Greg Clarke
Dr Greg Clarke is co-founder and Director (with John Dickson) of the Centre for Public Christianity. His doctorate is in literature, with special interest in how theology is discussed in the arts and humanities. Greg has written books and studies on topics ranging from the Bible to sex to The Da Vinci Code to the end of the world. He is author of over 200 articles and reviews in publications such as The Sydney Morning Herald, Southerly, kategoria, Books and Culture (US) and onlineopinion.com.au. Greg splits his time between writing, academic work and public lecturing, and is primarily interested in talking about the importance of Christianity for understanding the meaning of life.Greg is married to Amelia and they live in Botany in Sydney’s south-east with their three children.
Articles by Greg Clarke
Pantera is not just a heavy metal band
Growing up, I thought of Pantera as a heavy metal band. That was before I read the Greek philosopher, Celsus…... Read more
The big merino. The big prawn. Why no big Jesus?
So, the Polish have beaten the Brazilians for the biggest Jesus yet. Yep, they’ve toppled the Christ the Redeemer statue,…... Read more
Saints be praised
An old friend once called me a ‘saint’, such was his lack of insight into my character. On another level,…... Read more
Book-burners are rattled by weapons of mass instruction
It took an Australian to go through with the whole religious text-burning threat. Brisbane lawyer, Alex Stewart, decided it was…... Read more
Blaming God for the Pakistani floods
The floods in Pakistan are too enormous to comprehend. The equivalent of 85% of the Australian population has been made…... Read more
The place of the bible in modern society
Quentin Bryce may have entertained the Masterchef crowd, but she declined to use the enormous Lord Hopetoun Bible printed in…... Read more
Morris Gleitzman and Christian Mother Goose
I can’t remember how I stumbled across it, but it has really threatened my Christian faith. It’s a book unlike…... Read more
Schools ethics debate is testing the patience of Job
The current debate over teaching ethics in NSW public schools would test the patience of Job. That phrase won’t make…... Read more
Pulling the other one on the life of Jesus
The latest in the endless string of novels about Jesus has just been published in the UK (due out here…... Read more
The Australian Jesus of Reg Mombassa
If Green Day sang that the Jesus of American suburbia is a lie, Chris O’Doherty (aka Reg Mombassa) offers a…... Read more
A novel way to belief this summer
I’ve had the last quarter of Marilynne Robinson’s 2004 novel, Gilead, waiting patiently for me on the bedside table for…... Read more
Nietzsche and Simon Le Bon: Do they know it’s Christmas?
The 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche put before people a choice: Dionysos or the Crucified? He saw with clarity that…... Read more
Heaven help us if churches don’t speak about politics
Writing on The Punch yesterday David Gazard bemoaned the left-winged over-righteousness of some parts of the Christian church, who get…... Read more
Is it better to know death is coming for you?
I’m not sure how many readers spend time in the Book of Common Prayer of 1662, but it contains a…... Read more
Year One: a parody of biblical proportions
It’s everywhere: God, the Bible, sinners, commandments, the fires of judgement. The whole theological lot is currently centre-stage in pop…... Read more
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
Ukraine song pinches chord progression from The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony. Fo real #sbseurovision
RT @GerardDaffy: @antsharwood all the talk over there is the grannies will win.they entered to get a church built,feelgood story
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it
An email was sent to almost every politician in Australia this week saying that someone should cut off…
Our special forces don’t always need special treatment
We admire them, but we’re not entirely sure why. We allow them to operate in the shadows; we rarely…
A good holiday is about unrest, not rest
Like a fat full-stop, it lay in my hand. A small orange – not exactly fresh, but purchased anyway…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
Michael S says:
"A teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall." I can sympathise. My scholastic mentors conveyed to me a causal relationship… [read more]From: Welfare for breeders is a bonus for everyone
Change Up! says:
I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
A private school girl’s family is sueing her elite, extremely expensive private school for not… Read more
