The grass is not always greener on the other side. The grass is greener where we water it. The Spiritual Danger of Looking Sideways It is easy when we look at colleagues and friends, at other people’s situations, at celebrities or neighbours, to think how much better things are for them than for me. Maybe…
Salvationism struggles with an obsession over its identity, which can create fear. But what is it about Salvationist symbols and culture that gets people so passionate? Passionate in a way I don’t see in quite the same way in other denominations? Issues That Kill Our Energy There are always ‘those issues’ in churches and denominations…
William Booth (1829–1912), his wife Catherine Booth (1829–1890), and a group of friendly zealots began The Salvation Army in the late 19th century. I, as a Salvation Army Officer, am part of that continuing legacy. But I’m pretty sure William Booth wouldn’t want me. That’s ok though. Here’s why I’m a Salvationist anyway. Anti-Intellectualism in…
What can local churches do to work for justice in their communities? In this article, we see how Local Churches can use practical politics to seek justice in 8 steps. I am drawing from the work of Dr. Helen Cameron in her book Just Mission: Practical Politics for Local Churches. The book is available from…
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes Perhaps at no other time in history have people been so divided. Here are 7 Steps to Disagreeing Well that will hopefully start to change things. Whether cultural, political, ideological, or religious, there are huge divides that seem uncrossable. We have lost the art of disagreeing well. Differences descend into…
Over six years, I worked part-time towards a PhD in divinity from the University of Aberdeen. As it entered its final stages, I spent some time reflecting on what I learned about actually doing a PhD and what I wish I had known at the beginning. Here are the 10 lessons I wished I’d known…
Estimated reading time: 14 minutes Salvationist theology draws on and utilises the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. The Salvation Army inherited its early theological formation from the Wesleyan tradition, as expressed through New Connection Methodism. The ‘Wesleyan Quadrilateral’ provides a key theological method for the Army. The Salvation Army Is A Wesleyan Movement Whilst the writing and preaching…
Content note. This is a personal reflection on living with depression and anxiety, and it includes a description of the thoughts that come with that — including feeling that others would be better off without me. It also refers to the Columbine school shooting. If now isn’t the right time to read this, that’s completely…
⚠ Content Note This post is a sensitive subject and includes discussion about suicide and death. There are no graphic descriptions given, but the conversation is about suicide. Please be aware before reading further. What follows comes from my experience of suicide from working in The Salvation Army UK’s homelessness service, working as an officer…
Making a point, giving evidence for it, and then explaining it, is the basic structure of academic writing. It is the foundation of a basic but solid paragraph. We need to remember P.E.E! When you are doing academic writing, you are writing to persuade and convince. If nothing else, you want the person reading your…