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CALL FOR PAPERS AND BURSARIES: The Society for the Study of #Theology invites short papers proposals for its 2027 conference on "What is Theology?" The deadline for short papers, seminar papers, and bursary applications are all 14th of December 2026. www.theologysociety.org.uk/information/ #SST27

What is Theology? Society for the Study of Theology annual conference 2027. 5-7 April 2027. High Leigh Conference Centre, Hoddesdon. Plenary speakers: Eboni Marshall Turman, James Eglinton, Luke Bretherton. #SST27

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Today I passed my PhD viva with minor corrections. I had the honour of being supervised by Michael Burdett and Patrice Haynes (pictured) and Ben Wood, and the honour of being examined by Rachel Muers and Selina Stone. I'm elated , relieved, and exhausted. #PhDsky

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

I'm chuffed to have been invited to speak at a day-conference at @regentsox.bsky.social. We'll be talking about Quaker and Baptist perspectives on social justice on 8 March 2027. This will be my first academic speaking gig as a fully fledged PhD. 😃🎓 @woodbrooke.bsky.social

Book now. Social Justice: Quaker and Baptist Perspectives. A day-conference at Regent's Park College, Oxford. Monday 8th March 2027. 10.00-16.00. Rhiannon Grant, Beth Allison-Glenny, Richard Weaver, Mark Russ. Woodbrooke, Centre for Baptist Studies, Regent's Park College University of Oxford.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

I had the pleasure of presenting at the Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership Research Festival. I offered an extract from the final chapter of my PhD thesis, talking about quaking, God's judgment, Whiteness, and shame. #quaker #theology #PhD #PhDsky #PhDlife

A seminar room. Mark, the presenter, is standing on the right in a blue and white shirt. On the left is a screen with a PowerPoint slide reading "Quaking in the Spirit of God, exorcising the spirit of Whiteness" with an image of a dark crack in a whitewashed stone wall.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

@benjiw.bsky.social touched many lives. If you knew him and want to remember him in all his glorious gayness, come join us on 20th July #birmingham #lgbt+ #lgbtq+ #queer #gay

Ben's Big Gay Memorial. A spectacularly queer gathering to remember & celebrate our much-loved Ben - with drag, stories, music & cakes. 4pm Sunday 20th July. Upstairs at Eden Bar. 138 Gooch Street, Birmingham. Featuring Performance by Fatt Butcher & More. Picture of Ben with a huge smile in his baby blue Pirde outfit, with ruffled tulle sleeves and beret.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

A great day at the Centre for Black #Theology, Regent's Park College in Oxford on "Atoning for the Sins of the Past," talking about reparations. Thanks to Thandi Soko-de Jong, Anthony Reddie, Michael Jagessar, Jo Sadgrove, Richard Reddie and all who attended for such a stimulating workshop.

Four people in discussion sat around a table at the front of a conference room.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Spent the last three days re-reading James Perkinson's "White Theology" (2004) and there's so much I missed the first time around. It's so pleasurable to return to a text like this, discovering more of its depths, and seeing how I've grown as a scholar. #PhD #PhDSky

White Theology: Outing Supremacy in Modernity by James W. Perkinson. Black Religion / Womanist Thought / Social Justice. "Perkinson does what no white theologian has done: offer a full-length treatment of white racism that is politically informed and theologically constructive." Mark Taylor, Princeton Theological Seminary. Cover image is an abstract square design, as if carved on stone, with a red face at the centre.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No. 19 A History of God by Karen Armstrong

A History of God by Karen Armstrong. Author of The Case for God. The Sunday Times Bestseller. "Brilliantly lucid, splendidly readable... dazzling" Sunday Times.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Just finished Pedro Lemebel's "A Last Supper of Queer Apostles." Totally amazing. A searing queer look at life in Chile through the last decades of the 20th century. Each essay is a gem. Gwendolyn Harper's translation is a triumph.

A Last Supper of Queer Apostles: Selected Essays. by Pedro Lemebel. Pushkin Press. Winner English Pen Award. "He speaks brilliantly for a difference that refuses to disappear" Garth Greenwell. Cover image is a figure dressed extravagantly in the still of the Virgin Mary, with a high crown and veil, hands posed to bless.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No. 18 The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham

New Testament Theology. The Theology of the Book of Revelation by Richard Bauckham. Black cover with red and white text.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No. 17 Testimony: Quakerism and Theological Ethics by Rachel Muers

Testimony: Quakerism and Theological Ethics by Rachel Muers. Cover image is a statue of Quaker martyr Mary Dyer.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No. 16 Listening Spirituality by Patricia Loring

Listening Spirituality. Volume 1. Personal Spiritual Practices Among Friends by Patricia Loring. A white cover with a stylised floral image in black ink.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No. 15 The Different Drum by M. Scott Peck.

The Different Drum: The Creation of True Community - the First Step to World Peace by M. Scott Peck. By the author of the 10-million copy bestseller The Road Less Travelled. Cover image is light playing on blue water.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No. 14 Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. With a Foreword by Samuel Wells. Cover image is a black and yellow photograph of Bonhoeffer.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Currently reading "The Gift of the Other" by Andrew Shepherd. This book has helped me access the impenetrable philosophies of Levinas and Derrida. For months I've known these thinkers were relevant to my project but was scared of them. Until now. This is a #PhD win! 🥳 #PhdLife #theology

The Gift of the Other: Levinas, Derrida, and a Theology of Hospitality by Andre Shepherd. Foreword by Steven Bouma-Prediger. Princeton Theological Monograph Series. Cover image is a black and white photo of people dining outside under a tree strung with lanterns.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No. 13 Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt

Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt. Penguin Modern Classics. Cover image is a colour picture of Eichmann pacing in a prison yard, an empty chair in the foreground.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.12 The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. Penguin Modern Classics. A black and white photo of Baldwin in a sheepskin coat carrying a child in a coat and cap, each with a sorrowful look.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Just finished bell hooks' "All About Love: New Visions" (2000). The strength of the book is hooks' clear and practical definition of love. Love is as love does. The final chapter being all about angels took me by surprise! #spirituality

all about love: new visions by bell hooks. New York Times Bestseller. Scarlett cover with black and white type.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.11 The Nature of Doctrine: Religion and Theology in a Postliberal Age by George Lindbeck

The Nature of Doctrine: Religion and Theology in a Postliberal Age by George A. Lindbeck. 25th Anniversary Edition. With a new introduction by Bruce D. Marshall and a new afterword by the Author. Cover design is blue, white and gold.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.10 Bound to Sin: Abuse, Holocaust and the Christian Doctrine of Sin by Alistair McFadyen

Bound to Sin: Abuse, Holocaust and the Christian Doctrine of Sin by Alistair McFadyen. Cambridge Studies in Christian Doctrine. Cover design is pink with line figures in an abstract design.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.9 The Peaceable Kingdom: A Primer in Christian Ethics by Stanley Hauerwas

The Peaceable Kingdom: A Primer in Christian Ethics by Stanley Hauerwas. SCM Press. Cover image is the painting "The Peaceable Kingdom" showing various animals, predators and prey, coexisting peacefully.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.8 The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race by Willie James Jennings

The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race by Willie James Jennings. "A theological masterpiece." Chris Smith, Englewood Review of Books. Cover image a stylised sunrise.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Just started reading Miroslav Volf's "Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation." I'm only a few pages into the introduction and I can already tell this is going to be an amazing book. #theology

Miroslav Volf. Revised and Updated. Exclusion and Embrace, A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation. Image of stone statue of two figures embracing.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.7 A Black Theology of Liberation by James Cone

A black theology of liberation by James H Cone. 50th anniversary edition. Foreword by Kelly Brown Douglas, introduction by Peter J Paris.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.6 Theories of Culture by Kathryn Tanner

Theories of Culture: A New Agenda for Theology by Kathryn Tanner. Guides to Theological Inquiry. Cover image is black and dark blue, with a circuit board and globe

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.5 Telling the Truth About God by Rhiannon Grant. This book also represents my friendship with Rhiannon, and all I've learned from our many conversations over the years.

Quaker Quicks, Telling the Truth About God by Rhiannon Grant. "wide-ranging, warm, wise, and witty." J. Brent Bill, author of Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality and Life Lessons of a Bad Quaker. Cover image is the silhouette of an outspread hand.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.4 A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly

A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R. Kelly. Introduction by Richard J. Foster. "Each time I leaf through the pages of this book, I know I am in the presence of a giant soul." - from the Introduction. Image of a wooden picket fence.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.3 Apocalypse of the Word: The life and message of George Fox by Doug Gwyn

Apocalypse of the Word: the life and message of George Fox by Douglas Gwyn. Burgundy book cover with cream text.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.2 The Great Divorce by C S Lewis

The Great Divorce by C S Lewis. The timeless novel about a bus ride from hell to heaven. A red white and blue cover design with a firey red bus.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

20 books that have shaped my theology. No.1 Showings/Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich

Julian of Norwich, Showings. Classics of Western Spirituality. Cover image is a watercolour of a white face and a crucified Christ.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Made a pilgrimage to the iconic Gay's The Word bookshop in London.

A pile of books: Camp! By Paul Baker, The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, Nobody Knows My Name by James Baldwin. A Gay's The Word bookmark rests on top.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

I've found my books in the wild! I hope they find good homes. #quaker #theology #writing #writer #author

Mark smiling in a blue jumper, standing next to a book stand which holds copies of The Spirit of Freedom and Quaker Shaped Christianity.

Mark crouching by a bookcase which contains books in the Quaker Quicks series. In the centre is The Spirit of Freedom.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Delighted to announce that the Quaker Centre at Friends House, London are hosting an in-person celebration of my new book "The Spirit of Freedom." If you’re in the area, do join me on the morning of Friday 6 December at 11am at the Friends House Library for a talk, Q&A and book signing.

New Book Launch. Book cover of "The Spirit of Freedom: Quaker-shaped Christian Theology" by Mark Russ. December 6th, 11am. Book launch, followed by Q&A, Signing, and Meet-the-Author. At Friends House Library, 173-177 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ. A picture of Mark with his book.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

I'm putting the finishing touches to my upcoming online course called "God in All Things: A Quaker Look at Ignatian Spirituality." The two traditions resonate so well with each other. www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/god-...

A pile of books. A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly, the Journal and major essays of John Woolman, Listening Spirituality volume 2 by Patricia Loring, Eyes to see ears to hear by David Lonsdale, Ignatius if Loyola's Spiritual Exercises and selected works, Hidden in plain sight, Quaker women's writings 1650-1700.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

My new book "The Spirit of Freedom" launched in TWO WEEKS! 🥳 There's still time to book your free place for my online book launch using this link: www.woodbrooke.org.uk/courses/book... Please like and share! #Quaker #theology #spirituality

The Spirit of Freedom: Quaker-shaped Christian theology by Mark Russ. A white book cover, blue and green text and a spiral design of rainbow coloured birds.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 08/11/2024

Delighted to receive my copy of @karenod.bsky.social's latest book, "Survival: Radical Spiritual Practices for Trauma Survivors." It looks like an important resource that (sadly) many will find useful. #theology #spirituality @scmpress.bsky.social

A book on a bookshelf. The cover design is a mixture of light and dark. The title is "Survival: Radical Spiritual Practices for Trauma Survivors" by Karen O'Donnell.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 30/10/2024

About to tuck into Nakashima Brock's brilliantly titled "Journeys by Heart: A Christology of Erotic Power." #christianity #theology

Yellow book cover. Multicoloured spiral abstract design. Text reads "Journeys by Heart: A Christology of Erotic Power" by Rita Nakashima Brock.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 29/10/2024

WIN A COPY OF MY NEW BOOK! 🥳 "The Spirit of Freedom" is published on 26 Nov. To celebrate, I’m giving away a FREE copy. Like & repost to be in with a chance of winning. I'll pick a winner on Friday 1 November, 17.00 GMT. #christianity #theology #books #writing #quaker #quakerism #spirituality

Mark (white, gingery beard and smiling), holding a copy of "The Spirit of Freedom: Quaker-shaped Christian theology." The book has a white cover, with a spiral of multicoloured birds above the title. There's a bookshelf in the background.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 27/10/2024

A great day with Muswell Hill Quakers talking about Quaker-shaped Christianity and the problems of pluralism. So many great questions and honest sharing. Sometimes it's important to acknowledge that our theological differences can't be reconciled. #theology www.collectiveinkbooks.com/christian-al...

Mark standing in front of Muswell Hill Quaker Meeting House. The double doors are bright yellow with Quaker Meeting House in bold letters above the door.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 14/10/2024

My new book "The Spirit of Freedom: #Quaker-shaped Christian #Theology" is nearing its publication date. 🤩 Help me to celebrate at my online book launch on Tuesday 26 November 2024, 19:30-20:30 (UK time). Book your free place at www.woodbrooke.org.uk/.../book-lau... Please like and repost!

A copy of "The Spirit of Freedom: Quaker-shaped Christian theology" by Mark Russ on a bookshelf, next to "Quaker Shaped Christianity" also by Mark Russ.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 01/09/2024

31st August is the Feast of St Aidan, first bishop of Lindisfarne. Nearly forgot to mark it, but a last minute dinner with friends prompted me to make a pie with homegrown apples. Did the same last year, so apple pie for St Aidan is basically the tradition now. #celtic #christianity #newmonasticism

A golden apple pie straight out of the oven, cooling on a wire rack, decorated with pastry leaves and a crunchy sugar topping.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 11/01/2024

Great news! My new book "The Spirit of Freedom: #Quaker-shaped Christian #theology" will be published on Nov 26, 2024. My author-copies arrived in the post today, and it's thrilling to finally hold it in my hand. www.collectiveinkbooks.com/christian-al...

Mark smiling with glee, wearing a dark blue and white jumper and holding a paperback copy of "The Spirit of Freedom: Quaker-shaped Christianity theology" by Mark Russ. The cover is white, with an image of rainbow coloured bird silhouettes in a spiral.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 12/12/2023

My new book has a beautiful cover! "The Spirit of Freedom: #Quaker-shaped Christian #theology" will be published in 2024 by Christian Alternative Books @CABooks_ . It's a collection of my best writing from the last decade, and I'm really proud of it. 🥳 #writing #WritingCommunity

Book cover. Text reads "The Spirit of Freedom: Quaker-shaped Christian theology" by Mark Russ. Cover image is a spiral of flying birds in a rainbow of colours.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 22/11/2023

Queer Bear's got some exciting new garb (made by an Anglican priest no less) and is looking substantially queerer. They can't wait to show it off at their next theology seminar, cos #theology is for queers too.

Light brown teddy bear on a bookcase, wearing a mesh leotard and bandana, a rainbow harness, a rainbow ribbon and rainbow cross. A little Jessica Fletcher badge is just visible.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 15/11/2023

Queer Bear (he/they) enjoyed their first @UoN_TRS research seminar at the University of Nottingham listening to Professor Stephen Williams on #theology and AI. There was also some excellent ginger cake on offer.

A brown teddy bear with a rainbow flag, rainbow cross and a Jessica Fletcher badge in a university seminar room.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 09/11/2023

Join me on Saturday 1 December to hear my presentation on "Whiteness and the #Quaker Universalist discourse," and many other brilliant presentations from Quakers across the globe. You can register for free here: qtdg.org/2023/11/08/r... #theology

An illustration of George Fox in an orange coat against a bright blue sky. Text reads: "Register now! December 1-2, 2023. Tradition and Transformation: Quakerism 400 years after the birth of George Fox. Quaker Theological Discussion Group 2023 http://qtdg.org

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 30/10/2023

Like me, Queer Bear is doing a #theology #PhD and their thesis is called "'Place his face upon all his members': the homoerotic mysticism of Symeon the New Theologian." They're looking forward to attending theology seminars and conferences with me.

A light brown teddy bear with a rainbow flag, rainbow ribbon and Jessica Fletcher badge, sat on a desk reading "On the Mystical Life: The Ethical Discourses" by At Symeon the New Theologian.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 30/10/2023

This is Queer Bear (he/they), and they're here to remind you that queers do #theology and belong in theological spaces. They're looking forward to acquiring an increasingly #queer wardrobe, but a few rainbows and a Jessica Fletcher badge will have to do for now.

A light brown teddy bear sat on a bookshelf of various theological titles. Queer Bear has a rainbow flag behind them, and is wearing a rainbow ribbon, a rainbow cross on a chain, and a Jessica Fletcher badge.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 30/10/2023

I spent the weekend on retreat at Glasshampton Monastery in Worcestershire with the Franciscans. It was a wonderfully peaceful and restorative time. I felt right at home. I read, prayed and slept a lot.

Mark in a blue trucker cap and blue waterproof in front of the grassy quad of Glasshampton Monastery, a low redbrick building with white window frames and a white clocktower on the right.

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Mark D Russ @markdruss.bsky.social · 29/09/2023

An angelic apple pie to celebrate #Michaelmas, the Christian festival associated with the autumn equinox. As Michael leads the Heavenly Host, now's the perfect time to engage in spiritual warfare. Mmm... pie. 🥧 #baking

A delicious looking apple pie still in the tin. It's topped with three pastry stars and three pastry angels, and sprinkled with brown sugar.

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