‘If you can’t find a book, write it yourself!’

I’m currently reading ‘Seeking Justice’ by Keith Hebden. He handed me a free copy to review on here, and I’ll do that when I’ve finished it. But its started me thinking about a book I want to write. Its not that I think he’s gotten anything wrong in his approach, its just I feel there’s a pretty big gap waiting to be fulfilled.

Sowing the seeds: Tax is Liberating

Its the 6th birthday of Graham’s Grumbles today! To celebrate, I’m posting something here which I wrote for Student Christian Movement‘s blog series leading in to their Seeds of Liberation conference.

Tax has always been a contentious topic. In 1773, Britain tried to force American colonists to pay taxes on tea imports. In an act of civil disobedience, crates of tea worth nearly £1million in today’s money were thrown off ships and into the harbour. What became known as the Boston Tea Party became a rallying cry for many on issues of who gets taxed, by whom and at what rates.

Something in your eye, Mr Cameron?

I find the undertones of Cameron’s speech on Christianity quite disturbing. Whilst some have read it in a very favourable light, a look at the manipulation of American Evangelicalism by Karl Rove and other Republican Party Grandees should show just how dangerous this speech is. At a time when Bishops and other church leaders are raising their voices in opposition to

The Ramifications of Free Choice

There is an argument that about free choice that goes something like this: I have the right to make my mind up, and to decide as a I choose but if somehow my decision results in a later problem or inconvenience to myself, it wasn’t free choice in the first place. This arguments is applied in everything from bank bailouts to sexual health to the Christian doctrine of Salvation.

Common Wealth Network: what should it do?

I’m writing this on here but also sending it to the organisers of the network: its something that’s been bugging me. Or rather, the question “what can Christians who reject the mass distraction of the ‘Big Society’ do?” has been bugging me, but then someone else wrote a 5000 word declaration on pretty much that. But a declaration alone can do nothing, especially not one that contains more theology and politics than it does practicalities. You can find the declaration here.

Corporate Tax: A time for Jubilee?

I’ve already written a fairly long political post advocating a movement for a reconnection of the World’s richest with those closer to the bottom of society through correct payment of taxes. This, if you’ll permit me, is a theological post. It feels wrong to divide the politics from the theology, but I’ll admit it took me a while to remember what now seems so thoroughly obvious: Jubilee – perhaps the single most radical command in the Torah, the earliest books of the Christian bible.

You shall not suffer a hedge fund manager to live among you?

A week ago, I was at a church service where the 10 commandments were being discussed. We discussed their influence on society today, and the reasons why they might have been important at the time they were written. At the end we had a big shout-out of commandments we could remember, and the Witches one came to mind. This is a verse I really struggle to understand, but then it suddenly dawned on me that there could be very good reasons for it. Let me attempt to explain…

Marriage and Family: a radical theology?

I reckon that marriage and family issues are probably those in which the myopic approaches of the conservative church leave the most to be desired. Experience shows that all to often, the Church simply replicates the isolationist values of the most uppity, withdrawn parts of secular society, focusing on a few laudable values and missing the bigger picture entirely. Even a face-value reading of the bible at times contradicts this.

Individualism & Momentum: the unanswered question

I only made 3 days of Momentum this year, arriving by sleeper and day train just in time for Monday’s main morning meeting and working on the Church Action on Poverty stall through to the end. It was again a very good experience and a chance to get away and think about the spiritual basis for much if not all of what I do. The event has matured, but after last year’s event, few questions were answered.

Easter and the Child Abuse Scandals

Today’s round of Easter Sermons must have been one of the most eagerly awaited in the last 2000 years. That the media all seemed to have pre-written the ideal sermon and then proceeded to mark everyone’s attempts against an idealised sermon is both sad and annoying. But amongst the range, there were definitely some who showed what Easter is all about: our failings and search for forgiveness. Even the Anglican Primate, Archbishop Rowan, had something very useful to say