One of the reasons why I’ve ponced around in the mainstream so much is because I’m really conscious of the people whom we don’t address any more. Jesus said you’ve got to go out there and make disciples of all nations. You’ve got to make an effort! We used to be persuasive — but now I feel like we hand hungry people a menu, but it’s in a language they don’t understand

Revd Richard Coles, interview in The Times, 21 May

I am as godless as a person can be — but I admit now, when I have gone through bad times, as a fan of Coles, I have often wished he preached in a church near me, so I could go and take part in something comforting. Coles’ life — the struggles, the grief, but also the impulse towards joy and love — makes me trust his take on faith, charity and generosity in a way I feel disinclined to with any other man of faith

Caitlin Moran, The Times 21 May

As a boy, he took woodwork for O-level but tried to switch to religious education midway through. “My father very swiftly said no. Woodwork would be more useful.”

Martin Seeley, Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich, quoted in The Times, 18 May

The Archbishop of San Francisco is calling for speaker Nancy Pelosi to be denied receiving communion because of her pro-choice stance. He’s one of the priests who also called for President Biden to be denied the sacrament. This is not your job, dude! That is not up to you to make that decision

Whoopi Goldberg, ABC News, 23 May

Are you religious? I absolutely love religion. I don’t think it needs to be about celebrating a god

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, designer, Metro, 24 May

Did Anne Boleyn flaunt her flashy little gold girdle book for the biblical wisdom enclosed within its covers? Perhaps, but it also doubled up as a stylish fashion accessory

Rachel Campbell-Johnston, The Times, 20 May, reviewing “Gold: Spectacular Manuscripts from Around the World” at the British Library

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