Faith and reason

Comparisons with AI raise questions about the uniqueness of our brains

Comparisons with AI raise questions about the uniqueness of our brains

Is the human brain a learning machine, a complex information-processing device, or something else Andrew Shepherd asks.

Sects, cults and all that is really true

A 2019 anti-racial discrimination rally in Dunedin. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH

Sects, cults and all that is really true

I find the existence of cults, especially formal cults of the Christian variety, to be a fascinatingly disturbing social phenomenon.

Do not overlook the good things that are right there in front of you

Skyweave, by Andrew Dalbeth. PHOTO: LINDA ROBERTSON

Do not overlook the good things that are right there in front of you

Looking up inspired Lynne Taylor to look further.

Otago sparked love of German and a life’s work

Britain's King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, arrive by car at Berlin Brandenburg...

Otago sparked love of German and a life’s work

A life-long love of Germany was sparked by his University of Otago education so it is lamentable Otago may abandon teaching the language, Peter Matheson writes.

That the Bible compares God to a mother less well known

That the Bible compares God to a mother less well known

In the lead-up to Sunday, May 14th, it would be hard to miss all of the advertisements for flowers, chocolates and spa treatments.

That the Bible compares God to a mother less well known

In the lead-up to Sunday, May 14th, it would be hard to miss all of the advertisements for flowers, chocolates and spa treatments.

God not a stranger on Easter Saturday

Being very lucky was also a lesson about God, writes Jenny Beck.

How long is too long hanging on the phone?

Testing the boundaries of endurance. PHOTO: THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD

How long is too long hanging on the phone?

I phone a prominent company with what appeared to me to be a relatively simple request. Twenty-five minutes later I have hung up, hot, bothered and angry.

What do we want? And when?

What do we want? And when?

Let the Lord grant us patience, writes Chris Gousmett.

Prayer has power in these troubled times

A recent prayer meeting at Asbury University, in the US state of Kentucky, began with a regular...

Prayer has power in these troubled times

Is it the right time to start praying?

Loving God in times of darkness

In the world in which we live, it can be very difficult to have faith.

Consequences of moral decay

Education is joining a growing number of cultural categories facing a crisis of some sort right now, writes the Rev Stu Crosson

Putting the Christ into Christmas with words and deeds

Putting the Christ into Christmas with words and deeds

Kia puawaitia e te Karaiti, let the love of Christ blossom like the pohutukawa tree in your words and actions to one another this Christmas season, writes the Rev Wayne Te Kaawa.

The meaning of anything comes back to the origin stories

The meaning of anything comes back to the origin stories

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend public health leadership training at Nga Hau e Wha marae in Cambridge.

Economic injustice versus working for the common good

Presbyterian Support Otago foodbank volunteer Karen Judge stacks cans in the service’s large...

Economic injustice versus working for the common good

Many companies stress the importance of being good corporate citizens. But do their commitments to good citizenship extend to serving the dictates of economic justice,...

A fitting memorial to conscientious objector

The Dunedin memorial, created by Arrowtown sculptor Shane Woolridge, commemorates World War 1...

A fitting memorial to conscientious objector

David Tombs reflects on the understated messages in the Archibald Baxter Peace Garden and suggests that these are in keeping with Baxter’s own attitude to religious faith.