Church of England
I decluttered a 1990s time capsule – and this is what I learnt
After my grandmother died a few years ago, we couldn’t bring ourselves to get rid of most of her possessions.…
‘Pray your boilers don’t fail’: the Church of England is in the grip of eco-zealots
It came to pass in 2020 that a decree went out from the General Synod that all the Church of…
At 53, I’m training to be a priest
I have recently begun training for holy orders in the Church of England. I know, they’re getting desperate. My motivation…
Letters: Britain’s energy policy is unsustainable
Unsustainable energy Sir: Sir Richard Dearlove (‘Net cost’, 22 November) succinctly sums up the views of many of us who…
A satirical portrait of village life: Love Divine, by Ysenda Maxtone Graham, reviewed
Within a bourgeois Church of England milieu of round-robins and parish chit-chat lurk rumours of sabotage and clandestine love affairs
Georgia Toffolo: In defence of my husband James Watt
Rough justice Sir: The Church Commissioners’ plan to establish a £100 million (rising to £1 billion) fund for ‘reparative justice’…
What we need from our new Archbishop of Canterbury
There have been 106 Archbishops of Canterbury since Gregory the Great declared Augustine his ‘Apostle to the English’ in 597.…
The Church of England’s muddle over sex and marriage
Whatever you think of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, there can be no doubt about this: she firmly…
Letters: the Church of England still has something meaningful to say
Moscow mule Sir: While visiting Russia, James Delingpole learned from the patriarchate’s press officer that under communism the Russian Church…
Let’s just ignore the Church of England
How important do you think it is to know what the Church of England thought about that ‘Unite the Kingdom’…
What I’ll miss about Norman Tebbit
This column comes to you from Auckland Castle, former palace and hunting lodge of the Prince Bishops of Durham. We,…
Who’d be a bishop today?
In his recent interview with our American edition, The Spectator World, Donald Trump is reported to be faced by a…
My manifesto for the next Archbishop of Canterbury
When I told a Westminster political editor that my novel NUNC! was about the prophet Simeon and the Nunc Dimittis,…
The C of E’s tragic misuse of its sacred spaces
I am a priest in the high church tradition of the Church of England. The technical term is Anglo-Catholicism, but…
Justin Welby has cemented his reputation – for having a tin ear
This is an excerpt from the latest episode of the Holy Smoke podcast with Damian Thompson, which you can find…
Channel 4 shouldn’t get to decide the next Archbishop
Obviously, it is difficult to defend the leadership of the Church of England, and I am inexperienced in that art;…
In defence of faith
For what should we give thanks this Christmas? The faith that sustains millions through life’s challenges and inspires countless acts…
Letters: Labour’s attack on farmers
Losing the plot Sir: Your leading article ‘Blight on the land’ (23 November) is right to call out the hypocrisy…
Justin Welby shouldn’t have resigned
There is no proper reason for the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. No iniquity was proved against…
After Welby: what’s next for the Church of England?
It’s taken him more than a decade, but Justin Welby has finally united the Church of England. The petition calling…
Resignations alone won’t fix the Church of England
Will there be more resignations following the departure of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury? The Church is, as on…
Letters: the problem with emojis
Industrial waste Sir: I endorse your concerns about the closure of Grangemouth and Port Talbot and the statement that ‘if…
Why C of E bishops are so bland
Nolo episcopari. These were the words a person was expected to say on being offered an episcopal see. It basically…
The C of E’s raving madness
In February there was a commotion at Canterbury Cathedral. Or, to be more precise, there was a silent commotion. The…
The C of E needs to talk about sex
My friend Andy is getting married. It’s about time – he and his girlfriend have a one-year-old daughter. He wants…
