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Alexander Gillespie

Press Services International

Alexander Gillespie is an Arts Honours graduate of the University of Sydney. Particular fields of interest include Nineteenth-Century migration history, conceptual philosophy, social policy and ecclesiology. He currently lives in Sydney with his wife and enjoys researching and writing.

  • Reflections on Government, Revolution and the spreading of the Gospel

    I once heard it said that the role of government is to aid in the spreading of the Gospel. That the security it provides goes towards this and that ultimately all states are working according to God's plan. While I believe this to be true I want to explore these ideas somewhat, and set forward some 'food for thought'.

  • Animals and judgement: The fate of our furry (and furless) friends

    When I was younger, I frequently wondered what happened to animals when they died.

  • Dealing with Desire

    Human desires seem to lead us toward destructive actions, but should we shed our desires to relieve suffering? Where does desire fit in a Christian worldview?

  • Law, Fear and Justice – God and the State

    These are words that set my mind on edge, an unease on many levels: Uphold the law, and there will be nothing to fear. I’ve seen these words many times in many places, notably in a NAZI propaganda poster in WWII. However, the link between law and fear is not only in despotic states, but exists almost everywhere one looks.

  • People are not good enough, what do we need?

    I think we want to believe that people are ultimately good. It is more comfortable to think that evil is limited to a select few bad guys in the world who are responsible for all of it, and hence that average people are fine.

  • Why does prayer devolve into teaching?

    Public prayer should never be primarily about teaching. While a well written prayer will remind people of the nature of God and may reveal more of that to the people praying, this is not its main function.

  • Social engineering—are our values being designed by the state?

    German life under Nazi rule is a vivid example of social engineering.

  • Are Older Adults Engaged in Your Community?

    I get the impression that many older adults want to be more involved in community life but find that there isn’t enough opportunity. Why are we so bad at including older adults, and what are we missing out on?

  • Opportunity Does Not Constitute Calling

    Christians seek to glorify God in their lives, doing good deeds so that people will see God’s greatness. We know God has a plan for our lives, but we don’t usually know what that plan is.

  • Identity, Class and the Church

    For many of us our socio-economic class is one of the key points of our identity. The values are often derived at least partially from it and often look to be secure based in it. Our identity shapes our actions as a whole as well as the situations and people that feel comfortable to us. However, this can be problematic for the church and for Christians.