Tom Sutcliffe on the critics   My first encounter with a real critic was in my first Lent Term at Hurstpierpoint College in the Remove Form. I entered the Weston Speech Prize competition, which was judged by a teacher from [...]

Art   William Blake Tate Britain until 2 February 2020   This is so huge an exhibition that the catalogue isn’t a catalogue—it can’t fit in 300 exhibits, some of which need a magnifying glass to read. But the show [...]

Christopher Smith reflects on our true homeland   November is a month during which we reflect particularly on the Holy Souls, and we are hoping that you will get your New Directions this month on All Saints or All Souls [...]

HRH The Prince of Wales summed up the sentiments of many around the world when he said of the canonization of John Henry Newman: ‘Those who seek to define and defend Christianity find themselves grateful for the way he reconciled [...]

Alan Smith considers some constitutional reforms   In the good old days, that is up to 2005, the Lord Chancellor was the true embodiment of the constitution. The most senior lawyer in the land, presiding over the judicial system, he [...]

Scattered around western France, in the area roughly defined by Limoges, Poitiers and S. Jean d’Angely, are small mediaeval stone towers with an opening at the top once used to display a light at night, and with a hollow interior [...]

Nicolas Stebbing reminds us of the importance of helping others A few days ago, I returned from Zimbabwe and someone asked me: ‘What was the highlight of your trip?’ I thought for a while: was it the blue skies and [...]

Nicolas Stebbing considers the legacy of Robert Mugabe   I arrived in Harare on 5 September to find Robert Mugabe had died in Singapore. Next day the TV and newspapers were full of this with long reports and interviews. What [...]

Simon Iredale finds assistance in saying the Daily Office   I confess that, for a priest, I have never been great at saying the Office. I mean well and my library shelves are well-endowed with all sorts of books which [...]

Andy Hawes    Spiritual directors must be vigilant in discerning unhelpful trends in the field of spirituality. It is certainly the case that books and websites on prayer and spirituality proliferate; there is no assuaging the appetite for those seeking [...]