Everything that exists must have a beginning, right? Hmmm… It’s not as straightforward an assumption as we often think. Does a river have a beginning? Numerous explorers lost their lives attempting to find the source of the Nile – yet even today, it remains inconclusive. Lake Victoria is claimed (by Uganda) as the source of …
What does it mean to be ‘created in God’s image’? It’s a question theologians, scholars and ordinary Christians have pondered for centuries. Lots of ideas, no consensus. Everyone recognises that human beings are unique amongst the animal kingdom. But unique in what way? Morality? Use of tools? Ability to reason? Language, cooperation, rationality, intelligence, a …
I often use the analogy that learning to read the Bible is like learning to drive a car. Driving a car is surprisingly easy – in an open field or a clear road. Anyone can do it. Driving a car in London is another story. The same can be said about the Bible. Anyone can …
Will machines become more human, or will humans become more like machines? The answer is both are happening at a rapid pace. It’s no longer, ‘the robots are coming!’ The robots are here. Yet the language is slippery: robots, androids, cyborgs, synths, replicants, artificial intelligence, nanobots, droids… what do we mean by all these? …
Who knew that the humble Easter egg actually has a long and noble theological history? Going way back to the early church, the practice developed of teaching new converts the basic foundations of the faith before they were baptised. Along with learning, they were expected to undertake a serious time of fasting, prayer, and spiritual …
The devastating pictures of the war in Ukraine bring to mind for some Christians Jesus’ description of ‘wars and rumours of wars’ as a sign of the end (Mat 24:6). Eschatology (the study of the last things – or the end times), is a controversial and often dangerous practice for Christians – a magnet for …
‘In the Beginning, God created…’ Certainly this ranks among the most recognisable opening phrases of any literature known to mankind, yet what does it really mean? Do we ever stop to ask, ‘in the beginning of what?’ When we read ‘In the beginning’, it’s a bit like ‘Once upon a time’. They both immediately …
‘What are you giving up for Lent’? I first remember being asked by a friend at school, and I hadn’t the faintest idea what she was talking about. My parents didn’t know about Lent either – except that it wasn’t in the Bible, so we didn’t need to bother with it. It was a Catholic …
Robots used to bring to mind rather clunky metal creations appearing or sounding vaguely human. The terrifying Daleks who kindled nightmares in the Dr Who generation of the 1960s had a fatal flaw which saved humanity – they couldn’t climb stairs! But robots have evolved, and today we have artificial intelligence (AI), a far more …
What does the Bible say about the end of the world? Absolutely nothing. That phrase is never found in Scripture. So where does the idea come from, and why do I have several books on my shelf with ‘end of the world’ in the title? Jesus frequently speaks of the ‘the end’ – but he’s …
