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In 1917, at the height of the First World War, F.B. MacNutt edited a collection of 17 essays entitled The Church in the Furnace. These essays were written by Anglican army chaplains who reflected on…

‘Woodbine Willie’ – the Anglican World War I padre who gave cigarettes to the troops and wrote poetry - is well known. But the man himself, G.A. Studdert-Kennedy is not nearly so…

Dr Stuart Bell argues that the early twentieth-century Anglican writer, G.A. Studdert-Kennedy (better known as ‘Woodbine Willie’), is the first modern British theologian in that he…

Dr Sara Parks introduces the text that lies behind the gospels of Matthew and Luke – to which we give the name ‘Q’. In turn, this allows her to study what this text says about women…

Prof. Richard Bell looks at a work of Richard Wagner (1813-83) that never reached the operatic stage. In the late 1840s, Wagner was planning an opera on the life of Jesus but, while still far…

Dr Tarah van de Weile examines the Genesis story of the aftermath of Noah’s flood. She shows us the complexity of the storyteller’s design and how he want to convey the goodness and order…

Dr Sara Parks introduces the text that lies behind the gospels of Matthew and Luke – to which we give the name ‘Q’. This notion of Q was put forward to explain a literary problem:…

Dr Ali-reza Bhojani one of the key questions about morality that confronts theists: is the Good what God commands, or, is what God commands ‘the Good’?

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) made the theme of finitude, human finitude, central to his philosophy: humans have ‘being towards death.’ In this video Prof. Agata Bielik-Robson challenges…

Dr Ali-reza Bhojani introduced the notion that the basis of morality is not simply based in the acts of divine revelation, but is inherent in the moral order that human beings find within themselves.

2017 marks the five-hundred anniversary of the beginning of the European Reformation. As part of a series of events to commemorate this event which has done so much to share modern Europe and…

The reformers were faced with many challenges, but one that is often forgotten was the need to justify their actions historically. How did it come about that the church needed reform? To what image…

Dr Simeon Zahl explores what are the distinctive characteristics of Protestant theology. In years gone by this would have been expressed as the proposition ‘it is acceptance of the doctrine of…

Famous to the British soldiers of the Great War as ‘Woodbine Willie,’ the Revd G.A. Studdert Kennedy (1883-1929) is also a great forgotten theologian. In this video, Dr Stuart Bell…

The First World War was the single most important event is shaping modern European society. In this video Dr Stuart Bell discusses how the experience of the war had a long lasting affect on Christian…

The First World War was the single most important event is shaping modern European society. In this video Dr Stuart Bell discusses the experience of one man from Derbyshire in the Great War and how…

The First World War was the single most important event is shaping modern European society. In this video Dr Stuart Bell discusses the myths that grew up about the Great War and religion.

Prof. Frances Knight, an expert on the religious history of the late nineteenth century, examines the religious dimension of the cultural movements we associate with the term ‘Fin de…

Walter Walsh (1857-1931) published a book called The Secret History of the Oxford Movement in 1897. The book is examined in this video by Prof. Frances Knight, an expert on the religious history of…

Until very recently the standard model for assessing the place of religion in the Enlightenment was one of simple opposition: Religion represented the superstition and darkness that the rational…

Dr Simeon Zahl describes his experience, as an American, of celebrating a relatively modern festival: Thanksgiving in the United States of America.A similar video from the Sacred Calendars…

Joe Scales – and undergraduate in the department – asks two of his teachers why they study theology. There are as many definitions of theology as there are theologians – and here…

Joe Scales – and undergraduate in the department – asks two of his teachers why they consider it so important for people in general (not just a few experts) to have a basic religious…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin examines what is meant when theologians refer to ‘the analogy of being’ (analogia entis). Other videos that look at the same topic include; Why Study the…

In discussion of ethics and morality one can often hear someone say that ‘the bible says … .’ But this video explores how what ‘the bible says’ is far from a simple…

Dr Claire Taylor of the Department of History, one of the scholars belonging to that department’s Heresy Network, introduces the value attached to the study of heresy to hear voices from the…

Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656) is now known, almost exclusively, for his dating the creation to 4004 BC. But far from being an obscurantist, he was a model scholar of his time – and in…

For over forty years the question of why the Reformation did not gain significant traction in Ireland in the sixteenth century has fascinated historians. In this video Prof. Alan Ford introduces the…

Identity is an important topic in seeking to understand a religion. It expresses itself in culture, rules about food, marriage, dress, and views of the divine. In this video Dr Carly Crouch looks…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin examines how the use of ‘X’ in everyday discourse is similar to the way that the word ‘god’ is used in Christian theology. Other videos in the…

Rabbi Mendy Lent discusses with Prof. Tom O’Loughlin a precious item found in many Jewish homes: a copy of the biblical Book of Esther in its original form as a scroll. Mendy Lent gives an…

Rabbi Mendy Lent explains the significance of attached to the festival of Shavuot which takes place 50 days after the celebration of Passover. It was this celebration which was continued by the early…

Rabbi Mendy Lent explains the significance of the festival of Rosh Hashanah to the Jewish people. This festival represents the start of the Jewish New Year. Other videos you may wish to watch…

Rabbi Mendy Lent tells the story behind the festival of Purim when Jews still celebrate their deliverance at the time of Queen Esther – as found in the Book of Esther in the bible

Archbishop Kevin McDonald discusses with Prof. Tom O’Loughlin how the Catholic Church understands the historic phrase extra ecclesiam nulla salus. McDonald argues that it must not be understood…

Prof. Philip Goodchild introduces the thought of Simone Weil (1909-1943) who has been described as a philosopher, a religious thinker, a mystic, and linked with any number of philosophers from…

Archbishop Kevin McDonald discusses with Prof. Tom O’Loughlin how the Catholic Church sees the challenges facing ecumenism today: there has been real progress on many of the historic issues…

Conor Cunningham looks at the intimate connection between Goodness, Truth, and Beauty as these are studied by theologians. Together these are known as the transcendentals because they are…

Conor Cunningham introduces one of the great movements in twentieth-century philosophy – phenomenology – which is playing an ever more significant role in theology today. He dos this by…

Conor Cunningham introduces the work of the French philosopher Michel Henry (1922-2002) and the contribution that he made to theology. Henry’s work, he argues, can be seen as an attempt to draw…

Conor Cunningham introduces the issue of theism as confronting ‘deep’ materialism and nihilism. The question that theologians must address is not the traditional ‘is there…

Archbishop Kevin McDonald discusses with Prof. Tom O’Loughlin what the Catholic Church sees as the nature of ‘the church’ and how the notion of ‘the church’ relates to…

Archbishop Kevin McDonald discusses with Prof. Tom O’Loughlin the self-perception of the Catholic Church, in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (1962-5), of Judaism, Islam, Buddhism,…

John Milbank and Simon Oliver discuss the significance of the work of Blessed Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464) for the way we do theology today. Nicholas, in challenging the role of the Principle of…

All religions use time as a central element in the way they celebrate. They have a sacred year – a sequence of festivals arranged in an annual cycle. Here Rabbi Mendy Lent introduces the…

Dr Conor Cunningham tells the story of the ways we can look at an apple. A piece of fruit, a quick healthy snack, but also the starting point for a more involved understanding of the universe and why…

Plutarch (A.D. 46 – c. 120), from Chaeronea in Boeotia, was one of the most prolific Greek writers of antiquity and his work is exactly contemporaneous with the period of the earliest writings…

Archbishop Kevin McDonald discusses with Prof. Tom O’Loughlin the significance of the Roman Catholic statement on that church’s view of other religions, and especially how the Catholic…

Dr Christina Lee, Associate Professor of Viking Studies in the School of English, examines the central role played by religion in medieval societies, and argues that an understanding of the…

Dr Christina Lee, Associate Professor of Viking Studies in the School of English, looks at how disability and disease were viewed by Christians during the Middle Ages. She uses evidence that comes…

Professors Alan Ford and Tom O’Loughlin look at the problems today – both for society and religion - that the legacy of older disputes between Catholics and Protestants throw up. They ask…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin introduces the document known in studies of the gospel as “Q”. Q refers to the material that is common to the gospels of Matthew and Luke (apart from the…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin reminds us that one can think of religion in terms of the activities of the study, the library, of a temple: books, ideas, philosophy, and formal historical narratives.…

Professor Tom O’Loughlin points out a complexity in the use of the word ‘eucharist.’ It is usually thought of as just a technical name for a ritual – the ritual practiced…

Professor Tom O'Loughlin discusses the various meanings of the word 'creed' in Christian discourse. #a2zoftheology

Rabbi Mendi Lent, who lives in Nottingham, describes the origins of the feast of Hanukkah and how it commemorates the time of the Maccabees and what it means for Jews today: lighting a flame is a…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin examines the various meanings of the word ‘disciple’ in early Christian discourse. #a2zoftheology Other videos you may wish to watch include; Why Study...the…

Agata Bielik-Robson, Professor of Jewish Studies, looks at the notion of human finitude and offer a challenge to the views of Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) and his notion of ‘being towards…

Professor Alan Ford examines the origins of sectarianism in Ireland seeing it as an interesting example of how religions relate to identity and how that can easily mutate into extremist and…

Monsignor Kevin McGinnell discusses with Professor Tom O’Loughlin two questions. First, what does it means to celebrate liturgy today; and second, how does the study of liturgy relate to other…

Monsignor Kevin McGinnell discusses with Professor Tom O’Loughlin one of the most remarkable, but least remarked upon, developments among Christian churches working together in recent decades:…

Professor Tom O'Loughlin examines the various meanings of the word, 'apocrypha' in Christian discourse - and how it can never be used in a neutral sense.

Professor Tom O'Loughlin examines the various meanings of the word 'agrapha' in Christian discourse. Another video you want want to watch is; Why Study Jesus Christ with Roland Deines…

Professor Tom O'Loughlin discusses the various meanings of the word 'blessing' in Christian discourse. #a2zoftheology Other videos that may be of interest to you include: Why Study…

Prof. Tom O’Loughlin examines the various meanings of the word ‘apostle’ in Christian discourse. #a2zoftheology

Professor Alan Ford discusses the origins of sectarianism in Ireland by linking it to the Reformation's self-understanding of being in an apocalyptic struggle with the Antichrist - understood as…

Dr Christina Lee, Associate Professor of Viking Studies in the School of English, looks at what we know about the role of women in the Anglo-Saxon church. Other similar videos you may wish to watch…

Monsignor Kevin McGinnell discusses with Professor Tom O’Loughlin the statement produced by a meeting of liturgists from across a wide spectrum of English-speaking churches knows as the Reims…

Agata Bielik-Robson, Professor of Jewish Studies, uses the term ‘philosophical Marranos’ of a group of moderns thinkers, such as Levinas and Derrida, whose common Judaism may be a key to…

Agata Bielik-Robson, Professor of Jewish Studies, looks at the tradition of speculation that can be traced by to Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-72) – and especially the notion of 'tsimtsum'…

In the final video discussing Arthur Schopenhauer (1788- 1860), Professor Richard Bell starts this conversation by looking at Schopenhauer's main work "The World, as Will and…

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) affects less than 400 people each year but it can be so severe in some cases it has led to amputation. The condition is so rare it is often misdiagnosed. The…

In their latest conversation, Dr Simon Oliver and Professor John Milbank discuss the Analogy of Being. Starting with the works of Thomas Aquinas, the 13th Century theologian and the use of language…

Professor Roland Deines looks at the notion of ‘salvation history’ (Heilsgeschichte) as a theme in theology that can be found throughout the bible. It is the notion that humanity stands…

Prof. Richard Bell introduces the life and thought of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). The video gives an account of his epistemology – and how he was influenced by Kant – as a basis for…

Dr Mary Cunningham explores what we know of Arius of Alexandria (d. 336) and his theology. Born in North Africa, he was a presbyter of the church of Alexandria and a very popular preacher. His…

Professor Tom O’Loughlin looks at the name ‘Jesus Christ.’ Most people think this is just a forename-plus-surname and hence we speak of ‘what Christ said’ or the…

Dr Frances Knight introduces William Temple (1881-1944), Archbishop of Canterbury (1942-44) who has been described as the spiritual father of the Welfare State. A quintessential member of the…

Professor William Kay, one of the world’s leading Pentecostal theologians, gives his vision of the importance of theology. It is concerned with ‘thinking logically about God’ and…

Professor Tom O’Loughlin explains that the familiar chapters and verses – found in every printed bible – are to be viewed solely as a means of finding passages and particular…

Dr Claire Taylor of the Dept of History, one of the scholars belonging to that department’s Heresy Network, introduces the notion of heresy, heretics and dissent as a phenomenon that historians…

Dr David Monkton looks at the place of the Eucharist in Methodism from the time the Wesley’s in the eighteenth century until. He does this by taking us through one of the eucharistic hymns of…

This statue – barely 170mm high – is of the goddess Tanit, an important deity, of the Phoenicians. It is over 2000 years old and reminds us of the domestic, private dimension of religion.…

Dr David Monkton looks at how there has been a renewal of Eucharistic understanding in contemporary Methodism. This has come about from a variety of sources such as a rediscovery of Methodism’s…

Christians use a vast library of Jewish writings from the time before Jesus in their worship, reflection, and study – and they call this library ‘the Old Testament.’ In this video…

Christians use a vast library of Jewish writings from the time before Jesus in their worship, reflection, and study – and they call this library ‘the Old Testament.’ In this video…

Professor Johannes Hoff – from Heythrop College in London – gave the 2013 Bonaventure lecture and proposed the case that modern theology needs to radically re-examine its assumptions…

In all human quests for understanding - be they religious, theological, philosophical, or literary - the intertwined themes of love and death keep returning to challenge us. It is an endless…

Dr John McDade looks at what is meant by the terms ‘Catholicism’ and ‘the Catholic Church’ – and argues that one should see Christianity as ‘Reconfigured…

Dr. Musharraf Hussein describes the annual celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, known as ‘the Milad.’ A time of joyful celebration, but also a time for recalling the life…

A small lamp was bought for a few pennies in Roman north Africa. Soon after it was first used, a fault in its manufacture led to its being discarded in a rubbish pit where it remained until uncovered…

Many people, whether they are Christians or not, think they know what the gospels contain, the kind of documents they are, and their purpose. This seminar argues that these are more complex questions…

Rogationtide is the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Thursday: it was, and to some extent still is, a time when God’s blessing was asked upon the springtime and the work in the…

Lammas – from ‘Loaf Mass’ – is the original harvest thanksgiving feast when the first loaf, baked from the newly harvested grain, was presented in the local church. Because it…

Most of the time of most humans for most of history has been spent obtaining and preparing food for our survival. So for theists, food is both the gift of God and the work of human hands, and each…

In a world where we think of work as being a Monday to Friday affair, where food comes from a shop, and where ‘work’ and ‘religion’ belong in separate compartments, a festival…

Dr Rob Lutton introduces an important aspect of contemporary historical studies: the study of religion as a force that shapes lives. Religion, like it or loathe it, has not disappeared from the human…

All the documents of Christianity - such as those that are found in the collection known as 'the New Testament' - were written in the common Koine Greek language of the Mediterranean world.…

Dr Dominic Erdozain argues that when one studies the words of Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) in the context of the religious life of seventeenth century Amsterdam and the people with whom he was in…

Dr Harith bin Ramli explains the origins of the two main branches of Islam and how they have different views of the nature of Islam. Dr bin Ramli points out that while today, many think of these…