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From ‘the salt of the earth’ to ‘the powers that be’: the impact of biblical language in culture
Introduction What is the impact of biblical language in culture today? And why and how does this matter to practical theologians? Twenty-five delegates met to delve into these questions in December 2025 at a symposium held at the historic Launde Abbey in Leicestershire, England. This article offers some reflections on the symposium by one of the convenors (Andrew) and three delegates who kindly agreed to put fingers to keyboard after the event.[i] The particular prompt for the symposium theme and for the meeting at this time was the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s 1525-26 translation of the New Testament into English – from the Greek and in printed form for…
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Emancipation is not a pie: Imagining better metaphors for liberation
As I write this, my country (the UK) sits under the shadow of a red flag alert for genocide against trans and intersex people.[1] This is a situation that has not come about by accident but has been driven intentionally, including by groups and individuals who claim to be motivated by a Christian faith. Often, theology which seeks liberation is directed at injustices within the church. This is, of course, desperately needed and by no means a misguided goal. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, trans and intersex exclusion and many more systemic injustices still have a grip on the church and need to be dealt with. However, the consequences of warped theologies…
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Leaky Bodies: Uses and Abuses of Vulnerability in Feminist Methodologies
Human bodies are leaky. Leakiness, especially the leakiness of the female body, has been criticised historically, but more recently reclaimed as a strength for the task of research.[1] This is especially the case in feminist theology, where acknowledgement of the leakiness of the individual body has blended with autoethnographic research methods to privilege women’s experience in theologising. Of interest to this article is the vulnerability inherent in this turn to the sharing of the theologian’s experience in her work. Vulnerable sharing can clear the way for significant revelations, yet how this vulnerability can be managed fruitfully for both sharer and recipient must be considered. This paper aims to do just…
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Right Now The Best
In his 2022 album American Heartbreak, Zach Bryan (an American multi-award-winning country/rock singer-songwriter) presents a compelling critique of the prevalent ‘what is next’ culture. A culture that is focused on the future and is never satisfied with the present. In this context, people are always looking to and striving for the next thing, whether that be in a person’s career, personal life, social life, or material possessions. Bryan delves into the societal emphasis on the future, revealing how it comes at the expense of the present moment. This is one of the most honest songs that gets at one of the most corrosive effects of the current culture. Bryan (2022)…
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Reflections on “Pastoral Ethics and Belief Baggage: A Critical Look at Animal Symbolism in Witchcraft” by Claire Ayelotan
Claire’s piece can be read here: https://practicaltheologyhub.com/?p=1298 Fear and the Desire for Control Why are our societies so obsessed with witchcraft? While I was reading Claire’s brilliant piece, I could not help but remember that we used the same Christian text – Pope Gregory IX’s papal bull Vox in Rama – regarding fear of black cats (but my piece was on another topic: https://practicaltheologyhub.com/?p=1268). Black cats and other animals are widely associated with magic and beyond natural (or supernatural) powers. Trying to answer the question, we all abhor death, disease, famine, poverty and not being able to get what we want [in Buddhist terms these are part of what is understood as…
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Reflections on “Who do you say that I am?” by Tim Livesey
Published April 25, 2024 Direct Link: https://practicaltheologyhub.com/?p=1404 I was deeply moved by Tim Livesey’s reflections on identity, labelling, and empathy, sparked by his interfaith pilgrimage through Israel and Palestine. His analysis of Jesus’ powerful question—“Who do you say that I am?”—strikes at the heart of how we see, understand, and ultimately treat one another. Tim compellingly shows how labels, whether religious, ethnic, or political, profoundly shape our interactions, often distorting our capacity to acknowledge shared humanity. This reflection comes at a time when the dark shadow of abandonment, death, neglect, hunger, and pain overwhelms innocents caught in a conflict not of their own making, while much of the world watches…
