Christopher Howse

A stupendous trove of ancient papyri went mostly to Oxford. But some were given to schools, and one is now for sale

Against the odds, Hippolytus became a saint. His name is attached to a prayer that is nice and short

A Voyage Around the Queen, the latest in Craig Brown’s series of fragmentary biographies, teems with facts, humour and intelligence

Staying in bed? A novel wellness concept? Christopher Howse and Guy Kelly wonder if the youngsters are just having us on

A record four English cardinals will serve together for first time as Pope Francis unexpectedly names 79-year-old Father Timothy Radcliffe

Ignored by many art critics, the bed in many Renaissance paintings of the Annunciation has a strong symbolic meaning

The pontiff’s memoir, Hope, offers a fascinating snapshot of his humble origins in Argentina. Just ignore the strange misattributions

Far from feeling constrained by what the Bible says, the Middle Ages speculated boldly on whether God could have created an eternal cosmos

February 2 marks the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. St Bede wrote of Christ as the Temple itself

Gladstone’s character was a puzzle. Now Michael Wheeler has untangled his spiritual life