What If They Had Been Left Alone? We flatter ourselves in the West with our galleries, our libraries, our operas, and our novels. We point to Shakespeare, Beethoven, Michelangelo, and Newton as if their greatness justifies everything done in their wake. But the truth is more sordid: behind these cultural treasures lies a history of …
In an earlier reflection, I wrote: “It may be easier to make better lives for our children than to rescue the Church. But the message of Jesus remains—for those willing to hear it.” I see no future in the institutionalised Church. Nor do I believe that alternatives would fare better unless they addressed the same structural flaws. …
Why today’s algorithmic spirituality sounds a lot like New Thought with a broadband connection. When you ask an AI to explain the teachings of Jesus, you rarely get theology in the old sense. You don’t hear about substitutionary atonement, divine wrath, or the mechanics of salvation.Instead, you get language about awareness, presence, ego, and inner …
The creation of a religion Graham John, Aug 01, 2025 The Voice That Would Not Die The New Testament Gospels are a magical blend of moral platitudes and fragmentary biography. They give us flashes of ethical brilliance, sayings polished by oral tradition, and a loosely constructed narrative arc—enough to hint at the life of Jesus, …
It Was Ever Thus On the Uses of Child Neglect in Civilised Societies “That’s where the money goes—pop goes the weasel.” —Traditional nursery rhyme We hear a great deal about children. Politicians speak of “levelling up,” of investing in the future and charities publish reports. Education Secretaries pledge to close the attainment gap. And yet, …
“Jesus was a socialist in the modern understanding of the word.” This comment, provocative as it may sound, becomes more plausible once we begin to disentangle the New Testament—not as a unified revelation, but as a collection of evolving and occasionally conflicting perspectives. It is not one book, but many: composed over the course of …