Talking Theology

Cranmer Hall, Durham

Talking Theology is the podcast of Cranmer Hall Durham, where we explore the best of academic theology, and think creatively about how theological insights can shape Christian life, ministry, and mission in today’s world.

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98 episodes
Updated June 22

Episodes98

Newest first

Oct 20, 2019 · 36 min
Walter Moberly - Why, and how, should we read the Bible today?
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.
Sep 1, 2019 · 34 min
Larry Hurtado - What made the church distinctive in the Roman world?
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.
Aug 18, 2019 · 31 min
Helen Bond - What role did women play in the world of Jesus and the early church?
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 4, 2019 · 34 min
Jolyon Mitchell - How can Christian faith be a force for peace in the world today?
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.
Jul 21, 2019 · 37 min
Alec Ryrie - How are Protestants still changing the world?
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 7, 2019 · 34 min
Ruth Perrin - What does millennial faith look like?
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.
Jun 23, 2019 · 32 min
Simon Oliver - Why do we need a theology of creation?
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 the Perplexed. For more about Simon Oliver, see here.
Jun 9, 2019 · 29 min
Jessica Martin - How can tradition help us pray?
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.
May 26, 2019 · 34 min
Nick Moore - What has the early church ever done for us?
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 12, 2019 · 31 min
Richard Briggs - Is the God of the Old Testament a God of love?
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.
Apr 28, 2019 · 33 min
Pete Ward - What is the link between theology and celebrity?
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 14, 2019 · 34 min
Libby Lane - How is God with us when we suffer?
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.
Mar 31, 2019 · 33 min
Joel Edwards - Should Christians be concerned with the religious freedom of those of other faiths?
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 College in Durham. For more about Joel Edwards, see here.
Mar 18, 2019 · 32 min
John Barclay - How should God's gift shape the church?
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 4, 2019 · 30 min
Miriam Swaffield - How are young adults coming to faith?
Are Sunday services part of evangelism today? Does your church need to blow its annual budget on a smoke machine and a light show? And how big is the gap between the Book of Acts and the mission of the church today? Miriam Swaffield is the Global Student Mission Leader for Fusion, and a Visiting Fellow of St John's College, Durham. She Tweets at @MiriamSwaff.
Feb 18, 2019 · 29 min
Andy Byers - Is John's Gospel anti-Jewish?
What do we do when the Bible seems just plain offensive? In particular, what about John's Gospel, which many people have seen as anti-Jewish? If Jesus was a Jew, why does John record him speaking negatively about "the Jews"? Would John be surprised by how his Gospel has been used over the years? And in a divided world, what hope can John's Gospel bring to us today? Dr Andy (Andrew) Byers is a New Testament scholar, and Director of the Free Church Track at Cranmer Hall. For more about Andy Byers, see here.
Feb 4, 2019 · 31 min
Kate Bruce - Why does theology need humour?
What has comedy got to do with theology? What does the Bible have to say about laughter? What power does comedy have to convey truth about God and his world? Can God minister to us through humour? And how can comedy give us hope? Kate Bruce was formerly Deputy Warden at Cranmer Hall, and is now an RAF chaplain. She is the author of Igniting the Heart: Preaching and Imagination (SCM Press).
Jan 21, 2019 · 33 min
David Wilkinson - Why does theology need science?
Why does theology need to listen to science? What does it have to say about the beginning of the world? Or the end? What happens when we pray? Is there intelligent life on other planets? (Or this planet?) And what's it like to be both a scientist and a theologian? Professor David Wilkinson is Principal of St John's College, Durham. David has PhDs in both astrophysics and theology, and is an ordained Methodist minister. For more about David Wilkinson, see here.