Comment > Analysis
How ‘woke’ morality revives the Puritan spirit
THERE is a maxim “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” History has always fascinated me; the mistakes and successes of our ancestors reveal so much about human nature and often have echoes in our own lives and…
Religious education is not confined to the classroom
IN THE aftermath of the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review in November — as a result of which religious education (RE) is to be part of the National Curriculum (News, 7 November, Comment 28 March) — I was…
Analysis: Physics aids spiritual discernment
AS A Roman Catholic child living on the Franco-German border, I learned the language of faith long before I understood its meaning. Words such as “holy”, “glory”, and “virgin birth” were markings on a page: recited, familiar,…
Analysis: Six-decade journey towards unity
THE recent state visit of the King to the Vatican (News, 31 October) was a remarkable affirmation of the closer relations that have grown between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches during the past 60 years. For the…
Lifting the drugs ban poses dangers
DRUG reform is back in the news after the Scottish Greens voted at their annual conference for the legalisation and regulation of drugs to become an official policy goal. This was after the leader of the Green Party, Zack…
Freedom is found in facing reality
“Humankind cannot bear very much reality.” — T. S. Eliot, Four QuartetsMANY years ago, travelling across North America on a Greyhound bus, I opened a book that changed the direction of my life. It was The Road Less Traveled…
Analysis: Can devolution redeem politics?
FOR decades, political, economic, and perhaps even ecclesial power has drifted upwards and outwards. Global markets, national systems, and an online world make it possible to connect across continents; this means that, in…
On the potty training of algorithms
I SAT in a marquee in the deanery garden, discussing the robot apocalypse with the treasurer, while we ate barbecued food. It was the start of a fascinating conversation on the personality of algorithms, which expanded to…
What do flags mean? It depends. . .
“WHAT’S in a flag?” Juliet didn’t quite say. It is a question of real significance right now, as the country, or bits of it, wraps itself in Union flags, Saltires, and, in particular, St George’s Crosses (Analysis, 26…
True British patriotism is inclusive
THERE was another far-Right rally last weekend, this time in Glasgow. A good number of Saltires were flown, and there were the usual shouts that immigrants should go home. The rally that was held in London the weekend before…
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