By
Andy Bannister2023-11-29T09:36:00
From Harry Potter to The Lord of the Rings, our most loved stories concern the battle of good over evil. That’s because we’re wired that way, says Andy Bannister. It’s only in a universe where good wins out in the end that stories make sense
One of the most well-known phrases in the English language must be: “Once upon a time…” Whether we are children or adults, we love stories; indeed our love of stories is something uniquely human. From the earliest recorded cave paintings to the latest movie, across time, country and culture, humans are a storytelling species.
Some tales are here today and gone tomorrow but others become classics, retold for generations. And one thing that many have in common is they are built around a common theme. Whether it’s Frodo and the Fellowship’s struggle against the Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and his friends versus Voldemort, the epic battle of the Rebellion against the Empire in Star Wars or Charles Dickens’s angelic Oliver up against the wicked Fagin in Oliver Twist - the list could go on almost endlessly. Our most loved, most classic stories concern the battle of good over evil.
2023-11-28T13:38:00Z By Chris Llewellyn
A peace agreement between God and humanity has been reached, writes Rend Collective’s Chris Llewellyn
2022-11-25T13:27:00Z
From Home Alone to The Polar Express, every tale we tell points back to the greatest story ever told
2021-12-01T09:11:00Z By Nathanael Smith
At the heart of Dickens’ festive classic is a powerful redemption story. No wonder it’s one of the most adapted works of fiction ever written
2025-12-08T16:00:00Z By Ayoola Bandele
Advent reminds us that, even when we can’t see it, God is working - just as he was in the 400 years of silence before Christ’s birth. Even when it’s hard, Ayoola Bandele says the invitation of advent is not to grit our teeth and deny our longings, but focus on what God is doing in us anyway
2025-12-08T15:51:00Z By Krish Kandiah
A University of Oklahoma student has made international headlines after she wrote a Psychology essay which said it was “demonic” to argue there are more than two genders. Samantha Fulnecky’s work was deemed “offensive” by her instructor who failed her, and said the student should have cited “empirical evidence” rather than only quoting scripture. Fulnecky pushed back by claiming her religious freedom was under threat. The University has since stated the assignment will not be factored into her final grade following mass public backlash. Here, Christian and academic Krish Kandiah pens an open letter to Fulnecky, and urges her to remember four key principles when discussing the Christian faith in public
2025-12-05T15:45:00Z By Tim Parks
The Strictly star’s decision to discuss his decades-long struggle with pornography raises searching questions for the Church, says Tim Parks. When three quarters of Christian men and almost half of Christian women say they watch it, what does this means for discipleship, honesty and formation?
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