Nicholas Baines

LATEST ARTICLES ( 599 )

• Fear and Faith

  This is the text of an article published in the excellent and impressive Yorkshire Post today.There are some memories I try to forget. Anything involving... Read more

  Posted on 28 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Does the Tune Exist…?

  

  Just over a year ago I sat in on a quiet day at the School of Theology, University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee. I picked up a book of poetry by RS Thoma... Read more

  Posted on 27 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Losing My Religion

  

  REM didn’t just create an anthem; in the title of the epic song they put their finger on something vital. There are times when ‘my religion’ needs to be lost. Read more

  Posted on 26 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• A Longer View

  

  One of the challenges of Lent for Christians is to avoid confusing process with event.That is a shorthand way of saying that the stories we read in the... Read more

  Posted on 25 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Time

  

  Christmas Eve 2019, looking back from the ancient chancel of Ripon Cathedral towards the nave.However, the interesting bit isn’t what you can see. Read more

  Posted on 24 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Don’t Forget About Delight

  

  This is the script of this morning’s Pause for Thought with Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2 (but from my office in Leeds).Do you know what it’s like when you get an... Read more

  Posted on 24 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Small Gods

  

  I know. I nicked the title from the late great Terry Pratchett. But, I also used it in the book I published last year for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany: Freedo... Read more

  Posted on 23 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Strange Land

  

  Speak of ‘strange land’ and musicos will immediately think of the great, anthemic album by Keane. Older people (ahem) might recall an echo of Boney M or, even,... Read more

  Posted on 22 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Hard Times

  The silence outside the house is a little unnerving. The birds clearly haven’t spotted the problem yet – they just keep tweeting. Read more

  Posted on 21 March 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Waiting for a Miracle? Politics, Wisdom and Faith

  This is the basic text of a lecture given at Bradford Cathedral on Sunday 16 February 2020, followed by a Q A and a sermon (at Choral Evensong) on Revelation... Read more

  Posted on 20 February 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Who’s Afraid of the Media?

  

  This is the text of a commissioned article published last week in the Church Times.Whenever I go to New Broadcasting House in London I can’t avoid the statue... Read more

  Posted on 19 February 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• 75 Years After Dresden

  

  75 years ago tonight Allied bombers destroyed nearly 90% of buildings in the German city of Dresden, killing around 25,000 people. Dresden became synonymous wit... Read more

  Posted on 13 February 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• How to Listen

  This is the script of this morning’s Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2 with Zoe Ball.I have just returned from speaking at a convention in the United States. Read more

  Posted on 30 January 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Commitment

  This is the script of this morning’s Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.I live not far from Haworth, home of the Bronte sisters. The... Read more

  Posted on 17 January 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill

  This is the text of a speech in the House of Lords at Second Reading of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill today. I was the sixth speaker of... Read more

  Posted on 13 January 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Throwing Stones

  This is the script of this morning’s Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.Being in the public eye is clearly often a very uncomfortable... Read more

  Posted on 10 January 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Queen’s Speech: Foreign Policy

  This is the text of a speech I gave this afternoon in the first day of debate in the House of Lords on the Queen’s Speech (foreign affairs, defence,... Read more

  Posted on 07 January 2020 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Shape of You

  This is the script of this morning’s Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Show.I know it’s easy to get out of touch, but I was a bit boggled to read the... Read more

  Posted on 04 December 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• Karaoke

  

  This is the script of this morning’s Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Show as Rylan completed his karaokathon in aid of the Children in Need... Read more

  Posted on 13 November 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY

• The Fall of the Wall

  

  Thirty years ago today the Berlin Wall fell. What follows is the basic text of a lecture I gave at Bradford Cathedral on Wednesday 6 November. It was followed b... Read more

  Posted on 09 November 2019 RELIGION, SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY