P.S.
PS is an email and web-based blog format issued regularly by Contemporary Christianity. The format provides an online space for writers toexplore issues relating to church, culture and life in Northern Ireland, seeking to understand the times through insights from Scripture, theology, reason and the observations that flow from lived experience.
PS will never claim to have all the answers, but we hope to prompt questions that leave our readers a little closer to the answer at the end of the piece than they were at the beginning.
Our writers range from well-known names in academia and full-time ministry, to professionals with particular subject matter expertise, to lay people with passion for a subject and a gift for writing.
You can get involved in conversations by posting comments in the threads below the blogs, and if you’re interested in writing for us, you can get in touch by emailing info@contemporarychristianity.net.
Beyond Worldviews
This P.S. is by Vinoth Ramachandra, who will be giving the Catherwood Lecture on 26 June. For further details see 'What's On' Abraham Kuyper famously stated “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over...
The Idolatry of Politics
As the posters go up for the elections in our streets, and unwanted bits of paper are thrust through our doors, I ask the hardly new question: Why does nothing seem to change? There are doubtlessly passionate commitments from all parties to various concepts: Unionism,...
Babel or Pentecost: Where do you want to be?
There was a lot of talk recently about who should speak Irish and, being an Irish speaker it set me thinking. I asked myself, as I regularly do: ‘what does it say in the Bible?’ Now, there’s nothing specifically on Irish in the Bible but two passages about language...
Sunspots, floods and souls
‘Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness met together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.’ Psalm 85: 9-11...
Facing our Fears- A Gospel Imperative?
Last year I was involved in facilitating an introductory peacebuilding course in a Protestant church in Belfast. We invited members from other churches to come to a meeting that did not involve worship and share their experiences in building peace. I later found out...
Lawyers: Who Needs Them?
I found myself asked recently to give a talk to Christian lawyers entitled: ‘Does God Love Family Lawyers?’ The title hinted at the anticipated ambivalence of the likely analysis. The short answer – ‘yes, but not all your fellow Christians may be so sure...’, set me...
Welcome – Failte!
Romanians and Bulgarians can now come and work here unrestricted and there are concerns about how some of them may abuse the benefits system and about the additional burden on our already creaking public health services. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has claimed...
Wolves and lambs stories
Each Sunday Renata Hughes sings in the choir in First Armagh. She is 83 years old. On the surface Renata appears as the typical Presbyterian choir member. However Renata grew up in Germany before the second world war. She was a member of Hitler Youth. Her father...
Are Evangelical Men Ready for Reconciliation?
October’s re-launch of For God and His Glory Alone reminded us of the key role that evangelicals have played in promoting reconciliation on this island. But only a few short years ago, when I surveyed faith leaders (clergy, pastors, and ministers of various religions)...
Imag-ine
Throughout history, human beings have been willing to sacrifice the lives of human beings, made in the image of God, for the sake of a flag, an emblem, a symbol, a piece of earth, a form of ideology, even a familiar way of doing things. Since human beings are created...
All storied out: an appeal for greater diversity in our use of metaphors
I recently attended the Catherwood lecture hosted by Contemporary Christianity and with around 130 others enjoyed and benefitted from David Porter’s beautifully crafted address. Alongside the mainstream, my mind was drawn to a back eddy of musing on the number of...
Faith in the Future …
According to a BBC news report two Japanese government ministers and dozens of lawmakers recently visited the Yasukuni shrine on the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. The shrine is a testimony to Japan's past militarism under a 'divine emperor'...