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://sharedconversations.wordpress.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 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

Deleted sex scenes from Living in Love and Faith (3)

Posted on November 11, 2020 by fluff35

Science isn’t neutral: it’s produced and read in particular social contexts Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England and gender, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged biology, blood, gender, menstruation | 1 Comment

LLF and IICSA, revisited (updated 20 November 2020)

Posted on November 10, 2020 by fluff35

Back in October, I blogged for Via Media on the lack of connection between Living in Love and Faith (just published) and IICSA (published in October). I called for the Church of England to ‘connect the dots’: to recognise that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith, Safeguarding | Tagged IICSA, LLF, Safeguarding | 1 Comment

Deleted sex scenes from Living in Love and Faith (2)

Posted on November 10, 2020 by fluff35

What is the clitoris and what is it for? Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England and gender, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged clitoridectomy, clitoris, Isaac Baker Brown, Jane Sharp, orgasm, pleasure | 1 Comment

Deleted sex scenes from Living in Love and Faith (1)

Posted on November 9, 2020 by fluff35

What wasn’t included in Living in Love and Faith Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith, Shared Conversations | Tagged Aretino, classical reception, history, Ovid, Philaenis, pornography | 5 Comments

Waiting for publication: the week before Living in Love and Faith

Posted on November 3, 2020 by fluff35

What was it like being part of Living in Love and Faith? And what is it like waiting for the final publication? Continue reading →

Posted in Episcopal Teaching Document, Living in Love and Faith, Shared Conversations | Tagged celibacy, General Synod, history, Living in Love and Faith | 2 Comments

Dislocation

Posted on August 23, 2020 by fluff35

Here we are in late August at the point in The Time of Covid-19 which may come to be known as The Stopping and Starting. I’m finding it difficult; despite evidence of lower numbers of deaths here from The Thing, … Continue reading →

Posted in Shared Conversations | Tagged COVID-19, death, eucharist | 1 Comment

Stopping: and starting?

Posted on April 30, 2020 by fluff35

After several years in which it has played a major part in my life, as of 29 April the ‘Living in Love and Faith process’ (LLF) has now officially been put on hold. Those of us on the various working … Continue reading →

Posted in Episcopal Teaching Document, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged abuse, coronavirus, COVID-19, General Synod, homosexuality, marriage, ordination, selection, sexuality | 2 Comments

Bishops to show us the way

Posted on February 7, 2020 by fluff35

Today, the story trending on Twitter is that Phillip Schofield has come out as gay, at the age of 57. He has spoken movingly and passionately about the damage that concealment was doing to him and said that ‘all you … Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith, Shared Conversations | Tagged Brexit, Flanders and Swann, homosexuality, House of Bishops, hypocrisy, Issues in Human Sexuality, LLF, outing, pastoral, Phillip Schofield | Leave a comment

How not to be pastoral: the bishops’ new statement on civil partnerships

Posted on January 25, 2020 by fluff35

Once again, it’s all about sex. Whatever we mean by that. A recent article in The Independent headlined ‘The sex-obsessed Church of England is digging its own grave‘ included the comment that the Church is ‘intent not just on digging its … Continue reading →

Posted in Living in Love and Faith | Tagged civil partnership, House of Bishops, procreation, Sexual abuse, sexuality | 3 Comments

Fight the good fight(s): the ordination of women and the human sexuality debate

Posted on August 15, 2019 by fluff35

I was struck recently by how all the celebratory pieces I was reading about the 25th anniversary of women priests were written from the point of view of those women whose vocations to priesthood were doubted (for many centuries) but … Continue reading →

Posted in Church of England and gender, Living in Love and Faith | Tagged embodiment, equality, laity, menstruation, ordination, WATCH, women, women priests | 2 Comments