Tag Archives: belief

New directions for the Church 9: break down the barriers

Posted on 25th Jul 2018 by Jonathan Clatworthy

This post continues my series on possible futures for the Church. Here I argue that we need to break down barriers. Church culture today loves its barriers. It loves to emphasise what makes Christianity different from other faith traditions, or … Continue reading →

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New directions for the Church 8: admit the contradictions

Posted on 7th Jul 2018 by Jonathan Clatworthy

This post continues my series about future directions for the Church. Here I argue that ministers and church leaders need to be more open and honest about the contradictions contained within the Christian beliefs we have inherited. In an earlier … Continue reading →

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New Directions for the Church 6: accept diversity of belief

Posted on 17th Jun 2018 by Jonathan Clatworthy

This post continues my series looking for new ways to conceive of the Church and its role. Here I argue that we need to accept diversity of belief as normal and not treat it as a problem. I have been … Continue reading →

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New directions for the Church 5: open membership

Posted on 10th Jun 2018 by Jonathan Clatworthy

This is the fifth in a series of posts looking for new directions for the institutional churches. Here I argue that they need fuzzy edges. One of the unfortunate features of the post-1970s version of Evangelicalism currently so dominant is … Continue reading →

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Testing religious beliefs

Posted on 12th Jan 2016 by Jonathan Clatworthy

When it comes to religious beliefs, how do we know which ones are true? The Modern Church website states that Religious beliefs can and should develop in the light of new insights. We have recently been asked So what tests … Continue reading →

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From what we are supposed to believe: Good Lord, deliver us

Posted on 10th Apr 2013 by Jonathan Clatworthy

I’ve just had my rear shock absorbers replaced. I’m told I should be able to get about more comfortably now. I don’t know anything about shock absorbers and don’t want to, so long as the car works. I trust the … Continue reading →

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