The Ascension of Christ. Ed Moll. (CD7) The Latimer Trust, 2025. The first time I ever heard about the ascension of Jesus was as a kid. I remember asking my mom “If Jesus came back to life, did He then die again?” She shared briefly that Jesus ascended to Heaven and that satisfied my question even though the answer was confusing. Fast forward to now being in full time ministry for close to a decade and my understanding had not deepened much since that fateful question. I kne

Engaged: Preaching that Draws People Closer to God (Lloyd Etheridge) (LS91), The Latimer Trust, 2026 Lloyd Etheridge offers an important guide to the most important duty of the pastor: to preach. When a pastor preaches well, he brings the souls in his care closer to God. In his book, Etheridge doesn’t give public speaking tips or extol the virtues of ancient Greek rhetoric. Instead, he provides an accessible guide to the principles that underpin the way pastors should read th

This is a summary of recent books read by Martin Davie, compiling his evaluations and the commendations of others. In this edition: You Shall Be Clean': A Biblical Theology of Defilement and Cleansing by G. Geoffrey Harper. This is a book written by a scholar for other scholars, for those who are already familiar with the biblical and extra-biblical material and who want to examine in more detail what this material has to say about defilement and cleansing. Those who come int

O all ye who pass by, behold and see; Man stole the fruit, but I must climb the tree; The tree of life to all, but only me: Was ever grief like mine? The Sacrifice, George Herbert Through the cross and empty tomb, life is offered to a world condemned to die. For many early Christians, this paradox at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was visualised through the image of the cross as the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life stood in the heart of the Garden of Eden, offering

The pain of loss can feel unbearable. It can come close to breaking us. The absence of the one we love, the fear, the disbelief, the anger, the changes, and the disorientation that bereavement can bring has to be one of the hardest things any human can go through. It’s no surprise grief is hard. Death is humanity’s enemy. Death was not part of Eden’s design – it won’t be part of the new heavens and the new earth – it is a product of the fall, and one that we all rail against.

This is a summary of recent books read by Martin Davie, compiling his evaluations and the commendations of others. This time Martin has not focused on newly published books, but on five books he has been reading recently and which he thinks are very valuable. In this edition: What Is Marriage?: Man and Woman: A Defense by Sherif Gergis, Ryan T. Anderson and Robert P. George. This a hugely important piece of Christian philosophical apologetic that Christians need to be aware

It was in St Paul’s cathedral last year that I learnt something about myself: I’m scared of heights! Climbing the stairs to take in the view from the dome at the top I began to feel dizzy. Then, stepping out onto the balcony I wondered how on earth what we were doing was supposed to be fun. And, despite my best efforts to the contrary, my fear was obvious to my wife. The classic advice, of course, is “don’t look down”. The poet Hugo Williams puts it this as, “Don’t look down,

E. L. Mascall (1905–1993) is a hidden gem of twentieth-century British Anglican theology. By “hidden” I mean unfashionable: he did not seek prominence, avoided popularism and rhetorical sparkle in his writing, and—particularly in later assessments—failed to fit neatly into any prevailing theological narrative. He is remembered as neither a prophet, like Karl Barth, nor a storyteller, like C.S. Lewis. None of this, of course, counts against him—quite the opposite. Mascall was

Change used to come slowly in our area but in the past year or two hardly a Sunday has gone by without at least one visitor to church on a Sunday. I am pleased to report that the church family did well in meeting, greeting and welcoming our guests. Christmas of course brings more visitors to church than usual, and for a wider variety of reasons: some who attend occasionally during the year make a point of coming at Christmas; others in the local area come regularly at Christm

This is a summary of recent books read by Martin Davie, compiling his evaluations and the commendations of others. In this Edition One for the Other: Engaging with Nonviolent Atonement Theology by Andrew Campbell. A book that deserves to be widely read by ministers, theological students and lay Christians who are capable of engaging with a work of serious academic theology. Campbell shows very clearly that a traditional cross-centred view of the atonement leads Christians

That is such an assumption isn’t it…. That this time of year is one of happiness. Of hope. Of resolution and excitement and intention. January 1st comes with its promise of renewal, of change, of something better and greener and more glorious. The healthier, happier you awaits. An opportunity to look ahead…. And also to reflect. To look back on. It can spark recollection of the previous year and further behind. For many of us we feel the freedom, permission, and possibly pres

Deaconess Margaret Rodgers: A Woman in a Man’s World , Erin Mollenhauer (ed.) Latimer, 2024. This short book provides a portrait of the remarkable life of service of Deaconess Margaret Rodgers (1939–2014). The book is based on talks originally given at the Donald Robinson Library Lectures at Moore Theological College in 2023. The purpose of the lectures was to ‘honour one of the most significant women, and one of the most significant laypeople, in the history of the Anglican

A young man enters church. He is not quite sure what he is expecting. He is not entirely sure why he has come. But over the years has tried to find freedom in money, sex and pleasure. But felt the brokenness of a life given to sin. He knows something about Jesus. He likes some of the ideas he has heard from the bible. He has dabbled in philosophy. He has been involved in politics. And now he has come to church. Over the past year or so there have been any number of articles a

This is a summary of recent books read by Martin Davie, compiling his evaluations and the commendations of others. In this edition: The Noble Liar: How and Why the BBC Distorts the News to Promote a Liberal Agenda b y Robin Aitken. An important book that gives an insightful account of contemporary British society and the role of the BBC within it. It will help Christians to understand that the BBC supports and promotes a secular worldview that is hostile to orthodox Christian

Contending for true comfort Safety is a word that is saturating social media. From Instagram to podcasts, from radio programmes to blogs, this really is the buzz word for our times. Feeling safe, sensing trust, belonging somewhere are central to our place and personhood. We have responsibility to ensure the wellbeing, the right care, the oversight of the weak, vulnerable, marginalised. We are called to instil and cultivate the dignity and worth of humanity in every encounter

You know those requests people make that make you jump back a bit, in shock or in disgust, and leave you thinking '“Corr the audacity!” or make you say out loud “You what?!” Perhaps you’ve lent someone a couple of quid and they refuse to pay you back.. but then a few weeks down the line they ask to borrow more money.. the audacity?! Maybe you’ve asked for the whole world to be at peace and to turn to Jesus in repentance, before 2026 is here... Or maybe in the lead up to the a

I was chatting with a gentleman in his 90s who had phoned me to talk about his upcoming theological exam – he was a little worried that his arthritis might slow him down and he wanted to know if he might have some extra time. We talked for a while about various arrangements – all of which were easy to sort - and then I plucked up the courage to ask the question that had been on my mind for some time: “Out of interest, what has led you to do this course at this time?”. His ans

The Origin and Role of Ordained Ministry by Roger Beckwith I was a young whippersnapper of twenty three when I first attended a Baptist...

This is a summary of recent books read by Martin Davie, compiling his evaluations and the commendations of others. In this edition: A...

This year, I have been travelling the length and breadth of England with my new ‘stand-up theology’ show, God, The Bible and Everything...