No Prima Donna? As the Church of England moves towards the formal debate about women in the episcopate there are a number of options for the way forward. This month we examine a compromise proposal: that women should be ordained [...]

BEATING THE BOUND Whatever happened to clergy discipline? Over-excited naughty priests and dull legal pedants have been bombarding the 30 Days office seeking guidance. The problem, it seems, is that the much-heralded new 'clergy discipline measure' is proving as elusive [...]

'The Church was torn apart by error; Henry VIII, having dragged the CofE out of communion with every other church in Christendom, was engaged in looting the monasteries. The Turks were menacing Christendom by land and sea. Some might see [...]

The Venerable Bede (May 27) Bishop Lightfoot of Durham said that for Bede the words 'It is finished', had three meanings and three endings. First, the work of translation and dictation on St John’s Gospel was complete. Secondly, these words [...]

Robbie Low on 'women bishops', the Word and the way forward Later this year the Bishop of Rochester will publish his Commission's report on women bishops. As it has already been extensively leaked, most of its conclusions are already known. [...]

I first encountered the phenomenon of the transit of Venus, when doing a locum half way round the world; for my vicarage was the base used by an astronomer from England, who had come to observe this event. Clouds covered [...]

Patrick Henry Reardon on the Hebrew roots of the Eucharist Arguably the most important component of the Bible's Flood story is the Lord's covenant with Noah. Indeed, it is in respect to Noah that the expression ‘covenant’ (b’rith) first appears [...]

Anne Gardom visits two Exhibitions under the same roof Four hundred years ago England and Spain signed a treaty which brought to an end nearly a hundred years of hostilities. James I and Philip III wanted an end to the [...]

John Edmonson with new evidence on regional courses At the July 2003 General Synod, the debate on the Hind Report was opened with the hope that Synod would be able to engage directly with some of the serious issues surrounding [...]

The Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 is on our statute books but is not yet fully implemented. One wag has suggested that this is because the bishops, too, are subject to its provisions, but others speak of the preparatory work needed [...]