Mud, death, rats, bombs, shrapnel, whizz-bangs, barbed wire and those bloody awful songs that have the word 'Whoops' in the title.

Was the First World War a Tragedy or a Farce?

“Hegel remarks somewhere that all great world-historic facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.” Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon

Karl Marx’s famous words about history repeating itself continue to haunt us today. Nowhere does this seem more poignant and painful than the First World War, commemorated on Armistice Day, the 11th November. But were the events tragic or farcical? Why do we struggle to make sense of them?

So you’ll find this week’s article over at Thinking Faith where I look at whether the First World War was a tragedy or farce - and quote Blackadder Goes Forth, obviously.

The Harrowing of Hell?

When Jesus died on the cross, where did he spend Holy Saturday? In Heaven? In Paradise? In Hades? In Hell? The latest Cooper & Cary Have Words podcast is about that very thing.

You could support that podcast (and me, as I’d like to keep this weekly substack free), by joining us on Patreon or Cooper & Cary Plus on Apple Podcasts and get the next episode early and extended.

Have a great weekend. I’m off to Wells Cathedral for the Installation of The Right Reverend Dr Michael Beasley as 80th Bishop of Bath and Wells - which rather makes it sound like a boiler is being put in. (The boiler would be much more complicated to install, as you need a faculty for that).