Ruth Gledhill - Times Online - WBLG

'St Boris's Day'

With victory less than half a prayer away for Boris Johnson in the London Mayoral elections, it is worth pointing out that 2 May is the saint day of St Boris in the Russian Orthodox Church. And although, as Sean Clarke notes, the Russian church uses the Julian Calendar where 2 May will not take place until 15 May, it seems nevertheless amusing that Boris should take the day on what still appears to us Gregorians as St Boris' Day. St Boris from now on?

Radical orthodoxy rising on 'the third way'

John Milbank, founder of the increasingly-influential Radical Orthodoxy movement, is here receiving communion from a Catholic Ukrainian bishop, Hlib Lonchyna, at a conference in Lviv in 2006. Check out the Centre of Theology and Philosophy at Nottingham which he heads, and you can also read the paper, Paul against Biopolitics, that he delivered at the Lviv ecumenical conference. Technically, of course, as an Anglican, he was not allowed to receive communion at a Catholic service. But perhaps that is partly what Radical Orthodoxy is about - remaining orthodox while breaking some of the rules.

(Update: Peter Carrell has written an interesting post picking up on a comment on this blog.)

'Better the Prophet's turban than the Pope's tiara'

This headline represents the traditional response among some of the older-generation Greek and Turkish Orthodox to attempts to heal the ancient schism of 1054. Which could be precisely why, as we report, Patriarch Bartholomew is so eager to 'climb into bed' with the Pope. Especially if it means leaving the Russians behind, making him the unrivalled 'Eastern Pope' and strengthening his hand immeasurably in dealing with Islam. (You can also read our story on VirtueOnline.)

SPCK: one man and his shop

A contributor to my last blog on the sorry doings at SPCK notes that if anyone wants to talk to owner Phil Brewer, they need only go down to the bookshop in Exeter, pictured here. All the staff have resigned, as we reported, after being faced with contracts that demanded they work on Sundays and do some cleaning. And so apparently he is running the show all on his lonesome. So if it is a book you want to order, or some information, or merely just a look, you know where to go. Meanwhile, it is worth remembering that the publishing arm is separate from the bookshop. Among recent offerings was Katharine Jefferts Schori's A Wing and a Prayer. Read our review here. 

If you go down to an SPCK bookshop today

This is what you can expect. According to a source - I am still awaiting a comment from SPCK management - this letter from was sent to staff at St Stephen the Great SPCK bookshops from the desk of the company's president Philip Brewer with a note that they disseminate it as widely as possible for "maximum impact". I hope Mr Brewer is grateful for my assistance in this matter. The background to this is that last October, the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, a British charity founded in 1689, transferred its 23 bookshops to the ownership of the St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust, an Eastern Orthodox body. First to go from the shelves was the Koran. And things have been, as they say in the East, 'interesting' ever since. Enjoy. (Update: sorry this and the other post disappeared for a while yesterday, I took them down to change them slightly and forgot to repost. rg)

Why Christians must work on the Sabbath

More amusing leaks from SPCK, where a source tells me that staff have reportedly been given a strong theological Christian argument for why they must work on Sundays. And on Bank Holidays. And, incredibly, even Good Friday! If this is the case (I am still waiting to hear back from SPCK with a comment) think this is the first time I've heard of a Christian organisation telling its staff they actually must work on Sundays. Normally they're on the other side of the argument. But apparently, staff at the St Stephen the Great bookshops must be there on Sundays and holy days to fulfil their vital mission of selling bibles and other literature to the faithful who flock to the churches and cathedrals in which the bookshops sit. The argument of the heads of the company comes from the Council of Laodicea, which said that for a Christian to try to take the Sabbath of was to be guilty of Judaising. Willing and happy Judaiser that I am, I post this up on Friday afternoon before disappearing to have my sacrosanct Saturday off. I wish you all a joyful 'shabbat shalom'. (Update: sorry this post disappeard for a while yesterday, I took it down to change it slightly and then forgot to repost it. rg)

Christians' throats slit in Turkey

Middle East Concern has sent me this report of an horrific story, also covered in today's Times. Three Christians have been killed by five young attackers on Wednesday early afternoon. The three victims, two Turks and a German, were discovered at the Zirve publishing house in the eastern city of Malatya. They were bound to a chair and their throats had been slit. This picture of police wrestling an unidentified man after the attacks comes from Christianity Today.

O crazy town of Bethlehem

The leaders of four main British churches, the CofE, Roman Catholics, Free Churches and the Armenians flew out to Israel today for their visit to Bethlehem, welcomed by their counterparts over there. But the mask of "peace and good will" this well-intentioned visit presents to the world disguises a turbulent nest of suspicion, anger and fear - on all sides. Archbishop Rowan Williams is viewed with suspicion because of his vote supporting the General Synod boycott of Caterpillar. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is a President of the Council of Christians and Jews, which criticised the Synod action, but some say that privately he has backed Dr Williams. One of the fears in Israel is that this visit will be used to explore once again the possibility of punitive action against Israel.

Pope in Turkey

"I am worried; however, am sure that this visit is very necessary," the Pope said a few hours before leaving for Turkey, after checking his speech on Christianity and Islam, word-by-word. I've tried but failed to resist the temptation to joke that Benedict XVI must have been looking forward to this visit like a turkey looks forward to Christmas. It's the kind of joke you can put on a blog. My commentary for TimesOnline is more serious. Already things are looking more hopeful, however. Erdogan has said the Pope told him in their brief meeting that he supports Turkey's EU accession. The Pope will visit a mosque later in the four-day trip. He will also deliver a major address on Muslim-Christian relations.On 30 November, St Andrew's Day, the Pope will join in Divine Liturgy with the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew, primus inter pares in the Orthodox Church. Just a few days ago, I was with Rowan Williams when he prayed by the reliquary said to contain the bones of St Peter in Rome. Andrew was Peter's brother, sent to evangelise Asia Minor. Andrew was 80 years old, one year older than Benedict is now, when he made the "mistake" of converting Maximilla, wife of the ruler Aigeates, to Christianity. He was nailed upside down on an X-shaped cross. It took him three days to die. Two centuries later his remains were taken to Constantinople and in 1460 his head was given to the Pope. On 24 September 1964, in an ecumenical gesture, the head was returned to the people of Patras by the then Pope.