Jumble sales of the apocalypse: Badvent

01/12/2014 | Reform

Simon Jenkins introduces the “Badvent” calendar

Standing in the queue at Tesco a few weeks ago, I was eyeing up the impulse buys at the till and wondering whether to go for a two-for-the-price-of-one pouch of Maltesers, when my eyes … Read More

Niall Cooper: To heat, or eat?

01/12/2014 | Reform

The chilling effects of fuel poverty

Advent may be a time of hope and expectation, but it is also, for many, a time of dread. As the thermometer starts to plummet, increasing numbers of people are faced with the unenviable … Read More

Commitment-Phobe: A Christian Christmas

01/12/2014 | Reform

“Reading the Bible, I’ve started to feel like
 I am hanging out with an old friend”

Having decided to move on from atheism, Commitment-Phobe is on a search for God

This year I face the question: What is Christmas about … Read More

On the pilgrim way: “Beauty and goodness do not always go together”

01/12/2014 | Reform

Sheila Maxey explores an evil piece of history

In October we spent two glorious weeks in the Swabian Alps in
Germany; it is an area of steep, wooded valleys with castles atop the stony outcrops and picturesque villages. The autumn colours … Read More

Jumble sales of the apocalypse: Shopping for relics

24/10/2014 | Reform

Simon Jenkins goes window shopping for relics

I visited Rome a few years ago, just after Papa Benny got the top job. Despairing of the gargantuan queue for the Sistine Chapel, I descended instead into the bowels of St Peter’s, … Read More

Niall Cooper: What price a home?

24/10/2014 | Reform

The insanity of the housing market

What price do we put on everyone having access to a home? According to the late Pope John Paul II: “A house is much more than a simple roof over one’s head. The place … Read More