Author Archives: fluff35

About fluff35

I blog on a range of subjects arising from various aspects of my life. On https://theretiringacademic.wordpress.com, I focus on my reactions to early retirement and think about aspects of teaching and research which I hope will be stimulating to those still working in higher education. On https://shared-conversations.com, I blog as an authorized lay preacher in a pretty standard parish church of the Church of England, who needs to write in order to find out what she thinks. I took part in the Oxford/St Albans/Armed Forces C of E 'Shared Conversations' in March 2016, worked on the Living in Love and Faith resources from 2017 and was elected to General Synod in October 2021, and continue to try to reflect on some of the issues. On https://mistakinghistories.wordpress.com I share my thoughts on various aspects of the history of medicine and the body. I also write for The Conversation UK on https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-king-94923/articles

Back on General Synod after all these years…

Posted on October 12, 2021 by fluff35

Today I attended the online count on Zoom and discovered that I have been elected to the House of Laity of General Synod to represent Oxford Diocese for the next five years. It’s still sinking in… The elections work by … Continue reading →

Posted in Shared Conversations | Tagged | 4 Comments

Counter-cultural Cranmer?

Posted on October 7, 2021 by fluff35

As a historian, I am disturbed by the email’s statement that “Cranmer wrote these prophetic words: ‘What the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies’”.  

Because, quite simply, he didn’t.   Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England and gender, General Synod | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Being winsome

Posted on September 9, 2021 by fluff35

What do Christians mean when they use the word ‘winsome’? And is it as sweet and innocent as the word may suggest? Continue reading →

Posted in General Synod | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Church of England as a WASGIJ

Posted on August 6, 2021 by fluff35

What could the Church of England look like if we reversed our current approach to change? Continue reading →

Posted in Renewal and reform programme | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Handing on the baton? Part 1

Posted on July 10, 2021 by fluff35

Radical new Christian inclusion; but who are ‘we’? Continue reading →

Posted in Episcopal Teaching Document, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Rewriting your history: thinking about the Winchester case

Posted on June 11, 2021 by fluff35

What does the ‘stepping back’ of the Bishop of Winchester tell us about history and about power?
Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith, Shared Conversations | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Conversion therapy: faith without fear

Posted on May 12, 2021 by fluff35

Unusually today, I was up in time to listen to some pre-7 a.m. radio, so I heard the very rushed interview the Today programme was running on conversion therapy. Anyone who still doesn’t know what this ‘therapy’ entails can read the stories … Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith, Safeguarding | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Surviving Lockdown 3: a guest post

Posted on January 23, 2021 by fluff35

What’s it like living on your own at 86 in lockdown? Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Messiahs I have known

Posted on January 2, 2021 by fluff35

I’ve long lost count of the times I’ve been to a performance of Handel’s Messiah. It was a feature of my childhood, with a train trip from the suburbs to London to hear it. I remember everyone stood for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Shared Conversations | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Deleted sex scenes from Living in Love and Faith (4)

Posted on November 12, 2020 by fluff35

Masturbation, of course, has a history – like everything else. Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment