Paris romance
Woody Allen’s latest homage
England SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2011
On Sunday
Fashion divide The North-South split
Sun seekers Searching for summer
Protests go worldwide
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange stands behind a police cordon at the Occupy London Stock Exchange demonstration in London yesterday. Protesters in cities across Europe took part in rallies inspired by the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in the United States, expressing their frustration at social inequality and corporate greed.
Chelsea win Is it no place like home?
england news e2 • world news e3 • TV e4 • Books e7 • CaTHerIne FoX e7 • sporT e8 •
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England On Sunday
TV Pick of the week
Holy Flying Circus BBC Four, Wednesday, 9pm In 1979, Monty Python’s film Life Of Brian caused outrage around the world. Nuns with banners picketed cinemas, councils banned the film without even seeing it and the religious group Festival of Light organised a concerted campaign against the film, trying to get it banned. Against this backdrop Michael Palin and John Cleese found themselves facing prominent society figures Malcolm Muggeridge and the Bishop of Southwark in a television debate in front of a live studio audience to defend their film against charges of blasphemy: but who won? Written by Tony Roche (In The Loop, The Thick Of It) Holy Flying Circus is a fantastical re-imagining of the controversy surrounding the release of Life Of Brian. Witty and humorous in tone, the comedy drama incorporates surreal cutaways including puppetry and animation in telling its narrative.
Red faces over Dartmouth train
MP: ‘staff sacked for being British’
A train operator has been criticised for promoting a Devon destination it does not go to. First Great Western’s (FGW) “Explore” advertising campaign featured Dartmouth, with the catchline: “The train makes it easy to get to Dartmouth.” But the nearest network train station to Dartmouth is Paignton and Dartmouth can only be reached via a heritage steam train to Kingswear and then by ferry. FGW has amended the advert. Anthony Smith, chief executive of Passenger Focus which complained about the adverts, said this week: “We welcome creative ideas for promoting the use of the rail network. “However, passengers may be somewhat perplexed at being encouraged to buy train tickets for travel to a destination which has no train station.” The Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway runs services to Kingswear, on the opposite side of the River Dart, on a line which closed to network trains in 1972.
A cleaning company has been accused by an MP of sacking two workers because they are British. Henry Smith (pictured) claimed JaniKing, based in south-west London, fired the two workers because they were from the UK. “Can we have consideration for a debate on discrimination against British workers in this country?”, the Tory MP asked in the House of Commons. However, Jani-King said: “Two employees have been dismissed following standard employment procedures.” The firm stressed their dismissal was not related to “ethnicity”. “Jani-King has over 1,200 staff in the UK and is an equal opportunities employer,” it said. Mr Smith named the firm using parliamentary privilege, which protects MPs and peers from prosecution for statements made in the House of Commons or House of Lords.
Teacher suspended over jibe
Vergers get married in Truro
A primary school teacher has been suspended after allegedly labelling locals as “thick” and “inbred” on Facebook. Nyanza Roberts is said to have posted the statements during an online conversation with other members of staff at Westcott Primary School in Hull, believed to include the head. When one of them said he was in town and fed up with bumping into children, Ms Roberts apparently responded: “do you mean top end of holderness road? “that’s bout as far as anyone in east hull goes! no wonder everyone is thick…inbreeding must damage brain development.” “Debbie Johnson” then says: “You’re really on one today mrs… !! Xx.” Hull Council has launched an investigation and the chair of the governors Mary Wallace has written to parents to offer them a “sincere apology”. Some found out about the incident after copies of the
By Anna Matthey More than 300 guests witnessed a unique wedding at Truro Cathedral on 7 October as Stephen Rose, the Cathedral’s Head Verger, and Catherine, Verger at the same Cathedral, were married. A spokesman for Truro Cathedral stated: “There aren’t many lady vergers in cathedrals around the country and certainly none that are married to their boss!” In order to provide a worthy framework for this occasion, the whole Cathedral community was mobilised, including staff from the Music Department, Bell Ringers, Flower Guild, Cathedral Restaurant and many more. During his wedding speech Stephen, who had met Catherine when she applied for the position of verger in 2009, said that his only concern about her appointment had been that at some point she would get married and start a family – which is exactly what he hopes will now happen!
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Britain urged to slim down Most people find it difficult to save calories, especially the 250 calories of their favourite chocolate bar or cake. – How difficult will it be for the United Kingdomto save five billion calories per day? This ambitious diet sheet is part of the obesity Call to Action plan announced by the Department of Health this week. A spokesperson for the department underlined: “England already has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe and some of the highest rates in the developed world. Over 60 per cent of adults and a third of 10and 11-year-olds are overweight or obese.” This is a real problem, given that obesity causes grave illnesses like type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and cancer. In order to reduce overweight by 2020, the Government is demanding assistance from the public, private and non-governmental organisations as well as the food and drink industry. In addition,
Union warns cuts will hit mental health Tightening finances, repossessed homes, marital breakdown – the economic crisis we are facing these days is the perfect breeding ground for mental diseases. Therefore, Unite, Britain’s largest union warns that austerity cuts hitting mental health services may increase suicide rates. Dave Munday, Unite’s professional officer, points out: “Bearing in mind that 20 per cent of the population will suffer mental problems during their lifetime, this cost-cutting government should not sweep mental health under the carpet because society deems it as an uncomfortable subject.” According to a spokesman for Unite, the union “acknowledges” the Department of Health’s new strategy Preventing Suicide in England which aims at “reducing suicide rates and improving the support for those bereaved or affected by suicide”. However, Unite suggests that, instead of launching austerity measures that work against this strategy, the government should focus on a “greater tightening of the regulations regarding firearms” and help “cutting the paperwork that burden mental health practitioners” so that they have more time for their clients.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley
it is calling for local authorities to use their public health budget to support the plan. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “If we collectively rise to the challenge we have set in the Call to Action, we can create an environment that helps people make informed, balanced choices about their health and reduce the burden of obesity.” However, saving five billion calories a day – an amount that equates to 28,409,091 caffe lattes which would fill four Olympic swimming pools – can only work if citizens themselves collaborate by doing sports as well as by eating and drinking less. But there was confusion this week as the Government upped the number of calories we should consume a day. The new advice suggests the average man should eat 2605 calories and women 2079 calories each day.
The North-South divide for glamorous women Debenhams has reported that the North/South divide is ringing true for beauty hall tills across the country, with Northern lasses snapping up the longest of lashes and glossiest of lips and Southern ladies opting for a more natural look, with the exception of Essex. Research into regional beauty buying habits by one of the UK’s largest retailers, Debenhams has revealed that different areas of the country favour a varying amount of slap. Northern women are aficionados of the ‘more is more’ style with fake tan, false lashes and pink lip-gloss the runaway bestsellers. Northern celebrities, particularly the ever-groomed WAGs Coleen Rooney and Abbey Clancy are no exception. Scottish lasses follow suit with their love of tanning and bronzer, perhaps making up for the chillier climes. Back down South, women are devoted to creating perfect skin. Cult product YSL’s Touche Éclat, flattering tinted moisturisers and pore-perfecting powders fly off the shelves in London, Exeter and Brighton. Bucking the trend comes the county of Essex. Instead of echoing the simpler slap of their Southern sisters, Essex girls align themselves firmly with the Geordies and Scousers. Their devotion to a full face of makeup means Debenhams stores in Lakeside, Romford and Chelmsford have reported local girls wearing three pairs of lashes at the same time and spending hours in store getting ready for a Saturday night out. In contrast, the simple but effective red lipstick reigns supreme in the Midlands - the classic look sells best in Birmingham and Nottingham. The Midlands women also know how to apply it with matching lip-liners also featuring regularly in their shopping baskets. Irish (and Welsh) eyes are smiling thanks to a love of mascara and eyeliner. Mascara is the enduring favourite of the Celtic regions as best demonstrated by Welsh songstress Katherine Jenkins and Irish television presenter Christine Bleakley. Research from Debenhams also showed that:
- Northern women buy on average a new pair of false eyelashes every fortnight - Midlands women own on average ten red lipsticks - Irish women tend to reapply mascara three times a day - British women are most likely to apply fake tan on a Thursday evening, leaving enough time for the colour to develop before Friday and Saturday nights out - Southern women spend three hours carefully choosing the correct skin tone match of foundation / tinted moisturiser Ruth Attridge, spokesperson for Debenhams said: “British women’s love
of lotions and potions has ensured that our beauty halls are busy all over country. “Our lipstick sales are up 19 per cent, mascara sales up 21 per cent and nail varnish up 21 per cent when compared to last year. “This beauty research helps us manage where we send our stock and when. “Shipments of fake tan will be winging their way up North to satisfy the Thursday rush while we’ll also make sure Londoners don’t miss out on their Touche Éclat fix. “However, when it comes to starting the Saturday night getting-ready ritual in store, The Only Way really is Essex”.
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Car insurance Britons need Sun rises by 12% Confused.com has revealed that the price of car insurance has risen by more than 12 per cent year on year. According to the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index, drivers have been lumbered with an average year-on-year rise of 12.3 per cent in the cost of comprehensive motor insurance cover - this equates to a £92 jump in just 12 months. The biggest annual price hikes affect postcodes in the North of England. As of quarter three 2011, Bradford has suffered a 27.5 per cent year-on-year rise in the cost of average comprehensive cover and Oldham has fared even worse with a 27.9 per cent year-on-year increase. Liverpool and Manchester have also seen insurance prices driven up significantly as has the Ilford area of Essex. Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) customers have not gone unscathed however, suffering an annual rise of 19.9 per cent, equating to an increase of £192 over 12 months. This rise of 12.3 per cent year-onyear is especially significant when compared to the Consumer Price Index - a measure of inflation - which currently stands at 4.5 per cent, making the rises in car insurance prices almost three times as high as
inflation in the UK. The national average comprehensive car insurance premium currently stands at £843. Top five UK areas with the highest annual premium rises year-on-year, based on the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index are Oldham (27.9 per cent), Bradford (27.5 per cent), Liverpool (26.8 per cent), Manchester(26.6 per cent) and Ilford (23.7 per cent). The five UK areas with the lowest annual premium rises year-on-year include Perth (0.3 per cent), Kirkwall (0.8 per cent), Motherwell (2.2 per cent), Dumfries (2.4 per cent) and Edinburgh (2.5 per cent). Despite the year-on-year hikes, there is some good news for drivers as the average price of a comprehensive car insurance policy fell by 1.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2011: the first quarterly decrease for over three years. Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance for Confused.com commented: “The year-on-year picture is quite worrying as some drivers are being hit with more than 25 per cent increases. Car owners in the affected areas are going to have to be as savvy as ever to find the cheapest and best deals for them by shopping around.”
A holiday company said this week that Britons are eyeing a winter break in the sun. Owners Direct said that it had seen rise in enquiries for sunshine destinations in run up to the festive season. Following the coldest summer for two decades and the possibility of an arctic UK winter, holiday rental specialists, Owners Direct has seen a big rise in enquiries to sunshine holiday destinations from now until the festive season in 2011. The UK based holiday rental specialists Owners Direct have already seen increases in enquiries of over 40 per cent to many sun soaked destinations compared to the same period last year with some of the biggest increases in enquiries being for The Balearic Islands, The Canaries and the Caribbean. And despite October’s unexpected hot spell, it appears Brits are still craving some real winter sun. Although ski resorts remain a popular choice for winter and Christmas holidays, areas with guaranteed sunshine and warm temperatures are coming out top from those craving some much-needed sun. And the good news is, there are plenty of bargains to be had right now for those dreaming of a hot Christmas without the associated price tag.
The majority of enquiries are for destinations within a few hours flight of the UK, but the site has also seen an increase for more far flung destinations. For long haul winter destinations, the number of enquiries for holiday homes in Thailand and the Cape Verde Islands have risen by 58 per cent and 70 per cent respectively. As a result of these figures, Owners Direct predicts that more people intend to jet off for Christmas to sunnier climes this year– preferring to spend it on a beach than by a log fire.
America on Sunday
Europe on Sunday
Asia on Sunday
Apple patents in question over Samsung ruling
Gunmen kidnap two Spanish aid workers
Thais worried over worst-ever floods
A US judge said Samsung Electronic‘s Galaxy tablets infringe Apple Inc’s iPad patents, but also that Apple has a problem establishing the validity of its patents. The comments from U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh came on Thursday in a court hearing on Apple’s request to bar some Galaxy products from being sold in the United States. Apple and Samsung are engaged in a bruising legal battle that includes more than 20 cases in 10 countries. Earlier on Thursday, an Australian court slapped a temporary ban on the sale of Samsung’s latest computer tablet in that country. Apple sued Samsung in the US in April, saying the South Korean company‘s Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets “slavishly” copies the iPhone and iPad. Apple then filed a request in July to bar some Samsung products from U.S. sale, including the Galaxy S 4G smartphone and the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Gunmen were on the run with two Spanish aid workers kidnapped on Thursday from Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp, after the third abduction of Westerners in Kenya by attackers linked to Somalia in a month. Kenyan and Somali security forces were hunting for the kidnappers along the border between the two countries, which has been sealed off by security forces. Police said they suspected Somalia’s al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents were behind the kidnapping of the two women who work for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). One of the two women has been named as Montserrat Serra i Ridao, a native of Gerona, northeast Spain, Spanish media reported, citing MSF and Spain foreign ministry sources. The other aid worker is from Madrid, the reports said, but provided no further details. No one at the Foreign Ministry was immediately available for comment.
Thailand’s premier moved Friday to reassure Bangkok’s 12 million residents over a looming flood crisis, after one of her ministers briefly sparked panic with an evacuation warning. Science minister Plodprasop Suraswadi rushed out of a flood briefing late Thursday to say that several areas in Bangkok’s northern suburbs were at risk of being submerged by up to one meter (3.3 feet) of water after a dyke burst. But the authorities quickly backtracked, causing confusion among residents who have been braced for floodwaters to reach the capital after causing havoc across northern and central Thailand, leaving at least 289 people dead. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Friday that the situation was under control. “The water level is stable and not increasing. So I would like to ask people not to panic,” she told reporters last week.
“As the UK has had the coldest summer for over 20 years, it’s not surprising that people are seeking out some winter and Christmas sun. Despite the economic gloom, many people seem to be looking for a white Christmas of the sand variety this year! With over 37,000 properties at all budgets all over the world at to choose from on the Owners Direct website, it’s easy to make dreams of a white sand Christmas come true,” said Owners Direct Marketing Manager, Angela Southall.
Africa on Sunday Kidnapped soldier due home soon Captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is expected to return to Israel via Egypt by next Wednesday, Palestinian sources and Israeli media said on Thursday. In Gaza, a spokesman for one of the groups that captured Shalit said he would be delivered to Egypt on Tuesday, at the same time as a first group of 450 Palestinians is freed by Israel, under the terms of a prisoner exchange deal. “Next Tuesday, Shalit will be officially delivered to the Egyptian side. He’ll be transferred to Egypt secretly at the same time as the 450 Palestinian prisoners are released,” said Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees. Earlier, a senior Palestinian official in the West Bank, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, also said the first group of 450 Palestinian prisoners
For more regional news visit our websites at www.americaonsunday.com, www.europeonsunday.com, www.asiaonsunday.com, www.africaonsunday.com
October 16, 2011
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A Messy Cathedral without trying
Catherine Fox
A novel view of the week
A new lottery for the Health Service I was driving through Walsall the other day and I saw a huge spoof advert on a hoarding. A clever satire on the state of the NHS, I thought. Presumably the work of political activists opposed to the planned NHS reforms. The poster was promoting ‘The Health Lottery’. But then I went to a supermarket and saw the tickets on sale and realised my mistake. I’d obviously been confusing it with a postcode lottery. Postcode lotteries are always a bad thing. Overcoming depression? Postcode lottery. Cancer drug availability? Postcode lottery. Another round of IVF? Postcode lottery. The only way of sidestepping the healthcare postcode lottery is by entering the taxcode lottery. Here’s how it works: if you are in a higher tax band, you simply access good healthcare by paying money, pulling strings, or moving to another more auspicious postcode. People on benefits or below the income tax threshold can’t do this. But you’ve got to be in it to win it! The Health Lottery, then. I’m not entirely sure who this new venture is aimed at. Judging by the posters and the official website, it’s for people of all races, provided they are prepared to wear an enormous nylon afro in a choice of
purple, blue, green, yellow, or red — with matching eyebrows. Well, that could be any one of us. What is the point of the Health Lottery, though? As we have seen, I couldn’t work this from the advert. I was driving at the time, and unless I wanted to find myself in sudden urgent need of healthcare, I needed to glance occasionally at the road ahead and keep an eye out for other road users. So back to the official website: ‘The Health Lottery is a brand new draw-based lottery game where money raised goes to support a singular and popular cause: Health. The Health Lottery aims to make a real difference to the lives of people across Great Britain with 20p from every £1 going to support local health-related good causes.’ I looked quite hard, but couldn’t work out where the other 80p went. Oh wait, on the prize money, of course. This scheme will replace the older system where healthcare was funded through the general taxation system and provided free to anyone legally resident in the UK. Future lotteries are planned to fund the defence budget, so you can nominate special conflicts all around the globe where your money can make a real difference.
PRIZE CROSSWORD No. 768
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Messy Church. I keep hearing about it. But having spent the last five years in Lichfield cathedral, I’ve had no hands-on experience. I understand that there is even such a thing as ‘Messy Cathedral’. What would that entail here in the heart of Barsetshire? Service booklets badly stapled and the choir in brown shoes? Heavens above! The precentor would have to have a little lie-down if he even read that last sentence! But in fact, each year Lichfield cathedral hosts schools’ activities of such cataclysmic messiness that the entire nave floor has to be covered in blue tarpaulin. Messy Church in all but name, perhaps. Never one to allow either ignorance or inexperience to deter her from giving advice, I am going to propose an activity for Messy Church: Make your own Archbishop. You will instantly see the usefulness of this idea — although Lambeth will neither confirm nor deny that Rowan Williams is to retire next year. You will need: either an old Action Man (remember, he doesn’t have to be white!). Or Barbie, but you may have to save her for a few more years. Or any other Action Figure, so long as it’s very flexible. Your Archbishop has to please everyone in the entire Anglican Communion, as well as the popular press, so try and find one that can bend over backwards. Purple and red felt for vestments, lots of fluffy grey wool for hair, beard, eyebrows, etc (unless you are using Barbie). Gold tinsel for halo (this can be attached to the mitre). Aluminium drinks can to cut up and make into body armour. Then you can stab the archbishop in the back safely! Get a grown-up to help you. Next you will need a mobile phone, or other recording device so you can create a voice for your Archbishop and invent prophetic things for him (or her!!!) to say, that will please everyone. Here are some ideas: ‘I support gay partnerships, they undermine the institution of marriage.’ ‘Women are made equally in the image of God, men even more so, therefore women can be bishops or not.’ Try to make it profound and accessible. Don’t forget an off-button! You will need to switch your archbishop off if (s)he says something important or political. You will be able to tell when this has happened, because suddenly everyone will get very angry and say the archbishop has no right to meddle. But remember to switch the voice back on again, or everyone will ask why your archbishop isn’t offering any spiritual guidance to the people!
Close Encounters — National Chocolate Week I’m writing this with a sense of panic. I’ve only just realised it is National Chocolate Week, and I’m frightened that there is nothing planned in Lichfield Cathedral to mark this important festival. The major sponsor is Divine Chocolate. Hoorah for Fair Trade! And Chocolate! There are events planned up and down the country, (check out your own region on their website at: http://www.divinechocolate.com/chocolateweek/default.aspx), though there appear to be woefully few in the West Midlands. Here, at short notice, is my own suggestion. Why not make a batch of chocolate muffins this week, and top them with Fair Trade chocolate ganache? Ganache: dead simple — tip 100g finely chopped chocolate into 100ml boiling double cream. Stir till smooth. Chef’s tip: if you are having difficulty making muffins, substitute a dessert spoon.
Perspiration (5) eg Tahpenes, in 1 Kings ch. 11 (5) Description of the bride in Psalm 45 (5) ..its pots to remove the _____ (Ex 27.3) (5) Craftsman working at the wheel in Jeremiah ch. 18 (6) No man knows it, according to Ecclesiastes ch. 8 (6) ..every ____ become as weak as water (Ezek 21.7) (4) Companion of Tychicus in Colossians ch. 4 (8)
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On which Haman was hanged in Esther ch. 7 (7) like Unattractive,
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seven corn in Genesis ch. 41 (4) Ecclesiastes ch. 12 states that much of this wearies the body (5) 16 ch. Romans describes him as a fellow-worker in Christ (7) Jugs mentioned in Mark ch. 7 (8) ..the soothsayer and _____ (Isa 3.2) (5) A NT book tells of their doings (8) Nimrod grew to be a mighty one according to 1 Chronicles ch. 1 (7) ..say to those with _______ hearts (Isa 35.4) (7) Fatal injury healed in Revelation ch. 13 (5) Tender (5)
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By which Samson tied the foxes in Judges ch. 15 (4)
Solutions to last week's crossword Across 1 Hadj/Hajj 4 Seed 6 Christmas 8 Iron 9 Stag 10 Sweet 12 Square 13 Corner15 Alien 16 Moon 18 Asia 20 Righteous 21 Ache 22 Town Down 1 Heli 2 John 3 Easter 4 Seas 5 Drag 6 Conqueror 7 Sternness 10 Syria 11 Thorn 14 Bitter 16 Mica 17 Nile 18 Aunt 19 Amon
The first correct entr y drawn will win a book of the Editor’s choice. Send your entr y to Crossword Number 768, The Church of England Newspaper, 14 Great College Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3RX by next Friday
Name Across 9 7 8
Sign of mirth, described as foolish in Ecclesiastes ch. 2 (8) Job ch. 11 suggests such talk
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may reduce men to silence (4) Used the musical instrruments in 1 Samuel ch. 10 (6) Jeremiah ch. 51 forbids him to string his bow (6)
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Theological Ethics, Edward Dowler SCM, pb, £25.00 Ethical issues divide not only the Anglican Communion but many of the churches. Deanery chapters are more likely to discuss sexuality than Christology. All of which is quite ironical when we remember that there was a time in the distant 1960s, when many of our church leaders were being trained, that ethics did not figure in the General Ordination Examination. Fortunately that was put right a long time ago and much thinking has been devoted to Christian Ethics, a subject that is taught in all theological colleges. Edward Dowler, who taught for many years at Oxford and now serves in a North London parish, has written an excellent textbook that presents much recent thinking in a very clear and readable way. Being readable was the first aim that Fr Dowler set himself and he has succeeded admirably. As a seasoned reviewer of theological works I can only say ‘O si sic omnes!’ [If only they were all like that!]. Anyone who approaches this book expecting to have definite answers on such questions as homosexuality, euthanasia or stem cell research is likely to be disappointed. Another of Dowler’s aims is to be relevant and he does provide some excellent case studies but this is a book that examines the basic questions in ethics rather than specific topics. But any-
Original Christian worship Reconstructing Early Christian Worship Paul F Bradshaw SPCK, pb, £16.99 This scholarly book consists of nine essays on the early development of Christian worship. It includes three chapters on the Eucharist, three chapters on baptism, and three chapters on prayer. Almost all are revised versions of essays available elsewhere, often in relatively inaccessible publications, so it is very useful to have them collected together here. The essays are bound together by a common approach to their subject matter rather than by a single argument that runs throughout them all. In each chapter Bradshaw begins from the conventional or standard depiction of its topic. Then, paying close attention to the primary sources, he shows how the historical evidence is actually much more variegated than has often been acknowledged, and argues that it suggests a different and usually more complex and nuanced understanding than other scholars have generally allowed. Thus he exemplifies the methodological approach set out in his earlier seminal work, The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship (2nd edition, SPCK, 2002). The bulk of the book is historical, and will be of interest mainly to specialists in patristics and in the historical development of forms of Christian worship. Other readers may wish to turn quickly to the conclusions of most chapters, where Bradshaw (who is an Anglican priest as well as an academic liturgist) reflects on how his historical conclusions might have a bearing on the practice of Christian worship today. Often, however, these conclusions are so brief as to seem perfunctory, and they feel very thin in comparison to the carefully considered historical analysis that precedes them. Chapter one, in which Bradshaw asks if Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, is both the most significant and most accessible essay in the book; it certainly ought to be on reading lists in theological colleges and courses. Here Bradshaw offers a useful
one who works carefully through the book will gain knowledge that can be applied to judging particular issues. Sin and grace, natural law, conscience, virtue ethics, ethical relativism, Kantian ethics, and consequentialism are all carefully examined. Dowler is good at explaining the ideas of people such as Oliver O’Donovan who are not as clear as he is. Although Dowler does make frequent reference to the Bible there is no one chapter setting out how he thinks the Bible should be used in Christian ethics. Given the number of works already devoted to the topic that is perhaps not a very serious omission although it is one those using this textbook will need to bear in mind. The approach is ecumenical and a balanced chapter is devoted to differences between Catholics and Protestants with Bonhoeffer coming in for some attention but the general drift of the book is in a Catholic direction. The Belgian Dominican ServaisTheodor Pinckaers is a major influence. There are probably many in the Anglican Communion who are unaware of the work of this great moral theologian and it will be good if Dowler helps to make him more widely known. Another influence is Stanley Hauerwas. Here I must confess I wish Dowler had been more critical. He tells us that the Christian community is very important in Hauerwas’ thinking but never comments on the American theologian’s failure to develop an ecclesiology (a failure
overview of New Testament and other early Christian texts, and shows that there were probably two quite distinct strands that were brought together to give the outline of what most Christians would recognize today in Holy Communion. One of these, he argues, was the tradition found in Paul, Mark, Luke and Matthew. In this tradition sayings of Jesus, spoken at a meal with his disciples, were interpreted with reference to the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and blood and to the new covenant that would be made through his death. But the other strand, he argues, can be found in the Gospel according to John and in other early Christian texts such as the Didache. In John there is no account of the institution of the Eucharist within the narrative of the Last Supper, but Jesus speaks of the life-giving quality of his flesh and blood in the context of a feeding miracle. Similarly, in the Didache, there is no connection between the Last Supper and the death of Jesus in what looks like a description of a eucharistic meal. Only later, argues Bradshaw, perhaps in the third century, did the former type of tradition come to displace the latter — and even then, he suggests, it was the influence of liturgical expressions of this tradition, not the New Testament narratives themselves, that were decisive in shaping the form in which the Eucharist came to be celebrated. Assuming that Bradshaw’s reconstruction is correct, the question arises as to whether it matters, and what might be at stake. What, if anything, has been lost if sayings of Jesus that once spoke of his life-giving feeding of those who were hungry are now associated primarily with his death? The answer, Bradshaw suggests, is to do with what might be considered a disproportionate emphasis on the altar rather than the table. By this he means that too much emphasis on understanding Jesus’ death as a sacrifice can lead to neglect of what he did at the table during his ministry, and the way in which Jesus fed those whom he met who were hungry. Thus, as Bradshaw also argues in the chapter that follows, Christians would do well to remember that early eucharistic meals were not just an occasion when those gathered around the table could express symbolically their love for one another and their celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ as the reason why they come together. They also offered an opportunity to ensure that the hungry among those present were fed. Neither emphasis should dominate so much that the other is neglected. Andrew Gregory
he shares with the closely aligned school of Radical Orthodoxy). Dowler mentions a common criticism that the approach Hauerwas makes with its stress on the importance of community in sustaining virtue is ‘sectarian’ but he does not really explore it. This reflects the principal weakness of the book. Little attention is devoted to Christian social ethics and to such concepts as Human Rights, social justice and the preferential option for the poor. Alasdair MacIntyre, another thinker who has influenced Dowler, has set himself against the idea of Human Rights but the concept has been important in a good deal of Christian social ethics. Hauerwas rightly criticises many American Christians for selling out to secular ideologies but there has been an attempt in the Church of England by such figures as Ronald Preston, John Atherton and Malcolm Brown to engage in a kind of public theology that enables the Church to make a contribution to secular debate and to the formulation of legislation. Dowler cannot be criticised for the way he covers his chosen ground. He has written an excellent textbook but his work needs to be supplemented by texts covering issues he has not discussed. If I were teaching ethics today in a theological college I would ask students to read this book together with Malcolm Brown’s Tensions in Christian Ethics (2010). Paul Richardson
The latest new books J Stafford Wright was an evangelical scholar of a previous generation who was able to write books that had a wide appeal because he was such a good teacher. He was Principal of Tyndale Hall. Two of his books, Christians and the Supernatural and Bible People, Real People have now been republished (White Tree Publications) and a book he left complete at the time of his death in 1985, The Simplicity of the Incarnation, has been published for the first time with an introduction by Dr JI Packer. Tom Wright’s popular series of guides to the New Testament continues with Revelation for Ever yone. Here is a useful book on one of the most demanding books of the New Testament that even those with a good knowledge of New Testament scholarship will find useful. Wright has also published Early Christian Writers for Ever yone, a guide to James, Peter, John, and Judah (Jude). Both books are highly recommended.
To order any books on this page please email: subs@churchnewspaper.com
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Woody Allen’s love letter to the Paris of our memories meets another woman, fictional Adriana (Marion Cotillard) – a past lover and muse of Modigliani and Braque and now of Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo) – and Gil has another excuse to go back every night. He gets Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) to read his draft novel, Cole Porter (Yves Heck) plays the piano and sings in the background, Dali (Adrien Brody) is obsessed with the image of the rhinoceros, and Hemingway (Corey Stoll) wants to fight everybody. There are lots of references, more than most people will get. Sometimes it’s obvious there’s some allusion, and you could always laugh knowingly (everyone else will just think they’ve missed it). Gil even feeds Luis Buñuel (Adrien de Van) with the plot
Midnight in Paris (cert. 12A) is Woody Allen’s latest love letter to a European city, and begins with a long series of picture postcard shots of the sights to a jazz accompaniment. What follows is a contrived but rather enjoyable glimpse at a man who feels he’s lived in the wrong time. Gil (Owen Wilson) is a successful Hollywood film writer and would-be novelist, sightseeing in Paris with his fiancée Inez (Rachel Macadams) and her parents (Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy). Her father confesses he’s not a Francophile and Gil launches into a little tirade about Tea Party politics. Gil starts talking about living in Paris permanently because of its literary vibes. When Inez meets old flame Paul (Michael Sheen) and his wife Carol (Nina Arianda), it’s a diversion from boring things like visit-
ing Monet’s garden. Even so, they all end up at the Musée Rodin, looking at “The Thinker” and talking about whether Camille was Rodin’s mistress or his wife. Pretentious Paul even argues with the guide (played by President Sarkozy’s wife Carla Bruni). Gil declines an offer to go dancing with Paul and Carol, though Inez goes, and he wanders the night streets looking for his hotel. At the stroke of midnight, an ancient limousine stops and the occupants invite him in, and Gil is transported into the 1920s and a conversation with Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and his wife Zelda (Alison Pill). Essentially, the rest of the film does for lovers of early 20th century art and literature what BBC TV series Goodnight Sweetheart did for World War 2 aficionados. Gil
of The Exterminating Angel (made in 1962). It is contrived – Adriana wishes she’d lived in the Belle Époque, so cue another jump to meet Lautrec, Gaugin and Degas. There’s an argument about how every generation looks back to a golden age, and Allen throws in a decent visual joke about what happens to a detective hired by Inez’s father to find out where Gil goes every night. Apart from the museum guide, Gil also gets help from antique dealer Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) who, by happy chance, shares Gil’s sentiment that Paris looks even better in the rain. Better, she’s not 85 years in the past. Steve Parish
Tyrannosaur (cert. 18) is oddly-named – even when you know why – but is a stunning feature debut as writer-director by Paddy Considine. It’s adapted from his BAFTA-winning short Dog Altogether (2007). Joseph (Peter Mullan) lives in a garden shed next to his council estate home. His propensity to violence is a constant in his life, leading him to take refuge in a charity shop run by Hannah (Olivia Colman) who tells him God loves him, and prays with him. Then she goes home to her 4-bed detached house where she hits the drink and husband James (Eddie Marsan) beats her. Filmed in Leeds, Tyrannosaur won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival and will surely garner more. Although some of the subject matter is harrowing, Considine doesn’t perhaps get under your skin in the way Ken Loach might, but even to bear comparison with Loach is a compliment. Marsan, after his creepy driving instructor in HappyGo-Lucky (2008), gets even more scary, and Peter Mullan echoes his role in Loach’s My Name is Joe (1998), but it’s Olivia Colman who holds the attention with Hannah’s stoical faith (except when she throws something at a picture of Jesus) and fear. Her own forlornness while offering God’s forgiveness is well measured, even when Joseph in his worst moments taunts her wealth and her infertility. Joseph’s friend Tommy (Ned Dennehy) is a bit of a caricature (like Frank in TV’s Shameless) but even that caricature works, in a film that may be the best British film of the year. It’s not easy viewing but BAFTA will love it.
CD of the Week: The big new things in Christian music are back, a decade on... Burlap to Cashmere (Essential) A decade ago, this band were the new big thing in Christian music, the energy of their Greek heritage spicing up songs that reveal an intuitive sense of melody, all brought together in Stephen Delopoulos’s distinctive warm vocal burr. There were several reasons for their split, but now they are back – and this should be their time. Since they began their hiatus, others have caught up with their mood. Those who love Fleet Foxes
have plenty to enjoy from Burlap’s reflective vibe, while their remarkable similarity to Simon and Garfunkel can reach older music lovers (Love Reclaims the Atmosphere could sit between Sound of Silence and America without the joins showing). It may take a while
for the fragile tunes on this disc to grow, but they do, helped by some astute fills to the stripped-back sound. Burlap to Cashmere play songs about the Mediterranean (the flamencoflavoured Santorini), about life on the road (Live in a Van); about a dying patient (Love Reclaims the Atmosphere) and a relative’s last words (The Other Country). Those who know them of
old will appreciate the new sophistication of their sound. Producer Mitchell Froom has polished it well, laying tracks down then rubbing them back to leave just enough external interest to dress these songs with character. But while the music does not disappoint, the length does. The band’s instrumental flair is sufficient to extend some of these 11 tracks to beyond a rather mean 37 minutes and show some more of their live spark in the process. Derek Walker
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Sport
On Sunday
1 Manchester City 8 2 Man Utd 8 3 Chelsea 8 4 Newcastle 6 5 Liverpool 7 6 Tottenham 8 7 Stoke City 8 8 Aston Villa 8 9 Nor wich City 8 10 QPR 8 11 Swansea City 8 12 Fulham 8 13 Everton 7 14 Wolves 7 15 Arsenal 7 16 Sunderland 7 17 Bolton 8 18 WBA 7 19 Wigan Athletic 8 20 Blackburn 8
22 20 19 13 15 12 12 11 11 9 8 7 7 7 7 6 8 5 5 5
Saturday’s results Liverpool Manchester United
1 1
Manchester City Aston Villa
4 1
Norwich City Swansea
3 1
Queen’s Park Rangers Blackburn Rovers
1 1
Stoke Fulham
2 0
Wigan Athletic Bolton
1 3
Chelsea Everton
3 1
City lead the table No place like home for Chelsea
Mario Balotelli did his best to prove to manager Roberto Mancini that he is his number one striker as his stunning goal helped Manchester City on their way to a crushing win over Aston Villa that handed them the outright leadership of the Barclays Premier League. Given the chance to lead the line for a second straight match, the 21-year-old, a £24m signing from Inter Milan last summer, thrived on the responsibility and his sumptuous first-half overhead kick brought his side to life after a sterile opening. With Villa's resistance broken, Adam Johnson, Vincent Kompany and James Milner added second-half goals and Owen Hargreaves came on for his Barclays Premier League debut on a near-perfect afternoon for City, who pulled two points clear of cross-city rivals United ahead of next weekend's Manchester derby. Stephen Warnock netted a consolation for Villa. Balotelli's goal was complemented by an industrious performance all over the pitch, reminiscent of his showing in the 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers before the international break, with the Italian finally starting to look a more mature performer. And with eight-goal Sergio Aguero injured and Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri and David Silva all on the bench as Mancini made four changes, Balotelli had another chance to impress and took it, as Villa lost their unbeaten start to the season at the eighth hurdle. Alex McLeish's men, who included former City favourites Richard Dunne, Shay Given and Stephen Ireland in a line-up showing two changes, arrived at the Etihad Stadium without an away win this season but it did not show as they made a confident opening. Gabriel Agbonlahor robbed Joleon Lescott but failed to make the most of a one-on-one with Joe Hart and Warnock failed with the follow-up as City
struggled to settle. But Balotelli then decided to wake them up, hitting tamely wide before going closer when his 25-yard curler reared up in front of Given and forced the Irishman to turn it behind. Then Johnson's 28th-minute corner hit an unsuspecting Micah Richards and fell perfectly for Balotelli, who produced a razor-sharp bicycle kick to leave Given flat-footed and take his tally of goals against Villa to five in three outings. City were unable to score again before the break but did so two minutes after it when Warnock slipped as he tracked Yaya Toure's pass, leaving Johnson with a one-on-one that he did not waste. It was Johnson's second goal in as many matches and City thought they had a claim for a penalty a minute later when Balotelli took a tumble while navigating traffic in the area. Referee Anthony Taylor was unmoved, but City were soon able to score a third without any help from the officials as Kom-
pany, making his 100th start for the club, rose to nod in Johnson's corner with 52 minutes gone. City's afternoon was slightly soured when Richards limped off just after the hour and, while he was doing so, Villa pulled a goal back as Warnock stormed on to Agbonlahor's cross - taking advantage of Richards' absence - to score. It only provided momentary solace for Villa, though, who fell three behind again with 20 minutes remaining. Nigel de Jong's long pass played in Johnson and, after some trickery from the winger, the ball was moved on to Milner who found the top corner from the edge of the box against his former club. Silva, on for Toure, then went close after more impressive work from Balotelli, before Hargreaves came on for his first taste of Premier League action since an injury-halted seven minutes for Manchester United last November, immediately launching himself into two tack-
Chelsea showed there really might be no place like home as they finally ended their Everton hoodoo to maintain their 100 per cent record at Stamford Bridge this season. The Blues' recent results against Everton on their own ground might have been reason enough for them to want to move to a new stadium, but they swept to their first victory over their bogey side since the 2009 FA Cup final. Everton had also not lost on their previous five league visits to Stamford Bridge, although they had not had to contend with Juan Mata, who was Chelsea's inspiration. The Spain winger started the move that broke the deadlock Daniel Sturridge nodding home his fourth goal of the season - and laid on the third for Ramires after John Terry scored on his 350th Premier League appearance. There was to be no clean sheet for the Chelsea captain, with Apostolos Vellios grabbing a late consolation with his first touch after coming off the bench. The win nevertheless saw Andre Villas-Boas' men capitalise on Manchester United's draw at Liverpool and put them back within three points of new leaders Manchester City. This was Chelsea's first match since they announced their bid to buy back the freehold of Stamford Bridge, which they sold to a supporter-led group - Chelsea Pitch Owners - in the 1990s. The visitors might have been tempted to back the campaign for the club to stay put so impressive was their record at Stamford Bridge, and they looked set to extend it in the opening half hour as Chelsea toiled. Didier Drogba almost played Ramires clean through but Sylvain Distin intervened, while Everton showed their threat on the break when Louis Saha fired straight at Petr Cech. Marouane Fellaini was booked for catching Ramires in the 16th minute but he might have given the otherwise well-drilled visitors the lead five minutes later, a heavy touch allowing John Obi Mikel to intercept.
Chelsea were crying out for some inspiration and when it finally arrived in the 31st minute, the source was no surprise. Mata brilliantly picked out Ashley Cole's surge into the box and the left-back stood up a first-time cross which Sturridge simply could not fail to nod into the net. Everton continued to look more than capable of scoring themselves, but were undone again in first-half stoppage-time when Seamus Coleman fouled Cole and Terry beat Tim Howard to nod home Frank Lampard's free-kick. Leon Osman almost pulled a goal back straight after the restart with a shot that shaved the outside of the post, but with the comfort of a twogoal lead, Chelsea soon began putting together some lovely passages of play. Drogba stopped running when Jose Bosingwa looked set to put the ball on a plate for the striker and although Osman drilled over, Everton boss David Moyes decided to act, withdrawing Coleman for Royston Drenthe just past the hour mark. No sooner had he done so and it was game over, a sweeping Chelsea move seeing Mata exchange passes with Drogba before sending in a low cross which was inch-perfect for Ramires to slide home. Ramires appeared to hurt himself beating two defenders to the ball and had to be helped from the field after the restart, with Florent Malouda coming on. Everton brought on club captain Phil Neville for Cahill and Chelsea responded soon after by withdrawing Mikel and the outstanding Mata for Oriol Romeu and Nicolas Anelka. The Blues were in cruise control but were denied their first clean sheet since the opening day of the Barclays Premier League season when Moyes threw on Vellios for Saha nine minutes from time and watched the substitute immediately slide home Drenthe's cross. It was merely a consolation and Lampard might have made it 4-1 in stoppage-time when he volleyed Drogba's chest down straight at Howard.