The beauty of the reliquaries in the British Museum’s forthcoming Treasures of Heaven exhibition should not blind us to the cruelty of the medieval church, argues Charles Freeman
Fred Halliday, who died on 25 April 2010, showed himself typically ahead of the curve in this article from 2007. The Vatican has power without accountability, an archaic structure and is launching an assault on secularism. Time to abolish it, says Fred Halliday
Behind the grand ceremonies attended by faithful pilgrims, says Raffaella Malaguti, there is a complex agenda and a Pope who has become the most prolific saint maker in history
They brandish crosses, sprinkle holy water and have grown in number from 20 to 300 in ten years. Orlando Radice charts the renaissance of Italys exorcists
James Hannam's book is a good read but presents a distorted view of the medieval period and the development of science that suits his Catholic agenda, claims Charles Freeman.
Historian James Hannam responds to Charles Freeman's critique of his book on the medieval foundations of modern science, which was nominated for the Royal Society's prize for science books
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