A Cord: A Poem

One accord for all between God and woman: according to his word, God becomes conceivably small. Life-giving cord is cut for life: Heir of the world gulps air of the world.   © Graham Kings, Nourishing Connections (Canterbury Press, 2020). first published on Fulcrum, Dec 2012 Graham KingsThe Rt Revd Dr Graham Kings is Honorary Assistant Bishop in … Continue Reading

Three Poems: Easter 2023

Confluence: Maundy Thursday 2023 Confluence of Word and flesh, in Palestine; Confluence of Spirit and our spirits, in our bodies; Confluence of Body and Blood, in bread and wine.   Crossed: Good Friday 2023 Delight of the Father, darkened. Begotten, unmade; Glory, gorified; Chosen, forsaken; Filler, emptied; Immensity, squeezed; Gatherer, isolated; Teacher, distraught; Walker, lamed; Welcomer, woe-begone; Renovator, … Continue Reading

Will this summer’s Lambeth conference unite the Church?

“Rowing, not rowing” was the Economist’s elliptical, intriguing headline (9th Jan 2016), prior to the make-or-break 2016 “Primates’ Meeting” of the Anglican Communion concerning the looming rift over issues of sexuality. The subheading was: “The archbishop of Canterbury tries to save the Anglican Communion.” This alluded to Justin Welby’s undergraduate experience as a cox of the first … Continue Reading

Nourishing Memories: Preface

Introduction The first religious experience that I can remember is getting under the nursery table to pray that the dancing mistress might be dead before we got to her dancing class. This is how Gwen Raverat begins her chapter on Religion, in Period Piece: A Cambridge Childhood (p. 210). Thankfully, her prayer was not answered. In this witty, autobiographical … Continue Reading

Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide: Silver Jubilee

Introduction 2021 is the Silver Jubilee of the official opening of the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide (CCCW) at Westminster College, Cambridge, which took place on January 22, 1996. The Centre was then known as the Henry Martyn Library for mission studies and world Christianity. These 25 years have seen extraordinary growth. The doyen of 20th-century scholars of Christian-Muslim … Continue Reading

Three Popes

The phrase “Electoral College” has been much discussed recently around the election of the new President of the United States of America. An older “Electoral College,” the Papal Conclave of the College of Cardinals, meets in the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican whenever a new pope is to be elected. In … Continue Reading