Fr Martin Magill’s Reflections on ‘Considering Grace’ – and some hard questions

On Saturday, Fr Martin Magill used his regular column in the Belfast Telegraph to reflect on my book, co-authored with Jamie Yohanis, Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles. 

The book was part of a project conducted in partnership with the … Read more...

Hard questions ‘thoughtfully and sensitively explored’: Review of Considering Grace by Graham Spencer

Graham Spencer, Reader in Political Conflict at the University of Portsmouth, has reviewed my book (co-authored with Jamie Yohanis), Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles. It has just been published in Irish Political Studies (18 March 2021).

Spencer writes that … Read more...

New Post on Slugger O’Toole: Reflecting on the Church Leaders’ St Patrick’s Day Confession

I have a new post on the Slugger O’Toole blog, ‘Reflecting on the Church Leaders’ St Patrick’s Day Confession’. Is this the churches’ most comprehensive confession ever for their historic contributions to division and violence?

Read more...

Launch of Dealing with the Legacy of Conflict in Northern Ireland through Engagement & Dialogue – 24 March

I’m delighted that my co-authored chapter – with Nicola Brady, General Secretary of the Irish Council of Churches – will be published in a special journal, ‘Dealing with the Legacy of Conflict in Northern Ireland through Engagement and Dialogue,’ published … Read more...

Rev Ivan Patterson’s Reflections on ‘People Still Need Us’ for Care4Clergy

Rev Dr Ivan Patterson, President of the Irish Council of Churches, recently offered some reflections for the ‘Care4Clergy’ group based on research published in my report on churches during the pandemic, ‘People Still Need Us.’

Patterson’s reflections were posted on … Read more...

Why Secularisation is Good for the Churches – New Article in ‘Reality’ Magazine

I have a new article in Reality magazine, ‘Choice and Uncertainty: Why Secularisation is Good for the Churches.’

Reality is published by Redemptorist Communications Ireland. You can purchase a copy here.

I have reproduced the first few paragraphs of the … Read more...

Irish Council of Churches Response to my Report: ‘Something Other than a Building’

Rev Dr Ivan Patterson, President of the Irish Council of Churches, has responded to my recent research report Something Other than a Building: A Report on Churches on the Island of Ireland during the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

His response is based Read more...

New Article in Irish Political Studies: Praying for Paisley – Fr Gerry Reynolds and the role of prayer in faith-based peacebuilding

I have a new article published online in Irish Political Studies, ‘Praying for Paisley – Fr Gerry Reynolds and the role of prayer in faith-based peacebuilding: a preliminary theoretical framework’. 

The article is part of a special issue celebrating the … Read more...

Clare FM Interview: The Pandemic’s Effects on Churches

I was interviewed about my research on churches during the pandemic on Clare FM’s Beyond Belief programme, which was presented by Stephen Fletcher and aired last night.

We cover a number of topics featured in my reports on my research, … Read more...

Church during Coronavirus Survey: Have Your Say

Researchers at Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education, Dublin City University and York St John University in the UK are conducting a second survey on religious practice during the pandemic: ‘Covid-19 and Church-21’.

Ordained clergy and laity from all denominations … Read more...

Churches during Covid on RTE Radio 1’s ‘The Leap of Faith’

I was interviewed about my research on religion during the Covid-19 pandemic on RTE Radio 1’s ‘The Leap of Faith’ programme, Friday 5 February. It draws primarily on my latest research report, Something Other than a Building: Churches during Read more...