St Mary Magdalene

On Sunday the church around the world focused on Saint Mary Magdalene. It was her day on 22 July. For many centuries Mary has been thought of as a prostitute or at very least the model “penitent sinner.” If you actually read about her in the Bible you discover none of that is true; she … More St Mary Magdalene

Time for Love

Time for Love; the Bible and Same Sex Attraction is a documentary made by the Auckland Rainbow Community Church and Ponsonby Baptist Church. I was privileged to speak at the launch of the film on Sunday and this is what I said: This film is a gift, a generous gift. It is made for those … More Time for Love

Bringing religion back into public conversation

Last week I was somewhat surprised to find myself on a panel at a conference about immigration. The Caddanz conference is an annual one for academics and others working and researching in the immigration field. This year via the auspices of the Race Relations Commission the role of religion was a topic. The “radical reverend” … More Bringing religion back into public conversation

Faith and politics or the politics of faith

On the day after the country was galvanized by changes in the leadership of the Labour Party, at St Matthew-in-the-City we hosted a pre-election conversation. It wasn’t a conversation with the politicians. Political parties were not mentioned. It was a conversation amongst people of faith about what questions to ask, what issues to reflect on … More Faith and politics or the politics of faith

Discovering religious diversity: breaking the stereotypes

On Thursday July 20 I was part of a panel at AUT organised by the university’s Diversity Office. There were 4 speakers from different faiths as well as the Professor of Diversity Edwina Pio. The conversation was a rich one and these were my remarks: It is a privilege to be with you all today … More Discovering religious diversity: breaking the stereotypes