Talking Theology

 What is does it look like to theologise Anglican-ly? Why should we burn Richard Hooker's supposed three-legged stool of Scripture, reason and tradition? And how might reflection on the ethos of Anglican theology help us to respond to the disagreements and fractures which characterise the global Anglican communion with wisdom and humility?In this episode Revd Dr Josh Cockayne, Academic Dean at Cranmer Hall, speaks to Dr Scott MacDougall, Director for Theological Resources for the Episcopal Church, about his book The Shape of Anglican Theology, which was released in 2022. 

How should we approach helping children and young people grow in their faith? What does the Bible have to say to that question? And how can parents, church leaders and children and youth workers best work together?In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speaks to Revd Sarah Strand, Dean of Anglican Formation at Cranmer Hall, about her new book, co-authored with Rev Dr Emma Parker, Growing Together in Faith: Thinking Theologically about Ministry with Children and Teenagers, which was released in 2025.

What is nonviolent atonement theology? What can the church learn from this kind of approach to understanding the significance of the life and death of Christ? And how should this shape our ministry and our preaching?In this episode Dr Cynthia Barrett-Brown, Director of the MA Programme and Lecturer in Doctrine and Theological Reflection at Cranmer Hall, speaks to Revd Dr Andrew Campbell, Rector of St Swithin's Magherafelt, about his new book One for the Other: Engaging with nonviolent atonement theology, which was released in 2025.

What can we learn from the life and work of the 17th Century French polymath Blaise Pascal? In what sense did he "make the modern world"? And what does he have to teach us about how to relate science and religion, faith and reason in the 21st Century.In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speaks to Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, the former Bishop of Kensington and Editor of Seen and Unseen, about his new book Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World, which was released in 2025.

What happens when we gather together for worship? How can theology and psychology work together to yield new insights into that question? And what are the implications for churches and church leaders in an increasingly online world?In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speaks to Revd Dr Josh Cockayne, Academic Dean at Cranmer Hall, and Dr Gideon Salter, Lecturer in Developmental Psychology at Liverpool Hope University, about their new book Why We Gather: Psychology, Theology, and Liturgical Practice, which was released in 2025.

What's striking about the Apostle Paul and the stories he shared? What was first-century Corinth really like, and what was the real problem with the Corinthian church? How was the cross the content of Paul's preaching but also the pattern of his living? And how might Paul's cross-shaped narrative about himself affect the way we tell our stories today?In today's episode we will be talking to Rev Canon Dr Philip Plyming. Philip is warden of Cranmer Hall, as well as the host of Talking Theology. His new book, Being Real: The Apostle Paul's Hardship Narratives and the Stories We Tell Today is being released later this year.

What did it feel like to be a Christian in the earliest churches? How does telling stories help us understand the role of women in Paul's ministry? How does imagination help us see Paul and his good news in a different light? How might close attention to people's backstories help us to forgive them and indeed ourselves? In this episode, we talk to Canon Dr. Paula Gooder. Paula is a New Testament scholar and Canon Chancellor at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Among her many published works are two books based on New Testament characters, Phoebe and Lydia.

What has been the impact of Christianity on western civilisation? How did the shock of the cross change the relationship between the weak and the strong? Where might we see Christian theological dialogue in unexpected places? And why might it be important to reconnect Christian values with Christian stories?In today's show we will be talking to Tom Holland. Tom is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster, and he co-hosts the popular podcast The Rest is History. His latest work is called Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind.

What values drive contemporary leadership, and how have they influenced the Church? Where did the idea of servant leadership first come from, and why is the answer more surprising that we might think? What are the problems with servant leadership when it comes to power and how we use it? And how is friendship a better model, and what does it mean to lead in love?In today's show we will be talking to Dr Chloe Lynch.  Chloe is a lecturer in practical theology at the London School of Theology, and is also a spiritual director, with a ministry of preaching, teaching, and mentoring church leaders. She published her book, Ecclesial Leadership as Friendship, in 2019.

What is neoliberalism and what are the assumptions behind it? How does language of individualism, competition and commodities find its way into the church? What signs might we see of a church swimming with the neoliberal tide? What are the ethical questions raised by a church adopting free market values?In this episode we are talking to Professor Mathew Guest. Mathew is Professor in the Sociology of Religion and Head of the Department of Theology and Religion here in Durham University. His recently published book is titled: "Neoliberal Religion: Faith and Power in the Twenty-first Century".