Is it right to fear God? What is the difference between a destructive fear and a “holy trepidation”? An Advent homily by Fr Stephen Wang: Look around you at the chapel walls. Look at the […]
Arts
The creative energy that is released through the dialogue of actually making art
John Berger, the art critic, wrote a brilliant article called ‘A Professional Secret’ (collected in his ‘Selected Essays’). It is a reflection, amongst other things, on the spiritual experience of painting. In it, he raises […]
The Experience of God
The new book by David Bentley Hart, The Experience of God, is a fantastic read. Not only does it successfully offer several coherent points of departure for discussion of what ‘God’ means, it is also full […]
Two plays for the whole family by Catholic theatre company Ten Ten, Sat 8 Feb, London
Following the huge success of “Kolbe’s Gift” in the West End last October, Ten Ten Theatre is presenting a double-bill of plays for the whole family at The Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden on […]
White Elephant: the Christian presence in the violent slums of Argentina in the 1970s
Much has been made of Pope Francis’ work in the Argentinian slums before being elected Pontiff. An interesting point of reference is the 2012 feature film “White Elephant”, a subtitled movie set in the villa […]
Gravity: a disappointing film; but a thought-provoking spiritual meditation
Don’t believe the hype. Gravity is not a ground-breaking film in any way. Yes, it’s well made. It takes the risk – for a Hollywood blockbuster – of allowing some moments of poetry and silence. But […]
The relationship between beauty and faith: contemporary art comes to Brentwood Cathedral
From 1 – 23 December, Brian Whelan’s new work, the Brentwood Cross, will be on display in Brentwood Cathedral, Essex. With its rainbow-burst colours, child-like playfulness and vividly realised depictions of Biblical scenes, this work will attract a […]
The ‘Catholics and youth culture’ problem: how to use the culture without dumbing down the faith
There is an ongoing debate about how much the Catholic Church should embrace youth culture in its quest to reach out to young people. What happens when the Catholic faith meets contemporary culture? What are […]
At last, a Christian hymn that will be the Christmas number one in the charts
Can we use the culture around us to promote the Christian message? Might we, for example, use a pop song as a Trojan Horse in order to make the message of Christ more widely known? […]
Powerful new play about human trafficking by Ten Ten Theatre
A new theatre play, which addresses the issue of human trafficking in the UK, was shown at a special event in Central London to mark Anti-Slavery Day. Ten Ten Theatre have commissioned a one-woman drama […]
Best modern churches awards
The search is on to find the Best Modern Churches built in the United Kingdom since 1953 in a new architecture competition launched by the National Churches Trust, The Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association and The Twentieth Century Society. […]
Religion, celibacy and ‘Game of Thrones’
‘Celibacy and Game of Thrones’. Now there’s a phrase you probably won’t find anywhere else on the Internet. ‘Game of Thrones’ is the most successful show on television at the moment and, like a lot […]
Witness: a photographic exhibition looking at stories of Christian persecution and witness throughout the world
WITNESS: Inner Conflict and Truth 1st – 31st October 2013 Church of Notre Dame de France, 5 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX [Just off Leicester Square] Inspired by the story of St Maximilian Kolbe, this […]
St Maximilian Kolbe: the man behind the saint
Eighteen months ago, I made the decision to stage a theatre production of the play “Kolbe’s Gift” by David Gooderson at The Leicester Square Theatre, a 400-seat off-West End theatre, for a week of performances […]
How to read great texts with a spirit of curiosity, wonder and humility
This reading from St Ephraem comes up in the Liturgy of the Hours every year. It’s about how to approach the Sacred Scriptures, but it can be applied to any great text. It’s about the […]
Soldier to Saint: the tour has started and tickets still available
This is from the RISE Theatre site: After a successful London run in 2011, RISE Theatre is reviving its ground-breaking one-act play Soldier to Saint, bringing this challenging & thought-provoking drama to the very heart […]
