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biblical interpretation

  • June 17, 2013
    Worship, song and its impact on Christian imagination

    In many churches today, hymns have been largely or wholly replaced by worship songs. Some of these are of high quality and accessible to a wider range of worshippers. However, says Savitri Hensman, perhaps there should be more discussion of how this trend may influence the ways in which Christians relate to the Bible and understand themselves, God and the world.

  • May 21, 2013
    Church 'issues' are about people, not abstract ideas

    Ask anyone reporting or commenting on the 2013 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and they will tell you that proceedings this year are being dominated by two 'issues': the reception, or otherwise, of same-sex persons in the life and ministry of the Kirk; and later this week 'The inheritance of Abraham: A report on the promised land' (which has provoked a substantial preemptive assault by the pro-Israeli government lobby, on account of its advocacy of justice for Palestinians and Jews alike).

  • December 10, 2012
    Why do Christians differ on the issue of human rights?

    To coincide with Human Rights Day 2012 (http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17578), it seems appropriate to highlight a past report from Ekklesia, authored by Savitri Hensman, examining 'Contrasting church attitudes on human rights for all'.

  • December 8, 2012
    The C of E and equal marriage: fostering crucial virtues

    After the Prime Minister’s positive commitment to equal marriage and religious freedom, the official Church of England response was disappointingly negative.

  • December 5, 2012
    The Bristol Christian Union women speaker ban was unbiblical

    Update: Bristol University Christian Union performs U-turn on female speakers http://tinyurl.com/cojwb8j

  • October 27, 2012
    Using and misusing St Paul: wisdom, gender and sexuality
  • May 1, 2012
    Approaching the Bible with an open heart

    The Voice, a new translation of the Bible, has sparked an impassioned but not always very well-informed debate about the nature of the text, observes Savi Hensman. But skilful understanding and interpretation invite open-heartedness, not close-mindedness, she suggests.

  • December 10, 2011
    Fruitful love: beyond the civil and legal in partnerships

    An emotionally and sexually intimate partnership is, for many people, a school of love, writes Savitri Hensman. This is not as romantic as it might sound: fearfulness, selfishness, rivalry and other negative traits may surface, and hard work may be needed to overcome these. Yet this can be a path to spiritual growth, which may manifest itself in small ways or through acts of heroic altruism. Such relationships, whether between opposite-sex or same-sex partners, can help to bring forth good fruit.

  • November 9, 2011
    Jesus and the term 'Abba'

    How extraordinary it is that so many interpreters cling to "Abba" as indicating Jesus' unique relationship to God as "Daddy", using mysterious language from which - upon closer examination - the gospel writers seek to escape, says Deirdre Good, dispelling some common biblical misunderstandings.

  • September 17, 2011
    Argentinians hold a 'month of the Bible'

    In Argentina, as in many Latin American countries, September is a month to celebrate the Bible. Churches coordinate lectures, workshops and conferences for youth.