The speakers were Revd Dr Jonathan Brant, Dr Ruth Bancewicz, Dr Mike Clifford, Dr Anthony Smith and Dr Maithrie White.
Dr Mike Clifford
Mike introduced the conference by discussing three questions:
- What is a renewed mind?
- What would your discipline, renewed, look like?
- What motto would characterise a renewed university?
Revd Dr Jonathan Brant
Jonathan Brant is the Oxford Pastorate Chaplain, working with the postgraduate student community of Oxford University. He wrote a DPhil in Theology at Trinity College, Oxford which drew upon systematic theology, film theory and qualitative research in considering the potential religious impact of contemporary Latin American cinema.
In his first talk, Jonathan looked at Loving theology, and asked if it means loving the theology, or theology that is loving?
Jonathan looked at Transformation through Philosophy, Film, Fiction and Faith.
Dr Ruth Bancewicz
Ruth is a research associate at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, working on the positive interaction between science and faith, and the ‘Test of FAITH’ resources project. She completed a PhD at Edinburgh University, based at the MRC Human Genetics Unit, working on gene-environment interactions during verterbrate development.
Ruth spoke on Creative Flourishing in Academia.
Dr Maithrie White
Maithrie spoke about engaging with culture, asking why we should engage with culture? How have we engaged in the past, and did it help? How do the Church, Christians in Academia, and the World in general actually relate – if at all? What is culture anyway? And what 4 key things do we need for effective engagement?
Dr Anthony Gunton
Anthony talked about his journey from square engagement to rounded engagement, and looked at three nudges that revolutionised how he engaged.