Theos Report on Power

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Madeleine Pennington and Paul Bickley, A Theology of Power (London: Theos. 2026).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘We live in an age of strongman leadership on the global stage.

‘From Putin to Trump, our global leaders wield their military, financial, and political power in a way that profoundly challenges historical norms. Is there a more constructive way to think about power?

‘In partnership with Christian Aid, Madeleine Pennington and Paul Bickley explore what power means through a biblical lens.’

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

Christian History Magazine on the Council of Nicaea

The latest issue of Christian History Magazine is devoted to: ‘Debating Jesus’s Divinity: Revisiting the Council of Nicaea on its 1700th Anniversary’.

From the blurb:

‘In 2025, Christians around the world celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. This historic council of the early church (a story which Christian History first told in issue #85) dealt with a conundrum that the modern church sees as a settled matter – Jesus is God, but how? What does it mean when the Bible says he is begotten? Are there degrees of divinity? How is Jesus both God and man?

‘In this refreshed issue of CH, discover the discussions and debates that reached a boiling point in the fourth century between church leaders concerning this all-important question of Jesus’s divinity. Meet the major players at the council and discover how their involvement led to the creation of the Nicene Creed.

‘You’ll also see how the Nicene Creed wasn’t exactly the “be all, end all” of church doctrine at the time, and how more councils, creeds, and conflicts followed in the decades afterward. But from this chaos emerged the clarifying work of pro-Nicene church fathers who led the church to a strongly trinitarian consensus, giving us the legacy we treasure today.’

The whole magazine is available as a 5.33 MB pdf here.

Stewardship: Generosity Report 2026

The organisation Stewardship recently published their third generosity report, seeking to capture ‘fresh insights into the impact of faith on generosity and the factors shaping Christian giving across the UK today’.

The key highlights are as follows:

Trust and generosity

1. Trust in local church leads to greater generosity

2. Regular teaching on generosity helps build trust

3. Trust leads to gratitude and joy in giving

Giving habits

4. Fewer Christians are giving in response to appeals

5. Over 25% of Christians give from savings

The future of giving

6. The wealthy, the young and ethnic minority Christians expect to give more

7. Younger givers are more open to teaching on generosity and appeals to give

8. Younger Christians talk more about giving

Further information is available here, from where (with an email address) a pdf of the report can be downloaded.

The Intellectual Legacy of Herman Dooyeweerd (1894–1977)

Maarten Verkerk, Gerrit Glas, and Suzan Sierksma-Agteres, The Intellectual Legacy of Herman Dooyeweerd (1894–1977): A Hopeful Philosophy for Our Time, trans. David Hanson (London: Amsterdam University Press, 2025).

The above book is open access, available as a pdf and epub from here.

The abstract:

‘Herman Dooyeweerd (1894–1977), a renowned philosopher and legal scholar, has been regarded as one of the most original philosophers the Netherlands has ever produced. In 1935, he published his seminal work, A New Critique of Theoretical Thought, which offers an in-depth analysis of the foundations of culture and science. Dooyeweerd develops a sophisticated and impressive conceptual framework to analyse reality. He demonstrates that every philosophy, all science, and every political ideology is driven by underlying religious or worldview perspectives.

‘The work of Herman Dooyeweerd is currently attracting global interest. From the United States to Korea, from New Zealand to Brazil, and from the United Kingdom to South Africa, professionals across various disciplines – philosophers, engineers, politicians, economists, and others – are expanding upon his ideas within their respective fields. At the same time, his work is becoming increasingly relevant as contemporary society displays characteristics reminiscent of those observed in European culture a century ago. The Intellectual Legacy of Herman Dooyeweerd (1894–1977): A Hopeful Philosophy for Our Time introduces his most significant concepts and numerous examples of their contemporary applications.’

Julian Rivers on the European Convention on Human Rights

Cambridge Papers are published once a quarter (or thereabouts) and address a wide range of topics, offering ‘Christian reflection on contemporary issues’.

The latest paper is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here):

Julian Rivers, ‘Should the UK leave the European Convention on Human Rights?’, Cambridge Papers 34, 4 (December 2025).

Here is the summary:

‘The proposal that the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is motivated at present mainly by the view that it represents an obstacle to the control of irregular migration. This paper argues that the ECHR was influenced historically by Christian political convictions, and that there are still strong grounds for Christians to support it. Far from being an obstacle, it provides a humane safeguard, offering valuable, if limited, protection against authoritarian state tendencies across Europe. Problems in its judicial implementation need to be addressed – not by leaving, but by more critical engagement.’

Ruth Perrin on Resilient Faith

‘Resilient Faith’ explores findings ‘from a 2-year project exploring the shape and impact of their religious faith on millennial Christians living in Northeast England’.

Ruth Perrin builds on her earlier (2020) research on the faith lives of millennials ‘by examining the ongoing faith journey of that demographic group through the next decade’.

Six themes emerged from their accounts:

1. Maturing Millennial Faith: The desire to follow Jesus

2. How Faith Helps: The desire for hope and a future

3. Faith and Parenthood (or not): The desire for family

4. Faith and Friendship: The desire for deep connection

5. Millennials and Church: The desire for community

6. Faith and Purpose: The desire to bring about change

The report contains materials to facilitate discussion with millennials and consider practical implications from the findings.

See here for more details.

Theos Report on Religious Education

The latest report from Theos has recently been published:

Hannah Rich, Beyond the Classroom: Informal Religion and Worldviews Education in the UK (London: Theos, 2025).

Here’s some brief blurb:

‘We live in divided times where religion is often seen as the problem.

‘But RE properly understood – as lifelong learning that goes beyond the school classroom – could help us heal our fractured society.

Our latest report by Hannah Rich explores the spaces and places where people of all ages can learn about religion outside the classroom.’

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