Eccentrics, nutters, prodigals and rogues

Three splendid specimens from Fergus Butler-Gallie's celebrated Field Guide to the English Clergy

Read more

  • Current chance of rapture: %

  • Temperature in Hell today: °C

St Joseph’s

Palpable enthusiasm in the wake of a tragedy
19 May 19
Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Desert Mission Anglican

Goodness hunted our Mystery Worshipper down as the fiddle played on
12 May 19
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Pastor Orr dangles above his congregation in Mississippi

Lo! He comes on wires descending

Mississippi pastor drops in on his congregation to tell them about the Second Coming
30 Nov 18
Auto de Fe in the Plaza Mayor de Madrid, 1683

Reporting yourself to the Inquisition

The story of a soldier who turned himself in to the religious police is tweeted by an historian
21 Nov 18
Photo of BBC Broadcasting House

Should Thought for the Day lose its religion?

OK, but wouldn't that make it like almost every other bit of the BBC?
14 Nov 18
Photo of church service sheet

Thanks a lot, Lord

When a Durham Cathedral service sheet took on the tone of a sulky teenager
14 Nov 18
Private Gerald Thompson

A Christian in Hell Fire Corner

Huw Spanner recently came across letters from the Western Front, written by his great-uncle, a devout evangelical Christian.
14 Nov 18
Photo of the title page of The Tryal of the Witnesses of the Ressurection of Jesus by Thomas Sherlock

A cold case from zero AD

A chance discovery in a secondhand bookshop opens up a history of books where the resurrection goes on trial
7 Nov 18
Photo of church service sheet with typo

A boob in the hymn sheet

Heaven alone knows whether the congregation were still able to sing after verse 4
22 Oct 18
Photo of a halloween pumpkin

Why Halloween should be part of the church year

First the church tried to subvert it, then sanitize it, but why not try embracing Halloween?
22 Oct 18
Screen grab of Jesus organ donation TV advertisement

Jesus cast as organ donor in TV ad

An Australian TV ad casts Jesus signing an organ donation form at the crucifixion
21 Oct 18

Most popular

Cathedral of St John the Baptist

Do good – God will reward you
24 Feb 19
Norwich, England

Ripon Cathedral

Ash Wednesday at this monumental cathedral brings to mind the triumph of God’s glory
6 Mar 19
Ripon, North Yorkshire, England
Photo by Lawrence OP

St Alban the Martyr

Swamped by the organ, challenged by the sermon, lost in a miasma of holy smoke
20 Jun 18
Holborn, London

St Michael and All Angels

Ghostly cut-outs in the pews and an outbreak of conviviality that didn't include our reporter
25 Nov 18
Bedford Park, London
Image of St Simeon the Holy Fool

Visit our patron saint

Drop in on St Simeon the Holy Fool, whose Feast Day we celebrate every 21st July
Engraving of the building of Noah's Ark

Tales of a tub

Read a quick history of Ship of Fools, going back to our original launch in 3000 BC
Image of people discussing around a table

Debate without end, amen

Join our forums, where debate has been raging for the whole of this millennium
Illustration of ocean liner

Help us stay the right way up

Ship of Fools is free, but staying afloat costs money. Please give to our Floating Fund
© Ship of Fools