Category Archives: History

Understanding the Cult Wars (or trying to)

Toby Young (of the Free Speech Union – join!) reports that he had a moment of revelation recently when he realised that England’s current ruling class is, in fact, a “technocratic theocracy,” acting in effect as a secular State Religion, its own beliefs being unchallengable truths, and its opponents irredeemably evil.

Posted in History, Politics and sociology, Theology | 6 Comments

The Turin anomaly

The Shroud of Turin is in the news again, after some sophisticated scientific study of the aging of the linen cloth not only suggested that it is, indeed, two thousand years old, but proposed the most likely itinerary among those previously suggested, based on climatic factors, and assuming, I suppose, that the shroud is a genuine relic from Jesus’s time.

Posted in History, Science, Theology, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Christians outsourcing persecution?

To follow up on my last-but-one post, consider this.

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Christians hindering revival?

The time has come for judgment to begin, and God’s own people are the first to be judged. 1 Peter 4:17 The thing that upset many people most during COVID, and in the permacrisis since, was the total failure of a majority of people to comprehend that there was anything fundamentally wrong. That blind attitude has persisted into the most recent manifestation of the crisis (if you don’t count monkeypox and the NATO invasion of Russia at our expense), that is the protests and riots that have many US commentators wondering what has become of English justice, and even caused a friend in the impoverished and violent state of Sri … Continue reading

Posted in History, Politics and sociology, Theology | 7 Comments

The internal illogic of mass immigration

The seething public unrest in Britain today is, behind the “Far Right Thugs” mantra, mainly focused on immigration. It is important to remember that this is only the most obvious cause, rather than the most important one. Economic hardship, loss of freedoms, and the blind arrogance of the political class are equally important, but less easy for ordinary people to express, especially en masse, and even more when the media and politicians are only interested in accusations of racism.

Posted in History, Politics and sociology | 5 Comments

Privatised public opinion

There’s a piece on the substack of the commentator known as Eugyppius, most of which is behind a paywall, but whose introduction alone gives food for thought.

Posted in History, Politics and sociology | 6 Comments

Fifteen minute Ĩitties

My basic mental schema for the industrial revolution has been that it eventually brought great benefits, but only at the initial cost of millions of working people (including my Garvey ancestors) living in squalid and unhealthy conditions in city slums. Oliver Twist and all that. But I’m having to revise my ideas.

Posted in History, Prometheus, Theology | 2 Comments

Providence meticulous, mysterious and momentous

I’ve just re-read Luther’s classic The Bondage of the Will, in which he refutes the ubiquitous belief that the (fallen) human will is balanced between good and evil, able to choose either. I’ve only just got it back after an Arminian friend borrowed it to refute it twenty-two years ago, seeking to achieve against Luther what Erasmus failed to do, and not succeeding, kept it on his shelf.

Posted in History, Politics and sociology, Theology | 3 Comments

The deep roots of Englishness

I’ve recently re-read Beowulf, which has been described as the foundation of English literature. And that’s partly true, but partly also it’s a record of what the English abandoned in order to become a nation worth celebrating.

Posted in History, Philosophy, Politics and sociology, Theology | 1 Comment

Peace, peace – but there is no peace

If there’s one well-circumscribed subject that demonstrates the utter depravity into which our national life has sunk, it’s the treatment of Tommy Robinson, a dogged working-class fighter for truth who, if you’ve not done any research, you’ll only know as a far-right fascist. The following long-form interview with Jordan Peterson will disabuse you of the last impression.

Posted in History, Politics and sociology | 12 Comments