When the church gets it wrong (Panel Discussion) Emma Ineson, Clare Williams & Charlie Styles
“Did God make the world in 7 days?” John Lennox
Can I trust the Old Testament? Peter Williams
“Why does Christianity give queer people such a tough time?” Ben Thomas, Sam Allberry
“How do I know the Gospel is true?” Simon Edwards, Sara Stevenson
How can I share the truth in a world of migration and multiculturalism? Rahil Patel, Max Jeganathan
In a world increasingly polarised and uncertain, citizens of free democracies face the reality of navigating sensitive and controversial issues as part of communities that are more diverse than ever. How can authentic Christian discipleship faithfully represent Jesus and empower his followers to meaningfully engage with those of different cultures and ethnicities?
Is Christianity a white man’s religion? Clare Williams, Sam Allberry
Where is the Prince of Peace in a world of conflict? Sara Stevenson, Max Jeganathan
In a post-truth world driven by feelings and underpinned by uncertainty, people are more angry and polarised than ever before. Our local and global social fabric seems to be deteriorating, and more and more of us are angry and confused. In a world that seems to be spiraling increasingly out of control, how can we navigate conflict, cure outrage and be a agents of redemption and restoration in a world crying out for peace?
How can we connect with people through culture and creativity? Tom Price, Lara Buchanan
The poet Malcolm Guite describes how poetry can, ‘jostle the soil of the imagination’ of human beings. Our culture is posing excellent questions through the arts and culture: what we see on Netflix, the music and podcasts we listen to, or what we read. People who are seeking God may not be asking the questions we expect or in the form we anticipated, and as christians our engagement can become “stuck” around certain models or styles, missing the creativity and nuance which connects on deeper levels. This seminar will set out a creative and culturally engaged approach that can reach out to the head and the heart. As Paul did in Acts 17, we will start with listening and exploration before thinking about how we engage questions, through a fresh, culturally, and imaginatively engaged approach to the proclamation of the unchanging gospel. A way of making the connection between life and culture.
“How can you say Jesus is the only way?” Rahil Patel, Alanzo Paul
How Much Do Ancient Historians Think We Can Know About Jesus? Max Baker-Hytch
Surveys suggest that a significant proportion of people in the UK aren’t sure if Jesus was even a real historical figure. And yet virtually no ancient historian doubts that there really was a man called Jesus of Nazareth, an itinerant preacher and healer who garnered a large following in first-century Galilee and who ended up on a Roman cross. In this seminar we look at what ancient historians think we can know about Jesus just on the basis of ordinary historical methods that would be applied to any other figure in the ancient world, and we look at why it is that the big themes and key events of Jesus’ life are considered to be firmly established.