What’s the first joke in John?

James Cary, BBC sitcom writer, tells an underappreciated joke from the Gospel of John

Read more

  • Current chance of rapture: %

  • Temperature in Hell today: °C

  • Today in Time-travel news

Portrait of Jonathan Swift

Time-travel news

Jonathan Swift, satirist, pamphleteer, author of Gulliver’s Travels, and Dean of St Patrick’s, Dublin, died today in 1745
19 Oct

St Magnus-the-Martyr

Utterly Anglican: power, justice, and kingdoms – excellent and sublime
17 Oct 21
City of London

St Anne’s

Odd mixture during high mass – and communion on the tongue
3 Oct 21
Gilbert, Arizona, USA

St Matthew the Apostle

Accept God’s gifts: incense, good coffee, birthday cake – but not sulphur!
26 Sep 21
Douglas, Isle of Man

Lancaster Priory

Choir sings traditional evensong lustily in glorious afternoon sunshine
19 Sep 21
Lancaster, England

Streaming with Laughter… the quest for the funniest online service fails

Spotted a streaming service fail? Nominate your best entry for our Streaming with Laughter poll
13 Apr 21

Baby pilgrim candles

They’re candles, they’re kind of Catholic, and they have baby toes. Want to buy a pair? I should Rococo
28 Aug 20

We rise to sing…

The rediscovery of a cherished old hymn sheet causes sniggering in the back pews
26 Jun 20
Photo of Brian Greene by Luiz Munhoz/Fronteiras do Pensamento

The manufactured meaning of the world

Huw Spanner talks to Brian Greene, populariser of science, about our search for meaning in an evolving universe
9 May 20

‘Not today’ Covid-19 face mask

Hillsong TV has chosen this moment to produce a $15 promotional Covid-19 face mask
2 May 20

The doubting disciple

Andrew Walker takes a fresh look at Doubting Thomas, a man who liked to get his facts straight
16 Apr 20

John Calvin discovery is ‘a bombshell’

A long-lost manuscript discovered in the Library of Geneva sheds new light on gloomy reformer, John Calvin
1 Apr 20

Most popular

Abundant Life Centre, Bradford, Yorkshire, England

Abundant Life

Don't think, just believe, whoop and clap - and skateboard!
12 Aug 06
Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Passion City Church, Atlanta, GA

Passion City Church

Animated and high spirited: a young person's church
2 Sep 12
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
South Peoria Baptist, Peoria, AZ (exterior)

South Peoria Baptist

God loves us even if we think "neighbor" is a verb.
29 Oct 17
Peoria, Arizona, USA
All Saints, Liverpool (Exterior)

All Saints

Not particularly happy, not particularly clappy, but worth £20
10 Aug 14
Childwall, Liverpool, England
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