Author: Lord Alderdice
When reading Exodus 20 v 1-17 (the Ten Commandments) and John 2 v 13-22 (Jesus clears the Temple Courts), which are the passages set down for our study in the lectionary this week, I found myself thinking about Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader and political prisoner who met his death a couple of weeks ago in the freezing conditions of a Siberian jail. Later I will say why I thought about Navalny but first let us turn to today’s reading from the Gospel according to John. The Scottish theologian, William Barclay writes that it has been said that ‘John…
My Lords, how should one wind up a debate of such passion and complexity? Jesus summed up the whole of the law and the prophets by saying: “Love God with all your heart … Love your neighbour as yourself”. When you next look into the eyes of one of your own children or grandchildren, you will see the miracle of a wonderful human being. You do not want them to suffer, be beaten, shot or blown up, have their limbs amputated without anaesthetic, live in misery or die in agony. That is too awful to contemplate. When you next look…
For some years I have been warning publicly that we are heading into a third global conflict, and this, at times, led me to feel quite down about the prospects for humanity. This third global conflict is not simply a rerun of the disasters of the twentieth century, for before 1945, however terrible a war was and however many people died, the world would repair itself and in time the population of the world could be restored. With the threat of nuclear war and the reality of climate change, humankind has brought about the very real danger of our own demise.
Lord Alderdice spoke in the House of Lords debate on the Israel/Gaza Conflict on 24 October 2023. Here is the script of that speech –
My Lords, I start by declaring my interests in the register, particularly as Executive Chairman and Director of The Changing Character of War Centre at Pembroke College, Oxford.
At this Advent Season we focus a great deal on the story of the birth of Jesus, however, it does not seem that this was the main focus of the Gospel writers.
The 20th Anniversary of the publication of the Truth and & Reconciliation Report in Peru was on the 28th August 2023 and this anniversary saw the release of an important monitoring report by the UK’s Peru Support Group.
The recent Local Government Election in Northern Ireland may be judged by history to be one of the most consequential in the history of Northern Ireland.
The former Taoiseach, Bertie Aherne, who played a key role in the negotiation of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in 1998, interviews some of the other players in that historic process.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has announced that Lord John Alderdice has been awarded its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for 2022 during the annual awards ceremony. The awards mark the highest levels of excellence and achievement within the field of psychiatry. The Press Release from the College said, “Lord Alderdice was born and brought up in Northern Ireland and played a vital role in helping to resolve conflict and restore peace during the Troubles. In 1978, he joined the Alliance party which tried to build the centre ground. In 1987 at the age of 32, he was elected leader of the…
The CRIC annual event will be in hybrid form again this year with some colleagues returning to Harris Manchester College in September and others coming in on-line.