Author: Jonathan Morgan
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Why are our migration officers “religiously illiterate”?
A recent op-ed by a theologian in one of Sweden’s largest newspapers describes the “religious illiteracy” with which the migration office here addresses the cases of asylum seekers who have changed religion since arriving in Sweden. He argues that as a country which has religious freedom enshrined in its laws, and a high value for…
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The agency of refugees
I wrote previously about two narratives that undermine the way in which we look at refugees: that they deserve help because they might be the next Steve Jobs, and that they should be viewed primarily as victims. In this post I will point out why recognising and celebrating the agency of refugees could be beneficial…
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What does it mean to belong?
There’s a lot of talk these days about belonging: who’s in and who’s out. Everyone seems to have an opinion. No one really knows who gets to decide. For some, it’s the immigrants who don’t belong. They’re the outsiders who should go back to where they come from. For others it’s the racists who don’t…
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Are you a ________ or merely a consumer of ________ artifacts?
In his wonderful book, You Are What You Love, James K. A. Smith encourages us to reflect on the religious nature of the shopping experience by describing the shopping mall as a place of worship: The layout of this temple has architectural echoes that harken back to medieval cathedrals – mammoth religious spaces designed to…
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Deciding to hit publish
I have been on a writing journey. Having blogged for many years, I started studying for my Master’s degree and began reflecting seriously on questions of source critique and academic authority. I also hung around Twitter, watching the venom with which people pounce on the smallest mistake or slightest revelation of imperfection. These two journeys…
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There’s a bit of Boris in us all
Back in 1890, a young Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about Burma. The poem, The Road to Mandalay, was written from the perspective of a British soldier once stationed there. The soldier reminisces about the place, an encounter with a local girl, and describes his surroundings with the kind of paternalistic grandeur of someone who…
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What no one will tell you about the Couch to 5K running plan
The wind in my hair. A smile on my face. It was so perfect. Legs supple and strong, covering kilometres effortlessly thanks to my newly developed running skills. Waking up each morning with the urge to JUST DO IT – to get out there and pound pavement – because I had broken through and was…