Talking Theology

 How has the relationship between the British Army and Christianity changed over the past 70 years? What role has the Christian "just war" tradition played in shaping how the British Army approached and conducted recent armed conflicts? And is the partial resistance of the army to the secularisation of wider society simply because 'there are no atheists in foxholes'? In this ep...

What does it mean to say we live in a post-truth era, and why is the Oxford English Dictionary definition not very helpful? What are the pitfalls and opportunities for the church when it comes to mission in this context? And what might we have learn from Pentecostalism in particular when it comes to thinking about the truth of Christianity in a post-truth world? In this episode Revd Dr Josh Cockay...

 What is the significance of the fact that Jesus was a refugee? How should we think about the relationship between immigration, Christian "values" and the idea of a "Christian nation"? And what role should Christians and churches play in seeking to shape the immigration policies of the nations of which they are a part? In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall,...

What is so remarkable about the Codex Amiatinus , a complete copy of the Bible made by the monks from Wearmouth and Jarrow in the 8th Century? How did it end up hundreds of miles away in northern Italy? And how should the story of the Codex Amiatinus encourage the church today? In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speaks to Lauren Randall, PhD student in Theology and Religio...

 What is really going on Paul's letter to the Galatians?  How can we make sense of the idea that pagan converts were in danger of "returning" to something by adopting Jewish practices such as circumcision? And what light does the answer to that question shed on the relevance of the letter for Christian ministry today? In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speak...

 What is does it look like to theologise Anglican-ly? Why should we burn Richard Hooker's supposed three-legged stool of Scripture, reason and tradition? And how might reflection on the ethos of Anglican theology help us to respond to the disagreements and fractures which characterise the global Anglican communion with wisdom and humility? In this episode Revd Dr Josh Cockayne, Academic Dean...

How should we approach helping children and young people grow in their faith? What does the Bible have to say to that question? And how can parents, church leaders and children and youth workers best work together? In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speaks to Revd Sarah Strand, Dean of Anglican Formation at Cranmer Hall, about her new book, co-authored with Rev Dr Emma Par...

What is nonviolent atonement theology? What can the church learn from this kind of approach to understanding the significance of the life and death of Christ? And how should this shape our ministry and our preaching? In this episode Dr Cynthia Bennett-Brown, Director of the MA Programme and Lecturer in Doctrine and Theological Reflection at Cranmer Hall, speaks to Revd Dr Andrew Campbell, Rector o...

What can we learn from the life and work of the 17th Century French polymath Blaise Pascal? In what sense did he "make the modern world"? And what does he have to teach us about how to relate science and religion, faith and reason in the 21st Century. In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speaks to Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, the former Bishop of Kensington and Editor...

What happens when we gather together for worship? How can theology and psychology work together to yield new insights into that question? And what are the implications for churches and church leaders in an increasingly online world? In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speaks to Revd Dr Josh Cockayne, Academic Dean at Cranmer Hall, and Dr Gideon Salter, Lecturer in Developme...

What's striking about the Apostle Paul and the stories he shared? What was first-century Corinth really like, and what was the real problem with the Corinthian church? How was the cross the content of Paul's preaching but also the pattern of his living? And how might Paul's cross-shaped narrative about himself affect the way we tell our stories today? In today's episode we will...

What did it feel like to be a Christian in the earliest churches? How does telling stories help us understand the role of women in Paul's ministry? How does imagination help us see Paul and his good news in a different light? How might close attention to people's backstories help us to forgive them and indeed ourselves? In this episode, we talk to Canon Dr. Paula Gooder. Paula is a New T...

What has been the impact of Christianity on western civilisation? How did the shock of the cross change the relationship between the weak and the strong? Where might we see Christian theological dialogue in unexpected places? And why might it be important to reconnect Christian values with Christian stories? In today's show we will be talking to Tom Holland. Tom is an award-winning historian,...

What values drive contemporary leadership, and how have they influenced the Church? Where did the idea of servant leadership first come from, and why is the answer more surprising that we might think? What are the problems with servant leadership when it comes to power and how we use it? And how is friendship a better model, and what does it mean to lead in love? In today's show we will be ta...

What is neoliberalism and what are the assumptions behind it? How does language of individualism, competition and commodities find its way into the church? What signs might we see of a church swimming with the neoliberal tide? What are the ethical questions raised by a church adopting free market values? In this episode we are talking to Professor Mathew Guest. Mathew is Professor in the Sociology...

How is John's gospel both accessible and profound? What does it mean to read John's gospel as the culmination of the New Testament testimony to Jesus? How does John's gospel invite us to improvise in response to the love of God? And how does this gospel allow us to read our way into the presence of Jesus? In today's show we will be talking to Professor David Ford. David is Regi...

What is tragedy and how do we see it not only in the arts but also in the Bible? How does tragedy help us see what it is to live as sinners in a fallen world? What is the difference between optimism and hope? How is a tragic view of life actually part of the Good News? In this episode we are talking to Dr Giles Waller. Giles is a research associate at the University of Cambridge and a member of th...

Where did Pentecostalism start and what can we learn from its history? What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit, personal piety and power and justice? What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the resurrection of Jesus and how does this affect how we see wounds around us today? How can we resist limiting the spheres in which we long to see the Holy Spirit at work? In this episode, we talk to...

What does the ancient book of Philemon have to say to our modern world? What does it mean to pursue our discipleship from a place of discomfort? What are the different, authentic voices that need to be unmuted for us to hear from God? And what is reverse mission, and how is God speaking to the Church from unexpected places? In today’s show we will be talking Revd Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana. Isra...

How is theology changed by people, place and time? How is the Holy Spirit leading the Church in the unfolding truth of Christ? How is it the Spirit's distinctive work to maximise gladness? And how can we be opened up by the past to imagine a new future?  In today’s show we will be talking Professor Ben Quash. Ben is Professor of Christianity and the Arts at King’s College London. He explores...

Why has place always mattered and why does it matter today? What's the difference between the parish system and the parish vocation? How are we called to love the different places where we have been placed by God? And why has the debate about the role of the parish become so polarised, and what's a better way forward? In today’s show we will be talking to Revd Dr Will Foulger. Will is th...

How does prayer help us integrate our experiences of God with our efforts to understand God? How can we think and talk about prayer in a way that captures its rich diversity? How does contemplating God help us resist the constrictions the world puts on us? And how can thinking prayer help us bring others before God? In today’s show we will be talking to Professor Andrew Prevot. Andrew is Associate...

What did it mean for the Apostle Paul’s existence in Christ to be patterned on the Cross? Why is the Christ-hymn from Philippians 2 Paul’s master story and how does it speak to us, not only as individuals, but to communities of faith? If Good Friday supplies the pattern of Christian lives, how does Easter supply the power? And, what does it mean for the Church to not simply believe the Gospel, but...

What's the problem with singing joyful songs in the face of suffering? What do the psalms teach us about staying with suffering, rather than moving too quickly to praise? How is the practice of lament witnessed to across the pages of the Bible, right up to the very end? And how is naming the reality of pain and trials actually an expression of hope? In today’s show I will be talking to Rev Dr...

How can music help us to access theological realities to which words bear witness? How can the patterns of Western music provide us with a disarming but compelling way into the heart of the Gospel? How can the uncontainability of music point us to a transcendent God of love and grace? How can music expand our perceptions of what it is to be human and open up conversations of faith? In today’s show...