Most read posts of 2024

It has been great to be back blogging after a long break and Mouse has been delighted by the response it has received. He has enjoyed digging up some interesting research and generating AI images to illustrate it.

By way of a kick off to the new year, here are the top five most read blog posts of 2024 from The Church Mouse blog.

1. What is the Church of England's doctrine?
Mouse takes a look at what the Church of England actually means by 'doctrine' and what it might contain, tracing its origins back to the 39 Articles and its development since then.

2. A church on its knees: the Welby legacy

Mouse take a long view of Justin Welby's time as Archbishop of Canterbury and attempts an honest assessment of his time in office.

3. How should we pick our bishops?

In light of repeat failures of the CNC to appoint new bishops when needed, Mouse took a look at the process in its historical context and considers whether it is time for an update. The post concluded by saying that it needed to be sorted out in time for Justin's retirement, although it has turned out to be a rather more pressing issue.

4. Why do priests in the Church of England wear robes?

Following an interesting question on social media, Mouse took a look at the (very long) history of clerical dress and considers the theological and missiological implications.

5. Is the Church of England getting out of the marriage business?

Mouse took a look at the data on Church marriages, which sadly is not pretty reading, and considers the implications of no longer marrying very many people.