Blog on the Learig

  27 October 2026 Leading figures have sent an open letter to the ‘New Statesman’ in defence of Sally Rooney. She has become famous as a writer of popular novels which are full of romance. ‘Normal People’ is one. When it was dramatized on the television, it generated Paul Mescal’s stellar career. ‘Sally Rooney is a writer, not a terrorist.’ they say. ‘Her books must be available to the public. Their withdrawal from sale, on the basis of ill-conceived and draconian anti-terror legislation, is an affront to basic principles of free speech and expression so long taken for granted in this country …’ At the heart of this situation is the government’s ‘Terrorism Act’ which has proscribed the organisation, ‘Palestinian Action’. They have supported the Palestinians in Gaza and argue that the Israelis have been guilty of genocide in their military attacks. Sally Rooney’s predicament is consequent on her support of this proscribed organisation and her intention to give royalties to i...

  26 October 2026 Our Radical Action Plan was presented to the General Assembly in 2019. It resulted in the radical reduction in the number of Presbyteries and the number of parishes. Many churches, halls and manses have been sold as a consequence. The Plan was authorised by the Assembly who took responsibility for acting on it. On the front page of the ‘Church Times’, there was an article by Madeleine Davies on a report entitled, ‘Wasted Money in a Diminishing Church’. It has been written by Canon Robin Gill who taught us Practical Theology in the 1970s at New College and Professor John Craven. It is not clear whether the report has been initiated   by these two academics – experts in sociology, theology and economics. It is very forthright in its analysis and doesn’t beat about the bush. ‘We want to break the silence because we are convinced that the Church of England is heading for financial disaster.’ There is a hint that the powers that be, in this case the House ...

  25 October 2026 Not so long ago, the Principal of the University of St. Andrews, Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, reported to the press that there were 140 nationalities represented within the University community. Some are more widely represented than others like students from America and Asia. Nonetheless, this is astonishing. It made me wonder whether other universities had a similar composition or whether there was something unique about St. Andrews? That was my first question. The second was whether the University’s diversity had something to do with the fact that it is currently judged to be the best in the UK? One of the good things about studying at St. Andrews University over fifty years ago was the size of the University. It was only a third of its current roll. This meant that whatever your faculty, you were bound to engage with students who belonged to others. This expanded horizons and opinions. Students who come from different countries and cultures have more ...

  24 October 2026 The Bishop of Hereford, who has some responsibility for rural ministry across the Church of England, has been writing about the unique possibilities which are to be found there. ‘Far from becoming the forgotten edge, the countryside is becoming an important place of innovation, as well as faithful continuity.’ he said. He made four important points. Firstly, there is a need to change the story which is told about rural churches. It is normally a story about decline – small congregations, ageing buildings, financial pressure etc. But God loves the small and there is much to celebrate in what God is already doing. Secondly, instead of thinking about planting, someone had directed him to think about foraging – looking carefully for what God is already doing and nurturing it. Our ministry and our mission does not begin with us but with God. He is the great initiator and has already begun working amongst us. Thirdly, it is foolish to think that every congregati...

  23 October 2026 I have heard that the Archdiocese of Glasgow has taken steps to close half the churches in its jurisdiction. Whilst there has been a redistribution of the population in some areas of Glasgow, it is also the case that mass attendance has fallen dramatically. Some healthy pruning has been necessary. So also the Kirk. It is also the case that there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of vocations to the priesthood in Poland. This was a country like Ireland where there was always an excess of priests so much so that Polish priests were to be found all over the world. Now they are recruiting from Africa to fill the vacancies. The shortage of priests has become such a concern in Belgium that Bishop Johan Bonny, Bishop of Antwerp, told the Vatican that several married men were studying for the priesthood in his diocese. It   has fewer than 70 priests under 70 and nearly two-thirds of them are from abroad. As a result, the Diocese of Antwerp cannot ass...

  22 October 2026 Recently, we saw a performance of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, ‘Hansel and Gretel’. It was performed by Scottish Opera under the heading, ‘Opera on Your Doorstep’. The company is taking the opera to 34 locations including the Byre Theatre, the Ryan Centre, Stranraer and Seil Community Hall. There were five singers, three of whom were described as ‘Scottish Opera Emerging Artists’. They were young with agile voices and a welcome enthusiasm for the tale. It is not as cruel as that featured in the Grimms’ fairy story. The mother is spared her wickedness although she does double up as the witch in the opera. Instead of being a wicked step-mother, she is a hardworking mother who has reached the end of her tether with the cost of living crisis! She simply cannot afford to keep the children…. The costumes and the set were done on a shoe-string. Cardboard boxes, which must be useful for travelling around Scotland, were used for kitchen cupboards. But the witch’s...