colorful description offered by Marilynne Robinson. I have found his words so offensive, his narcissism so egregious, and his attitude toward…