All Archive content articles – Page 36
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Brace yourselves…
The Mormons (and Muslims, and Jehovah’s Witnesses) are coming! Other religious groups in the UK are stepping up their evangelistic activity. How is the Church responding?
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Two Views: Should we give Santa the boot?
Is teaching children about Santa bad for their faith? Ruth Mawhinney chairs the debate.
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Reviews: March Books
Books by Kevin DeYoung, Ken Shigematsu, Phil Ryken, Richard Scott and Rod Garner
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Bill to Introduce Women Bishops
A Labour MP has asked the House of Commons to support a move which would force the Church of England to allow women bishops.
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'God is Bigger than our Sin and Stupidity'
The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, talks testimony, trials and triumphs with Patrick Forbes. The new incumbent at Lambeth Palace speaks French, likes sailing and has occasionally had to look under his car to check for bombs while working on peace and reconciliation missions abroad. There is much more to Archbishop Justin Welby than meets the eye. He was the dark horse in the Canterbury stakes, having only been a bishop for a year. He worked in the oil industry for 11 years before leaving a highly paid executive post to train for ordination.
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Bible Stories Uncensored: Ruth the Maneater
When are feet not feet? When they are used euphemistically to spare blushes, as David Instone-Brewer discovers in the story of Ruth and Boaz.
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Bible Stories Uncensored: Sex tips from Solomon
Breasts, kisses and hair like a flock of goats…David Instone-Brewer on Old Testament turn-ons.
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Have we misread the Bible?
How do we make sense of the Bible today? What do we do with its apparent contradictions and inconsistencies? Steve Chalke wonders if we need to change the way we read Scripture.
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Divisive Bible Doctrines : How Will it End?
Will we be raptured or endure to the End? David Instone-Brewer on what the Bible says about the end times. It was the 1960s – and many Christians felt that the world was spiralling out of control. The sexual revolution and an imminent war of mutual assured destruction made it feel like ‘the End’ was coming soon. Eschatology – the study of the second coming and the end times – became a hot Christian topic. The question was: would Christians have to suffer the terrible times that preceded ‘the End’?
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Bible Stories Uncensored: Nehemiah: Political Manipulator
David Instone-Brewer investigates the underhand tactics of this biblical hero. If we’re honest, we’d probably all admit that we’ve lied, cheated and bullied on occasion – perhaps we told ourselves it was ‘necessary’. I must admit that’s how I once got a gold star for maths homework.
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Divisive Bible Doctrines: Bridging troubled waters
Rather than arguing over the ‘how’ or the ‘when’ of baptism, David Instone-Brewer explains that the real division is over what it actually does.
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Divisive Bible Doctrines: Church Leadership
How should a church be governed? We examine how churches across the denominations resolve this issue.
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Bible Stories Uncensored: Samson the Thug (and Pimp)
Should we tell children about the murkier acts of Samson, such as using prostitutes and pimping out his wife? On a family holiday some years ago, we found ourselves driving through a very rough part of a town and I started to dread what my daughters might be seeing.
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The making of The Bible
This December, Channel 5 will be screening 10 hours of biblical stories and expecting huge audiences. But will the series that drew millions of viewers in America have the same success here?
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Benefiting the Poor
Some Christians are strongly opposed to changes to the welfare system; yet it is devout believers who are introducing the reforms. But are the changes hurting the poor, or are they liberating people from dependency and poverty? Heather Tomlinson investigates.
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The Evolution of Rob Bell
In 2011 mega-church pastor Rob Bell caused controversy by apparently affirming universalism. Two years on, he has left his church and is heading for Hollywood. Justin Brierley finds out why he’s still raising eyebrows among evangelicals.
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Rob Parsons: Do you really believe God Loves You?
Do you ever wonder what people think of you? A friend gave me a simple test to find out: ask yourself what you think of them and it will mirror what they think of you. Do you find your friend funny, generous or loyal? Well, that’s how they perceive you. Is your work colleague difficult, moody or disloyal? Well... you get the idea.
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A Problem Shared: Has our elder been breaking the law?
The husband of one of our senior elders has been arrested for high-level business fraud. The local papers ran the story and pointed out that his lifestyle was well above his apparent pay grade. The insinuation is that his family must have realised that something illegal was going on. When I challenged the elder on this, she denied all knowledge of his wrongdoing. But people in the church are unconvinced by her protestations of innocence. What should I do?
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Bible Stories Uncensored: Esther: the best in bed
Esther might have saved the Jews through her nocturnal activity, but, writes David Instone-Brewer, she didn’t manage to save a traditional family structure which celebrated women.
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Call for Christians to become organ and blood donors
A new campaign is calling on the UK Church to look at blood and organ donation as an important way of giving.