Talks & Retreats
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Novel Theology: a series of Oxford-style seminars
In this series of videos I'll be exploring Christian doctrine and spirituality through great novels. Every other month, I'll present a 40-60 minute talk (complete with notes you can print) on a different combination of good literature with great theology or devotional writing. We'll look at things like Torrance's idea of the Incarnation through the novels of Wendell Berry, or von Balthasar's theodicy as I found it in Tolkien, or we'll explore what Rat and Mole have to show us about the cultivation of holy simplicity. By allowing story and doctrine to illumine each other, we'll journey deeper into the real splendor of all that God has created and called us to become, and consider how we might shape and renew our own stories in honor of the real truth we grasp.
Kells Cottage Retreats: a series of online retreats
I’m creating a number of online retreats hours each year; spaces where I'll chose a theme and invite you into an hour of quiet, contemplative space framed by great words and images that lead us deeper into God's life. I'll give a talk and lead us through an exploration of beauty or wonder, preparation for Advent, or an inventory of our inner worlds. Some retreats will be themed according to corresponding seasons in the church year (Advent or Lent), some will have guest speakers, some will simply be framed by the exploration of a specific Scripture, poem, season, or idea. Some will be hosted from my study, and some from the great churches I've found nearby here in England. Each retreat will include a booklet with notes, and images, and resources like book lists, questions to ponder, or lists of suggested art and music to continue reflection upon the chosen theme.
The name 'Kells' is taken from the famed 'Book of Kells', a medieval illuminated manuscript of the Gospels and book of profound beauty that survived the brutality and violence of Viking raids to emerge as a symbol of redemptive loveliness enduring to this day. My hope for these retreat spaces is that they will become spaces of the same kind of contemplative, intricate beauty we find in the book of Kells, allowing us an hour to ponder God's goodness and take courage for the darkness of our own times.