William Tyndale: The most important Englishman in history?

“William Tyndale was the first person to translate the New Testament into English from Greek, and this was the first NT printed in English. It had an immense impact on the English-speaking world, which reverberates down into our own time. …”

– Tony Watkins at Tyndale House in Cambridge has this sketch of the life and importance of William Tyndale.

“In 2026, Tyndale House [celebrates] the 500th anniversary of the Tyndale New Testament (1526).

This anniversary marks a turning point in the history of the English Bible and an enduring reminder of why William Tyndale matters today: he placed the word of God into the hands of ordinary people, doing so with attention to the original languages and giving his life for this mission.”

Click this link for more.

Anglican Heroes: Katherine Brandon — Church Society podcast

From Church Society –

“Clare Heath-Whyte tells the story of Katherine Brandon’s life through 16th century England and Europe.

Born Katherine Willoughby, she first married Charles Brandon, one of Henry VIII’s closest friends, and later Richard Bertie, her Master of the Horse.”

– Listen here.

See a portrait by Hans Holding the Younger.

Rare find: The King’s Book

“The Donald Robinson Library was delighted to recently acquire a copy of the King’s Book, properly titled ‘A necessary doctrine and erudition for any chrysten man: set furthe by the kynges maiestye of Englande’, printed in 1543. …”

– Erin Mollenhauer, Senior Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at Moore Theological College, explains the background.

Anglican Heroes: Hannah More — Church Society podcast

From Church Society –

“Ros Clarke speaks to Sarah Allen about another Anglican hero, Hannah More.

Hannah was born in the 1740s, and was converted from a successful playwriting and intellectual career to give her life to working for charity.”

– Listen here.

Two to remember

“It was 1856, and the new Reformed Evangelical bishop, Frederic Barker, had arrived in Sydney with his wife Jane the year before.

The bishop was responsible for most of NSW – a huge burden. He and his wife immediately saw three great needs and took action to meet them.…”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Peter Jensen commends a soon-to-be-published book on Bishop Barker by Dr. Grant Maple.

He reminds us that it is “so easy to forget our history and that impoverishes us”.

The importance of a special relationship in a crisis

From The Australian Church Record, an encouraging and enlightening contribution by Robin Sydserff of The Proclamation Trust –

“At the celebration of Dick Lucas’ 100th birthday on 14 September 2025, the overseas contribution was a series of recorded video messages from past and present Christian leaders in Australia, testifying to a special relationship. The relationship, first between conservative evangelicals in the Church of England and Sydney Anglicans, has enlarged over the last fifty years and more to embrace a much wider constituency.

In a special relationship there are times when strong things need to be said. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend’ (Prov 27:6). …”

– What is the crisis? Who are the friends? How have they been a blessing to each other? Do take the time to read it all.

First published in the ACR’s Easter 2026 Journal.

Image from an interview with Robin Sydserff and David Cook on The Pastor’s Heart, August 2025.

In the Library: Joel Beeke in conversation with Albert Mohler

In the latest edition of his “In the Library” videos, Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, speaks with Joel Beeke, Chancellor of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary.

At 70 minutes, it’s an interesting conversation, covering a wide range of topics – including the Dutch Reformed movement in the USA, theology, the Puritans (and the way they have been misrepresented), the importance of reading books, publishing, and more. Watch here.

Authentic Anglicanism: Stewarding our rich heritage

“I write as a lay Anglican, and also as an academic historian.

I shall firstly address a broad cultural issue which underscores why I believe the Authentic Anglicanism Report is not only timely, but also acutely necessary. I shall then offer a reflection on the enduring richness of authentic Anglicanism, which is something we ought to steward.

This richness of authentic Anglicanism is correctly summarised in the report in four elements – the primacy of Scripture, the confessional basis of our tradition, the liturgical character that ties our confessional doctrine to our lived practices, and an episcopal governance to safeguard the truth of the faith. …”

– The Australian Church Record features on their website this article by Sarah Irving-Stonebraker which was first published in their Easter 2026 Journal.

John Newton: Mastermind and mentor of early Australian Anglicanism

“On 8 July 1777, Reverend John Newton confessed in his diary to binge-reading the latest bestseller: Captain James Cook’s A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, published that same year. It caught Newton’s imagination, but it also caught his evangelical heart: he prayed that the gospel would ‘arise and shine upon’ people of ‘unknown regions’.

Newton didn’t know it then, but his Lord had a time and a plan for those souls. Within seven years, Newton himself would play a crucial role in launching and nurturing the first Christian mission in Australia. …”

– Again, give thanks to the Lord for John Newton. At the Moore College website.

The College for the Colony

Ever wondered why Moore College is called “Moore College”?

– This infographic for the 170th anniversary of the founding of the College introduces Thomas Moore.

Richard Johnson: Laying the foundation stone of the Australian evangelical church

“When we think of the great evangelical movements of the late eighteenth century, our minds often turn to the Clapham Sect, those remarkable men and women whose faith reshaped British public life and whose influence extended around the world.

Figures such as William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton and Hannah More loom large in this story. Richard Johnson, the first evangelical chaplain to Australia, does not.

Johnson was never formally part of the Clapham Sect, nor was he a central figure in the closely related Eclectic Society, a small, but influential gathering of evangelical clergy and laypeople committed to deep theological reflection and gospel advance. And yet, without these two groups—and the prayerful vision that animated them—Richard Johnson would almost certainly never have set foot on Australian soil. …”

– Moore College Principal Mark Thompson reminds us of the legacy of Richard Johnson.

JUST WAR & the US, Israel, Iran and Ukraine – with John McClean, Rob Smith & Grant Dibden

From The Pastor’s Heart –

“How should Christians think about war? How does the Biblical Framework of Just War help us understand how we should react to what is happening in the Ukraine, Iran, Israel and south Lebanon.

We go back to first principles drawing on the work of Augustine of Hippo Thomas Aquinas – asking when is it right to go to war — and how must war be conducted? And how do those principles evaluate what’s happening in today’s conflicts?

Joining us are:

• John McClean, Vice Principal of Christ College Sydney,

• Rob Smith, theologian and ethicist and

• Grant Dibden, Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force.

Together we explore how Just War thinking has shaped Western military ethics and whether it is quietly being sidelined.

Plus we examine what the Just War doctrine says about individuals conduct in war, in light of the controversy surrounding Australian Soldier Ben Roberts-Smith.

And how should Christians respond when the emotional weight of real-world conflict hits close.”

– Watch or listen here.

Did Josephus really write about Jesus?

Published last year, two fascinating interviews from Tyndale House –

“Peter Williams interviews Dr Tom C. Schmidt about his new book, ‘Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One they Call Christ’.

In this episode they tackle the question of whether Josephus’s writing about Jesus was edited by Christians to sound more like the biblical account, or whether it could in fact have been written by Josephus.

In next week’s episode they will discuss whether Josephus could have known people who were present at Jesus’s trial.”

– Part 1 – and Part 2. Just fascinating – especially Part 2.

Related:

Tom Schmidt: How well connected were Josephus and Jesus? – audio interview with Tony Watkins.

An Archaeological discovery may shed light on the Gospel of Luke.

Evidence for the resurrection of Jesus — papers

Associate Professor Neil Foster writes –

“Following my previous post [about a breakfast seminar run by the Newcastle Christian Lawyers Fellowship this morning], here is the paper I am presenting on evaluation of the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus applying principles of the law of evidence applied in the courts …

In that paper I mention a brilliant paper on the same broad area by former Justice of Appeal Ken Handley; for those who haven’t seen it, here it is for download …”

– Download both papers from Law and Religion Australia.

Paul Ehrlich — Author of “The Population Bomb” and Prophet of the Culture of Death

You may have heard that Paul Ehrlich, author of the influential 1968 book, “The Population Bomb” has died at the age of 93.

In his The Briefing broadcast for today, Tuesday 17 March 2026, Albert Mohler remembers Paul Ehrlich and the dark influence of his ideology.

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