Bishop Steven Croft warns politicians have failed to keep pace with AI for over a decade
Bishop Steven Croft, former Bishop of Oxford who has led on AI issues for the Church of England, has said that warnings about the risks of artificial intelligence had been largely overlooked by politicians over the past decade, while the technology advanced rapidly. Speaking at a Religion Media Centre briefing on AI, he said his experience in the House of Lords was that AI deployment in areas including warfare, health and education had “continually outstripped public debate”. He said MPs had been particularly difficult to engage, amid repeated changes of governments and prime ministers. Even technology companies had been surprised by the speed of development, with predictions about artificial general intelligence rapidly becoming outdated. He warned that the coming year would be critical for action. He said the church and faith leaders have a particular responsibility to raise these questions, including the impact of AI on human dignity, relationships and the mental health of children and adults. Briefing links here.
Resistance to acceleration of AI ‘linked to religious ideas of the apocalypse’
Professor Beth Singler, Professor of Digital Religion at the University of Zurich, told the RMC briefing that fears that AI could eventually kill humanity are increasingly intertwined with older religious ideas about the apocalypse and the end times. She said rapture theology, the belief that people are drawn up to God at the end of the world, is particularly influential in American politics, and is intersecting with ideas about technological “rapture” and human transformation. There is an idea that at a point in time, there will be a “mind upload”, and the rapture will happen for those who join the artificial intelligence. She discussed the influence of figures including tech investor Peter Thiel, fusing ideas of AI and religion, and explained the view that anyone who slows down acceleration or calls for regulation, or mentions the environmental impact or the sustainability issues, is meddling with a belief that AI should move fast and break things, and purposefully head towards apocalyptic scenarios in order to restructure society, developing hierarchies into something like “the network state”. She cautioned that the debate often swings between utopian and dystopian visions, shaped partly by science fiction and religious stories. The result, she said, is a powerful mixture of technological hopes and apocalyptic fears. Briefing links here
RMC briefing: AI and the future of humanity View the discussion / listen to the podcast via links here
Divinity courses close at the University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh is to close Bachelor and Master of Divinity programmes after the Church of Scotland decided to concentrate ministerial training at Glasgow University from next year. In a statement, the School of Divinity said its relationship with the Church of Scotland would remain active through postgraduate opportunities, short courses and ongoing collaboration. The department will continue to offer core programmes in theology, religion, philosophy and ethics, and new programmes will be created in areas of growing student interest, particularly philosophy, religion and ethics. Joint honours which have declined in demand are being “retired”. A new single postgraduate taught programme in Theology and Religion will be launched.
Children’s Commissioner calls for compassion towards asylum-seeking children
The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has called for greater protection of refugee and asylum-seeking children, warning that those wrongly treated as adults can be placed in detention or adult accommodation. Speaking at the inaugural Jesuit Refugee Service UK Annual Lecture, she said age assessments had wrongly classified hundreds of children as adults. Dame Rachel urged policymakers and the public to resist polarised debate and focus on children’s experiences of violence, exploitation and trafficking. Drawing on her own mother’s experience as a refugee child, she said Britain must treat children with compassion, truth and dignity.
Wayne Rooney reveals his Jewish roots
Wayne Rooney has revealed that he has recently discovered he has Jewish family roots. Jewish News reports that he spoke of his family’s roots in The Real Rooneys reality TV show. He said he is a Catholic but he had found that his mother’s mother was from a Polish Jewish family who fled to Liverpool. Story is here
Former soldier dies after antisemitic synagogue shooting
A former Canadian soldier who carried out a hate-motivated shooting outside the Sons of Jacob synagogue in Ontario during Yom Kippur, has died in hospital, while the police officer he shot remains seriously injured. The attacker, Sean Ward, shouted at police stationed outside: “you’re going to die for the Jews” and then opened fire on Constable Jeff Smith, who shot back despite his injuries and prevented the attacker from getting inside the synagogue. Constable Smith was shot multiple times in the head and body and is in hospital, critically wounded.
Muslim Council of Britain secretary general to speak at Labour conference fringe
Dr Wajid Akhter, the secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, is to speak at a fringe event of the Labour party conference in Liverpool, which starts this weekend. The title of the session is “Challenging the Rise of the Far Right and Racism”, and the event is being organised by Stand Up to Racism. The government has maintained a policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain since 2009, following the actions of its then deputy secretary-general, Daud Abdullah, who signed a Declaration interpreted as supporting violence against British forces. Times story here.
J.R.R. Tolkien to be honoured at Westminster Abbey alongside C.S. Lewis
J.R.R. Tolkien, the writer whose works include The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, is to be honoured at Westminster Abbey, where a new memorial will be created in Poets’ Corner alongside his close friend and fellow writer C.S. Lewis. Tolkein was a devout Roman Catholic whose Christian faith influenced his writing. The memorial, by artist Stephen Broadbent, is a 2.5-metre artwork, which will incorporate native British woods, including a piece of the black pine known as “Tolkien’s tree”.
Quaker award honours jury rights campaign Defend Our Juries
Defend Our Juries has been awarded the 2026 Quaker Truth & Integrity Award, for its “courageous and persistent defence of the constitutional importance of trial by jury.” The organisation began in 2023, with a single protest by retired social worker Trudi Warner outside Inner London Crown Court. It has since led to thousands taking part in silent sign-holding protests nationwide, and more than 3,500 people arrested.
Church Commissioners expand nature conservation site near York
The Church Commissioners for England have agreed a 30-year lease with the Carstairs Countryside Trust, adding five acres to the 90-acre Fulford Ings nature reserve south of York. The wetland, on the banks of the River Ouse, is home to rare and threatened wildlife including curlews, kingfishers and the endangered tansy beetle. It also provides important flood storage. The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell welcomed the partnership, saying care for creation is “a vital part of our Christian calling”. Communion to protect forests.
Pagans and Druids mark the festival of Mabon as the autumn equinox arrives
Pagans and Druids are marking Mabon, the traditional Pagan festival of the autumn equinox, with celebrations of harvest, balance and the changing seasons. A Mabon festival begins at Caldicot Castle in Wales this evening, featuring fire, food, folklore and music. Across Britain, Druids and other Pagan groups have gathered at ancient sites and landmarks to mark the equinox, which fell on Wednesday.
