Download details about upcoming CMF opportunities in 2024 here.
Theology& seminar series at Newcastle Cathedral, Thursdays at 3.30-5.00pm.
Open to all – please email c.pacitti@newcastle.anglican.org to express an interest.
Continuing this popular series of talks exploring the intersections between theology and ‘other’ disciplines.
2025
6th February: Bill Braviner - Theology & Access: Seeking a Welcome
Bill is Archdeacon of Halifax. He previously served in the Diocese of Durham for 18 years with roles ranging from Team Rector, to Disability Adviser. Bill is originally from South Shields and has lived and worked all over England both before his ordination and since. He is married to Angela, and they have two grown up sons. He plays the drums though not very often these days, and used to play American Football as well as cricket.
6th March: David Clough - Theology & Animals: Seeking Justice and Peace
David L. Clough is Chair in Theology and Applied Sciences at the University of Aberdeen. His work has ranged from Karl Barth’s ethics to Christian pacifism and for the last 15 years has focussed on the place of animals in Christian theology and ethics. He is author of the two-volume monograph On Animals (2012, 2019), and was Principal Investigator for a four-year research project on the Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare in partnership with major UK churches. In 2015, he co-founded the US non-profit CreatureKind, which works to engage Christians with farmed animal welfare.
3rd April: Robert Lawrance - Theology & Climate Change: Seeking Hope
Robert Lawrance is vicar of St Francis, Newcastle and a Franciscan tertiary, drawing inspiration from Franciscan spirituality in cultivating hope in a hot climate.
1st May: Richard Briggs - Theology & The Waterboys: Seeking the Invisible Kingdom
Richard is Principal of Lindisfarne College of Theology. He teaches the Old Testament and a range of other subjects, including Preaching, and some New Testament. Richard has taught Old Testament in the North East for over 20 years, and in the past has also worked in a range of church and mission roles, most recently as the Prior of the Community of St Cuthbert at St Nic’s Durham, where he was also acting vicar for a year. He has written several books on Old Testament topics, including ‘The Lord is My Shepherd: Psalm 23 for the Life of the Church‘ (Baker Academic, 2021), and is an Honorary Fellow in Old Testament in the Durham Department of Theology and Religion.
Explore the re-enchantment of our disenchanted world! Richard Briggs examines some of the poetic and musical ways we might recover a fresh vision of God's presence and activity, taking as a test case the 1988 Waterboys’ album 'Fisherman's Blues', which harnesses the musical traditions of Ireland and the poetry of W.B. Yeats to reimagine our world. He will be talking about his recent book on this subject: Invisible Kingdom (Wipf and Stock, 2024).
5th June: Rachel Holdforth – Theology & Discerning Disabled Christ
Rachel Holdforth (she/her) is a disabled, neurodivergent and queer spiritual director, printmaker and chaplain. Following a PhD in science, she worked in disability support in higher education before training and working as a spiritual director and lay chaplain. She is currently a freelance spiritual director, disability theologian and advocate, printmaker and creative. Her website is Wobbly Goose.