Andrew Brown
Andrew Brown writes on religion. His most recent book, Fishing in Utopia, is a memoir about his life in Sweden. It won the 2009 Orwell prize
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Am I a good person? You asked Google – here’s the answerEvery day millions of internet users ask Google life’s most difficult questions, big and small. Our writers answer some of the commonest queries
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On holiday we connect with our wild selves. Back at work we lose them againIn the empty spaces of the Swedish Arctic, I could truly see, smell and hear the world around me. Returning to the city, I had to shut my senses down
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PO Enquist: ‘An upbringing like mine marks you like a branding iron’Swedish author Per Olov Enquist talks about his pious childhood near the Arctic Circle and his latest novel, shaped by his early life
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Church of England aims to agree to disagree over homosexualitySynod discussions are intended to bring people on both sides of debate to see their opponents as fellow Christians
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Female deacons could lead to female priests – and the Vatican knows itPope Francis’s latest suggestion will be strongly opposed, but the problem for traditionalists is that the New Testament is not on their side
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Adblocking is helping the digital sharks eat the minnows – what’s the solution?If no one finds a better way to moderate the conflict between advertisers and net users the likes of Mark Zuckerberg will get richer as small sites are crushed
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If a former pope says non-Catholics can go to heaven, why be Catholic?The former Pope Benedict XVI has suggested that those who mistakenly believe in other religions may not be damned after all. Which is hardly good for church attendance
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In 271 words: why Trump is not a good Christian – and why he isThe holier-than-thou Republican preaches the gospel of himself – and it’s riddled with contradictions, lies and greed
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Sweden and Denmark are not all warm welcomes and cuddly politicsWe in Britain have big misconceptions about our Nordic neighbours. The two are very different – and much less relaxed about immigration than we thought
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No religion is the new religionMost Britons under the age of 40 now say they have no religion. As atheism takes hold, is this the beginning of the end for Christianity in this country?
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This cover-up of sex assaults in Sweden is a gift for xenophobesPolice failure to report widespread assaults by immigrant gangs at a Stockholm music festival will be immensely damaging for the country’s race relations
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The Anglican schism over sexuality marks the end of a global churchWhen six African religious leaders walk out of Canterbury next week, they will not be leaving the Anglican communion, but walking out of its funeral
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If Nicky Morgan wants Christianity to flourish, humanism should be taught in schoolsTeaching children that the tenets of humanism are not facts but a belief system like any other religion will give them a real choice in what to believe
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When Sweden shut its doors it killed the dream of European sanctuarySweden has always welcomed refugees but the unprecedented migration crisis has forced it to shift ground: the high noon of social democracy has passed
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‘We need to talk about Jesus’: cue cringing embarrassmentA Church of England report shows non-Christians don’t like evangelism. In fact, such proselytising actually puts them off religion
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It’s a victory for the status quo but all is not yet lost for FrancisPope Francis may have lost this battle for reform – but at least he has changed the conversation
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The tragic school attack in Sweden fits an American patternThe murderer seems to have been more of a loner rather than ideologically driven – racism is not the only factor here
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On assisted dying, California will be a test site for the worldThe argument over legalising assisted suicide has nothing to do with religious dogma – it’s about whether a law will protect the weakest in society, and now we can find out
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What impact did your school’s architecture have on you?With Burntwood school winning this year’s Stirling prize, our writers look back at how their school buildings shaped them
The pope is now clear: second families can be better than broken families