http://simonjenkins.com/ Blog of Simon Jenkins, writer and web producer en simon@simonjenkins.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-04T01:49:41+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/the_invisible_composer/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/the_invisible_composer/#When:01:49:41Z You’d think that any city, given nine formative years in the life of the world’s best known composer, would respond by doing everything it could to celebrate such fabulous good luck. But not Weimar. It’s much too concerned with its contribution to in-house German culture. 2012-02-04T01:49:41+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/bachs_angel_in_the_roof/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/bachs_angel_in_the_roof/#When:01:05:48Z The church is baroque, with a vertiginous three-decker gallery, and right at the front, in the centre, is the font where Bach first made contact with faith. I really loved the church, which felt old and well used by generations of Christians, and (on a more trivial note) was painted in cool neutrals, which seemed strangely contemporary. 2012-02-03T01:05:48+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/ein_feste_burg/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/ein_feste_burg/#When:06:31:48Z Instead, the wood panelling is covered with carved graffiti from devout Lutherans who were here before me. IB was here in 1646, for example, while someone called Clueben left his mark in 1715. If this was in England, the room would be obsessively wired with CCTV. 2012-02-02T06:31:48+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/in_bachs_own_country/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/in_bachs_own_country/#When:00:34:37Z My Dad is not quite Organ Morgan, but he is an excellent church organist with a passion for Bach that eclipses all other composers. He was king of the organ pipes at church when I was a young child, and I was in awe of the powerful and beautiful music he conjured from this Mt Sinai of musical instruments. 2012-02-01T00:34:37+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/epiphany_in_a_bookshop/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/epiphany_in_a_bookshop/#When:22:42:44Z I realised that if I wanted to buy a world class book, either because it was beautifully written, or groundbeaking in its ideas, or sharp in its take on life, or because it contained the best comedy or tragedy or sheer storytelling money could buy, then I would not find it here, in Kristianity Korner. 2012-01-26T22:42:44+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/did_you_ever_play_mary/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/did_you_ever_play_mary/#When:10:05:54Z According to the survey, only 12% of women played the role of Mary when they were children. The reason? The women said that Marys were chosen because they were pretty (27%) well behaved (22%), or teacher's pet (16%)... which shut the stable door on everyone else. 2011-12-13T10:05:54+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/do_i_hear_an_amen/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/do_i_hear_an_amen/#When:08:23:21Z Pentecostals may have an historical tendency to be apolitical, but their commitment to the language of repentance is a genuine spiritual discourse to be treasured. It is precisely the sort of social capital needed in an economic and moral crisis. 2011-12-08T08:23:21+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/from_revolution_to_revolujah/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/from_revolution_to_revolujah/#When:18:27:14Z Reverend Billy, the New York performance artist, street preacher, prankster and political activist is having an intensely busy time right now, exorcising shopping tills, preaching on the steps of St Paul's and launching an oratorio for the Occupy movement. 2011-11-29T18:27:14+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/my_very_own_leviathan/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/my_very_own_leviathan/#When:22:58:35Z I'm flying out to New York today to stay until next week, so on the tube out to Heathrow I read some chapters from the book of Job, as I'm sure everyone does 2011-11-24T22:58:35+00:00 http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/tweet_remembrance/ http://simonjenkins.com/blog/entry/tweet_remembrance/#When:14:49:52Z The service, the first of its kind on Twitter, was put together in very short order by James Thomas from Cardiff. He said, ‘I started the project on Wednesday night when I realised that no one had done a Twitter-based Remembrance service before.’ 2011-11-11T14:49:52+00:00