Who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and why is he still important? How can we think and make decisions ethically, and what was Bonhoeffer's unique contribution to this? Why does our character matter as much as our obedience? How can we do the right thing when we don't have a template? How does trust in God's mercy free us from the paralysing fear of making the wrong decision? Revd Dr Jennifer Moberly is a tutor at Cranmer Hall, and teaches ethics and Christian spirituality. More about Jenny can be foun...
Jul 19, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 17
What does it mean to hope for the kingdom of God? Is hope for the present, or for the future, or can it be both? What in the Bible helps us to have hope for the future without losing concern for the present? And in our challenging world, how does hope help us both lament and praise? Dr Samuel Tranter is is a visiting fellow at Cranmer Hall, John’s College and will be taking up the role of Director of Postgraduate Studies at Cranmer Hall from August. For more about Sam, click here ....
Jul 05, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Is ambition something Christians can have? What was Jesus ambitious for? What's the relationship between ambition and humility? Does our excellence always mean being better than others? How does prayer shape our ambition? The Right Reverend Dr Emma Ineson is the Bishop of Penrith in the Diocese of Carlisle, and was previously principal of Trinity College, Bristol. You can follow Emma on Twitter here . This episode was recorded 03/03/2020....
Jun 21, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 15
What questions does living through a pandemic invite us to ask as people of faith? What difference does it make that all are made in the image of God? How does faith expand the landscape in which we can live? Why is it more important to be forgiven than to succeed? What new things of faith are stirring in the Body of Christ at this time? The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Lord Williams of Oystermouth, or Rowan Williams as he is better known, is Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and wa...
Jun 07, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 14
What’s going on in the depiction of science in the present corona virus pandemic, and how does theology play into this? How does our language, political, scientific and theological, shape how we understand the world? Are there examples of science and faith coming together to provide hope for our creation? What does listening to the science and walking by faith look like in this season? David Wilkinson holds PhDs in astrophysics and theology, and is principal of St John's College, Durham. For mor...
May 23, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 13
How did death become so important in the Christian tradition? How did the death of Jesus speak to the early Christians, and how does it speak to us today? How do the ways we think about death help us engage with life? How does our care for creation challenge our approach to death? Professor Douglas Davies is an anthropologist and a theologian, a fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences and the British Academy, and a Professor in Theology at Durham University. For more about Douglas, see her...
May 10, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 12
What does the Bible story say about racial diversity as a God-given gift? Does who we worship with say something about the Gospel we believe? How does a clear sense of identity in Christ help us encounter people different to ourselves? How can those with power use it faithfully? Dr. Guli Francis-Dehqani is the Bishop of Loughborough, in the Diocese of Leicester. You can follow Bishop Guli on Twitter here . Recorded 04/02/2020....
Apr 27, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Why is liturgy good for us? How can we make sure that our worship practices point to Jesus, not to the person in the pulpit or at the table? How does pouring ourselves out give us a framework for the life of faith? What does it mean to start and end the day open to God? The Rev'd Dr Glenn Packiam is associate senior pastor at New Life church in Colorado Springs, USA. For more on Glenn, see here .
Mar 09, 2020•26 min•Season 2Ep. 10
What does the Bible have to say to those who work outside the church? What is a theological perspective on resilience in leadership? How is the church's commitment to education part of building the kingdom of God? Is Theology just about answers to be found, or also questions to be asked? Andy Wolfe is is the Deputy Chief Education Officer in the Church of England. For more about Andy, see here and follow him on Twitter here . Called, Connected, Committed can be found here ....
Feb 24, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Is there more to charismatic worship than lively singing and hands in the air? What do Rowan Williams, John Calvin, and Karl Barth have to do with contemporary worship? How does the idea of being united with Christ help us understand what worship is all about? What's the Spirit doing in the singing, in the preaching, and at the table? Nick Drake is associate pastor at Gas Street Church, Birmingham, and has long been involved in leading worship and writing songs. For more about Nick, see here ....
Feb 10, 2020•27 min•Season 2Ep. 8
What are we to make of a God who calls? Is vocation something for Vicars, or all who follow Jesus? How can a vocation change over time? How can we be part of recognising vocation in ourselves and others? Can children be part of the journey too? Charlie Allen is Canon Chancellor at Durham Cathedral, and was previously Salisbury's Diocesan Director of Ordinands.
Jan 20, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 7
How does storytelling help make sense of the stuff that happens? How does story and meaning connect with how we see ourselves? What is God's story, and how does it connect with our story? Why is being part of a church community good for our mental health? Jocelyn Bryan is the Academic Dean of Cranmer Hall, holds a doctorate in Psychology, and is also a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. For more about Joss, please see here ....
Jan 06, 2020•27 min•Season 2Ep. 6
How are people coming to faith today? What do Christians and viruses have in common? How do we speak about Jesus in a society where words are cheap? What is the Good News of Jesus in a culture that says 'It's all about me'? Rachel Jordan-Wolf is HOPE Together's assistant director, and was previously the Church of England's National Mission and Evangelism Advisor. You can follow Rachel on Twitter here .
Dec 16, 2019•32 min•Season 2Ep. 5
What is the job of the church in relation to the world? Is there a theology of the parish church? Is church planting replacing the parish church, or do both have a part to play? Why does God work through communities rather than through individuals? Our guest is Will Foulger, who is the Director of Mission and Evangelism at 2019. Prior to this, Will served his curacy as part of the planting team of Trinity Church Nottingham. To find out more about Will, click here ....
Dec 02, 2019•35 min•Season 2Ep. 4
How can be both receive and share faith through journeying? What does enough look like as we walk the path of life? Can we go on pilgrimage without leaving behind our everyday lives? What can pilgrimage teach us about Christ? Stephen Cottrell is Bishop of Chelmsford. For more about him, see here .
Nov 18, 2019•32 min•Season 2Ep. 3
How do we become forgiving people? What's the relationship between God's forgiveness of us, and the way we should treat others? Can forgiveness happen when there's no repentance? What's the relationship between forgiveness and justice? Anthony Bash is a Professor in Theology at the University of Durham. To find out more about Anthony, click here .
Nov 04, 2019•31 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Is the Bible more than history? How does the life of the Church show that the Bible is of enduring value? What is the similarity between reading the Bible and watching a soap? How does the Bible help us when we feel like we've been dealt a bad hand? Walter Moberly is a Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. For more about Walter Moberly, see here .
Oct 20, 2019•37 min•Season 2Ep. 1
How is studying the New Testament like tracing a family tree? Why were Christians in the early church called anti-social? What was so radical about that first generation of Christians calling on Jesus as Lord? And how does the early church help us to be faithful in the modern world? Larry Hurtado is Emeritus Professor of New Testament Language, Literature and Theology in the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University. For more about Larry Hurtado, see here ....
Sep 01, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 17
What has feminism done to reveal forgotten corners of the New Testament? How can a few verses in Luke 8 change our understanding of Jesus and the disciples? Was Mary Magdalene a real leader in the early church? And what role does imagination have to play in reading the New Testament faithfully today? Helen Bond is Professor in Christian Origins with Specialisation in New Testament, and Head of the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University. For more about Helen Bond, see here ....
Aug 18, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 16
What's the relationship between religion and conflict? How can we make peace with violence in the Bible? What do Christians have to contribute to peacebuilding? And how can we use the gift of forgiveness to resolve conflict? Jolyon Mitchell is Professor within the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University, specialising in religion, violence, and peacebuilding, and also the Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues. For more about Jolyon Mitchell, see here ....
Aug 04, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 15
What is Protestant Christianity, and how did it start? Is Protestantism about the head or the heart? What does Protestantism look like in the world today? And what extraordinary things have ordinary Protestants done? Alec Ryrie is Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham University, and has written extensively on the history of Protestants in the world. He was recently elected as a Fellow of the British Academy . For more about Alec Ryrie, see here ....
Jul 21, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Who are the millennials? Why have some of them walked away from the faith, and why have some of them stayed? How do older Christian friends help to maintain youger people's faith? And why should the church talk about both faith and doubt? Ruth Perrin is a research fellow at St John College, Durham, one of the associate staff at King's Church, Durham, and an Associate Tutor within the Free Church Track at Cranmer Hall. For more about Ruth Perrin, see here ....
Jul 07, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Why do we say that God created out of nothing? Is God a being like any other being, only bigger? Does God relate to creation in the way that I relate to my car? Or is God intimately involved in every moment of our existence? And what difference does it make to see our own existence as a gift? Simon Oliver is the Van Mildert Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University, and a residentiary canon of Durham Cathedral. He is the author of Creation: A Guide for...
Jun 23, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 12
What's prayer all about? How can ancient forms of prayer speak to us today? What's the value in stopping to listen to God? And does formal prayer have to be unemotional and detached, or is there more going on? Jessica Martin is a canon at Ely Cathedral, and was previously an English lecturer at Cambridge University and a parish priest in rural Cambridgeshire. For more about Jessica Martin, see here ....
Jun 09, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 11
What is a faithful way of living in a culture where Christian faith is not the majority view? Are there any similarities between the early church and today's church that make the issues they work out of relevance to us? Can a world without Facebook, the internet, or Strictly have anything to say to us today? And what has a man called Justin got to contribute? Nick Moore is Director of the MA Programmes at Cranmer Hall. For more about Nick Moore, see here ....
May 26, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Can we really speak of the Old Testament God as a God of love? Why would a God of love speak about his law so much? And why does a God of love endorse violence, both from and towards his own people? And what does love mean anyway? Richard Briggs is Director of Biblical Studies at Cranmer Hall. For more about Richard Briggs, see here .
May 12, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 9
How many followers do you have on Twitter? Has social media made us all into celebrities? What do celebrities tell us about ourselves? And how do we live faithfully in a world of social media? Pete Ward is Professor of Practical Theology in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. For more about Pete Ward, see here .
Apr 28, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Where is God when we suffer? How does the Bible speak into dark times? Should we expect God to resolve our suffering? Or is God at work in ways that perhaps we've not even imagined? Libby Lane was recently appointed as Bishop of Derby. For more about Libby Lane, see here .
Apr 14, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Are human rights part of God's mission? How do non-Christians reflect the image of God? Does the parable of the Good Samaritan say more about human rights than we might think? And how does all this speak into how we engage with faith in the public square today? Joel Edwards has served as General Director of the Evangelical Alliance, International Director for the Micah Challenge, and a commissioner with the Equality and Human Rights Commission. He is currently a Visiting Fellow of St John's Coll...
Mar 31, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Why do we give and receive gifts? How is the Apostle Paul's understanding of gift different to that of the world in which he lived? How does the gift of Christ challenge our sense of status and hierarchy? And what might a community of gift look like today? John Barclay is Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. For more about John Barclay, see here ....
Mar 18, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 5
