Lessons from the Roman world for contemporary Christian discernment The notion of civic religion, as observed in the Roman world in which Christianity first emerged, offers an unexpectedly fertile key for understanding the cultural moment through which many Western societies…
The study of the Apostolic Fathers has undergone sustained and rigorous development in the Anglophone academic world from the nineteenth century to the present day. This progress, however, has not found an equivalent counterpart in the Spanish-speaking context. Despite the…
To understand the Apostolic Fathers with historical rigour and theological balance, few figures have been as decisive as Joseph Barber Lightfoot (1828–1889). Lightfoot was an Anglican bishop of Durham, a professor at Cambridge, and one of the great biblical scholars…
The expression “Apostolic Fathers” refers to a limited group of Christian writings composed approximately between the late first century and the middle of the second century, that is, in the period immediately following the apostolic generation. They do not constitute…
A Christmas Meditation on Isaiah 9:2–7 On this Christmas Day we gather to reflect on the ancient yet ever-living words of the prophet Isaiah, spoken centuries before the birth of Christ. Isaiah chapter 9 invites us to behold the faithfulness…
Why a lectionary? And why, moreover, placed in such a prominent position, virtually at the beginning of the Book of Common Prayer, even before the liturgical services themselves? What sense does it make for a book designed to order the…
The Preface of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is neither an incidental nor a merely historical text. It constitutes a programmatic statement of considerable theological, pastoral, and ecclesiological density, in which the Church of England sets out with clarity…
“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7). Tomorrow our country enters a day of elections. It is…
Modern theology has grown accustomed to thinking of itself as surrounded by resources. Libraries, databases, critical editions, specialised commentaries, digital tools, original languages, systematised traditions. All of this is valuable and, when properly used, legitimate. Yet this abundance has produced…
The Things That Make for Peace Sermon on Luke 19:41–47, with 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 Opening Prayer Almighty God, in whose Word we find life and peace, open our hearts this day to receive your truth. May your Spirit guide our…