Category Archives: Society

Five Principles of the New Sexual and Relational Morality

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

Today, I guest posted over on The Gospel Coalition website. My post begins: The sociologist Mark Regnerus recently published a piece for the Witherington Institute’s Public Discourse, suggesting that support for same-sex marriage in some Christian circles correlates to broader shifts in … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, Guest Post, On the web, Sex and Sexuality, Society, Theological, Theology | 29 Comments

Podcast: What Adoption Is and Isn’t

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

After a week off, the latest Mere Fidelity podcast has just gone online. This week we are discussing what adoption is and isn’t, both within Scripture and in society today. We take our starting point in the following quotation from … Continue reading →

Posted in NT Theology, Podcasts, Society, Soteriology, Theological | 8 Comments

The Loss of Pastoral Credibility in the Age of the Internet

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

The Internet has introduced a new level of visibility to areas of our social life, exposing certain uncomfortable realities. Rod Dreher recently wrote a perceptive and troubling piece on the way that the Internet reveals corruption and abuse within the … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, On the web, Society, The Church, Theological | 197 Comments

A New Icon of Marriage

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

Candida Performa via Flickr I just had a conversation in which I was reminded of this beautiful passage in Alexander Schmemann’s For the Life of the World: In movies and magazines the ‘icon’ of marriage is always a youthful couple. … Continue reading →

Posted in Sex and Sexuality, Society, Theological | 7 Comments

Podcast: On Marriage and Donated Gametes

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

The latest Mere Fidelity podcast was posted earlier today. This week’s episode is on the subject of gamete donation or, more particularly, artificial insemination by donor (I expect that a later episode will focus upon IVF). This is a particularly … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Podcasts, Society, Theological | 4 Comments

Podcast: The Transgender Question

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

This week’s Mere Fidelity podcast is our second discussion around the themes of Oliver O’Donovan’s book Begotten or Made? In this episode, we take up the subject of transsexualism, taking the second chapter of the book and O’Donovan’s Grove booklet … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, Podcasts, Sex and Sexuality, Society, Theological | 53 Comments

N.T. Wright on Heaven and Earth, Male and Female

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

N.T. Wright recently made some controversial statements in opposition to same-sex marriage. He begins his argument against same-sex marriage by observing the dangers of the sudden and prescriptive redefinition of key terms, remarking upon examples of extensive attempts to transform … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Controversies, Creation, Culture, Ethics, Genesis, N.T. Wright, OT, Sex and Sexuality, Society, The Blogosphere, Theological | 81 Comments

Podcast: The End of Nature?

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

In the latest episode of the Mere Fidelity podcast Matt Lee Anderson, Derek Rishmawy, and I are joined by Matthew Loftus. Together we discuss themes from the first chapter of Oliver O’Donovan’s book, Begotten or Made? In particular, we wonder about … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Controversies, Creation, Ethics, Podcasts, Sex and Sexuality, Society, Theological | 1 Comment

Gender Integrated Ministry?

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

Within the continuing online discussion about the representation of women in Christian conferences, the issue of policies placing restrictions upon direct interactions between men and women has been raised. Such policies, it is claimed, are a direct obstacle to equality … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Ethics, Sex and Sexuality, Society, The Church, Theological | 10 Comments

The Modesty Debates: Combating Unilateralism and Myths of Strength

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

In a recent post I made a number of comments on the subject of modesty and modesty culture. I noted the lure of black-and-white ways of tackling such complex issues. Within this post I wish to highlight some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Experience, Controversies, Culture, Ethics, Sex and Sexuality, Society, The Church, Theological | 15 Comments