Talking Theology

What is reconciliation really about, and why is it central to our understanding of the gospel? What's the link between prayer and reconciliation? What are the habits of a reconciling life? And how does embodying reconciliation witness to God's good news for the world today?

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby has been Archbishop of Canterbury since 2013, and before that he served as Bishop of Durham, and was also a canon at Coventry Cathedral where he worked extensively in reconciliation ministry.

For more information about Justin see here.

How do we connect scripture with living faithfully in the world? What are the habits that help the Church listen to the voice of God together? What happens when we read the Bible with those who are different to us? And what does it mean to grow in expectation that we will hear God today?

Reverend Dr Helen Collins is currently Tutor in Practical Theology and Director of Formation at Trinity College in Bristol. She recently published Reordering Theological Reflection: Starting with Scripture. 

For more information about Helen see here. 

Is the Book of Acts just the story of what happened then or what could also happen today?  What does the book of Acts tell us about the gospel that really changed the world? What was so distinct in those early Christian communities? And why is it important for the book of Acts to challenge us today?

Dr Mark Bonnington is the Senior Leader at King’s Church Durham and teaches on the book of Acts within the MA programme here at Cranmer Hall.

For more information about Mark see here.

What is climate grief, and what has God got to do with it? How does Jesus grieving over the particular help us understand how we might focus our climate grief? How does being attentive to what's in front of us help us to both grieve and hope? And how does all this help us follow Jesus day by day?

Hannah Malcolm is currently training for ordained ministry and writing a PhD on theology, climate and ecological grief. She campaigns around the subject of climate justice and recently edited a book entitled Words for a Dying World: Stories of Grief and Courage from the Global Church. Our question today: why is a theology of climate grief necessary for the Church today?

Do our bodies really belong to us? How did Jesus eat and how does it speak to how we eat today? How do the sacraments speak to our bodily identity? What does it mean to break bread together? Where’s the good news for those of us who struggle with how we see food?

Note: This podcast includes discussion of disordered eating

Reverend Dr Liz Kent is the Director of the Wesley Study Centre at St John’s College in Durham and a Methodist minister in Chester-Le-Street. Her doctoral research at Durham University explored the Church and Eating Disorders. Our question today: What Role Does Eating Play in a Good Theology of the Body?

Is reading the Bible about more than simply looking for the right answer? What happens when you let children read a book of the Bible for themselves? What role should imagination play in enabling the scriptures to speak? And how can we all get to know the world of scripture?

Dr Melody Briggs is Director of Studies at Lindisfarne College of Theology. She has taught theology in a range of churches, colleges and mission organisations for the last 30 years. She has has written several books on the ways children engage with scripture, including 'How Children Read Biblical Narrative: An Investigation of Children's Readings of the Gospel of Luke' (2017).

What sort of evidence do we have about the historical Jesus? What sources do the earliest accounts of Jesus draw on? What's at stake when people are named or unnamed in the four Gospels? Does eyewitness testimony help us resolve the tension between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith? How can the Gospels feed our faith today?

Richard Bauckham is Professor Emeritus at St Andrews University and Senior Scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Richard predominantly focuses on New Testament Writings and is the author of many books, including Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony.

For more information about Richard Bauckham see here.

Is there a God spot in our brain? What does 2+2 have in common with belief in god? How is our brain designed to help up experience god? Why might religious experience not be all it’s cracked up to be? How does the plasticity of our brain give us hope?

Alasdair Coles is professor of neuroimmunology at the University of Cambridge, an honorary consultant neurologist to Addenbrooke’s and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals and also an ordained minister in the Church of England. While his main academic focus is into new treatments for multiple sclerosis, his academic research has also led him to investigate religiosity and spiritual experiences from the standpoint of neurology. 

What is health really all about? Why should we avoid obvious and quick answers to mental health challenges? Why do names matter more than diagnosis? Can the faithful taking of medication be a spiritual practice? How might a perceived absence of God be part of faithful living?

Professor John Swinton is Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, and founded the university’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. For more than a decade John worked as a registered mental health nurse, and his academic career has seen him publish many books on the theology of disability, dementia, and mental health. His latest book, published this year is: Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges. 

For more information about John Swinton see here.

Is the Bible body positive? Were Paul and Plato singing from the same hymn sheet, or were their views of the body very different? How might seeing our bodies as precious change the way we take care of ourselves? What does real beauty look like? And what are our bodies telling us at the moment?

Paula Gooder is a writer and lecturer in the New Testament and Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Her research areas focus on the writings of Paul with a particular focus on 2 Corinthians and on Paul’s understanding of the Body.

For more information about Paula Gooder, see here.