'Political economy starts with the fact of private property; it does not explain it to us.' Marx, 1844.

Just refused to sign a contract giving permission to CUP to allow use of my book to train generative AI.

Incorrect position.

🎓To all students getting results today - congratulations on your hard work and achievements. Whatever your next step, we’re fighting for a fairer, properly funded education system where all students can thrive without debt or hardship.

There’s a thing circulating on here listing a church tax as a potential Democrat policy. The capacity of American liberals to be absurdly self-destructive in the cause of the culture wars is quite something

This weekend I am doing no work. This post is, as much as anything, a note to myself.

My word, the analytic philosophers are still talking about that sex blog post. They resemble nothing more than a group of clever adolescents.

Getting ready for the British Society for Philosophy of Religion conference in September (I’m treasurer). Looking forward to this. The theme is Creation and Creativity.

The author of ‘On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine’ is not a bad doctor for a synodal church.

‘Government oversight of course evaluations’.

Quite apart from my quaint view that cheating on your partner is entirely wrong, it would be good to see philosophers consider inequalities of sex, class, and so on in their discussion of teenage fantasy conferences.

I see the philosophers are being pettybourgeois again, earnestly defending their own shagging around in the most urgent yet didactic of tones.

Neither Communio nor Concilium.

Outreach event for schools tomorrow. Demystifying theology. In a certain sense of ‘demystify’, obviously.

What on earth have I signed up to such that I am getting ‘updates from Bishop Barron’?

RIP Tom Lehrer

Not now, mystery alien spacecraft

These airdrops land on people and kill them, and in the current stage of mass starvation it's a drop in the ocean. Impose a ceasefire. Flood Gaza with food and medical aid. We're about to see hundreds dying of famine.

I am not comfortable to be sharing Scotland with Donald Trump.

I’ll be waiting for this in paperback! It looks interesting.

I'm writing about God and abstract objects at the moment. This might seem discontinuous with my interests, but I'm convinced it's relevant to understanding the doctrine of creation, which certainly isn't.

A morning reading a PhD student’s work. One of the more enjoyable bits of my job.

A new electoral initiative on the British left. This is important: www.yourparty.uk?fbclid=IwQ0x...

Thinking about contextual theologies and the limits of standpoint epistemologies.

I see the left’s philistine idiots are out in force, arguing that we shouldn’t like Ozzy Osbourne’s music because of his, undoubtedly bad, stance on Israel. Repeat after me: aesthetic value doesn’t track ethical worth.

Watching some film called ‘Notting Hill’. If that’s where it’s set, where are all the black people?

RIP Ozzy Osbourne. He articulated anger in a way that helped people. That is not to be underestimated.

Twenty years ago today, Jean Charles de Menezes was assassinated at Stockwell station. Head of the Met Police, Ian Blair, was made a Lord. Cressida Dick, who led the operation, was promoted to Blair's position.

I’m co-hosting an online conference: Wittgenstein, On Certainty and Religion, July 28th and 29th. For more info, including schedule & book of abstracts: philevents.org/event/show/1... (to join, email me, [email protected] for a link) #conference #philosophy #religion #Wittgenstein

This is disgraceful. Students in Gaza accepted to many universities (not just Cambridge or Oxford!) being blocked by the UK Home Office's unreasonable and inflexible demands. www.thetimes.com/world/middle...

Much though I like him, Pope Leo is being far too ‘diplomatic’ about the murderous shelling of a church in his care. Anger is sometimes an appropriate and prophetic response.

Working again on God and abstract objects. I actually think this area is more important than has generally been reckoned.

I will not argue with Christian Zionists on FB. I will not argue with Christian Zionists on FB…

However, the most *pastorally* damaging part of Rahner's output is his hard insistence that the penitent doesn't know she has been forgiven in the sacrament of Reconciliation. This seems to me almost designed to induce scruples.

I’m quite critical of Rahner, largely for the reasons given by Fergus Kerr in ‘Theology After Wittgenstein’. However, the level of conservative Catholic opposition to him is ridiculous.

This morning is reading Rahner morning: ‘The Church and the Sacraments’. Because it will do me good.

Richard Sewell, Dean of St George’s College Jerusalem, ."The damage to holy family church gives an impression that it was the cross which was being aimed at. And the fear is that, far from the ‘mistake’.it is part of a campaign to frighten Christians out of the ‘safe enclaves’ in the north of Gaza"

I'm actually OK with the idea that students ought to be prepared to have their ideas challenged at university. It's just that the very politicians saying this are presiding over the decline of the arts and humanities, the subjects where such challenges are most likely to happen.

That said, if Diane Abbott were a right-wing white man she’d be being treated very differently. I hope she walks away from Labour and helps build something better.

Skin-colour centric theories of racism are a US import, and are over simplistic over there. In the country that jailed the Birmingham Six, however, they very clearly will not do.

It is possible both that Diane Abbott is wrong about racism and that she deserves our solidarity.

I support votes at 16. Starmer introducing it is a transparent anti-Reform measure. Let’s hope it is also an unintended pro-Sultana/ Corbyn measure.

An army which bombs a church whilst engaged in a campaign of ethno-religious cleansing is acting in hatred of the faith. It would be good if, say, Christian politicians in the West opposed this.

Caritas Jérusalem report on shelling of Holy Family church in Gaza.

'By its immensity, the divine substance surpasses every form that our intellect reaches. Thus we are unable to apprehend it by knowing what it is. Yet we are able to have some knowledge of it by knowing what it is not.' Aquinas, SCG I.14

The truth, I'm afraid, is that British capitalism can no longer afford HE, particularly in the arts and humanities. Consequently, HE can no longer afford British capitalism. www.ft.com/content/3162...

Working today on a paper on God and abstract objects for the British Society for Philosophy of Religion in early September.

Working remotely from Scotland this week. Good to be here.