Douglas Dales on Prayer

Douglas Dales, Monotheism and Prayer: A Study in Trinitarian Prayer, Elements in Christian Doctrine (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2026).

The above short (78-page) book is available as a free pdf download until 21 August 2026.

Here is the summary:

‘This is a study of how Christian Trinitarian understanding of monotheism has been expressed in Christian prayer and worship. It studies the emergence and development of a distinctive language of prayer within the New Testament and among some early Church Fathers, which laid the basis for later belief in and worship of the Trinity. This contemplative belief is studied in the light of Eastern and Western understandings of the Trinity, by examining certain key figures Christian history. It concludes with a discussion of the continuing mystical and contemplative traditions within Eastern and Western Christianity. This Element does not consider the development of Christian liturgy, however, which has already been considered in an earlier Element in this series. Nor does it address the varied impact of the Reformation upon the Western churches, which will be addressed by further Elements to be published in this series.

The book can be downloaded as a pdf from here.

The Big Picture on Evangelicalism

Several articles from the latest issue of The Big Picture, a magazine produced by the Kirby Laing Centre, have recently been made available via Substack.

According to the blurb:

‘Our seventeenth issue of The Big Picture broaches the topic of evangelicalism. Without sweeping aside the problems and weaknesses of the movement over its history, it has had an important role in revitalising world Christianity, and our world needs a healthy evangelicalism now more than ever. Our contributors look at what has characterised the movement since its earliest days, what might be missing and what might have gone wrong. Several articles explore the role of evangelicalism in politics, others in intellectual pursuits such as education or research, and still others in ethics and mission. We hope that our issue offers some avenues for its renewal.’

The articles are available from here.

Lausanne Global Analysis on Generational Theory

The latest issue of the Lausanne Global Analysis looks at the topic of generational theory:

‘How should the global church respond to generational change?

‘Generational theory can illuminate how cultural change is shaping faith, leadership, discipleship, and mission – but it can also oversimplify identity and impose Western-derived categories on diverse contexts. This Global Analysis weighs both its insights and limitations, inviting the church to engage generational change wisely, contextually, and collaboratively in service of the Great Commission.’

Individual articles are available from here, from where a pdf of the issue can be downloaded.

Theos Report on Motherhood

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Dr Madeleine Pennington and Dr Rhiannon McAleer, Motherhood, Inside Out: The Story in Numbers (London: Theos. 2026).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘Motherhood is one of the most significant transitions a woman can experience. It can reshape identity, relationships, priorities and, for many women, how they see the world itself. Yet it remains surprisingly under–researched and is often undervalued in public life.

‘This report accompanies the Motherhood, Inside Out research project, unpacking its main quantitative findings […]

‘We asked women how they saw the value of, and economic and cultural support for, parenting, before asking the mothers specifically how their thinking and identity had shifted since having children. The findings reveal that motherhood can transform women from the inside out […]

‘Taken as a whole, the findings explored in this report speak to a potentially under-supported social role – but as explored further in our separate qualitative report, they also hint at an existential shift that is far more complex and wide-reaching than is acknowledged in ordinary depictions of motherhood, entailing social, political, and even spiritual impacts on the women who go through it.’

More information about the project is available here, more information about the report is available here, and a pdf of the full report is available here.

Centre for Public Christianity (July 2026)

Among other items, the Centre for Public Christianity has posted a ‘Life and Faith’ podcast here on wine.

From the blurb:

‘Daniel Chaffey Hartwig and Theo Engela are the brothers-in-law behind Chaffey Bros Wine Co. In this celebratory episode of Life & Faith, they talk about the ups and downs of winemaking (mostly the ups), and why they think it’s a natural fit for people of Christian faith like them to be in this business – despite certain stereotypes! Benjamin Franklin famously wrote that wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, and Daniel and Theo can definitely get on board with that idea.’

Anvil 14, 1 (2026) on Movements, Communities, and Sodalities

The latest issue of Anvil, published by the Church Mission Society, is devoted to the theme of ‘movements, communities and sodalities’.

More information about the contents (including book reviews) can be found here, and the whole issue is available as a pdf here.

David Kim on Faith and Work Movements

Here’s a short but stimulating read for those interested in this area:

David Kim, ‘From Ethics to Enlivenment: The Evolving Story of Faith and Work.’

Kim draws up what he admits is an oversimplified attempt to capture changes in the faith and work movement (or movements) in three phases:

Phase One: 1975–1995 – Ethical Distinction – How do I witness the gospel?

This is the era in which ‘the Christian faith was lived out through evangelism in the workplace and the living of ethical lives that testified to this salvific reality. To witness the gospel at work was to live with the ethical distinction that would open the way for evangelistic opportunity.

‘The dismantling of the sacred–secular divide was a meaningful achievement as the gospel needed to go forth into every domain of life. Its focus, though, remained largely individual, as the question of witness was answered by personal conviction and ethical behavior.’

Phase Two: 1996–2015 – Cultural Renewal – How do we transform culture?

‘This phase asked a new question: Can Christians transform the culture itself and turn the tide of its radical secularity?

‘The Christian language shifted accordingly. “Cultural renewal,” “culture making,” and “faithful presence” became the animating phrases… Work was no longer seen merely as a site of personal ethics but as a platform for cultural engagement and transformation.

‘And yet, over time, cracks appeared. The assumption that culture could be “changed” through the right people in the right positions proved more complicated than anticipated.’

Phase Three: 2016–Present – Spiritual Formation – How do I remain grounded?

‘In recent years, a convergence of forces has reshaped both work and the human experience of it. Political polarization, economic instability, a global pandemic, and now the accelerating disruption of artificial intelligence have together produced what researchers at the Institute for the Future describe as a “BANI world”: brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible.

‘In this BANI context, the central question has shifted again, not outward, but inward. How do we remain grounded amidst all the uncertainties of our age? … The gospel does not merely call us to behave differently or to influence culture. It invites us into a transformed way of being.

‘To respond to our world faithfully in this moment requires spiritual competencies that anchor us when the ground feels shaky. This phase invites an attentiveness to God’s presence in the midst of ordinary work. It asks us to listen for God’s voice not only in special seasons of discernment and uncertainty, but in day-to-day life that includes the realities of loss, disorientation, and grief. And it begins to reimagine work itself as something that the gospel can enlivened [sic] from the inside out.’

•••

As Kim notes, ‘the first two are not meant to be cordoned off or discarded. We still need ethical clarity. We still long for cultural renewal. But without spiritual formation, both become unsustainable’. He describes this as ‘enlivened work: work that flows not from excellence or ambition alone, but from a deep awareness of God’s presence’.