Ship of Fools: Features

The story so far...

Welcome to our features and projects pages, with material ranging from the satirical to the theological. Our archive pages, with material going back (gulp) 10 years, are currently offline, but will be available as soon as we've finished cataloging them.

		Religion must be a laughing matter In the wake of the murder of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists, Ship of Fools editor Simon Jenkins argues that while all religions need to be satirised, the satire works best when it operates from a moral centre and makes a credible point.

		Badvent Calendar of the year! Our readers have been voting for Badvent Calendar of the year – the Advent Calendar furthest from the original story of Christmas. The results are in.

		Holy smoke! God rolls his own Rattles and Rosettes, the first Ship of Fools print publication in two decades, is a novel of two halves, set in the First World War and in 2010. Steve Goddard tells how it all began – with his grandfather's life-saving stash of tobacco.

I believe in Rev.
As series 3 of BBC sitcom Rev. draws to a close, it turns out that 48 per cent of Christians would be happy to go Rev Adam Smallbone's church. Penny Kiley reflects on why the show has so many believers.

The persecution that didn't happen
When reports that 80 Christians in a Syrian village had been killed by jihadi fighters reached a UK Christian holiday conference, prayers were offered for the families of the persecuted. But the reports turned out to be false.

Pippa's Progress
Times have changed since John Bunyan sent Pilgrim up the Hill Difficulty and into the Slough of Despond towards the Celestial City. That's why Simon Parke's new book, Pippa's Progress, has recast Pilgrim as Pippa.

Who cares about online sacraments?
Over the summer, we ran a survey on how people feel about online sacraments. Mark Howe reports on the 362 responses we received, which will help inform the way we run our experiment in online communion over the autumn.

Global warm-up
The death of ecosystems is hardly laugh-a-minute stuff, but comedian Paul Kerensa performs a new set on the theme of climate change at this month's Greenbelt Festival. He talks about his new role to Ship of Fools.

An experiment in online communion
Does sharing bread and wine make any kind of sense online? Isn't it a theological impossibility? And anyway, how would you do it... invite people to bring a roll and a bottle of wine to their computer screen? Since no one really knows, Ship of Fools is going to run an experiment in online communion.

Digital bread and wine, anyone?
Why are church leaders so wary of the idea of online church? One minute they don't think it's real, but the next they're warning how dangerous it is. Mark Howe zooms in to the heart of the matter and proposes an experiment in online communion.

Beards only need apply
The Bearded Wonder of Canterbury is stepping down, but which among England's hairiest bishops stands a chance of replacing him? "Make no mistake. In this race, the beard is king," says a Lambeth Palace spokeswoman.

Dear John...
Blogger Emily Birkinshaw, who was baptised by Archbishop John Sentamu, writes him a Dear John letter, asking why, bizarrely, he's decided to write a column in Rupert Murdoch's new Sun on Sunday.

What would Jesus occupy?
What happened when Occupy Wall Street went head to head with the richest Anglican church in the world? Becky Garrison reports from Manhattan, NYC.

Da Jesus Book, fo real
A new digital Bible in Hawaii Pidgin shows the pioneering work being done in putting the Good Book onto smartphones, says Mark Howe.

The fifth gospel
If the church is the "fifth gospel", then its stories of faith, hope and love at work in ordinary lives should be celebrated, says Martin Wroe.

Virgin Mary played by the good, the pretty and teacher's pets
A new Ship of Fools survey shows that most women think the starring role of the nativity play is cast for good looks, good behaviour and favouritism.

St Paul's loses the plot
St Paul's Cathedral could have seen the protesters who turned up on its doorstep as a new congregation. But instead they shut up shop and got in the lawyers, says Simon Jenkins.

Milton Jones joins Roll on Christmas
Award-winning comedian Milton Jones will narrate Roll on Christmas – our retelling of the nativity story as an animated farce on Facebook.

The kingdom of Jobs is within you
The day Steve Jobs died, Simon Jenkins went in search of shrines outside London's Apple stores.

Roll on Christmas
We're thrilled to announce our biggest interactive project since we recreated the Ark back in 2003. Roll on Christmaswill be an interactive nativity play on Facebook, retelling the Bethlehem story as a farce, to be launched later this year.

Glad to be gray
When it comes to basic rights for LGBT people, how progressive are "progressive evangelical Christians? Becky Garrison looks at all shades of gray between fire'n'brimstone and gay affirmation.

Jesus hath joined ThyFace
A new Gospel has been vouchsafed unto us... in the form of Jesus on ThyFace, a book published just in time for Christmas, featuring the full cast of the Gospels posting on their ThyFace pages. Simon Jenkins talks to the authors.

Dawn Treader leaves aftertaste of plastic
Steve Tomkins went to see the new film of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but like Edmund and Lucy, this may be his last visit to Narnia, as shown on the silver screen, at least.

Blogging from Lausanne
The Lausanne Congress has just opened in Cape Town – a global gathering of evangelicals meeting for debate and action on the major issues of our time. Iwan Russell Jones is blogging for Ship of Fools from the event.

Africa from the inside out
"There are so many joyful, entrepreneurial young Africans. This is their story," says Debs Gardner-Paterson as Africa United, her first feature film, opens in the UK.

Following the Popemobile
When the Holy Vehicle drove through the streets of London, Ship of Fools was there to follow in its wake, from Lambeth Palace to Westminster Abbey.

Holy communion... in six tweets
Is virtual communion mad, bad or fab? Simon Jenkins takes a look at communion on Twitter, and asks why the world's leading online churches are cool to the idea of e-eucharist.

Revving up comedy
We talk to James Wood, writer and co-creator of Rev, BBC Two's acclaimed sitcom, about vicars, church and putting religion back into comedy.

When Simon met Vincent
When Simon Parke was asked to produce some biographies of Van Gogh, Tolstoy, Conan Doyle and Meister Eckhart, he didn’t go down the traditional path.

Losing faith, finding soul
In just two generations, Britain has lost the faith it held for several centuries. Cole Moreton argues that the Church of England is being replaced by the Church of Everywhere and Nowhere.

I thought this was an atheist website!
One of the brightest and best atheist forums on the Internet has gone the way of the dodo. Mark Howe comments on a lesson in online community. Photo credit

A visit from the settlers
When does a large hiking party turn into something more like intimidation of a small Palestinian community? One of our shipmates reports.

Chapter & worse
We've all got a favourite bit of the Bible... but what's your least favourite? This summer, we've been on a quest to find the worst verse of the Good Book, as voted by our readers. Read our final ten worst verses... and the winner.

Bethlehem's got talent
On the release of the new family comedy Nativity! Steve Goddard wonders why the best films about Jesus leave him out of the picture.

Chuckling in the shack
As Christian novel The Shack continues to sell in its millions, Andrew Walker questions its depiction of God, with a chuckling Father, Son and Holty Spirit.

OK if a dragon leads evensong?
Mark Howe reports from the Digisymp conference – a symposium for Christian geeks, developers and academics in Durham – including the visit of Bishop Tom Wright, who provided the "fat lady sings" moment.

Jesus and the BNP
The British National Party has dragooned Jesus into its latest advertising campaign. Which just goes to show that you can use the Good Book to sell anything, says Steve Tomkins.

Sikh and ye shall not mind
The BBC has dumped its head of religion and given Songs of Praise to a Sikh executive producer. Welcome to the Ship of Fools guide to the obvious front-runners for the hot seat.

Prayer for a serene realist
Does the arrival of Barack Obama in the White House open a new chapter in the troubled relationship between politics and religion in America? By Iwan Russell Jones.

Anyone for really alternative worship?
Is alternative worship genuinely alternative? Theo Hobson steps outside the Church of England in search of worship that kicks the institutional habit.

Love at first site?
A UK Christian dating website has seen a record number of people join during the economic downturn. Simon Parke visits the offices of Christian Connection to find out why.

Car crash carols
Time to vote off those theologically-modified, politically-corrected festive verses which are wrecking Christmas, sorry, holiday season services, worldwide.

The Simmies 2009
We're thrilled to unveil our first ever bulletin board awards, celebrating the most entertaining and unfortunate moments of the year. Nominate now!

Following the footprints of God
Iwan Russell Jones reflects on the passing of African theologian Kwame Bediako, and the contribution he made to the Christian faith in Africa, and to the worldwide church.

The church militant
There's little that Christians do quite so well as protesting. Just a shame they're not more selective, says Steve Tomkins, in his newly-resurrected column, Crow's Nest.

Is Obama, like, the Antichrist?
Steve Tomkins pays a visit to the lunatic fringe of the blogosphere, where the choice before America now is for McCain... or the Devil.

John Henry Newman: stay or go? Your vote!
The Church is considering moving the body of JHN in the first step on his road to becoming a saint. Should they do it? What do you think?

Greenbelt 2008... the diary
Simon Parke has been to the UK's Greenbelt festival and has seen gongs and angels and a guru's son.

Dark Knight in a dark place
Batman is going through a mid-heroic life crisis: is he the right hero for Gotham City? Simon Parke sees the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight.

Poetry of fools
The results of our poetry competition, celebrating the Ship's 10th birthday online, are now in. Chorister, organiser of the contest, announces the three winners.

Screwed-up saints
Sixties Christian guru Francis Schaeffer has had his life raked over by his son, Frank, to the outrage of former Schaeffer disciples. Iwan Russell Jones reports.

The white knight of Narnia
With the imminent arrival of the movie Prince Caspian, Matt Page talks to Douglas Gresham, stepson of CS Lewis and film producer, about God, Narnia and making movies for aliens

Faith, hope and charity shop
Vote for your favourite worst Christian LP cover of all time – with ten of the toe-curling best lovingly rescued from second-hand retailers worldwide.

All at sea
After a decade online, we look back on the voyage highlights, including the Rowan Bear, Ned Flanders Nights, online church... and not forgetting Jesus' evil twin.

Martin Luther King: unrestful Christian
On the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Iwan Russell Jones reflects on King's costly commitment to Christian unrest.

Dry up those dreams
When Sid G Hedges penned a booklet for "growing boys" in 1941, he had no idea it would one day become a cult classic. Steve Goddard testifies.

Tackling the Teflon Televangelists
Exasperated US journalist Mark Pinsky asks why, in spite of decades of detailed exposés, the faithful remain happy to be fleeced by TV preachers begging for their born-again bucks.

Seize the Net
Mark Howe, one of the driving forces behind St Pixels, the online church, asks why Christians have been so slow to see the amazing opportunities offered by online community and virtual church.

It's what we did
A band of faithful Ship of Fools pilgrims follows in the unsteady footsteps of Bishop Tom of Southwark, tracing his famous journey home from London's Irish Embassy via Crucifix Lane.

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