Christ is not confined by human borderlines, religious or geographic. He crossed the fontiers between city and wilderness, Jew and Gentile, and ultimately, life and death.He still calls his followers to cross new frontiers with him. This Lent, with the help of some poets and visionaries, we will journey with Christ on both sides of five frontier lines: Today's talk will take us back and forth across the borderline of Faith and Doubt with help from GK Chesterto, Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin and Ge...
Mar 07, 2012•57 min
Christ is not confined by human borderlines, religious or geographic. He crossed the fontiers between city and wilderness, Jew and Gentile, and ultimately, life and death.He still calls his followers to cross new frontiers with him. This Lent, with the help of some poets and visionaries, we will journey with Christ on both sides of five frontier lines: Today's talk will take us back and forth across the borderline of Faith and Doubt with help from GK Chesterto, Thomas Hardy, Philip Larkin and Ge...
Mar 01, 2012•56 min
This is the sermon I preached at a special Eucharist at St. Edwards Church in which we explored Rilke's life and work.
Mar 01, 2012•21 min
Here's a brief sermon I preached as the opener for a series at Girton college on storytelling in the Bible/ It concludes with one of my epiphany sonnets called Nathanael's epiphany, which you can find on my blog.
Jan 22, 2012•15 min
This is the talk I gave at our On the Edge special service: 'You want to travel with him; Leonard Cohen as fellow pilgrim'. the playlist for the service was: Sisters of Mercy, Last Year's Man, Anthem, If it be your will, Suzanne, and Halleluia!
Jan 11, 2012•16 min
The season of epiphany, which follows on from the visit of the wise men, gives us a chance to contemplate some of the moments of 'epiphany' or glimpses of ultimate reality in the Gospel. One of these is when the 'Heavens open' at the Baptism of Christ. Here is a sonnet and a short sermon both contemplating that particular epiphany.
Jan 09, 2012•17 min
Here is a lovely ittle piece by GK Chesterton which I always enjoy reading at Christmas time. I hope you will enjoy it too!
Dec 22, 2011•10 min
The fifth and final talk in my series on the inklings as radical prophets.
Nov 03, 2011•1 hr 9 min
Fourth in my series on the inklings as radical prophets, not nostalgiamongers. This one is a look At Charles Williams key ideas: Coinherence, substitution, exchange
Oct 26, 2011•1 hr 8 min
Third in my series on the Inklings, this one is about Owen Barfield, the first and last Inkling, whom Lewis called 'the best of my unofficial teachers'. I was joined for this talk by his Grandson Owen Barfield, who talks about the exciting release of significant unpublished works
Oct 20, 2011•1 hr 6 min
my talk on Lewis, no.2 in my series on the Inklings As Prophets, tomorrow at 5:30 at St. Edwards. I am going to be emphasising his radical critique of reductive philosophy, his accurate prediction of the assaults on human identity that would arise from the abuse of science and his call, in The Abolition of Man for a 'new kind of science' more respectful of, and in harmony with nature.
Oct 12, 2011•1 hr 3 min
This book, which I think lies behind some of Tolkien's chapter 'The Scouring of the Shire' is about the need to maintain the old truths by ceaseless renewal and vigilance, and is a great call to resist tyranny and the erosion of freedom wherever we find it.
Oct 10, 2011•17 min
This book contains the episode I read on the anniversary of 9/11, of the child rebuilding the tower, it has Alfred's great rallying call to the ordinary folk of England to choose a good death rather than slavery, and most famously it contains his cry at the turning point of the battle which was quoted by the times after the D Day landings: "The High tide!" King Alfred cried. The high tide and the turn!"
Oct 10, 2011•17 min
Three heroic deaths in battle and the utterly chilling description of the cursed spear of Elf, from the rhineland, which sems to anticipate the Nazi interest in occult objects and weaponry.
Oct 10, 2011•13 min
Battle commences! This contains, amongst other treasure Colan's great evocation of the trees of Britain, worth it for that alone!
Oct 10, 2011•13 min
This contains he famous episode of Alfred burning the cakes and Chesterton makes it the occasion of his great Hymn to God as the universal and unnoticed servant of all
Oct 10, 2011•14 min
The King walks boldly into the Camp of the Danes in guise of a wandering minstrel with his harp on his shoulders. We are introduced to Guthrum, the Danish leader and his earls each of whom take the harp and play, each of whom represents and expresss one of the self-serving or nihilistic and despairing philosophies which were about to crush the twentieth century and to which GKC saw Christianity opposed and answering. He projects them back into the mouths of the danes and then in the last part Al...
Oct 10, 2011•18 min
Inspired by his vision and 'shaken with the joy of giants', Alfred gathers the remnants of his people for a last stand against the Danes. The England Alfred represents is culturally and ethnically diverse but united in faith and vision The Thre chiefs represent three strands of culture and vision; Eldred is anglo-saxon, loves his ale and bacon and prefers the arts of peace but is mighty when roused, Mark is of Roman origin and represents the culturs and organisational skills of Rome, and Colan o...
Oct 10, 2011•13 min
I this first book, Alfred, having faced defeat after defeat gainst the Danes is almost ready to give up. But he sees a vision of our Lady. She refuses to reveal the outcome of the battle, indeed tells him 'nought for his comfort' but just to have seen her,to have had a glimpse of the innocent joy of heaven is enough to inspire Alfred to go on: 'The very colours of her coatwee better than good news!'
Oct 10, 2011•13 min
The First episode of my reading of GK Chesterton's Ballad of the White Horse in its entirety
Oct 10, 2011•5 min
The first in a series of five talks which will explore how the Group of writers who clustered around CS Lewis in the middle of the last century were forging a vision that is vital for us in the 21st Century
Oct 05, 2011•52 min
A sermon I preached at St. Edwards "On the Edge" service, Bob Dylan special.
Sep 21, 2011•23 min
sermon on the poetry of Gwyneth Lewis preached in Girton chapel 20th Feb. 2011
Feb 21, 2011•22 min
Feb 19, 2011•10 min
Feb 19, 2011•23 min
Feb 19, 2011•24 min
