“American” is a positive value-judgement as well as a national label. “A very fine American” means an outstanding example of a valuable species. One doesn’t imagine that the Albanians spend much time asking God to bless their country, as Americans do, or that Belgians see themselves as specially favoured by the Almighty. . . There are hordes of people in Ireland who see the nation as blessed and its soil as sacred, but they are known as Irish-American tourists

Terry Eagleton, UnHerd, 5 November

After being chief scientific adviser during Covid, Sir Patrick, now Lord, Vallance is a minister for science, proselytizing to the Lords Spiritual about the Science and Innovation Network, which they may think is a mixed blessing. “I introduced the Right Reverend Prelate the Bishop of Oxford to SIN,” Vallance said, “which does not feel entirely right”

Jack Blackburn, Diary, The Times, 2 November

We invite readers’ contributions. Quotations have to be from the past few days (or quoted therein), and we need author, source, and date. Please send promptly to: quotes@churchtimes.co.uk