Category: Anglican Establishment
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The Bishops are wrong: there’s nothing immoral about controlling our borders
26 May 2023. Nigel Biggar for The Telegraph. The end is just and the means, while severe, are not immoral Earlier in May, the Archbishop of Canterbury described the Government’s illegal migration bill as “morally unacceptable”. This week, he advanced his opposition to the bill’s proposal to remove illegal cross-Channel migrants to Rwanda, by tabling…
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Beyond Charles: a radical case for the monarchy
6 May 2023. By Nigel Biggar for Seen & Unseen. In a culture that tends toward populism and moral relativism, what the coronation says is, ironically, radically prophetic, writes Nigel Biggar. Judging by a recent YouGov poll, the monarchy currently remains popular among the British, with 58 per cent supporting its continuation and only 26…
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Why Anglican bishops should sit in a reformed House of Lords
Originally published on 7 August 2014 for Theology. By Nigel Biggar. Why Christianity benefits secular public discourse, and why, therefore, Anglican bishops should sit in a reformed House of Lords Since the failure of the Coalition government’s attempt – or rather the Liberal Democrats’ attempt – to reform the House of Lords in 2012, the…
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Establishment of the Church of England: A reply to Theo Hobson
Originally published on 29 March 2012 in Theology. By Nigel Biggar Theo Hobson’s argument that there are cogent theological objections to the establishment of the Church of England is not persuasive. He concedes that the current form of establishment is liberal, but implies that this renders the Church harmless in the sense of being deferential…
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Colloquium: Should we defend an established church?
On 23 March, the McDonald Centre hosted a colloquium to consider the rationale for the establishment of the Church of England—at a time when voices on the political left are calling for Anglican bishops to be ejected from the House of Lords. Among the questions tackled were: What are the public benefits of church establishment? How can the…