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        <title>Christian Today | Life</title>
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                <title><![CDATA[Shine Your Light campaign aims to reach millions of lonely people this Christmas]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/shine-your-light-campaign-aims-to-reach-millions-of-lonely-people-this-christmas</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff writer]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Jonathan Oloyede addresses Christians at the launch of the prayer ...]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Photo: Christian Today ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Jonathan Oloyede addresses Christians at the launch of the prayer chain, Emmanuel Christian Centre, London, Sunday 1 August 2010. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:44:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Shine Your Light campaign appears to be going from strength to strenth.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Summer is over, school is back and so naturally thoughts are already drifting towards Christmas.
Following the success of last year’s Shine Your Light evangelistic campaign, organisers say they want this year’s efforts to be even greater and to give special focus to those struggling with loneliness during the festive season.
The Shine Your Light campaign has run for three years. Last year organisers said they hoped to mobilise 200,000 Christians and reach two million people. In fact over 300,000 Christians across 3,500 churches got involved with over 1,800 events, reaching more than 3.5 million people. The campaign was endorsed by His Majesty King Charles III and by the then-Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.
This year, organisers say they want to mobilise 5,000 churches to bring the Christmas message to those who feel forgotten, particularly among the older and younger generations.
Organisers pointed to research from Age UK that suggested that around one in 14 over 65s often feel lonely, while government figures suggest young adults, particularly young men, also report high levels of loneliness.
Dr Jonathan Oloyede founder and CEO of the National Day of Prayer and Worship, and a key organiser of the Shine Your Light campaign, said, “Christmas should be a time of hope, but for hundreds of thousands of people it can magnify the reality that they feel alone, forgotten or disconnected.
“For an older person, Christmas can highlight bereavement, declining health or the absence of family and friends. For a young person surrounded by social media, loneliness can be just as real – accompanied by a search for belonging, hope and purpose.
“Our challenge to the Church this Christmas is simple: look around your community and ask, ‘Who might be forgotten?’ Then go to them.
"We want churches to bring light, hope, joy, and genuine community - not simply for one Christmas season, but in ways that can grow into lasting relationships throughout 2027 and beyond.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[In memory of an Anglican canon who loved Jews]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/in-memory-of-an-anglican-canon-who-loved-jews</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Irene Lancaster]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Canon Andrew Shanks]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Canon Andrew Shanks ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:36:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Jewish academic and Hebrew scholar Irene Lancaster remembers her dear friend and Broughton Park Jewish Christian Dialogue Group co-founder, Canon Andrew Shanks.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Jewish academic and Hebrew scholar Irene Lancaster remembers her dear friend and Broughton Park Jewish Christian Dialogue Group co-founder, Canon Andrew Shanks.
Recently, the co-founder of the Broughton Park Jewish Christian Dialogue Group, Canon Andrew Shanks, died, and last week we held a special commemorative zoom meeting for him.Former Bishop of Manchester, Nigel McCulloch, wrote to say how proud he was of appointing Andrew as Canon Theologian of Manchester Cathedral - a post he held from 2004-14.
Andrew saw his role as being to shake things up in the C of E, to shock people out of their apathy and to initiate the new.
Not surprisingly, therefore, he often spoke to me about Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, which is just round the corner, one year after the Heaton Park Shul terrorism attack, adjacent to Andrew’s former home.
Andrew came to see me in 2004, soon after he arrived in Manchester, and suggested some fruitful dialogue on Judaism and Christianity. Thus the birth of our group, encouraged by Bishop Nigel. We are now in our 18th year.
Andrew’s first act of courage was to invite me in 2006 to speak in the Cathedral on the 350th anniversary of the return of the Jews to England in 1656. 
He prefaced my talk by expressing his own anguish at the recent decision of the 2006 York Anglican Synod to boycott an Israeli business, just as Hamas had taken hold in Gaza!
‘How can the Jewish community feel welcome in England,’ he asked, ‘if the Synod in York, with all its negative anti-Jewish history, commits blatantly prejudicial acts against the Jewish homeland?’
But he himself also gave a talk on the need for the Anglican Communion to inaugurate an annual communal service of atonement and repentance, just like the Jewish Yom Kippur. This demonstrated real out-of-the box thinking on a scale not yet seen in the C of E.
Later, the Church wanted to adopt the Jewish idea of ‘covenant’, a more flexible notion than ‘contract’, to depict the fairly loose relationship between its different constitutional bodies.
But towards the end of his stay here in Manchester, Andrew also visited us for the annual Purim service. 
Purim seems, on the face of it, to be the opposite of Yom Kippur in every way. G-d is never mentioned. A woman (Esther) saves the day and the service is loud and playful, with people wearing disguises and generally making merry.  
However Kippur and Purim have the same Hebrew root and this is deliberate. For in the World to Come, there will be no need for atonement and fasting. Only the gaiety of Purim will survive.
Andrew stated that the Church could learn much from Purim and seemed almost wistful as he left us en route for his new home in York!
Andrew was not a crank and certainly not a prospective convert to Judaism. 
As his teacher, Rowan Williams, made clear at our commemorative meeting last week, he first encountered Andrew as an undergraduate 50 years ago, and Andrew had taught him much. Andrew’s input to the Church in Manchester and especially to our dialogue group did much to foster more than good relations - they fostered love.
When I lived in Israel from 2006-8 Andrew provided much positive information about philosemitic theologian, James Parkes, who was being celebrated over there and whom he had known. 
Recently, when Andrew was writing his book on Jewish poet and 1966 Nobel laureate Nelly Sacks, he often asked me for an explanation of a German word in context, or a Jewish concept as interpreted by her.
It’s this give and take between religions - not standing on ceremony, or taking up sides, which Andrew fostered, and (this also being the Jewish way), Andrew found a willing partner in his many Jewish friends.
At the end of the day, Yom Kippur is not simply about atonement, forgiveness, or repentance. It’s about finding our unique voice -a voice that calls to G-d through our relationship with our fellow human beings. G-d doesn’t want our fasts if we don’t also examine our behaviour towards each other.
Andrew understood this about atonement and he came to admire the Orthodox Jewish community among whom he lived. Many of his books have been reviewed for Christian Today. They weren’t easy to review, but worthwhile all the same. 
It’s rare to encounter an Anglican priest who grasped aspects of Judaism in the way Andrew did. But as we approach this year’s Yom Kippur (starting Sunday night), let’s remember Andrew’s brave attempt to help the Church overcome some of its prejudices by taking on some of the communal aspects of the Jewish Day of Atonement.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[AI could become a ‘very dangerous master’, warns John Lennox]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/ai-could-become-a-very-dangerous-master-warns-john-lennox</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/ai-could-become-a-very-dangerous-master-warns-john-lennox</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Leah MarieAnn Klett]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[artificial intelligence, AI]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Getty/iStock) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:24:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Apologist and Oxford mathematician John Lennox warned Christians that artificial intelligence could contribute to a generation becoming increasingly disconnected from Scripture and cautioned that technology meant to serve humanity can become a “very dangerous master.”]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Apologist and Oxford mathematician John Lennox warned Christians that artificial intelligence could contribute to a generation becoming increasingly disconnected from Scripture and cautioned that technology meant to serve humanity can become a “very dangerous master.”
In a conversation with fellow apologist Wes Huff at the 10th annual Sing! Conference, Lennox reflected on the rise of AI, the resulting decline of reading and how Christians can faithfully engage a culture searching for meaning.
Lennox said that while artificial intelligence has significant benefits, including applications in medicine and Bible translation, he is particularly concerned about the effect “large language models” are having on reading habits, particularly among young people.
“One of the negative effects of these large language models is the rapid decline in reading, particularly among young people,” Lennox said, adding that many young people today are asking why they should bother reading when AI can provide immediate answers.
“If we neglect reading and encouraging children and young people to read, that will leave them in a state of spiritual starvation,” Lennox warned. “If reading declines, reading Scripture will decline, and so Christians will not thrive.”
Scripture is the Christian’s primary “offensive weapon” in defending the faith, Lennox said, stressing that if believers “don't read and prayerfully meditate on it, then of course we are going to render the Christian Church totally defenseless.”
The discussion came as this year’s Sing! Conference, held Sept. 7-9 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, marked 500 years since William Tyndale’s English New Testament. The conference, led by hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty, centered on the theme “Symphony of Scripture.”
Referencing Tyndale and other figures who risked their lives to make Scripture accessible, Lennox said it would be a “tragedy” if Christians now neglected the Bible due to AI. 
Huff drew a parallel between the Reformation-era fight to put Scripture directly into the hands of ordinary people and the possibility that AI could similarly become a “new intermediary” between people and the biblical text.
Though Christians today have unprecedented access to readable Bible translations, Huff said he worries that people are relying on AI summaries rather than meditating on Scripture.
“We're confusing the mechanisms of giving us information with actually meditating and reading and delving into Scripture,” Huff said.
Still, both apologists cautioned against viewing technology as either entirely good or entirely destructive.
Lennox said Christians should resist dividing themselves into “tech optimists and tech pessimists,” contending they must recognize both possibilities simultaneously.
“AI, like all other technology, is like a sharp knife,” he said. “You can use a sharp knife to perform a surgical operation and save a life, but you can use it for murder.”
One promising application, Lennox noted, is the use of AI by Bible translators working to bring Scripture into difficult and complex languages.
But technology that functions effectively as a tool can become “a very dangerous master,” he warned, adding that Christians with strong biblical foundations should be directly involved in AI research.
“We need, I believe, serious Christian believers actually involved in AI research, so that they can bring their biblical, ethical principles to bear,” he said.
Lennox also cautioned Christians against treating machines as though they possess human consciousness. AI, he emphasized, simulates aspects of human intelligence but doesn't possess the qualities unique to beings created in the image of God.
“AI is not made in the image of God,” Lennox said. “The danger of it is it's made in human images, created by humans who are flawed in their thinking.”
Huff similarly noted that young people are searching for “meaning and purpose and identity and hope and justice,” desires, he said, that find their ultimate grounding in the Christian worldview and Scripture.
Lennox said the questions he encounters from younger generations have noticeably shifted over the course of his career. While scientific objections to Christianity remain, he said existential questions have become increasingly prominent.
“Far more are the existential questions: Who am I, and what do I become, and where can I find a purpose, and also how can I find peace in the midst of all this?” he said. “Humans are special because they are the kind of creature and the only kind of creature that God could become. That gives us a dignity and a value above everything else.”
Asked by Huff how Christians can practically communicate that message in an increasingly skeptical and distracted culture, Lennox encouraged believers to begin by listening.
“I'd recommend what I've tried to do all my life, and that is to interact with people by asking questions and listening to them, finding out where they're coming from, where their real concerns are,” he said. “Be honest if you don't know the answers. Just say I don't know, but I'll look it up.”
“We need to think not simply about the future of AI and technology,” he added. “We need to think of the ultimate future and the central promise of the Christian faith that Jesus made that day to His disciples, that He was going to return.”
Referencing the Apostle Paul’s words to the Thessalonians about turning “to God from idols,” Lennox warned that modern idols could include AI systems allowed to “fill your life and control your mind.”
“The wonderful promise is that Jesus is coming again,” he said. “That is real hope. So, folks, let's not be ashamed of it.”
Following Lennox and Huff’s discussion, Keith and Kristyn Getty joined FamilyLife Today host Bob Lepine for a conversation reflecting on the first decade of Sing! and the future of the conference.
This year’s gathering marked the 10th anniversary of Sing!, which was originally envisioned as a five-year project. About 7,000 people were in attendance.
Keith Getty revealed that organizers now plan to continue the annual gathering through at least 2030, pointing to an increasing need for resources for the global Church.
“For certain, but I think there's such a strong argument right now to take it to 2030, and for so many different reasons,” Getty said. “And so we're going to extend this a little bit further.”
Getty also highlighted the emergence of a new generation of hymn writers and announced that next year’s conference will begin with a hymn writers symposium designed to help aspiring songwriters develop their craft.
“The international need … is huge,” he said, adding that many growing churches are increasingly receiving their theology of worship and songs through platforms such as YouTube.
“So those are the things that get me excited,” Getty said. “Those are the things that are really pumping me for the next couple of different things.”
© The Christian Post]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Catholic baptisms fall sharply across Ireland as births decline and secularisation grows]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/catholic-baptisms-fall-sharply-across-ireland-as-births-decline-and-secularisation-grows</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff writer]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[John the Baptist]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A stained glass window depicting Christ's baptism by John the Baptist. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:20:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The number of Catholic baptisms taking place across the whole island of Ireland has fallen by almost 30% over the past decade, with declining birth rates and the growth of religious non-affiliation identified as the main reasons.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The number of Catholic baptisms taking place across the whole island of Ireland has fallen by almost 30% over the past decade, with declining birth rates and the growth of religious non-affiliation identified as the main reasons.
A new briefing note from The Iona Institute, based on figures supplied by almost every Catholic diocese in Ireland, found that baptisms were down 29.6% compared with a decade earlier. 
The institute estimates that around 60% of that fall can be explained by the decline in births, with the remainder linked largely to secularisation.
Births across the island dropped by 18.8% over the same period, including a 17.9% decline in the Republic of Ireland and a 21.3% fall in Northern Ireland.
The fall in baptisms was far from uniform, however.
Figures published in the report show that Dublin recorded one of the steepest declines, with baptisms falling from 15,759 in 2015 to 9,465 in 2025, a drop of 39.9%.
Meath saw an even slightly larger proportional fall of 40.8%, while Down and Connor, which includes Belfast, recorded a 37.9% decline.
By contrast, Achonry saw baptisms fall by just 3.2%, while Elphin recorded a small increase of 0.9%. Kerry’s decline stood at 22.3%.
The Iona Institute said the figures should not be interpreted as evidence of secularisation alone, arguing that the shrinking number of children being born has had an even greater effect.
Census figures cited in the briefing also show a marked shift in the religious identity of young children in the Republic.
Over three quarters (78.3%) of children aged between zero and four in 2016 were recorded as Roman Catholic. By 2022, that had fallen to 65.4%.
Over the same period, the proportion recorded as having no religion rose from 9.2% to 15.6%. 
The total number of children aged under five also fell by more than 37,000 between the two censuses.
Despite those changes, the institute said the data suggests that the “vast majority of parents who identify as Catholic still have their children baptised.”
In the 2022 Census, 67.9% of mothers aged 25 to 39 with children under five identified as Roman Catholic, closely matching the 65.4% of children in that age group who were recorded as Catholic.
It described this as evidence that “cultural Catholicism is still quite strong in Ireland,” even as regular churchgoing and participation in other sacraments have weakened.
The briefing notes that some Catholic couples marry outside the church but still choose baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation for their children. 
Dr Tom Finegan, chairman of The Iona Institute, said the overall decline was unsurprising “given the rapidly falling number of births and growing secularisation.”
“Given that births have fallen by almost a fifth in the last ten years, and more people are ticking the ‘No Religion’ box in the Census, we could expect nothing but a big drop in baptism figures,” he said. 
He added that the figures also point to the continuing strength of ‘cultural Catholicism’ in Ireland, with many parents who still identify as Catholic continuing to have their children baptised.
Regional differences appear to reinforce the role played by both demographics and secularisation.
In Dublin, births fell by 21.9% between 2015 and 2025, compared with 17.9% across the Republic as a whole.
The capital also has a higher proportion of young children recorded as having no religion. In the 2022 Census, 21.9% of children aged under five in Dublin were in the “no religion” category, compared with 15.6% nationally.
A similar picture emerges in Belfast.
Census figures for Northern Ireland show that 25.5% of children aged under five in Belfast were recorded as having no religion in 2021, up from 17.5% in 2011.
Among women aged 25 to 44, the proportion with no religion rose from 14.4% to 25.2% over the same period.
Dr Finegan remarked: “The fall in baptisms must be seen not simply as the result of secularisation, but even more as a result of falling births.”
He also pointed to Ireland’s fertility rate, currently standing at about 1.5 children per woman, compared with the 2.1 needed for population replacement. 
“This should be of concern to everyone, regardless of religious belief,” he said.
The briefing concludes that Ireland’s baptism decline reflects two trends happening at the same time: there are fewer children being born, and a growing share of families no longer identify with any religion.
“As almost all parents who consider themselves to be Catholic still have their children baptised shows that ‘cultural Catholicism’ still remains quite strong in Ireland,” it stated. “It remains to be seen what happens to baptism numbers if and when ‘cultural Catholicism’ fades as a force in Irish life.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[When Eastern Europe appeared to be going Protestant]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/when-eastern-europe-appeared-to-be-going-protestant</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Martyn Whittock]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Bible, Christianity, Christian,]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 23:29:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The crucial question is: why did so much of the early Protestant advance subsequently disappear?]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds Christians that they are surrounded by a great “cloud of witnesses.” (NRSV) That “cloud” has continued to grow in size since then. In this monthly column we will be thinking about some of the people and events, over the past 2000 years, that have helped make up this “cloud.” People and events that have helped build the community of the Christian church as it exists today. 
We often project later experiences back into history, consciously or unconsciously assuming an inevitability to what finally occurred. However, history is complex and, what now seems inevitable, did not always look that way in the past. The distribution of forms of Christian faith in Europe is a striking example. 
Protestant and Catholic Europe – mapping faith
Today, when we consider the geographical impact of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, we tend to envisage it as primarily a northern European phenomenon. In this, central and northern Germany, the Scandinavian states, the UK (as it now is) and the Netherlands appear as a geographically coherent group. In contrast, Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, southern Germany, Austria, and most of Eastern Europe are predominantly Catholic. Further to the east and south-east is characterised by faith in Eastern Orthodoxy. 
This geography can seem almost inevitable: the Reformation changed life largely to the north of the Alps, while (simply put) south of this and east of the River Elbe, Roman Catholicism dominates the religious map before giving way to Orthodoxy. There are, of course, complexities. Ireland remained largely Catholic. In the Baltic States, Lithuania is predominantly Roman Catholic, Latvia is historically Lutheran (though now closely followed by other Christian groups), and Estonia is largely non-religiously defined, with Eastern Orthodoxy and Lutheranism forming the largest traditional denominations in the country. Despite this, the overall picture seems clear. Moving away from the centre of the continent, Eastern Europe is Roman Catholic, then Orthodox.
However, 16th-century Europe looked very different because Protestant ideas travelled surprisingly far to the east, and – for several key decades – very large parts of Eastern Europe appeared to be going Protestant. In this time both Lutheranism and Calvinism made substantial advances in (what was then) the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Hungary, Transylvania, Bohemia and Moravia. Protestant nobles, merchants, townspeople and intellectuals were found across lands that are now generally associated with either Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy. In some of these areas Protestantism became the religion of most of the local population, or at least of a politically powerful section of the contemporary society. Eastern Europe looked like it was becoming Protestant.
This reminds us that the modern religious map of Europe was not created by the first success of the Reformation in the century after it started c. 1517. The modern distribution was also created by the subsequent success of the Catholic response. And that is a key factor in understanding it.
When Eastern Europe appeared to be going Protestant
Martin Luther's challenge to the Catholic Church began in the German lands in 1517. However, the rapid circulation of his ideas meant that it was not confined to there. In the age of the newly-invented printing press – as in our modern internet age – ideas spread fast! In this process books and pamphlets, along with students, merchants and clergy carried Reformation ideas across political boundaries. This accelerated because Eastern and Central Europe were already closely connected to the German-speaking world through generations of trade, universities and dynastic links. Lutheranism catching attention in Poland, Hungary or Bohemia was not as strange as it now seems. From Switzerland, Calvinism then spread eastward as well as to the north and west. 
In Hungary, Lutheran ideas at first appealed to German-speaking communities and urban populations but soon spread much more widely. By the later 16th century, Lutheranism had many supporters among German-speaking Hungarians; Calvinism had a powerful following among Magyar-speaking communities. Several factors assisted this, including political fragmentation caused by the Ottoman Turk conquests in the east after the Battle of Mohács (in the Kingdom of Hungary), in 1526. As a result, Catholic authority was weakened and competing forms of Christianity could flourish in the vacuum.
Another key area was Transylvania. Here rulers found themselves positioned between Catholic Habsburg rule and the Islamic Ottoman Empire and gained a measure of political independence as a result. Consequently, Lutherans, Calvinists, Catholics and anti-Trinitarians all gained substantial footholds in a mosaic of confessions. In Transylvania religious pluralism achieved (for a while) a degree of legal recognition that was exceptional in Europe.
Then there was the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This looked like it might become a Protestant success story. Lutheranism quickly moved through German-speaking towns, while Calvinism attracted considerable support among sections of the nobility. By 1569, around half of the Commonwealth’s Senate was non-Catholic. Most of these were Protestants and Calvinism was highly influential.
In this process, Protestantism became entangled with the political structure of the region. Here the nobility often saw the cause of religious reform as buttressing resistance to Catholic ecclesiastical privilege and royal authority. Reformation ideas also appealed to towns seeking greater autonomy from Church and aristocratic control.
As a result, the lands east of the German territories were an important part of the European Reformation. But it did not last …
Why Protestantism did not thrive in the East
The crucial question is: why did so much of the early Protestant advance subsequently disappear?
One reason is that the Reformation was never a single unified movement: Lutherans, Calvinists, groups such as the Bohemian Brethren, and more radical Protestant Anabaptist groups competed with one another (often violently). In Poland-Lithuania, for example, this made any coordinated political action difficult.
Catholicism, in contrast, experienced a powerful process of internal renewal that unified it. The ‘Counter-Reformation’ certainly involved repression, censorship and persecution. However, the Catholic Church also became more disciplined, more educated and (crucially) more effective at communicating its message. The Council of Trent (between 1545 and 1563) provided a framework for Catholic reform. At the same time, new religious orders supplied effective teachers, preachers and missionaries. Catholicism recognised Protestantism as a major threat and responded energetically.
In this, the Jesuits were particularly important in Central and Eastern Europe and Jesuit schools became centres of education and intellectual life. Children – who might otherwise have encountered Protestant ideas – were orientated towards Catholicism. This Catholic renewal drew in bishops, other religious orders, the monarchies, aristocrats and local communities as well. It was not just due to the Jesuits.
In 1573, the Warsaw Confederation saw Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians drawn into a political settlement designed to prevent religious disagreements turning into violent conflict. Protestants were not the only ones to benefit from this. Over the later 16th  and, then, 17th centuries, the Catholic Church engaged with the opportunities this provided and its bishops and the monarchy supported religious renewal, which increased Catholic intellectual and cultural influence. Under King Sigismund III Vasa, the balance shifted away from Protestantism and its political and social momentum was greatly reduced.
This reminds us that Protestantism did not always have to be violently persecuted to decline. In some areas it lost ground because Catholicism became more attractive, better organised and more embedded in local institutions. Gaining support from elites helped Catholicism too, as these possessed enormous influence over churches and local communities.
The Habsburg lands and the decisive role of politics and war
The Habsburg territories provide an even clearer example of the interaction between religious and political power. In parts of Austria and Hungary, Protestantism became extremely strong during the 16th century. In the region of Styria (in Austria), for example, Protestantism made major advances, but then the Catholic Habsburgs launched a sustained campaign to reverse it. This combined political power with revised Catholic institutions and education. By the early 17th century the Protestant advance had been decisively reversed.
Bohemia represents a particularly dramatic case. The Czech lands had a long tradition of religious dissent in conflict with Catholic authority. This stretched back to the influence of Jan Hus (1369–1415) and the Hussite movement in the 15th century. This greatly assisted the spread of Lutheran, Reformed and other Protestant ideas. Protestantism became well established among many of the nobility and urban population.
This was reversed after the Bohemian Revolt and the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, when the defeat of the Protestant-led rebels allowed the Habsburg monarchy to impose a Catholic settlement on the region. Combined legislation and political pressure reshaped the religious character of Bohemia. By 1627, the ruler, Ferdinand II, was explicitly demanding Catholic conformity from the nobility. Most fell into line.
Bohemia reminds us that religious change could be decisively reversed when a powerful dynasty deployed both military superiority and a focused confessional programme. In this way, the Habsburg monarchy reshaped the Bohemian lands.
During the Thirty Years War (1618–1648) a division of Europe reminiscent of today was forged in a conflict of terrible violence and geographical scope. By 1648, Protestantism had survived and had become firmly established in northern Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Britain and parts of Central Europe. However, much of the Habsburg lands had been brought back into the Catholic sphere. The same was true of the Polish lands. The geographical distribution which emerged resembled the one we would recognise today. But it had not been the original pattern.
Islamic Ottoman rulers had little interest in the theological disputes that divided Catholics and Protestants. They were more concerned with political control, taxation and stability. As a result, Protestantism could sometimes survive in some regions ruled by the Ottomans, while it faced determined Catholic opposition elsewhere.
Interesting examples were Hungary and Transylvania. Islamic victory in 1526 created three political zones in a once-united kingdom. These were Habsburg-controlled ‘Royal Hungary,’ Ottoman-controlled central Hungary, and a more autonomous principality of Transylvania. In the last two areas Protestantism survived because it was out of reach of the Catholic Habsburg rulers.
Due to this, the religious distribution map of the 17th century was shaped by the political map of empires as much as by religious disputes. In regions where the Habsburgs could impose Catholic uniformity, Protestantism was often eliminated. In contrast, where Ottoman rule prevented the Habsburgs from doing this, Protestant churches had a better chance of survival.
As a result, modern Protestant communities survive in Hungary and Transylvania as reminders of the – often forgotten – Eastern Reformation.
Interestingly, in eastern and south-eastern Europe some Protestant ideas entered the Eastern Orthodox intellectual world; and some Orthodox thinkers found elements of Calvinism attractive. However, both the institutional and theological structure of Eastern Orthodoxy proved resistant to Protestantism. Orthodox Christianity possessed its own ancient traditions, sacramental theology, episcopal structure and understanding of authority and was not faced with a choice between Catholicism and Protestantism.
A Europe that might have looked very different
Early Protestantism advanced far beyond the regions with which we now associate it. In Hungary, Transylvania, Bohemia, Moravia, Poland-Lithuania and parts of the Baltic world Protestant activity was influential. In some of these places Protestantism achieved a majority status. In others it was adopted by politically powerful elites.
Its retreat from these areas was due to a combination of the energetic renewal of Catholic institutions, Jesuit educational initiatives, dynastic power politics and patronage, and Catholic religious uniformity contrasted with a divided Protestant community. The Habsburg victories revealed how a determined royal (and military) response could drive it back; while the Polish-Lithuanian experience demonstrated that Catholic recovery could occur even when there was considerable religious toleration. The Thirty Years War then further eroded Protestant gains and established spheres of influence that have survived into the 21st century. In Orthodox areas the advance of Protestantism was minimal.
The modern distribution map of types of European Christianity is, therefore, less a product of 16th-century change and more a result of 17th-century political and institutional victories and stand-offs. It often reveals where Protestant churches managed to survive the enormous counter-offensive mounted by Catholic rulers and institutions. As a result, a ‘Protestant East’ proved to be a transitory phenomenon. It is a reminder of the complexity of history.
Martyn Whittock is an historian and a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. The author, or co-author, of fifty-eight books, his work covers a wide range of historical and theological themes. In addition, as a commentator and columnist, he has written for several print and online news platforms and been interviewed on TV and radio news and discussion programmes exploring the interaction of faith and politics. His books include: The Reformation (1992) and When God was King: Rebels & Radicals of the Civil War & Mayflower Generation (2018) which explores the impact of the radicals of the Reformation.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[When we are not in control, where do we turn?]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/when-we-are-not-in-control-where-do-we-turn</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/when-we-are-not-in-control-where-do-we-turn</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Obianuju Mbah]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[drought, heatwave, South Downs]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Getty/iStock) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 06:07:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Creation itself has a way of confronting us with our limitations. And perhaps that is not an entirely bad thing.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Year after year, we hear that the UK is getting warmer. This summer alone brought successive heatwaves and a prolonged dry spell, while the forecast for autumn is wet. Moments like these have a way of reminding us of something we often prefer to forget: we are not in control of everything.
For all our advances in science, technology and human knowledge, there are still forces far beyond our command. We cannot simply command the temperature to drop. We cannot stop every storm, prevent every illness or guarantee what tomorrow will bring.
Creation itself has a way of confronting us with our limitations. And perhaps that is not an entirely bad thing.
Where does our help come from?
We spend much of our lives trying to create security. We make plans, save money, build careers, arrange our schedules and prepare for the future. There is wisdom in planning ahead. But sometimes we can quietly begin to believe that because we have made plans, we are ultimately in control. Then something happens that we could never have planned for.
It might be something happening in the natural world, but it can just as easily be something deeply personal: an unexpected diagnosis, the loss of a job, financial difficulty, disappointment, bereavement or a future that suddenly looks nothing like the one we imagined.
When the things we thought were secure begin to shake, an important question emerges: Where do we turn, and what do we hold onto?
The psalmist asks this very question in Psalm 121:1-2: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Notice where the psalmist finds confidence. His help comes not merely from someone stronger than himself, but from “the Maker of heaven and earth.”
The God to whom we turn is the God who made the very creation before which we feel so small. When creation reminds us of our weakness, Scripture points us beyond creation to its Creator.
The illusion of control
Yet surrendering control does not come naturally to us. We like to feel that our lives belong entirely in our own hands. We want to know what will happen, when it will happen and how it will happen. Even when circumstances are clearly beyond our control, we can continue grasping for something that will make us feel secure. 
Why? Perhaps because acknowledging our limitations means admitting that we are not self-sufficient. It means recognising that there is Someone greater than us.
This struggle is not new. From the beginning, humanity has been tempted to live independently of God - to determine good and evil for ourselves and to behave as though we are the masters of our own lives (Genesis 3:5-6). At its heart, sin is not only the wrong things we do; it is also our refusal to trust and depend upon the God who made us (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 1:21).
So, we look elsewhere for security. Perhaps we place all our confidence in other people. But they are human beings just like us - limited, fragile and unable to control tomorrow. Perhaps we put our security in money, possessions, careers, status or success. Yet Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, “where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19).
The things of this world are temporary. They can change, disappear or disappoint us. God does not.
The Rock beneath our feet
Scripture repeatedly describes God as a rock because He is steady when everything else is uncertain. David declares in Psalm 18:2: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” 
That does not mean trusting God guarantees that nothing difficult will ever happen to us. Christianity does not promise a life untouched by suffering, uncertainty or loss. Jesus Himself told His disciples plainly, “In this world you will have trouble.” But He did not end there. He continued, “But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our hope, therefore, is not that we will somehow gain enough control to prevent every storm. Our hope is that Christ remains Lord in the middle of the storm.
Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of this at the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27). He describes two people building houses. One builds on rock and the other on sand. The rain falls, the streams rise and the winds beat against both houses. The difference is not that one house avoids the storm. The storm comes to both. The difference is what they are standing on 
That is the question for each of us: when the storm comes, what are we standing on?
A God we can trust
Trusting God is not blind optimism. Christians have a reason to believe that the God Who holds creation is also good. We see His love most clearly at the cross. 
God did not remain distant from the suffering and brokenness of this world. In Jesus Christ, He entered it (John 1:14; Hebrews 4:15). Christ suffered, died and rose again so that sinful humanity could be reconciled to God (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). The cross assures us that the One in whose hands we place our lives is the One who has already demonstrated the depth of His love for us (Romans 8:32; 1 John 4:10).
As Paul writes, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Paul’s words remind us that our confidence in God does not depend on understanding everything He allows to happen. It rests on what He has already shown us about His character. 
The cross is the ultimate assurance that God loves us, even when our circumstances are confusing, painful or beyond our control. Paul gives us this wonderful assurance: “neither death nor life... neither the present nor the future... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). The very creation that can remind us of how small and powerless we are can never separate us from the love of its Creator.
And this is where faith becomes more than simply believing that God exists. Faith means entrusting ourselves to Him when we cannot see what comes next (Hebrews 11:1; Proverbs 3:5-6). It means accepting that although we do not control tomorrow, we know the One who does (Matthew 6:34; Isaiah 46:10). Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Our circumstances may change. People may change. The things we once considered secure may disappear. But Christ does not change.
And we do not face life’s troubles alone. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Helper, who remains with us and strengthens us in our weakness (John 14:16-17; Romans 8:26). Even when life becomes uncertain, God’s presence does not disappear (Deuteronomy 31:8; Hebrews 13:5).
Final thoughts
So, perhaps the moments that remind us how little control we really have can also remind us where our security was always meant to be. Not in ourselves. Not in other people. Not in possessions, plans or circumstances that can change overnight. But in God.
Dear reader, when the ground beneath you feels uncertain - whether literally or figuratively - hold onto the One who does not move. We may not know what tomorrow will bring, and we cannot control everything that happens around us. But we can know the God who holds tomorrow.
His love has been demonstrated at the cross. His victory has been secured through the resurrection. His Spirit is with us today. And His character does not change. When everything else feels uncertain, He remains our solid rock.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Decline in marriage and relationships among factors driving global fertility slump - study]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/decline-in-marriage-and-relationships-among-factors-driving-global-fertility-slump-study</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/decline-in-marriage-and-relationships-among-factors-driving-global-fertility-slump-study</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Obianuju Mbah]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[family, parents, marriage, children, fertility, parenting, dad, mum]]></media:title>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 04:26:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A growing “relationship recession”, alongside economic insecurity, delayed parenthood and changing attitudes towards having children, is contributing to an unprecedented fall in fertility rates around the world, according to a major new study.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A growing “relationship recession”, alongside economic insecurity, delayed parenthood and changing attitudes towards having children, is contributing to an unprecedented fall in fertility rates around the world, according to a major new study.
The research - published in the ‘Reproductive BioMedicine Online’ journal - and led by demographer and deputy director of the Vienna Institute of Demography, Tomáš Sobotka, warns that the latest global decline in births is “more widespread, deeper and more permanent than previously anticipated”.
It found that more than one in four people worldwide – over 2 billion people - now reside in countries where the fertility rate is lower than 1.3 children per woman.
Without significant levels of immigration, fertility at that level would eventually result in “rapidly shrinking populations”.
Meanwhile, countries with fertility rates of 2.1 children per woman or lower are now home to over half the world’s population.
Examining what he calls a “global fertility freefall”, Sobotka argues that no single factor can explain the trend.
Instead, falling birth rates appear to be the result of a combination of economic, cultural and social changes affecting everything from employment and housing to relationships, contraception and attitudes towards parenthood.
The Iona Institute, commenting on the research, highlighted the “decline of marriage and intimate relationships” as an especially important part of the picture.
An increasing share of adults in their 20s, 30s and even 40s are neither married nor in romantic relationships, reducing the number of people entering the stable partnerships in which most children are born.
Attitudes towards parenthood are changing too. Young adults are also increasingly unsure about whether parenthood is something they want for themselves, while deliberately remaining childless has become more socially accepted.
Sobotka says fertility intentions among younger generations are also “lower and more fluid”, weakening the traditional two-child family norm.
Another major factor is the increasing postponement of parenthood.
People are marrying and having children later than in previous decades, often because they spend longer in education, struggle to secure stable employment, or cannot afford suitable housing.
However, postponement can itself reduce eventual family size because biological fertility declines with age.
The study notes that assisted reproductive technologies cannot fully compensate for years of delayed childbearing.
Ireland illustrates several of these trends. Its fertility rate stood at 1.5 children per woman in 2024, down from 1.98 in 2004 and from a brief return to replacement levels in 2009.
The country, once known for having some of the largest families in Europe, now has a fertility rate only slightly above the European average.
Marriage has also declined. The number of marriages fell from 5.2 per 1,000 adults in 2004 to 3.8 in 2024, excluding the exceptional Covid years.
Irish women are also among the oldest first-time mothers in Europe. The average age of a woman having her first child reached 33 in 2023, while Ireland recorded Europe’s highest proportion of mothers aged over 40.
Though the research suggests that economic insecurity remains an important explanation for such changes, Sobotka cautions against treating it as the whole answer.
Birth rates have often remained low even after economies recovered from recessions and unemployment fell, suggesting that deeper changes in relationships, expectations and lifestyles are also at work.
Housing can have similarly complex effects. High rents and unaffordable property may prevent younger adults from establishing independent households or starting families, while rising house prices can sometimes increase fertility among existing homeowners by giving them a greater sense of financial security. 
Concern about the future is another factor, as are anxieties around inequality, war, climate change and political instability. These are all contributing to a wider pessimism among younger adults about whether their children would have better prospects than they did.
An analysis referenced in the research describes a “crushing sense that the future is too uncertain” for some young people contemplating the long-term responsibilities of parenthood.
Gender relations within the home may also affect decisions about marriage and children.
Where women participate equally in education and paid employment but continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of housework and childcare, family life can become less appealing, particularly to highly educated women, the study argues.
Technology may be adding another dimension.
Sobotka points to research associating growing internet use with declining in-person social interaction and a reduction in romantic relationships, while suggesting that future advances in AI could bring further changes to employment, relationships and family life.
A recent US study examining the rollout of smartphones has added to that debate.
Economists Caitlin K Myers and Ezekiel Hooper estimated that early access to the iPhone could account for between 33% and 52% of the decline in the general US fertility rate between 2007 and 2011.
They did not claim smartphones directly reduced biological fertility but suggested that the technology may have changed behaviour by reducing in-person socialising and sexual activity while widening access to information around contraception and reproductive health.
The authors argued that if fewer relationships are forming in the first place, conventional government attempts to increase births through cash incentives and childcare subsidies may address only part of the problem.
Other research nevertheless suggests that many young people still want marriage and children.
A recent international survey by the UN of people aged 18 to 39 found that 70% wanted to marry, while only 16% said they preferred to remain single.
Among those who wanted a long-term relationship, around one in four were nevertheless single and not dating.
More than half (57%) identified economic insecurity or housing as barriers to forming a lasting relationship.
A similar gap emerged between desired and actual family size. Respondents said they ideally wanted around two children on average, but the number of children they actually expected to have was consistently lower.
Even among childless adults aged 35 to 39, 79% of men and 72% of women still wanted children.
Housing and financial insecurity were cited by 72% as obstacles, alongside difficulties finding a suitable partner and health concerns.
Sobotka’s study is doubtful that governments will be able to reverse the trend through straightforward pronatalist policies.
Financial support for parents may have some effect, but cannot by itself create stable employment, affordable homes, stronger relationships or suitable partners.
Nor can public policy easily reverse changing attitudes towards parenthood or uncertainty among young adults over whether they want children.
The study concludes that the present fertility decline is “qualitatively different from the past fertility declines”, which were often temporary and followed economic crises or periods when couples simply postponed having children, he said. 
Today’s decline is taking place across a much wider range of countries and is being shaped by several long-term trends at once, he observed.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[What do we know about Jesus’ father, Joseph?]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/what-do-we-know-about-jesus-father-joseph</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/what-do-we-know-about-jesus-father-joseph</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Obianuju Mbah]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[mary and joseph]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Getty/iStock) ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The painting of Flight of Holy Family to Egypt in Chiesa di Santo Stefano. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 04:24:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[What do we actually know about Joseph - historically, biblically, and through later Christian tradition?]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
When we talk about Jesus’ early life, Mary usually takes centre stage and rightly so. But standing quietly beside her is Joseph: a man with no recorded quotes, no spotlight moments, and yet a calling so weighty it’s almost hard to grasp. His presence is woven through the early chapters of Matthew and Luke: steady, decisive, protective, and deeply obedient.
So, what do we actually know about Joseph - historically, biblically, and through later Christian tradition?
1) Joseph was Jesus’ earthly (legal) father, not His biological father
The Bible is clear that Mary conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18). That means Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father.
But Joseph was Jesus’ earthly father - His legal guardian, His protector, the one who raised Him in a home, taught Him, and carried the responsibility of fatherhood in every practical way. That’s why, later on, people casually refer to Jesus as “the son of Joseph” (Luke 4:22; John 1:45; John 6:42). It’s how the community understood Him. However, God is Jesus’ Father in the deepest sense.
That distinction matters, but it doesn’t make Joseph any less significant. In the world of the Bible, legal fatherhood was real fatherhood, shaping lineage, inheritance, and belonging. And that tells us something important: Jesus didn’t arrive in the world in isolation. He stepped into real family life, with all its routines, responsibilities, and relationships.
2) Joseph was a descendant of David and lived in Nazareth
Both Matthew and Luke place Joseph firmly in the line of King David (Matthew 1; Luke 3). Luke even traces Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem back to that lineage, noting that he belonged to “the house and line of David” (Luke 2:4–5). That journey isn’t just a travel detail; it’s part of how the Gospel writers connect Jesus to messianic expectation.
Joseph’s hometown, Nazareth in Galilee, was far from impressive. And that’s part of the point. Jesus was raised in an ordinary place, in a working household, under the care of an ordinary-looking man chosen for a very extraordinary assignment.
Genealogies can feel like the part of the Bible your eyes skip over. But in this case, it’s a huge deal: the Messiah was expected to come from David’s line, and Joseph’s legal fatherhood is how the Gospels writers show Jesus’ rightful place in that story. Not because Joseph created Jesus, but because Joseph claimed Him, named Him, and raised Him as his son.
Which brings us to something people don’t always think about …
3) Joseph’s “yes” was spoken through action, not words
Joseph never speaks in the Bible, not once. But his obedience speaks loudly.
Again and again, Matthew shows Joseph receiving direction from God through dreams, and every time his response is immediate. He takes Mary as his wife and names the child Jesus when the angel explains the truth of the pregnancy (Matthew 1:20–25). He flees to Egypt when warned that Herod intends to kill the child (Matthew 2:13–15). He returns to Israel when it is safe after Herod’s death (Matthew 2:19–20), and reroutes to Nazareth, in the district of Galilee, when warned once more (Matthew 2:22–23).
There’s a clear pattern: Joseph doesn’t argue, bargain, or delay. He gets up and does what God asks. His faith was responsive.
And it’s worth noticing what that obedience costs. Obedience meant social misunderstanding (marrying a pregnant fiancée), financial strain (relocation), political danger (refugee life in Egypt), and constant disruption. Joseph’s faith isn’t abstract or performative - it’s practical, expensive trust.
Many of us say we want God’s guidance until it interferes with our plans, our reputation, our comfort, or our timeline. Joseph shows us what it looks like to obey God in real time.
4) Joseph was righteous and kind, which isn’t always an easy combo
Matthew’s first portrait of Joseph is striking. He is described as “faithful to the law” - righteous, just - and yet deeply tender-hearted (Matthew 1:19). When he discovers that Mary is pregnant during their betrothal, he chooses a path that protects her. He plans to divorce her quietly, refusing to expose her to public shame.
To modern readers, divorce can sound extreme for an engagement. But in first-century Jewish life, betrothal was legally binding, and ending it required a formal break. Matthew shows Joseph standing at the intersection of righteousness and mercy. He won’t pretend sin doesn’t matter, but he also refuses to be cruel by turning Mary into a public spectacle.
That alone tells you something about the kind of man he was: self-controlled, not vindictive, not performative - strong enough to be gentle. And that’s rare.
It’s also a real challenge for us: when we feel wronged, do we immediately reach for exposure, punishment, and public shame, or do we move with restraint and mercy, even before we fully understand the situation?
5) Joseph worked with his hands and likely taught Jesus his trade
Jesus is later referred to as “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55). The Greek word behind “carpenter” is tektōn, which can mean a craftsman - often woodworker, but broadly a builder/handyman type. Some sources note it can carry a wider sense than modern “carpenter,” depending on context.
Whatever the precise materials, the point is clear: Joseph was a working man. He provided. He taught Jesus a trade. He gave the Son of God the ordinary dignity of learning skills, serving customers, finishing jobs, and earning daily bread.
And Luke’s summary of Jesus’ upbringing - growing in “wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52) - happened in that environment: a home where faith was practised and work was honoured.
There’s something quietly beautiful in that. God chose a working man, ordinary in status but extraordinary in faith, to raise the Saviour of the world.
6) Joseph and Mary raised Jesus in faithful Jewish worship
Luke repeatedly shows Joseph and Mary raising Jesus within the rhythms of faithful Jewish life. They bring Him to the temple as the Law required (Luke 2:22–24), and they travel to Jerusalem every year for the Passover (Luke 2:41).
One of those annual Passover trips gives us one of the most human glimpses of Joseph. On the journey home, Jesus goes missing in the bustle of the caravan. Mary and Joseph search for Him “anxiously” for three days before finding Him in the temple. When Mary finally speaks, she says, “Your father and I have been searching for you…” (Luke 2:48).
It’s a revealing moment. Even knowing who Jesus is, Joseph is still naturally called “your father.” And Jesus, while knowing His ultimate Father is God, still returns with them to Nazareth and is submissive to them (Luke 2:51).
Joseph’s fatherhood is honoured in the home, even as Jesus’ divine sonship is preserved.
7) What we can and can’t say about Jesus’ brothers and sisters
The New Testament names Jesus’ brothers - James, Joses, Simon, and Judas - and also mentions His sisters (Matthew 13:55–56; Mark 6:3). How these relationships are understood has been interpreted differently across Christian traditions for centuries.
Many Protestants understand these to be children of Mary and Joseph born after Jesus. The Eastern Orthodox tradition has often held that they were Joseph’s children from a previous marriage, making them stepsiblings. The Catholic tradition commonly understands them as close relatives or cousins rather than children of Mary.
A helpful overview of these major views (and their historical roots) is often associated with the names Helvidius, Epiphanius, and Jerome.
Later writings, such as the second-century Protoevangelium of James, portray Joseph as older and already a father, a view that shaped Christian imagination and art, even though it is not part of the biblical canon.
Scripture itself does not settle the question definitively. What it does make clear is that Jesus grew up in a real, lived-in household with extended family dynamics. And as the Gospels later show, at least some of his brothers did not initially believe in Him, while James would go on to become a central leader in the early church (John 7:5; Acts 1:14).
8) Why does Joseph disappear?
One of the clues about Joseph is his absence. After Jesus’ childhood, he disappears from the Gospel narratives. Mary appears at key moments in Jesus’ adult life - at Cana, among the crowds, and at the cross (John 2; Mark 3; John 19) - but Joseph is never present.
That silence has led many readers, ancient and modern, to conclude that Joseph died sometime between Jesus’ youth and the beginning of His public ministry around the age of thirty (Luke 3:23). The moment that most clearly points in this direction is the crucifixion, when Jesus entrusts the care of His mother to the beloved disciple John (John 19:26–27). It is a responsibility that would ordinarily have fallen to Joseph.
Scripture does not give Joseph an ending scene. But it gives him something just as meaningful: a completed assignment. Joseph likely never lived to see miracles, the large crowds of followers, or Jesus' resurrection glory. Yet he did what God asked of him. He guarded the beginning.
Final thoughts: why Joseph still matters
Joseph is not remembered for sermons, speeches, or public miracles.
He is remembered for obedience when it was costly, mercy when he could have punished, strength expressed through quiet responsibility, and spiritual leadership that never sought the spotlight. His faithfulness was lived out in the unseen years.
And maybe that’s the most confronting part of Joseph’s story: he shows how much holy work happens offstage; he reminds us that some of the most important work God gives is quiet work that never receives a public round of applause. He left us a faithful pattern.
Christian tradition later honoured him with feast days and devotion, especially in Catholic practice, where March 19 became an established feast in the Western calendar. But even without that later recognition, the Gospels already give Joseph a rare distinction. He was entrusted with protecting Jesus at His most vulnerable and with naming Him “Jesus” - a public act of fatherhood that placed him firmly within salvation history.
Joseph did not speak in the Scriptures, but he answered God with his life.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[First Cornish musical setting of the Eucharist receives cultural award]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/first-cornish-musical-setting-of-the-eucharist-receives-cultural-award</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/first-cornish-musical-setting-of-the-eucharist-receives-cultural-award</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Neil Rees]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Cornwall]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Getty/iStock) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 10:51:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Cornish People’s Mass, a Eucharistic service entirely in the Cornish language, has been recognised with a prestigious award for its cultural significance. This is the story …]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Cornish People’s Mass, a Eucharistic service entirely in the Cornish language, has been recognised with a prestigious award for its cultural significance. This is the story …
Cornish language service
Cornish – called Kernewek by its speakers – is the ancient native language of Cornwall, a region in the far southwest of Britain. It is a Celtic language related to Welsh and more closely linked to the Breton language spoken in parts of Brittany.
In the pre-Reformation period, when Cornish was widely spoken across Cornwall, the Mass would have been said in church Latin. When the Church of England was created, services went from Latin to English, at a time when many people still only knew Cornish.
Unlike in Wales, where the Prayer Book and Bible were translated into Welsh, this never happened in Cornish, and many people feel that, had the Bible been available in Cornish, it would have helped to save the language, as it did in Wales.
The Cornish language never quite went extinct, but as the language was dying out in the Victorian era, people sought to save it before it was forgotten and a revival began. Today, the main language of Cornwall is English, but a growing army of enthusiasts maintain the revived Cornish language, and Cornish is now recognised as a British minority language.
A new sung liturgical Eucharist (sometimes called the Mass) setting has now been produced in Cornish for the first time. This was celebrated at the Anglican Truro Cathedral on 3 June 2026. Over a hundred people from all over Cornwall attended, including Cornish speakers and people who recognised the significance of the occasion for the Cornish language and culture.
It was an immensely moving event. One woman remarked that she came expecting it to be a bit of a performance, but that it was in fact deeply prayerful and spiritual. The service was also streamed live and can be watched on YouTube.
A People’s Mass
The idea for a Cornish People’s Mass came from the poet Tim Saunders, based on an Irish People’s Mass, ‘Ceol an Aifrinn’, which uses elements and styles of Irish folk music.
Saunders floated the idea with the Rev Canon Jane Kneebone, an Anglican vicar who leads services in English but also arranges and leads services in Cornish throughout the year. She was inspired by the idea and commissioned folk singer, writer, storyteller and researcher Mike O’Connor to compose the People’s Mass.
The idea of a People’s Mass is that it is something anyone can sing, and this one would be based on a folk-song style and sung in unison. O'Connor agreed and, as a Christian himself, immediately understood the vision.
Kneebone then worked with Rev Ross Crichton, a Latin specialist and Scots Gaelic and Cornish speaker, to produce a faithful Cornish translation of the text from the original Latin source. After extensive research into early liturgical music in Cornwall, O’Connor composed a setting based on Cornish folk and psalm tunes.
The result is beautiful, and the music and words fitted together perfectly, with little amendment needed. As Mike commented, in his experience, ‘composition by committee’ never works, but this time it did.
Once the Mass was drafted, extensive checking took place by Kneebone, Crichton and Wella Morris, another Cornish scholar, until all were satisfied that the text, both musical and liturgical, was correct.
The setting was named ‘Oferen an Dasserghyans’ (Cornish for ‘Mass of the Resurrection’). This refers to Christ’s Resurrection, but ‘dasserghyans’ is also the word used in Cornish for the revival of the language, so it seemed doubly appropriate.
Launched in Truro Cathedral
Jane Kneebone contacted Truro Cathedral, which is the cathedral for the Anglican Diocese of Truro and the seat of the Bishop of Truro. It has been the Cathedral’s custom for some time to hold two Eucharists a year in Cornish, one sung with the Cathedral choir and one spoken.
They were genuinely excited about the project, and preparations began for a launch on the Eve of St Petroc’s Day, 3 June 2026. St Petroc is one of the great Cornish saints who helped to spread Celtic Christianity in Devon and Cornwall in the sixth century and is highly honoured in both Cornwall and Devon.
O’Connor prepared the text of the Oferen (Eucharist) for publication through Amazon. It is copyright-free and available to any church that wants to use it.
A rehearsal was held in a parish church the night before, and a full public rehearsal was held with the Cathedral’s Director of Music, James Anderson-Bezant, and the choir. It sounded wonderful and was very emotional for those involved.
Truro Cathedral livestreamed the service through its feed. It was a genuinely great occasion – deeply joyous, spiritual and life-affirming.
The service will be held again at Truro Cathedral on St Piran’s Day (5 March). St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall, but the service is available to any parish church in Cornwall that would like to worship God in Holy Communion in Cornish and with culturally appropriate music.
Grand Bard’s Award
Every year, a gathering of Cornish bards called Gorsedh Kernow meets and honours people who support Cornish culture. Gorsedh Kernow has been incredibly supportive, recognising that this occasion was a milestone not just for Cornish Christianity, but also for the culture and the language.
The Grand Bard and Deputy Grand Bard both attended the service, marking the importance of the writing of the Oferen for Cornwall.
As a result, the Grand Bard, Jenefer Lowe, awarded the group behind the service her Grand Bard’s Award for 2026. The award was presented at the Gorsedh Annual Awards Ceremony in Bodmin, ahead of the main Gorsedh Ceremony on 4 September, which formed part of the Esedhvos Festival.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Call to Him when He is near]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/call-to-him-when-he-is-near</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/call-to-him-when-he-is-near</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Irene Lancaster]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[autumn, fall, seasons, trees, creation, environment]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Getty/iStock) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:36:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Jewish academic and Hebrew scholar Irene Lancaster reflects on repentance and its connection with relationships.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Jewish academic and Hebrew scholar Irene Lancaster reflects on repentance and its connection with relationships.
In Judaism we believe that during the month of Elul and continuing throughout the 10 Days of Repentance, from Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), G-d moves closer to us. The 40 day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is a time of acceptance, of which it has been said, ‘Seek the Lord whenever and wherever He can be found; call to Him when He is near' (Isaiah 55:6).
This is the opening thought in the Haftorah reading for the last Shabbat in the month of Elul, before Rosh Hashanah, which takes place on the 1st of Tishri. It appears in Isaiah 55:6-56:8, the final Haftorah of Comfort.
It is believed that at this special time prayer is at its most effective, especially the penitential prayers of Selichot to be uttered at night, when services are not usually held.
A fresh start is needed; habits become novel approaches; the familiar is looked at with a fresh perspective, as if we were not only seeing G-d’s creation, but also ourselves, for the very first time.
Jolted out of our regular routine and aware of the imminence of Divine Judgment, every one of us must come to the frightening and yet liberating awareness of our complete dependence on G-d.
This principle is reflected in the prominence assigned to women in the scriptural portions read at the Rosh Hashanah service. 
The first day’s Torah reading deals with Sarah, the wife of Abraham and her handmaiden, Hagar (Genesis 21). The accompanying Haftorah tells of Hannah, mother of the prophet, Samuel (I Samuel 1:-2:10).
On the second day we read the Haftorah dealing with Rachel weeping over her children (Jeremiah 31: 1-19).
Our Sages tell us that the nine blessings recited as part of the additional service for Rosh Hashanah allude to the nine references to the Name of G-d in the famous prayer of Hannah (I Samuel 2).
For Hannah, motherhood was not enough; in her prayer Hannah vowed to that if she were granted a son she would dedicate him to the service of the Lord. She was vowing to dedicate her gift of childbirth to the furtherance of Jewish existence in the service of G-d. Hannah was the first to call upon G-d as the Lord of Hosts. We are all called to serve G-d in our own way. And Samuel was to become a great prophet, as well as advisor to kings.
During the month of Tishri we call upon G-d, because it is through Him alone that we can attain self-realization. We ask Him special favours in order to serve Him.
As well as drawing nearer to G-d during this time, we must also draw closer to fellow-Jews. 
We are compared to ‘sheep’ who pass before Him, i.e. as individuals, but also as a collective. 
It is the time to forge new relationships and deepen already-existing ones. We should use our resources in the service of the larger community. 
At this time we are ‘judged’ by G-d on our relations both with Him and with our fellow human beings. This is the meaning of the shofar call of the ram’s horn and the reawakening of communal activity after the summer holidays. 
‘For in joy you shall go out and in peace you will be led forth (Isaiah 55:12).’]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Pete Greig shares prophetic word: 'Prepare for war']]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/pete-greig-shares-prophetic-word-prepare-for-war</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/pete-greig-shares-prophetic-word-prepare-for-war</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Robert Parr]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiantoday.com/media/original/img/9/91/99135.png">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Pete Greig]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Facebook/PeteGreig) ]]>
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                                                                                        <media:description type="plain">
                                    <![CDATA[ 24-7 Prayer founder Pete Greig ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:15:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Christian author and 24-7 Prayer founder Pete Greig has shared a prophetic warning which he believes Christians should take seriously - “Prepare for war.”]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Christian author and 24-7 Prayer founder Pete Greig has shared a prophetic warning which he believes Christians should take seriously - “Prepare for war.”
Greig says the word came to him in March while he was in South Africa worshipping with a group of 24-7 Prayer leaders. 
The apparent prophecy was not accompanied by a specific prediction about the identity of an enemy, the timing of a conflict, or the precise form that such a war might take. Rather, the emphasis was on preparation.
"During one of the times of worship, the Lord gave me a picture," Greig said in a recent episode of the 24/7 podcast.
"I was looking down at the Earth. I could see dark storm clouds rolling across the Earth, and I could hear thunder. As I watched, thinking, 'What on Earth is going on?' I heard a drum roll, like a marching band drum roll, and somehow the sound of the thunder morphed into the drum roll.
"Then I heard - not an audible voice, but a very distinct, sudden, unexpected sense of preparation - and it was this: I heard these three words, 'Prepare for war.'"
His response to the prophecy was to think, “Oh my goodness, we really do live in cataclysmic days."
Thinking he was "barking mad", he took another leader aside who had senior level experience in the Foreign Office and asked him what he thought about it. 
Far from thinking he was mad, this man replied, “Pete, nine years working in the Foreign Office - seven of them we've done almost nothing else but quietly, behind the scenes, prepare for war.”
The significance of the experience became more apparent to Greig when, within approximately an hour, he learned that members of the 24-7 Prayer team in Beirut were being displaced in anticipation of Israeli bombing.
The coincidence caused him to take the word more seriously, particularly given the increasingly unstable international situation.
A second experience subsequently reinforced the warning for Greig. After returning to Britain, he received a handwritten account from a woman he had never met. She described having a disturbing dream in which she saw the bodies of young men being piled up. According to her account, she was then instructed to communicate a message to Greig: “Prepare for war.”
The fact that this message closely echoed the impression Greig says he had received independently was striking to him. Greig later discovered the woman’s dream happened on the same day as his own revelation.
Rather than interpreting the experience simply as a prediction of a particular military conflict, Greig has presented it as a call for Christians to prepare spiritually and practically for potentially difficult times ahead, and speak more openly about this.
"The last two years, it's become frenetic," he observed.
"The thing I find strange is that when I hang around Christians, they're barely even talking about what's happening in our world right now. I thought, 'Oh my goodness, this is starting to feel serious.'"
Later in the conversation, he described feeling like "we are undoubtedly in a kind of perma-crisis - the notion that there are a series of consecutive massive global crises that are now starting to interlock and exacerbate one another".
"The environmental crisis is clearly one of the real biggies. But it's not just 'over there' ... it affects us all," he said, adding that the first war won't necessarily be military but cyber. 
Greig called upon the government to give additional funding to defence in order to deter any potential aggressors.
"I think we also need to be interceding - this is perhaps a little controversial - that defence would become a priority for Andy Burnham," he said.
"I am not making a left-wing or right-wing statement, but I will tell you what this very senior military official said to me. He said, 'The world is now being ruled by bullies.'"
While Christians might object on the grounds that "we're pacifists, we're Christians, and we'd rather put money into this than into nasty guns", he said this senior military official had warned that without sufficient defence funding, bullying nations "will totally ignore you unless you actually have the military hardware to stand up to evil". 
He also said Christians should be praying for members of the Armed Forces.
"I spend a lot of time in America. I find it interesting that over there they are unbelievably diligent at honoring veterans, and over here it's almost like an embarrassing secret," he said.
"These people are giving their lives; they're risking everything. It's often not easy on your marriage and everything else.
"I think the very least we can do as Christians is pray for them and pray for army chaplains and so on and so forth. Even if you don't think we should have an army, you should still be praying for these people and for those who are missionaries in their midst."
On a more cheerful note, he added that a "quite remarkable" move of the Spirit was already happening among members of the Armed Forces. 
"It's disproportionate," he said. Members of the Armed Forces have themselves made similar observations recently. 
He stressed, though, that the approach of the Church must not be one of fear mongering or spreading a sense of doom, but equipping Christians spiritually for what's ahead. 
Greig said 24/7 Prayer is "praying that this word never comes to pass" as he urged fellow believers to also continue praying for peace and maintain their hope in God.
A well respected figure, Greig has in the past spoken about receiving divine inspiration at around the turn of the millennium to set up the 24-7 Prayer movement.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Christians called to engage confidently amid growing curiosity in ‘dangerous’ New Age spirituality]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/christians-called-to-engage-confidently-amid-growing-curiosity-in-dangerous-new-age-spirituality</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/christians-called-to-engage-confidently-amid-growing-curiosity-in-dangerous-new-age-spirituality</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Obianuju Mbah]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiantoday.com/media/original/img/9/91/99134.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[New Age, meditation, spirituality]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Getty/iStock) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:11:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Evangelical Alliance's new free guide tackles the world of crystals, manifesting and tarot and how Christians can share their faith confidently with people attracted to such practices. ]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Psychic nights at the local pub, celebrities ‘manifesting’, and “WitchTok” videos attracting millions of views: alternative spirituality has become an increasingly visible part of popular culture.
Now the Evangelical Alliance is encouraging Christians to engage confidently with the world of tarot, crystals, astrology, manifesting and other spiritual practices, while warning that such practices should not be regarded as harmless.
Its new free guide argues that growing spiritual curiosity in Britain presents churches with both a challenge and an evangelistic opportunity, particularly as renewed interest in New Age practices appears to be developing alongside greater openness to Christianity.
Produced through the Evangelical Alliance’s Being Human initiative, the 'Spiritual Curiosity' booklet explores why alternative forms of spirituality are attracting interest and offers biblical, pastoral and practical guidance on responding alongside real-life accounts of spiritually curious people who went on to become Christians. 
Co-lead of Being Human, Katherine Brown, said manifestations of spiritual curiosity could increasingly be seen throughout popular culture.
“Whether it is the pub down the road offering a psychic night, Dua Lipa talking about manifesting her Glastonbury main stage or Ariana Grande describing herself as ‘a literal witch’, it’s clear we’re living in a time of real spiritual curiosity,” she said.
The booklet argues that the cultural landscape has shifted significantly from the time in which atheism appeared increasingly dominant.
“The cultural moment we’re living in is one of remarkable spiritual curiosity,” it says, adding that there is in turn greater openness towards the possibility of something more beyond the material world.
The Evangelical Alliance says churches are increasingly encountering people who are asking questions about faith, while some Christians, particularly younger believers, are being exposed online to alternative forms of spirituality.
According to the guide, congregations are seeing an increase in the number of people coming through their doors who have dabbled with New Age practices and this is changing the nature of faith conversations.
“The question for many people is no longer whether God exists; the question now is - which God?” the booklet says.
Among the practices and ideas explained in the guide are angel numbers, astrology, chakras, crystals, karma, manifesting, mediums, psychics, tarot cards, psychedelics and so-called “WitchTok” content.
People engaging with such practices may not officially define themselves as New Age practitioners but rather choose to describe themselves simply as “spiritual”.
From a Christian perspective, however, the resource warns against treating these practices as harmless additions to faith.
“Regardless of where someone falls on that spectrum, though, we see these practices as dangerous and opposed to the way of Jesus,” it says.
The guide traces the rise of alternative spirituality partly to three wider cultural developments: secularism, individualism and postmodernism.
It argues that the decline of traditional religious belief has not removed humanity’s desire for meaning or transcendence. At the same time, individualism has placed greater emphasis on personal autonomy, while postmodern thought has weakened confidence in objective truth.
“Secularism hasn’t produced a generation of contented atheists; it has produced an anxious, morally confused and lost generation with a deep longing that has not been fulfilled,” the booklet states.
It describes the result as a generation that is “spiritually curious” but often lacks a settled framework through which to interpret that search.
The resource also sets out a biblical framework for understanding such practices, beginning with the Christian belief that human beings were created for relationship with God and continue to carry a longing for Him even after humanity’s separation from God through sin.
It characterises New Age spirituality as an attempt to meet desires for meaning, connection, healing and transcendence apart from God.
The booklet notes that Christianity does not regard the spiritual realm as “neutral”, pointing to passages including Ephesians 6:12 and Old Testament prohibitions against practices such as divination and necromancy.
It argues that the early Church itself developed in societies where competing spiritual and religious practices were widespread, making the present cultural environment less unprecedented than it might appear.
At the same time, the guide cautions Christians against hostility.
“The people we are trying to reach are not our enemies,” it says. “They are fellow image bearers who are searching and longing for meaning, life, truth, healing and answers, but they have been handed down counterfeits that could never satisfy. We know the One who can, and so we have a real opportunity to make Jesus known in this time.”
Brown urged Christians not to respond with fear: “We should be confident that we have good news and a better story to offer a searching and spiritually open culture, and this resource is a great tool to help build that confidence.”
The practical section of the booklet encourages churches and Christians to prioritise relationships, a warm welcome, time for questions, sharing testimonies, regular prayer and conversations around how to approach healing and deliverance.
It also stresses that conversion should not be presented as simply adding Jesus to an existing collection of spiritual practices.
“You cannot hold Christ in one hand and New Age practices in the other,” the booklet says. “Jesus requires total allegiance and obedience to His will and way.”
The Evangelical Alliance says its aim is for Christians to approach the current moment with both theological clarity and compassion, rather than dismissing the spiritual questions being asked around them.
Head of mission at the Evangelical Alliance, Rachael Heffer, said: “Recognising that so many are open to conversations, spiritually curious, and that our conversations have impact, we hope that this resource will provide individuals and church communities with greater confidence to share Jesus with those who are searching for truth and meaning.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Quarter of Gen Z women in Ireland could remain childless, says report]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/quarter-of-gen-z-women-in-ireland-could-remain-childless-report-projects</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/quarter-of-gen-z-women-in-ireland-could-remain-childless-report-projects</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Obianuju Mbah]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[baby, pregnancy, family, motherhood, parenting]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Getty/iStock) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:09:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Almost a quarter of Gen Z women in Ireland could reach their mid-40s without having children if current demographic trends persist, according to a new report examining the country’s changing patterns of family formation.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Almost a quarter of Gen Z women in Ireland could reach their mid-40s without having children if current demographic trends persist, according to a new report examining the country’s changing patterns of family formation.
The study, ‘Choice or Circumstance? Rising Childlessness in Ireland,’ published by the Iona Institute for Religion and Society, projects that around 24.2% of women born in the late 1990s could remain childless by the age of 45.
That would represent a substantial increase on previous generations. 
Among women born in the late 1950s, 13.5% were childless at 45, while the figure rose to 18.2% for women born towards the end of the 1960s.
Using data tracking different birth cohorts from the Human Fertility Database and demographic modelling, the report says Ireland has moved away from what was once a strong culture of family formation.
“The data today tell a different story,” the report says, adding that childlessness has increased across consecutive generations.
The report defines childlessness as not having had a child by the age of 45, described as “the demographic threshold at which fertility is (for the overwhelming majority of women) biologically concluded”. 
It stresses, however, that the available data cannot differentiate between women who deliberately choose not to have children - “voluntary childlessness” - and those who hoped to become mothers but did not “involuntary childlessness”.
This distinction forms a central part of the report, which raises the question of whether the growth in childlessness is primarily a matter of choice or increasingly the result of circumstances such as delayed family formation, housing pressures and infertility.
Evidence cited by the institute suggests that many people continue to want children.
Polling conducted by Amarach Research for the Iona Institute in 2022 discovered that 85% of respondents ideally hoped to have two or more children, while only two per cent said they wanted none.
The report also points to growing demand for fertility treatment.
It argues: “The very fact that a lot of women are now turning to fertility treatments in their late 30s and older is proof that much of the childlessness we are seeing, and will see, is involuntary.”
One of the most significant changes identified in the study is the growing proportion of women entering their 30s without having had children.
Some 30.9% of women from the late-1950s birth cohort had not had children by age 30. For women born in the early 1990s, that figure had more than doubled to 63.6%.
The pattern is even more pronounced at younger ages, with 86.7% of women born in the late 1990s still childless at 25, compared with 58.5% among the oldest Baby Boomer cohort studied.
“Women aren’t just delaying childbearing and catching up by their mid-40s,” the report states. “A larger proportion are ending up childless.”
It identifies several possible factors behind the trend, including later marriage or remaining unmarried, the prioritisation of education and careers, housing costs and declining religious affiliation.
It notes that marriage continues to be associated with fertility patterns despite the growing number of children born outside marriage.
Central Statistics Office figures cited by the institute show that men are now close to 38 years of age on average when they marry, while women are nearly 36.
The report argues that delays in starting families can have long-term consequences because the likelihood of remaining childless rises as parenthood is postponed.
Ireland’s overall fertility rate has declined substantially, falling from 3.2 children per woman in 1980 to 1.9 in 2000 and around 1.5 in 2024, “well below the replacement level of 2.1.”
Commenting on the findings, Iona Institute spokesperson Breda O’Brien said the current trends will result in “pain and distress”. 
“A situation in which people are having fewer children than they planned for, and in a growing number of cases will end up childless, is a personal tragedy, but also has very significant social and economic consequences because of the effects of an ageing population and growing loneliness,” she said.
“As a society, we need to debate why this is happening. Is it purely a result of the high cost of living, or is it also because young people are today often encouraged to put off starting a family until they are well into their 30s, by which time it might be too late? One way or the other, it is a phenomenon we should discuss far more widely if our aim is to help people to achieve their eventual life goals.”
The report stresses that the figures represent modelling, “not destiny”, but it nonetheless warns of wider consequences should high levels of childlessness persist, including an ageing population, fewer workers supporting a larger retired population, increased pressure on housing, pensions, healthcare and long-term care.
The report is sceptical that migration alone can make up for these demographic changes in the long term, describing reliance on it as “at best, a temporary sticking plaster”.
At the same time, policies like affordable childcare, housing support and flexible working have produced only limited increases in fertility, even in countries where such measures are well established, the study found.
In its conclusion, the report describes the direction of travel as “a clear, consistent, and concerning trajectory”, with successive generations of women experiencing higher levels of childlessness.
It explains: “If one in four women never has children, then the fertility rate for all other women must climb to maintain the overall fertility rate at replacement rate (2.1 children per woman). This would mean all other women needing a fertility rate of 2.8. The conditions for a widespread attainment of three-child families do not appear likely. This points to an inevitable conclusion. Such high childlessness undoubtedly means a further fall in the overall fertility rate.”
It concludes by warning that the consequences will increasingly become visible during the working lives of today’s younger generations.
“Ireland has faced demographic challenges before and adapted,” the report says. “The question now is whether society has the will to respond.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Younger people drinking less than older generations]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/younger-people-are-drinking-less-than-older-generations</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/younger-people-are-drinking-less-than-older-generations</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff writer]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[alcohol]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Unsplash) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:48:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Is it a generational shift or a reflection of changing behaviour with age?]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Older people are more likely to drink alcohol above recommended levels than younger adults, but the relationship between age and exercise is less clear, according to two sets of figures.
Advice from the Chief Medical Officers suggests drinking no more than 14 units per week. While just 12.6 per cent of people aged 18-39 exceed this level, the percentages steadily rise with each age group.
Some 19.2 per cent of people in their 40s drink above the recommended limit, while over a quarter (26 per cent) of those in their 50s do so, rising to 28.2 per cent among those in their 60s.
The figures come from research by Our Future Health, which looked at the behaviour of almost 1.7 million people.
As well as raw alcohol consumption, the research looked at the regularity of drinking. Again the figures revealed that as people get older they tend to drink more regularly, as opposed to having a huge binge one day a week.
Less than two per cent of people in their 20s reported daily or near-daily alcohol consumption. This rose to six per cent for those in their 40s, to 14 per cent for those in their sixties and, for those in their 80s, it was nearly a quarter.
Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of charity Alcohol Change UK, told The Telegraph, “This is further encouraging evidence that cultural shifts around alcohol are possible, with younger generations drinking less often and at lower levels than those older than them.
He added, “Consumption is more frequent and at more harmful levels among those in middle and later life, likely due to decades of pervasive and poorly regulated advertising by alcohol companies normalising alcohol and creating the notion it is essential to our lives.”
Despite the apparent rise in alcohol consumption in older cohorts, the figures also suggested that older people are more physically active than their younger counterparts.
As with alcohol, there is government guidance on how much exercise to take – 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous exercise, combined with strength-building exercises on two days a week.
Over half (57.6 per cent) of 18 to 29 year olds meet this requirement, just behind 58.9 per cent of 60 to 69 year olds.
Only 52.4 per cent of those in their thirties meet the target, rising to 53.5 per cent in the forties and 56.2 per cent in the 50s.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[God is ‘at work’ among heavy metal fans at Download]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/god-is-at-work-among-heavy-metal-fans-at-download</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/god-is-at-work-among-heavy-metal-fans-at-download</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Staff writer]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiantoday.com/media/original/img/9/91/99116.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[A festival chaplain at Download.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Baptists Together) ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A festival chaplain at Download. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:22:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Some festivalgoers have subsequently joined churches after encountering chaplains.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
This year’s Download music festival was attended by up to 90,000 people – and by 45 chaplains.
The rock and heavy metal event is perhaps better known for the presence of well-aged bands like Guns & Roses, Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. However, even here God is “at work”, in the words of one of the chaplains.
The chaplains came from a range of denominations, including the Church of England and the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
One of the chaplains, Rev Roy Monks from the Baptist Castle Donnington Community Church told The Baptist Times that they were always “well received” by visitors to Download.
While the festival has been held almost every year since 2003, it’s only been in the last six years that chaplains have been in regular attendance.
Rev Monks said, “Many engage us openly as they see us walking around the site in our chaplaincy high vis vests, while we get the opportunity to help some of them practically, such as directions to where some things are located, and we have been a strong support to some in getting medical help.”
In addition to dealing with such practical matters, the chaplains also hosted a communion service during the festival and have a team of people on hand to pray for matters as they arise.  Rev Monks added, “God is certainly at work in this place. The conversations we have are many and varied but it’s clear to all of us that many are seeking … We had many amazing encounters.”He told The Baptist Times that the chaplaincy team got a real boost when two people they had prayed for last year came back to thank them after they had gone on to find a church and be baptised.  Meeting the chaplaincy team again at this year’s festival, they even offered to help out at next year’s event. 
Plans are now afoot for the chaplains to attend a smaller series of raves in Derby.
“We feel God has opened a door to these places because his heart is moved by the issues and the deep searching so many seem to have,” said Rev Monks.
“If anyone is interested in joining us and feels this could be their ministry we would be happy to hear from you.”]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Is the Church ready for those ‘long conversations’ Anna Faris talked about]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiantoday.com/news/is-the-church-ready-for-those-long-conversations-anna-faris-talked-about</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiantoday.com/news/is-the-church-ready-for-those-long-conversations-anna-faris-talked-about</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Obianuju Mbah]]></dc:creator>
                                                                                                                            <media:content  url="https://www.christiantoday.com/media/original/img/9/82/98254.jpg">
                            <media:title><![CDATA[Bible study, Bible, church, evangelism, Christian men]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Getty/iStock) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:47:00 +0100</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[When actress Anna Faris recently revealed that her teenage son had asked her to accept Jesus Christ, perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the story was not simply that he had shared his faith with her, but how she responded.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
When actress Anna Faris recently revealed that her teenage son had asked her to accept Jesus Christ, perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the story was not simply that he had shared his faith with her, but how she responded.
Faris recently shared in the Dear Chelsea podcast that she did not grow up religious and her 14-year-old son Jack has asked her to “accept Jesus Christ”.
In response, she told him she would do anything for him, including becoming a Christian, but added that it wouldn’t happen without “a whole lot of long conversations”.
Those conversations are apparently already happening as Faris said she deliberately challenges some of her son’s beliefs, including his views on abortion, and raises questions about hypocrisy and the conduct of some church leaders. At the same time, she spoke admiringly of Jack’s emotional steadiness and said she was grateful that the two of them could discuss religion so openly.
There is something Christians can learn from both sides of that exchange. 
For one thing, Faris is probably far from unusual. There are many people who are not necessarily hostile towards Christianity. Some may even be curious about Jesus, but curiosity does not mean that their questions suddenly disappear.
They may wonder why a loving God allows terrible suffering. They may struggle with difficult passages in the Bible. They may have questions about the reliability of Scripture and Christian teaching on sexuality or abortion, the existence of hell, or the hypocrisy they have witnessed among Christians.
For some, these are intellectual questions. For others, they are deeply personal ones. And sometimes accepting an invitation to talk about Christianity really does mean signing up for those “long conversations”.
I have encountered this repeatedly while teaching Bible studies, evangelising out on the street, and speaking to people at Christian meetups. People ask questions - sometimes lots of them. I will admit that there have been moments when a question has completely caught me off guard, simply because I had never thought about it in quite the same way before.
‘How can a good and loving God allow an innocent child to die of cancer?’ ‘How do we know that the Bible has not been significantly changed over thousands of years?’ ‘Why does God command the destruction of entire communities in parts of the Old Testament, including children and animals?’ ‘Why do Christians believe suicide is a sin?’ ‘Do Christians really have freedom of thought if they are expected to obey God?’
These are not always comfortable questions. Occasionally, depending on how they are phrased, they can even feel provocative. But someone asking a difficult question about God is not necessarily attacking God and they are not necessarily attacking us. Sometimes the question comes from a place of misunderstanding, pain, curiosity or a genuine struggle to reconcile what Christianity teaches with what someone sees in the world. That distinction matters. 
Can our faith withstand questions?
One thing that struck me about Faris’s description of her son was his apparent willingness to have his beliefs challenged without becoming easily unsettled.
She described Jack as emotionally strong, also saying that she appreciates that he is examining religion and recognising hypocrisy rather than simply refusing to discuss difficult subjects. That is a remarkable quality for anyone, let alone a teenager.
It raises a useful question for the rest of us: how do we respond when somebody challenges something we believe? Do we immediately become defensive? Do we become irritated because we assume the person is arguing in bad faith? Do we feel that questioning one of our beliefs is somehow questioning God Himself? Or are we secure enough in our faith to listen carefully, think and respond with grace?
The Apostle Peter tells Christians to “always be prepared to give an answer” to anyone who asks about the hope that we have. But the second half is just as important: we are to do so “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
Being able to defend our faith does not mean winning every argument. Sometimes it means being confident enough to say, “That is a really good question. I don’t know the answer yet, but I would like to look into it.” There is no shame in that. In fact, it can be far more credible than giving a rushed answer simply because we are frightened of appearing uncertain.
What are we afraid the answer might be?
Sometimes defensiveness can reveal something else. Perhaps the question touches an area of Christianity that we ourselves have never properly examined.
It is easy to repeat that God is good when nobody is asking us to explain how His goodness relates to suffering. It is easy to say the Bible is trustworthy until someone asks how we know. It is easy to read difficult Old Testament passages quickly until somebody outside the Church asks us to account for them.
And when we do not know how to respond, insecurity can quickly become defensiveness. Perhaps, sometimes, we avoid difficult questions because we are afraid of where they might lead. What if studying the issue forces us to reconsider something we have always assumed? What if we discover that our understanding of a passage was incomplete? What if the neat answer we were given years ago turns out not to be quite enough?
But Christians should not be frightened of truth. If God really is who we proclaim Him to be - good, loving, holy and true - then sincere investigation should ultimately lead us deeper into truth, not away from it.
Difficult questions have often pushed me back towards Scripture. They make me research. They make me pray. They make me listen to Christians who have spent years studying issues that I may only just have encountered.
And sometimes they expose weaknesses not in Christianity itself, but in my understanding of it. That can be uncomfortable, but it can also be good. A faith that has never been examined can easily become a collection of borrowed answers. A faith that has wrestled honestly with questions can develop deeper roots.
People are not apologetics projects
There is another danger, however. Once Christians begin talking about “defending the faith”, it can become tempting to treat every conversation like a debate. The person in front of us becomes an opponent whose objections must be defeated rather than a human being whom God loves.
That is not the example Jesus gives us. Jesus answered questions, but He also asked them questions in return (Mark 10:3; Luke 10:26). He listened. He recognised what was happening beyond the surface of people’s words (John 4:17-18; Mark 2:8). At times He confronted people directly, while at other times He patiently explained truths His own disciples repeatedly failed to understand (Matthew 23:27-28; John 8:44; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 24:27).
Even those closest to Jesus did not understand everything immediately. Peter misunderstood Him (Matthew 16:22-23). Thomas doubted (John 20:24-25). The disciples repeatedly struggled to grasp what Jesus was telling them about His death, resurrection and kingdom (Luke 18:34; Mark 9:10). 
Jesus did not abandon them because they needed more explanation (John 16:12-13). Neither should we expect someone with little or no Christian background to resolve every theological, moral and emotional objection during a single conversation.
Conversion is ultimately not something we can manufacture through the perfect argument. Christians are called to bear witness faithfully, but it is God through the Holy Spirit who works in a person’s heart (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7; John 16:8; Acts 16:14). That should take some pressure off us.
Our responsibility is not to force another person into agreement. It is to speak truthfully, listen carefully, answer where we can and demonstrate something of the character of Christ in the way that we respond (Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15-16).
Final thoughts: make room for the long conversation
Perhaps this is what makes Faris’s comments so interesting. Whatever eventually comes from her conversations with her son is between her and God. But there is already something encouraging in the fact that the conversation is happening and remains open.
Jack shared his faith. His mother had questions. He did not apparently run away from those questions, and she did not shut down the discussion altogether. They kept talking.
There will always be people around us who are curious about Jesus while carrying serious reservations about Christianity. Some objections will come from misconceptions. Others will arise from genuine experiences of hypocrisy or hurt. Still others will be difficult theological questions Christians have wrestled with for centuries.
We should be prepared for all three. That means knowing Scripture, developing a firm foundation for what we believe and taking apologetics seriously. But it also means cultivating humility, patience and love.
Dear reader, we do not have to be threatened whenever Christianity is questioned, and we certainly do not need to become aggressive. It is crucial to remember that the God we proclaim has been extraordinarily patient with us (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4). None of us came to Him possessing perfect theology, perfect understanding or perfect faith. We received grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-24).
So, when someone else needs time, needs answers, needs to disagree for a while or needs one more conversation, perhaps one of the best things we can do is extend some of that grace to them too.
Some people may be only one conversation away from seriously considering Christ. Others may need a hundred. Either way, Christians should be willing to have the long conversations.]]></content:encoded>
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