Opinion: Gaza and the UN Independent Commission Report
September 17, 2025
Craig Bartholomew reacts to the UN’s Human Rights Commission verdict that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians does satisfy the definition of genocide.
Here’s what’s happening at KLC.
Craig Bartholomew reacts to the UN’s Human Rights Commission verdict that Israel’s treatment of Palestinians does satisfy the definition of genocide.
Sat, November 22 | 6:30 PM | The Chilton Club, 152 Commonwealth Ave, Boston
Craig Bartholomew discusses how Israelite kingship enacted a revolutionary idea: that the king, like everyone else, is under the law, not the issuer of decrees. Rule by decree in the US and hypocrisy in the standards applied to Israel and Iran suggest that international law needs quickly to be recovered.
Read an excerpt from KLC fellow Jenny Taylor’s new book, Saving Journalism, a timely look at the demise of the fourth estate and what it will take to turn it around.
Craig Bartholomew points out that the Rome Statute defines genocide in a way that fits Israel’s assaults on Gaza, and he points to challenging recent works by Louis Theroux and Omar El Akkad.
Craig Bartholomew points out that the Rome Statute defines genocide in a way that fits Israel’s assaults on Gaza, and he points to challenging recent works by Louis Theroux and Omar El Akkad.
The Big Picture 13: Health & Wellbeing is out now. This issue discusses what it means to live well and to be healthy, what God’s shalom entails, and how we should navigate serious challenges to our wellbeing, such as tragedy, grief and mental illness.
Economist Robert Tatum helps to explain the intention behind the imposition of trade tariffs and the unexpected consequences that they are likely to have, while encouraging us to consider whether such policies truly reflect our values and the kind of world we’re trying to build.
Craig Bartholomew observes that the blindfolding of Lady Justice is ambiguous, connoting impartiality on the one hand and (satirically) that power is able to force her to turn a blind eye, as is the case in the West’s approach to international law at present.
Jordan Pickering suggests some important implications of the 2024 Nobel prize in economics, which indicates that the accumulative mindset that is promoted in the West may be a route to long-term failure, whereas the Golden Rule may promote health even of the economy.
Craig Bartholomew discusses the growing tolerance for lies as the native language of politics, how darkness masquerades as the light, and the Christian calling to live according to the truth.
Craig Bartholomew discusses how violations of the ninth commandment continue to load hardship onto Ukraine.
KLC is now on Substack. We have launched this new platform in an effort to make our excellent publications easier to find and share. All of our back issues of The Big Picture are already available.
We have resumed publication of Apologizing for Public Theology for the new year. Dr Benjamin Quinn explains the connection of biblical wisdom literature and public theology.
In this latest edition of Ethics in Conversation, Andrew Kirk reviews Michael F. Bird’s recent book: Religious Freedom in a Secular Age: A Christian Case for Liberty, Equality, and Secular Government.
The Kirby Laing Centre has added another exciting avenue of publishing potential with the launch in January 2025 of the first book produced entirely under the KLC banner.
A review by Craig Bartholomew of Alexei Navalny’s posthumous autobiography
Michael Wagenman reflects on the problem of abuse of power in the church, suggesting that at the heart of the problem is a misunderstanding of what power itself is and a failure to embody service in the pattern of Christ.
Walter R. Strickland II, an associate fellow of KLC, has just published a two-volume series with IVP Academic called Swing Low, offering a history of Black Christianity in America.
Christians might have local citizenships, there are times when our duty to our true country demands that we stand as representatives of the love and justice of our God, and that we stand for vulnerable communities and against hate.
Politics remains in view as America gears up to vote and the rest of the world looks on in anticipation. J. David Stark embarked on a deep dive into the slogan “Make America Great Again” and considers the making of America at this present political moment.
ArtWay.eu has been hailed “a jewel in the crown of work in Christianity and the arts.” Founded in 2009, ArtWay recently came under the custodianship of KLC. This event marks the relaunch of the website as a key resource for Christians in the arts.
Politics is a contentious and divisive topic, but it is integral to public life and public theology. With so many significant elections happening in 2024, we invited our community to think together about this topic, with this bumper edition as the result.
The SAHS series, Reading Difficult Texts as Christian Scripture, focused on Leviticus in 2024. Leviticus is the literary and symbolic center of the Torah, and it functions as the beating heart of Israel’s life of worship, but it’s role as Christian Scripture is less obvious.
Many Christians live as if there is a separation between sacred and secular. This new series of essays is based on the conviction that the gospel is public truth. We explore from a variety of angles why and how this is.
Craig and the KLC outline the vision for 2025, underscoring the urgent global need for public theology to offer a light to a dim world.
A review by Craig Bartholomew of John Sweeney’s book on Alexei Navalny.
In June 2024, we were privileged to hold our first in-person conference since our COVID-era inception. It was a deeply enriching time with 70 attendees from across the globe.
The Bible has plenty to say about money and business. This issue offers an important challenge to all Christians to integrate our faith into our work lives and into our thinking about what truly matters.
KLC’s Economics Hub hosted Dr Glenn Butner, author of Work Out Your Salvation: A Theology of Markets and Moral Formation, to discuss his book and the vital nexus of economics, theology, and discipleship.
Thirty years ago, Nelson Mandela led South Africa into a new democratic era, securing a peaceful transfer of power and a future that held much promise. But three decades on, South Africa continues to struggle.
We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Lausanne Movement with an event featuring Dr Chris Wright, Dr David Larson, Dr Andrew Kirk, and Dr Cas Monaco who gave global and historical perspectives on the movement and its potential in the present time to galvanise the evangelical world into greater unity.
The book of Proverbs orients us towards politics in all sorts of illuminating ways. While it is by no means easy to apply what we read there to contemporary political issues, Craig’s newest article for EiC offers excellent guidance in doing so.
We celebrate with Craig and Michael Goheen the publication of the 20th Anniversary Edition of The Drama of Scripture, which is available as of this week.
David McIlroy’s review of Cochran’s book, The Servant Lawyer, outlines a compelling model for Christian thinking about vocation, even outside the legal profession.
