Anyone who developed a liking for Korean dramas during the lockdowns will be familiar with the term ‘higher-ups’. South Korea is still quite a deferential society, and ‘higher-ups’ are the people who make the key decisions by which we live our lives. There probably was a time when higher-ups were sure-footed individuals who made ideology-free sensible choices for the benefit of all. Alas, no longer, as the chaos in Afghanistan, the ‘lab-leak’ hypothesis for the origins of Covid or the ongoing politicisation of the virus currently bring home to us. Society’s quickening pace of change, the ease of instant world-wide...

OUR SCHOOL IS CATHOLIC – SO WHAT? A comprehensive review of the challenges facing Catholic schools and of how to address these. A worthwhile study, with practical implementable actions, for all interested in the future of Catholic education in Ireland. Order now from this website. CONTENTS Introduction Section 1 – Setting the scene  1. Aspects of the Irish educational landscape 2. Light and shade – as seen through Catholic eyes Section 2 – The difference a God makes 3. Understanding the Catholic-Christian worldview 4. Secularist worldviews 5. Contrasting and competing 6. The impact of the secular outlook on education Section...

Quote from Introduction to Our School is Catholic – So What? “As the influence of Catholic education on society wanes, so too does a people’s capacity to resist the secular forces that are eking away at the foundations of democracy. This book argues that if Ireland, and the Western world, wish to have a democratic future, Catholic education is needed to underpin it. It is also a major contention of this book that part of the decline in Catholic education is due to the fact Ireland has not got it quite right, and that we require a fuller understanding of...

Why does our modern democratic society need Catholic education? How can schools counter the challenges of secularisation? How can a Catholic school promote character education? How can schools counter the negative influences of a growing woke culture? How can schools be true to their Catholic characteristic spirit? What constitutes a good Relationships and Sexuality Education programme? This exciting new publication addresses all aspects of Catholic schooling and is a must read for boards of management, parents and teachers interested in implementing a Catholic ethos in their school. Our School Is Catholic – So What? by Mark Hamilton (So What Imprint,...

This is an extract from a review by Micahel Kirke. The full article is available on  https://mercatornet.com/does-democracy-need-christianity/71399/  …The world before Christ was a savage place. Ancient civilisations were cruel and unforgiving. In this world, despite the benign and wise voices of people like Akhenaten, Zoroaster, Socrates, Cicero and others, Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome placed very little value on human life. Tom Holland’s Dominion and Professor Mary Beard’s S.P.Q.R. – to name but two relatively recent depictions of that world – illustrate the great divide between the values of BC and AD. But if Rome was not built in a day, neither was...

This is an extract from a review by John Murray is Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Iona Institute, and is a lecturer in Theology at Dublin City University. Full review available at  https://ionainstitute.ie/does-god-exist-and-if-he-does-so-what/ ….The book is structured as a dialogue between a young, searching man, Peter, and an older, wiser and well-informed man, John. This unfolds in a sequence of letters between them, written over the period of March to June 2020. The first national Covid-19 lockdown provides the setting, which gives the book a nice topical feel. However, the main content of the book concerns universal...

We are delighted to announce Escaping the Bunker launches on 11 March. If you wish to attend the launch please use the zoom link below. Topic: BOOK LAUNCH: Escaping the Bunker by Mark Hamilton Time: Thursday Mar 11, 2021 08:00 PM Dublin Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/91680657370?pwd=USt3YTlra256K0V3ZXhoT1Brd05sUT09 Meeting ID: 916 8065 7370 Passcode: Launch There is a special St Patrick’s Day launch offer price from 4 to 18 March 2021. To avail of it go to the BUY section of the website.

Western democracy is in turmoil and Christianity points to the ways out. A must-read for anyone –  politicians, clerics, media wishing to better understand the problems and the solutions. Order your copy now from www.sowhat.ie ESCAPING THE BUNKER extract 3pdf ESCAPING THE BUNKER extract4 ESCAPING THE BUNKER extract 5

Democracy is in decline and Christians seem unable or unwilling to rescue it. Read more in Mark Hamilton’s new book Escaping the Bunker – Democracy Needs Christianity – So What? Available for ordering now. Only available through Sowhat.ie CONTENTS  Introduction                                                                         5 Section 1: Democracy, Christianity and Christians             9 Understanding the challenge 10 Understanding democracy 16 Can Christians be of help? 23 Understanding the Christian worldview 29 Section 2: Overcoming the barriers                                     37 Reasons to hang back 38 Cultural change is never easy 45 Knowing where you stand 50 Quality leadership 56 Section 3: Good soil                                                             65...

Travel, trade and learning created a market for bi-lingual dictionaries over five hundred years ago. It took an early 17th century teacher to see the need for a ‘hard-words’ dictionary and it wasn’t until the 18th century that general purpose dictionaries – as we now know them – came into being.  In the 19th century, the editor of what became the first Oxford English Dictionary (OED), established a reading programme to gather quotations. This reading programme approach continues to be used today as the principal method of assembling revision material for dictionaries. In 2020, the reading programmes led OED and...