Flashes

  • When violins argue like world newsfeeds

    Bach’s Goldberg Variations stirred unexpected reflections on justice, war, and the chaos of public discourse. The music became a mirror for inner conflict, revealing how struggles for justice may sometimes mask deeper personal unrest.

    When violins argue like world newsfeeds
  • Ritual exile — modern stigma

    Who do we cast out today—those we fear, those we blame, those who differ from us? The ancient story still asks how far we go to preserve purity, and what kind of holiness demands exclusion.

    Ritual exile — modern stigma
  • Romanticising the past risks the future

    The risk of nostalgia lies not in tradition itself but in romanticising fragments as the whole truth. If Germany builds on a dream of GDR life, or Catholics cling to an imagined golden age, both risk turning truth into museum relics.

    Romanticising the past risks the future
  • Carlo Acutis: saint of the internet or symbol of conservatism?

    The rise of Christian influencers – “Christfluencers” – has shaped how faith is presented online. Their emphasis on miracle healings, biblical literalism, and sexual morality mirrors the spirituality many link with Carlo Acutis, raising concerns about his image being appropriated by right-wing groups.

    Carlo Acutis: saint of the internet or symbol of conservatism?
  • Reform without an imprimatur

    Though it lacks official endorsement, the Bristol Text offers reassurance that reforms can be both faithful and lawful. Its authority rests on theologians and pastors who shaped it, rather than on hierarchical approval.

    Reform without an imprimatur
  • Science changes everything

    The Webb Space Telescope reveals astonishing new realities of creation, while psychology deepens our understanding of human brokenness and potential. Such knowledge questions inherited frameworks and calls theology to reconsider how it speaks of sin, grace, and humanity’s place in the vast unfolding universe.

    Science changes everything
  • Absolutely Right

    Two voices echo across time: one calling for battle, another for God’s kingdom on earth. Between them lies the clash of worldviews shaping our age, where populist leaders and faithful dreamers compete to write the story of tomorrow.

    Absolutely Right
  • What young people seek in faith

    The decline of youth in the Church is not the full story. Across Australia, young Catholics are rediscovering faith in surprising numbers, seeking authenticity, community, and a sense of hope that speaks to their deepest aspirations.

    What young people seek in faith
  • Is the Church allowed to ordain men?

    For centuries, women have led priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. Vaticanelle, a parody, imagines Pope Sister Martha and her Synodal Council debating whether men could be ordained. From the outset, she insists priesthood for men is not a serious expectation.

    Is the Church allowed to ordain men?
  • The paradox of stability offline, fury online

    When anger goes unchecked online it can spiral into cruelty. Anonymity fuels extreme behavior. Shaming replaces dialogue. Dialogue is a safeguard.

    The paradox of stability offline, fury online

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