The 2017 conference took place in Dovedale House, in the Derbyshire Peak District, on the weekend of 16th – 18th June. The speakers were Joanna Colicutt, Mike Clifford and Maithrie White.
Speakers
Joanna Colicutt
Revd Dr Joanna Collicutt is the Karl Jaspers Lecturer in Psychology and Spirituality at Ripon College, Cuddesdon and Oxford Diocesan Advisor for Spiritual Care for Older People. She studied experimental psychology and theology (Oxford) and clinical psychology (Institute of Psychiatry, University of London). She is a chartered clinical psychologist and specialist neuropsychologist, registered as a practitioner with the Health Professions Council.
After working in the health service, Joanna moved to psychology of religion and was director of the MA in Psychology of Religion at Heythrop College, University of London. In 2010 she took up her present posts. She is also an associate priest in a west Oxfordshire parish and honorary canon of Christ Church Cathedral.
Her interests are diverse: she writes on cognitive behaviour therapy, brain and behaviour, natural theology, psychological approaches to the Bible, psychological trauma, the spirituality of children and people with special needs, and medical ethics. Besides academic papers, she has published Ethical practice in brain injury rehabilitation, Jesus and the gospel women, The psychology of Christian character formation, and co-authored Dawkins Delusion? (with Alister McGrath),with a forthcoming edited volume on neurology and religion (with Alasdair Coles).
Mike Clifford
Dr Mike Clifford is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham and a volunteer with Tearfund, a Christian international relief and development charity. His research interests are in sustainable and appropriate technologies, including improved wood-burning cooking stoves. In 2016 his achievements were recognised with a Universitas 21 Award for Internationalisation.
He has been voted “engineering lecturer of the year” by the Higher Education Academy for his innovative teaching methods involving costume, drama, poetry and storytelling. He is a keen musician, who loves conducting the Rainbow Choir, playing folk music on tin whistle and various other assorted instruments. Mike is a founding member of “Transforming the Mind”.
Maithrie White
Dr Maithrie White is Chair of Transforming the Mind, which she established, inspired by the IFES-linked Fellowship of Christian University Students in Sri Lanka. Her doctorate at the University of Nottingham was in Literature, Critical Theory & Cultural Studies. She returned to Sri Lanka where she was Head of the Department of English. She is completing her Masters in Theology and will be ordained this year in the Church of Ireland. She is currently on the Board of Contemporary Christianity, N. Ireland and continues as Editor of the International Journal of Ethnic and Social Studies (Sri Lanka). She writes, preaches, and talks about culture and theology.