Columns

The House of Annas and corruption in the time of Jesus

Jul 29, 2022

On many occasions in human history, leaders in public, or even religious office, succumbed to the temptation of money while in office, plundering the land or nations they ruled.
Why is there something instead of nothing?

Jul 29, 2022

The Belgian theologian Jan Walgrave, who directed my doctoral thesis, was a true intellectual and a rare one. True, in that his thought naturally, instinctually gravitated towards the huge philosophical questions of essence and existence.
100 million people worldwide forced to flee

Jul 22, 2022

The war in Ukraine has greatly contributed to this record high number of displaced persons – with eight million forced to move out of immediate harm’s way while remaining within Ukraine, and an additional six million needing to move to one of the surrounding countries, according to the UN.
The temptations of the good person

Jul 22, 2022

Well, motivation is rarely simply straightforward. We are a complex, often tortured creatures of motivation.
Lord, teach us to pray

Jul 22, 2022

The ‘Our Father’ is not only the prayer Jesus taught His disciples, and the model for all Christian prayer.
Of not just common good, but common sense

Jul 15, 2022

Caring for Our Common Home and Laudato Si’ in the context of common good and in the light of Catholic social teaching is truly no rocket science!
The psychological impact of bullying

Jul 15, 2022

There is a scene from the 1986 coming-of-age movie directed by Rob Reiner, entitled Stand by Me which left an indelible mark on me.
Conversation on bioethics

Jul 15, 2022

The earliest known legal code and completely written is the Code of Hammurabi circa 1755 to 1750 BC and gives a glimpse into governance in different cultures and is believed to have influenced the laws in the Hebrew scriptures.
Coping with our own souls

Jul 15, 2022

Looking at the Gospel narratives that describe Jesus’ passion and death, we see that what they emphasise is not Jesus’ physical suffering.
The revolving table of plenty

Jul 08, 2022

The dining table that sits in my family home was a wedding gift from my father’s eldest sister, my aunt Betty, when my dad and mum got married nearly 50 years ago. True to the craftsmanship of those times, it is an artful piece of furniture.