The struggle continues - in the family

Two leading Brazilian theologians have been squaring up to one another in a debate that captures the current state of liberation theology. The radical Leonardo Boff, who left the priesthood, and his brother Clodovis, still a priest and increasingly conservative, are at odds over the 'option for the poor'...

Now say thank you

Margaret Visser has spent an entire career exploring what our manners and morals tell us about ourselves, writes Peter Kavanagh. Her latest study is on giving, receiving and above all gratitude, which she argues is the social glue that holds everything together...

Best and worst are yet to come

The past year has seen cataclysmic changes, both for good - with the election of the first African American to the White House - and for bad, with chaos in the world's financial markets. Here our experts take an informed guess at what the new year has in store...

Power of the union

With more turbulence in the economy forecast for 2009, church leaders are encouraging communities to set up credit unions. They can help with emergency loans to the most vulnerable and keep predations of the loan shark at bay...

'Do whatever he tells you'

Jesus' Jewishness has been highlighted by recent biblical scholarship, but the fact that Mary was a Jewish mother, however, has been largely overlooked. An appreciation of this fact casts her role in a revealing light...

They traversed afar

Cologne Cathedral is a place of pilgrimage for its supposed relics of the Magi, but a modern industrial city in Iran probably has a stronger claim as the final resting place of the three wise men of Matthew's gospel. It provides an unexpected link between ancient Persia and Christianity ...

Lead, kindly light

The prayer after Communion for Epiphany evokes the star that guided the Magi to Bethlehem, and uses this image to convey the idea of the heavenly light that leads us on our whole Christian journey - including, Daniel McCarthy explains, the light of the Eucharist...

Green thoughts in a greener Church

Many people are looking for ways to incorporate their concern for the planet into their Christian faith. Scripture, theology and mystical writings can all help develop our concept Creation, and inspire the search for practical ways to care for it...