Is religion preventing people from the LGBT community living full and happy lives in Northern Ireland? That’s a question at the heart of ‘God’s Country,’ a new play by Colin Bell. The play is part of Tinderbox Theatre’s True North series of three new dramas about life in Northern Ireland today. The play presents a [...]
Archive | US Politics RSS feed for this section
Glenn Beck, Jim Wallis and the Nazis
A few weeks ago when I was speaking to my parents in the US on the phone, my mother told me I had received something in the post from ‘socialists.’ ‘Really?’ I asked. ‘Are you sure it’s not from a Sociological Association?’ She replied, ‘No. And they were saying bad things about Glenn Beck.’ That’s [...]
In the Shadow of the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’: Questions about Muslim and Christian Relationships
Yesterday John A. Johnson posted a comment on my blog about my review of Samir Selmanovic’s book, It’s Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian. I wrote the review back in March so I was surprised to be receiving a comment at the end of August, but the issues Selmanovic raises [...]
Gay Rights and the Growth of Conservative Evangelical Christianity
It has become a familiar debate in the media, not least on BBC Radio Ulster. Last week, when filling in on the Stephen Nolan show, William Crawley moderated a conversation about civil partnerships for people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) community. The guests were some of the usual suspects: Non-Subscribing Presbyterian minister [...]
Fox News on Witch Hunt for Christian Pastors?
For many people on this side of the Atlantic, I suspect their impressions of Fox News’ Glenn Beck are mediated through the spoofs of Daily Show comedian Jon Stewart, whose programme is aired on Channel 4. Beck identifies himself with Christian America, and is a self-proclaimed guardian of what he perceives to be America’s Christian [...]
Atheism in the Public Square: Marginalised or Militant?
Are atheists marginalised in our public conversations, even in the largely secular West? Last week, atheists had their first ever official visit to the White House. Sixty representatives from the Secular Coalition for America met with officials and discussed issues ranging from child medical neglect, military proselytizing, and faith-based initiatives. USA Today reports that ‘this [...]
US Health Care Debate – Christian Options?
Saturday’s Irish Times outlines the options facing President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in their efforts to pass health care reform in the United States. I’m an American, and I have followed the somewhat tedious rounds of debates with both amazement and despair. Many Americans believe they have the best health care system in [...]
About me
Welcome to Building a Church Without Walls, a website for people who are excited about how Christianity is developing in the 21st Century. I am a Lecturer and Coordinator of the Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation Studies Programme at Trinity College Dublin at Belfast (the Irish School of Ecumenics).
Please note this is my personal site. All views are my own and are not representative of TCD.
