Thomas Gray by John Giles Eccardt, (1747-1748) Time to get out of the house. We're allowed out for up to an hour a day, which is just as well as we'd lose the plot otherwise, as would the dog. Followers…
William Cowper by Lemuel Francis Abbott (1792) Q regulars will know that William Cowper has been a personal favourite for years. He had to navigate the storms of mental illness throughout his adult life, without any of the understanding, support…
There's a special quality to the landscape at Little Gidding. It's not spectacular, nor is it especially unusual. It's archetypally English: undulating, Midlands farmland, broken up by hedgerows, small copses, and the odd steeple. It's a scene replicated across the…
Sacred Treasure There has been much heat and hurt recently about power abuse and church ministry. It is something that I've been working on and engaging with for the last 10 years or so. Here are some of the better…
Sacred Treasure This is an extraordinary story that reads like a whodunnit: the stolen early manuscript of Mark? (long read but worth it)I'm an unashamed John Dickson fan - his new book on the historical Jesus looks great: here he…
Sacred Treasure If you've not come across it, "The Saint John's Bible is the first handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible to be commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in over five hundred years." Some of the images are simply breathtaking. Here is a wonderful selectionMy…
Sacred Treasure A friend who pastors in Hong Kong tackles the church's divisions in the face of political turmoil and social unrest. We would do well to listen, here in Brexit Britain...The Simple Pastor draws on some fascinating Pew Foundation…
Sacred Treasure The Josh Harris 'deconversion' story (for those who are aware) is very sad and my heart goes out to him and his family. Too many have leapt in as pundits. These are the better responses I've readOn Caution…
Sacred Treasure If you've not clocked this great little radio series by Nick Spencer, then you must: The Secret History of Science and Religion.Some very surprising realities about global Christianity (esp for those who only follow secular media) - HT…
Sacred Treasure Jeremy Marshall was a senior British banker - until he was informed about his terminal cancer with 18 months to live. It's now 4 years on - a remarkable testimony in The SpectatorAnd while on the theme, here's…