Premier Christian Newscast
Premier Christian Newscast is a weekly podcast that delves into the stories affecting Christians globally. Each episode focuses on a particular issue within the church, featuring interviews with experts, theologians, activists, and journalists. The show aims to provide deeper understanding and context behind the headlines, exploring why these stories matter to the Christian community.
Episodes
How can the church respond to Christian Nationalism?
Premier journalist Anna Rees Green asks how the church can respond to Christian Nationalism in the UK.
Does Christian Nationalism shape our politics?
In the second part of this series, Premier journalist Anna Rees Green explores how the language of Christian Nationalism shows up in UK politics.
What is Christian Nationalism?
Join Anna Rees Green, a Premier Christian News, Multi-Media Journalist, as she interviews leading voices from all areas of the political and faith spectrum. Welcome to 'Christian Nationalism: Faith and the flag in Britain'
Sexuality, persecution, abortion and mission: Has Christian journalism got it right?
Sadly, today’s episode will be the last episode of the Premier Christian Newscast. To wrap the show up, we looked back over the last two years at what stories and topics have come up the most. What has been making waves in church news? What issues are we unable to move on from? And what might this tell us about what is going to be hitting the headlines in the years to come? Has the Christian media
The General Election
All of the UK will be going to the polls soon in a general election, which is expected at some point in the autumn. After a drubbing in the recent local elections, Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are widely expected to be dumped out of office in Westminster too. And just as more and more Britons are abandoning the Tories, so too are Christians. This week we’re wondering how believers are thinking abou
Asylum seekers, baptism and the church
The horrendous attack on a mother and her children by Abdul Ezedi, an Afghan asylum seeker, in Clapham earlier this year sparked a ferocious row. A string of politicians and right-wing media outlets accused churches of giving asylum seekers like Ezedi bogus baptisms after they had fraudulently converted to Christianity to boost their arguments to not be returned to their home countries. But is any
Schism among the Methodists
It’s not just British denominations which are splintering under the weight of their divisions. The United Methodist Church in the United States has also gone through a painful five years of divorce, with up to one in four congregations choosing to leave. The crisis was, inevitably, precipitated by deep disagreements over LGBT issues including same-sex marriage. When a crunch vote in their assembly
The future of children's ministry
It’s not just a toddler group. Emphasis on the ‘just’. That’s the title and message of a new report which urges churches to take their midweek parents and toddler groups more seriously. These groups are not just about toys on mats and beakers of juice for tired mums, but vital for children’s flourishing and also for drawing families into the wider church community. The report is one of a number of
The consultation and the compromise: Gay marriage and the Baptist Union
It is not just the Church of England and the Catholic Church which has been wrestling with divisions over same-sex marriage in recent years. The Baptist Union is also split between those who believe God affirms gay marriage and those who hold to a traditional opposition to it. Yet unlike other denominations, the Baptists have come recently to an interesting compromise. Individual congregations are
What's the point of ecumenism?
Ecumenism. Even the word itself is probably putting some of you off right now. A tiresome bit of churchy jargon that has no relevance for your church or spiritual life, right? But working for unity across churches and denominations is for some a genuine passion, an urgent priority, even a lifetime’s ministry. Earlier this year, a group of Catholic and Anglican bishops spent several days in discuss
Faith in the beautiful game
Many of England’s biggest football clubs – today some of the country’s largest entertainment businesses – were originally started by local churches 150 years ago. Fascinatingly, the connections between Christianity and football are not solely a historical quirk either. There are Christians playing the game at every level, managing teams and running clubs, while churches use the sport for both outr
Gay blessings in the Catholic Church
Just before Christmas, the Catholic Church surprisingly announced priests could offer pastoral blessings to same-sex couples for the first time. The announcement has been a jolt of energy to the church, delighting liberals who have been quick to publicise their blessings, and equally infuriating conservatives. Why has the backlash been so vociferous, and what might this mean for the remaining year
Money, politics, power and the church: The concerning tweets of Sir Paul Marshall
Almost nobody has heard of Sir Paul Marshall until a few weeks ago. But, thanks to his Twitter account, the multi-millionaire hedge funder and media mogul has become briefly famous, or perhaps infamous. An investigation has revealed Marshall had a private Twitter account which had liked and re-posted dozens of hardline anti-Muslim and far-right tweets. As well as owning a slew of right-wing media
After the lament, action? Racism in the Church of England
After the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the Church of England embarked on a racial reckoning just like so many institutions. This produced a landmark report and a new racial justice unit. But more than three years on, has any progress been made in dismantling prejudice and discrimination in the national church? Were the tumultuous events of 2020 a turning poin
Is freedom of speech really under threat?
A Christian gospel singer was approached by the police while busking in central London. In a video of the conversation, one of the officers tells the singer she is not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds, and later sticks her tongue out. For many of those furiously sharing this video online, it is further evidence of how the secular authorities in this country are trying to unfa
Christians in Iran
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the government of Iran has sought to tightly control its small Christian minority and suppress the spread of Christianity throughout the population. But the Women Life Freedom anti-government protest movement has rocked the Islamist regime. Millions of Iranians have defied the strict interpretation of Islam the government espouses, prompting a violent backlash
Soul Survivors
The story which dominated the UK church world last year was undoubtedly the revelations about Mike Pilavachi and Soul Survivor. But while the C of E’s investigation into him confirmed he had acted inappropriately at the Watford church he led, the story has often been veiled in vague terms and muttered innuendo. What exactly did he do to those young interns? How much power and influence did he wiel
Why do people give up on church?
Christians spend an awful lot of time thinking about how and why people join the church. But we rarely consider the opposite – all of those who leave. Every year, an entirely uncounted number of people give up on going to church. Some continue to believe and practice faith outside a worshipping community, others abandon Christianity entirely. Who are these people? What motivates them? Should churc
Tim Keller, Soul Survivor, safeguarding and gay blessings: 2023 in review
Abuse scandals. Famous deaths. A lot of reports. And a even more arguing about same-sex relationships. 2023 was a busy year for church news, and 2024 is already shaping up to be more of the same. But before the last 12 months is totally swamped by what’s already kicked off this year, let’s take a brief look back at some of the most consequential stories from 2023, and think about how they may deve
Israel and Gaza
Ever since October 7th, the world has been transfixed with horror at the violence and war unfolding in Israel and Gaza. First the brutal Hamas terrorist attack which left over a thousand dead and hundreds more snatched as hostages. Then the devastating Israeli bombing campaign, which has killed thousands more. And now Israeli soldiers and tanks fighting deep within Gaza, as civilians desperately t
How to save Britain's crumbling village churches
In France, Emmanuel Macron has launched a new fund to raise hundreds of millions of euros to pay for the preservation and renovation of ancient church buildings across the French countryside. The move has excited church conservation types on this side of the Channel, as a possible model to follow to safeguard our crumbling Christian buildings which can no longer rely on local tithes or cash-strapp
The surprising conversion of Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the famous atheist and scourge of Islam, has suddenly announced she has now become a Christian. Many in the church have reacted with excitement that a prominent anti-religious voice has switched sides. But others have been scornful, noting her article explaining the conversion seems focused on Christianity’s role in the culture war and fails to mention Jesus or the cross. Why do w
The Catholic Synod
It’s not only the Church of England that has been having big synods recently. Throughout October, hundreds of bishops and others from the Catholic Church gathered in Rome for their own synod. But unlike the regular twice-yearly meetings the C of E has had for decades, this synod is a much larger, and rarer event. It’s all part of Pope Francis’s efforts to erode the hierarchical nature of the churc
Prayers of Love and Faith
Last week was a momentous one in the long-running civil war over same-sex relationships in the Church of England. Just like in February, a session of the General Synod – the church’s elected parliament – was almost entirely focused on scrutinising the bishops’ plans to offer formal services of blessing for gay couples in church. The lengthy and at times torturous debate offered a window into a chu
Halloween
How to handle 31 October and the spooky festivities it prompts across society is a topic which has divided the church in recent years. Some Christians abhor Halloween while others embrace it. What for the wider world is a harmless bit of fun involving dressing up and sweets, to many believers is a sinister and even occultish celebration of evil. Should the church shun Halloween, or that going over
The church under attack in Nicaragua
The increasingly dictatorial government of President Daniel Ortega has turned its oppressive gaze onto the Catholic Church in Nicaragua in recent years. Angered by the church sheltering anti-government protesters in 2018, the state has intimidated, harassed, detained and exiled numerous church leaders and Christian activists. But many within the Catholic Church, which represents the vast majority
Jazz nights, WhatsApp, and ‘poverty of heart and spirit’: Church planting in a post-Christian city
Europe is often described as the world’s first post-Christian continent. In what was the cradle of Christendom, a tidal wave of secularisation has swept through from the post-war era onwards. But while mainline and established denominations – whether Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox - have if anything seen even more decline than we have here in Britain, there are some small signs of new life. A ne
Can the church end poverty for good?
17 October marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Eight years ago the UN set itself the ambitious target of eliminating severe poverty globally by 2030. But despite almost a century of steady progress, numbers of people living on less than $2 a day have actually started increasing, not dwindling down to nothing. What’s gone wrong? Why are we struggling to press forward with de
21st Century Martyrdom
“Martyrs are more numerous in our time than in the first centuries: they are bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, lay people and families, who in the different countries of the world, with the gift of their lives, have offered the supreme proof of charity.” Those were the words of Pope Francis as he announced he was setting up a new commission to record Christians who died for their faith
What are our vicars really thinking?
Mostly, we can only guess what clergy in the Church of England think about any number of hot button issues, but last month The Times conducted a fascinating survey of 1,200 serving vicars, rectors and curates. For the first time in about a decade, we can dig into a much more representative sampling of what the clergy think, on everything from same-sex marriage to the establishment of the church, f
Harassment in the Holy Land
Christian pilgrims have been visiting Jerusalem and the Holy Land for centuries, trying to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. But in recent years, there has been a disturbing rise in incidents of harassment and abuse against Christians by Jewish Israelis. Some pilgrims have been spat on in the street and Christian graveyards have been desecrated. And it is not solely foreign visitors – Christians who
Small boats, Rwanda and welcoming the stranger: the church amid the politics of migration
Immigration is never far from the headlines these days. Whether it’s the government’s highly controversial plan to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda, the so far unsuccessful efforts to stop migrants crossing the Channel on small boats, or even the scheme set up almost overnight to bring in hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, we talk a lot about borders and those crossing ours to come into t
Covid-era church closures reconsidered
‘Prohibiting people from worship and communal religious exercise is profoundly illiberal and illegitimate.’ Those are the words of the former EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Jan Figel. The Slovakian has launched a legal case against his own government at the European Court of Human Rights over its ban on churches meeting in person during the covid pandemic, arguing the bans on
Drag queens in church?
Men have dressed up as women for thousands of years, but as you’ve probably noticed, drag is having a particular moment right now. Drag races are prime time TV fodder and drag artists are everywhere in popular culture. And the church is no different. In recent months a worship song by a Christian drag queen has shot to the top of the iTunes Christian charts, while the Christian festival staple Gre
Ethnic diversity in church
It’s pretty well known that most churches in Britain are largely filled with white faces. Clearly there are hundreds of thousands of believers from other ethnic backgrounds, but on the whole they tend to worship in separate churches. In an era when we are more and more aware of racial injustice and lingering prejudice, can we just accept this as it is? Should church leaders be striving to make the
ChatGPT: Coming to a church near you?
At a recent Protestant convention in Germany an entire church service – liturgy, prayers, psalms, and sermon – was written and delivered by AI software. Around the world ministers and Christian techies are experimenting with tools such as ChatGPT to see what the latest technology can do when prompted to create materials for worship services. What impact could AI have on church? Will pastors begin
Unbanked: Are conservative Christians getting locked out of our financial system?
Financial institutions are guilty of discriminating against Christians. That’s the claim of Anglican vicar Richard Fothergill and charity exec Mike Davidson, both of whom are prominent Christians who have recently had their bank accounts closed. They argue banks are trying to force those with unpopular views out of public life. But the banks insist they are free to work with whoever they choose, a
Safeguarding in crisis in the Church of England
The work of keeping children and vulnerable adults safe from harm and abuse in church has never been a more central part of the Church of England’s remit. Yet in its efforts to do right by victims and build ever more robust policies to root out abusers, the church has managed to get itself in a terrible mess. Survivors and campaigners are up in arms at bishops and the hierarchy, accusing them of s
What ever happened to revival?
The recent Asbury Revival prompted huge excitement among many British charismatics and Pentecostals. But it has also prompted some uncomfortable questions, including why isn’t this happening more over here? When the Charismatic Renewal movement hit the UK in the 1980s, there was a moment when miraculous healings, demonic deliverance, speaking in tongues, the gifts of the Spirit and signs and wonde
Climate activism and the church
Recently, the Church of England announced that its multi-billion pound funds would no longer invest in any fossil fuel companies. For years the Church had tried to use their position as shareholders in companies including BP, Shell, Total and ExxonMobil to nudge them towards cutting emissions and changing strategies. But now they have given up, concluding the oil and gas firms were not aligned wit
Fired, prosecuted, banned: Is Joshua Sutcliffe the most persecuted 33-year-old in Britain?
Joshua Sutcliffe, it seems, cannot stop getting into trouble. The Christian teacher has been fired twice from schools and also prosecuted for street preaching during the pandemic lockdown. And now, he has been banned from teaching anywhere for two years by the Teachers Regulation Agency for refusing to use the preferred pronouns of a trans student and sharing his opposition to gay marriage during
The Windrush scandal
Seventy-five years ago this week, the HMT Empire Windrush docked in the UK, bringing 800 migrants from Caribbean nations to their new lives in Britain. But the anniversary is a bittersweet one the British Caribbean community thanks to the lingering aftermath of the Windrush scandal, which saw thousands of legal residents mistakenly treated as illegal immigrants under the Home Office’s hostile envi
The state of sex education in schools
Graphic lessons on oral sex, how to choke your partner safely, and the existence of 72 different genders. According to the Christian MP Miriam Cates, these are some of the things appearing in sex education classes up and down the country. According to her campaign, a radical progressive ideology has infiltrated sex and relationships education. In response to her lobbying, the prime minister said h
The end of hatch, match and despatch?
Churches have been holding baptisms, weddings and funerals for the people of Britain for well over 1,500 years. But in recent decades the numbers of those choosing to hold these pivotal life moments inside a church building have been plummeting sharply. In this week's episode we discuss whether Christians should be concerned about this trend and what might be behind it. Is this another symptom of
Gafcon in Kigali: A struggle for the future of Anglicanism
Last month, the Rwandan capital of Kigali was the unlikely host of a gathering which will shape the future of the world’s third-largest Christian denomination – the Anglican Communion. Hundreds of conservative and evangelical delegates from across the world met in Kigali under the banner of Gafcon – the Global Anglican Future Conference. And there, they put a bomb under longstanding Anglican struc
Crowning a Christian King
The coronation service was unmistakably first and foremost a service of Christian worship. Charles came not to be commissioned into a constitutional role, but to anointed into a sacred, almost priestly, calling. And yet despite all this, in many ways, this month’s coronation was perhaps the UK’s first post-Christian enthronement. The country’s religious landscape is almost unrecognisable since 195
Spyware, CCTV, firewalls and AI: Persecution in the digital age
Believers living under repressive regimes or surrounded by violent extremists are still tragically subject to traditional persecution – imprisonment, physical attack, verbal threats and harassment, and even death. But increasingly persecution comes via the internet, on social media platforms, and sometimes even via the smart devices Christians use themselves. From facial recognition software to fi
Does government do God?
“Without faith, places of worship and people of faith, this country would be poorer, blander, and less dynamic. Faith is a force for good, and the Government should do more to both understand and release the potential of this fantastic resource.” Those are the words of Colin Bloom, the government’s faith engagement advisor, in the conclusion of his report ‘Does government do God?’. Four years in t
Church attendance after the pandemic
A new survey of more than a thousand churches has concluded weekly attendance has dropped by about 22% on average since before the pandemic. Intriguingly, the research also suggested a large part of this decline was because churches had cut the number of services they offered during the lockdowns and not resumed all of these post-covid. What lessons can we draw from this for ministers and pastors
Faith in the BBC
Last month, staff at BBC local radio stations went on strike in protest at major cuts heading their way. Among locally-produced shows due to be scrapped to make millions of pounds of savings are Sunday services and religious broadcasting, mostly to be replaced by programming produced nationally. These cuts come at a time when Christians from various parts of the church have accused the national br
Still good news for the poor?
Denominations are much quicker to close down churches based in poorer areas than those serving the rich. That’s the headline finding a report from the charity Church Action on Poverty, which scrutinised five denominations in Greater Manchester to examine what churches were shut down and where over the past decade. Is this indicative of a loss of faith in ministry to the poor, or just pragmatic eco
Christian celebrity culture
It’s hard to spend any time in the church these days without constantly coming up against so-called Christian celebrities. Whether it’s worship leaders, authors or big-name pastors and speakers, it seems the entire infrastructure of the church relies on these high-profile individuals who have become famous for their ministries. But is any of this actually healthy? Nicky Gumbel, the head of Alpha h
Pope Francis, ten years on
Almost exactly ten years ago, on 13 March 2013, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis. In the subsequent decade, this previously obscure Argentinian cleric has revolutionised the papacy while steering the Catholic Church through sweeping reform, inside and out. He’s scandalised conservatives and thrilled some progressives, while overturning what the watching world assumed popes had to be li
Blasphemy in Pakistan
In January, Pakistan’s parliament passed through tough new blasphemy laws. Already boasting some of the strictest prohibitions in the world which include the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad, the new laws extend protections to the prophet’s wives and close companions, creating new offences with penalties up to life imprisonment. But Pakistan’s increasingly harsh blasphemy legislati
The Asbury revival
It all started on an ordinary Wednesday evening chapel service on 8 February, at a tiny Christian college in Kentucky called Asbury University. After the chapel service ended, a small number of students decided to carry on praying and worshipping, and didn’t stop all night. Gradually more and more began to join them in an endless stream of singing and praying, preaching and communing, sensing some
Kate Forbes: Is there still space for evangelicals in politics?
Kate Forbes was a relatively little known figure outside of Scotland until last week, when she announced she would run to succeed the resigning Nicola Sturgeon as head of the Scottish National Party, and therefore also become the First Minister of Scotland. But just seven days later and she, and her strong Christian beliefs, have been splashed all over the news up and down the UK.
A member of the
Showdown on sexuality at the Synod
There’s only really one church news story to talk about today – the Church of England voting through radical new plans to offer blessings to gay couples for the first time. We dug into the history of the LGBT debate in the Church and where these proposals came from a few weeks ago on the podcast, and heard from spokespeople on each side of the, often bitter, debate. Today, we’re going to try and s
The rise of the social supermarket
They’re known by lots of different names. A social supermarket. The community larder. Your local pantry. But the fundamental idea is the same, and it’s spreading fast. More and more churches and Christian charities are opening these projects to feed their neighbourhood, tackle poverty, reduce food waste and hopefully bring marginalised people into a Kingdom-focused community. I wanted to find out
Abortion clinic buffer zones
Starting in 2018, a number of English councils have begun using anti-social behaviour legislation to create buffer zones around abortion clinics. These zones ban anyone from protesting, singing, holding placards, expressing an opinion or even praying. Despite murmurings of protest from pro-life groups, the pro-choice movement has won backing in parliament for a nationwide buffer zone law, which al
A unwanted compromise? Gay blessings in the Church of England
Next month, the Church of England will finally begin to grasp the nettle of what to do about same-sex relationships. At a meeting of the church’s General Synod in London, vicars, bishops and ordinary churchgoers will debate new proposals from the church’s hierarchy which would give gay couples the chance to have their marriages blessed in church for the first time. The C of E’s most senior bishops
Review of the year
This week we’re looking back at the stories which have fired our imagination and caught our attention over the past 12 months. When it comes to the church world, there has been no shortage of headline-grabbing stories to keep us occupied, from pastors falling from grace to the endless rows over LGBT issues. We’ve seen iconic church leaders pass on the baton to the next generation and in some cases
After Chris Kaba: The church, gang violence and the police
In the first weeks of September, two people died. The first was Chris Kaba, a 24-year-old unarmed black man who was shot and killed by the police in South London. Just three days later, Queen Elizabeth II also died. As a result, Kaba’s death and the anger it provoked very quickly slipped off the front pages. But the case merits more exploration, and in particular considering what role Christian le
The church in Qatar
This week we’re considering the fate of the church in a small Gulf state few had even heard of just a few years ago – Qatar. Before the tiny Arab nation controversially won the right to host the football World Cup, Qatar was fairly unheard-of in the West. And as millions of tourists and fans have descended on the country this month to take in the festival of sport, hundreds of millions more are wa
Breakaway Anglicans find their feet
Earlier in the autumn the Anglican Network in Europe consecrated three new bishops. This small group of about 35 churches, all Anglican but not part of the official Church of England, is busily growing and expanding, in part as it expects more conservative churches to defect from the C of E as the established church begins debating whether to permit gay marriage in church for the first time. While
Child abuse in church: What next after IICSA?
Last month, seven long years after it began, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, or IICSA, concluded by publishing its final report. Established in 2014 in response to fears of a Jimmy Savile-style abuse scandal lurking among high-level Westminster politics, IICSA has spent years examining the story of child abuse in England and Wales, hearing survivor’s testimonies, gathering evidenc
A holy war? The Russian Orthodox Church and the conflict in Ukraine
Patriarch Kirill, the controversial head of the Russian Orthodox Church, declared last month that Russian soldiers conscripted into battle in Ukraine who died would have their sins washed away automatically. Despite the mounting evidence of war crimes committed by Russia during their unprovoked invasion and the fact that millions of Ukrainians worship in churches affiliated to the Moscow Patriarch
A Hindu in Downing Street
When Rishi Sunak became prime minister last month, much was made of his groundbreaking ascent to Number 10. But as well as being the first ethnic minority politician to win the premiership, Sunak is also the first Hindu. Indeed, he’s the first non-Christian religious prime minister the UK has ever had. This fact has gone largely unmentioned in the media coverage, but is it actually significant to
Slavery, reparations and the church
Today we’re considering the painful question of how the church should reckon with its historic links to slavery. Every year, the entanglement of churches with the slave trade in the past is becoming clearer and clearer. Some Christians owned slaves, others profited from their labour, and sometimes this money was used to build churches or endow institutions. Does this matter? Is it worthwhile diggi
Who are the non-religious in Britain?
New research by the think tank Theos has offered a fascinating insight into those in the UK who say they are non-religious. It turns out this group is a complex mix of hardline atheists, apathetic agnostics, and ‘spiritual but not religious’ types. This week we are joined by the authors of the report and another academic who specialises in studying non-belief to understand more about the people wh
Mpho Tutu Van Furth and gay marriage in the church
This week we’re exploring yet another bitter controversy in the church’s ongoing wrangling over gay marriage. The daughter of the iconic anti-apartheid leader and South African archbishop Desmond Tutu was refused permission by the Church of England to lead the service for her godfather’s funeral because she is married to a woman. She accused the church of a ‘stunning lack of compassion’, while the
The faith of the Queen: A life remembered
Today’s episode is a little different to normal because we’re going to be handing over the show to a wide range of Christians – church leaders, ministers, worship leaders, bishops and others – to share their own personal reflections on Queen Elizabeth II. Her life, her faith and how her seventy year reign impacted them and their spiritual journeys. The late queen was not only the longest-reigning
Young people and prayer
This week we’re digging into a fascinating new survey which suggests younger generations might be more open to faith than their parents. The poll was published last month and found 56% of those aged 18-34 had prayed in their lives. This was much higher than the 55 and above cohort, where only four in ten of those surveyed said they had ever tried prayer.
Commentators, including from the Church of
The faith of King Charles
Today, Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest at a funeral attended by hundreds of international leaders and watched by millions around the world. Soon, our focus will inevitably shift from mourning the Queen to scrutinising her son, and our new King. On this week’s show we’re exploring what the accession of Charles to the throne might mean for the church – both the Church of England he is now th
The return of the Christian conference
When the first covid lockdown hit, back in the spring of 2020, it was a devastating blow for big Christian events. With everyone legally mandated to stay at home, everything from Word Alive to Big Church Day Out to Focus was forced to cancel their gatherings, sometimes with just a few weeks’ notice.
At the time, some feared some conferences wouldn’t be able to bounce back from this bolt from the b
Putting the genie back into the bottle: Pope Francis and reform in the Catholic Church
This week we’re diving into the world of the Catholic Church’s ambitious reform programme. Pope Francis launched a drive to overhaul the church last year, urging Catholic leaders in each country to hold synods which would consult ordinary, lay believers about the issues they wanted change on. But what happens if the answers coming back from the Catholics in the pews aren’t what the Vatican want to
Inside the government’s religious freedom conference
In amongst the comings and goings of Westminster over the last few weeks, there might have been one event that slipped your attention.
The International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief saw religious leaders flock to central London to talk about persecuted people of faith.
Whether it is Christians being attacked in Nigeria – as we heard about just a few weeks ago on the show
The tragedy of Archie Battersbee
Twelve-year-old Archie Battersbee was found unresponsive and severely brain damaged at his home in April. He never regained consciousness and had to be put on ventilation to be kept alive in hospital. For several months he was the subject of a legal tussle between his doctors who believed he was brain dead and that his life support should be turned off, and his parents who argued he could recover
Christianity and boxing: Fighting with faith
Christians are no strangers to the world of boxing. In fact there is a disproportionate number of believers competing compared to other sports. Not an event goes by without someone having a Bible verse written on their shorts or someone giving glory to God in a post-fight TV interview.
So what draws people to this dangerous game and does a belief in God give you an advantage in the ring? For this
Nigeria’s Christians under attack
Last year, more Christians were killed in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined, according to data from the charity Open Doors. And attacks against believers have only increased in 2022, culminating in a horrific atrocity in June when at least 40 worshippers were killed during a Pentecost service. Yet even as the shootings, bombings and kidnappings increase, Nigeria’s government, the interna
Abortion and the pro-life movement in the post-Roe era
On the 24th of June, one of the most momentous US Supreme Court decisions of the past century – Roe v Wade – was overturned. The constitutional right guaranteeing abortion for American women in all 50 states, which had stood since 1973, was no more. In the month or so since, the consequences of the end of Roe have started rippling out in all directions. Many states have already banned or severely
