St Paul's Cathedral: Recent Episodes
St Paul's Cathedral
Friendship, with a few exceptions, is the human relationship that has received the least theological attention over the centuries. Friendship, both in Greek and Roman philosophy, and in some theological writings, has been treated with suspicion.Steffan Mathias explores friendship in a positive light within the Bible, in theological tradition, and in the contemporary church. Steffan proposes friendship as a site of divine life, as something which can offer the church new avenues to think about community, discipleship, and human relationships.Revd Dr Steffan Mathias is Vicar of St Peter’s Streatham, and an independent scholar focusing on Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, with a PhD from King’s College London focusing on afterlife and memorialisation in the Old Testament. He is an external tutor at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, and St Augustine’s College of Theology in the South East. His PhD was published as Paternity, Progeny, and Perpetuation Creating Lives after Death in the Hebrew Bible in 2020.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Cumberland Lodge and the St Paul’s Cathedral Institute, The Rt Hon Rory Stewart OBE takes on on some of the most pressing questions of our time.A former UK Cabinet Minister, diplomat, and bestselling author, Rory brings a unique perspective to the table from extensive experience across the Middle East, and as the MP for Penrith and the Border. His acclaimed books, including 'Politics on the Edge' and his latest, 'Middleland: Dispatches from the Borders', explore the complexities of governance, community, and identity.This conversation is held in partnership between Cumberland Lodge and The St Paul’s Cathedral Institute.
To mark Refugee Week 2026, Paula Gooder chats to Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani about her life, her faith, and her own experience as a refugee.Bishop Guli was born in Iran and fled to the UK when she was a teenager following the murder of her brother during the Islamic Revolution. In this conversation, Bishop Guli reflects on her experiences, on the history of Christianity in Iran and the theme of migration in Scripture. She traces the importance of faith in her life and uncovers what it means to have courage and hope in God.The Right Reverend Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani is Bishop of Chelmsford and a member of the Lords Spiritual in the House of Lords. She previously served as the first Bishop of Loughborough, in the Diocese of Leicester, from 2017 to 2021. Guli arrived in this country as a refugee from Iran, aged 14.Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, a Biblical Scholar and the author of many academic and popular books on theology, faith and the Bible.
The story of William Tyndale and Cardinal Wolsey is a fascinating tale of spies and espionage. Tyndale was a wanted man – working in exile to complete his translation of the New Testament. In order to supress his work, Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey dispatched a diplomat-spy to make sure Tyndale’s writings were never imported to England. Yet Tyndale and his contacts found ways to smuggle his New Testament into England anyway, all whilst Wolsey’s man was on their trail.Charlotte Gauthier unravels this daring cat-and-mouse game, which culminates in Tyndale’s betrayal and death in 1536.Dr Charlotte Gauthier is an historian of religious conflict and diplomacy with a PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London. She is Assistant Director of Discipleship for Southwark Diocese and a Visiting Tutor at St Augustine's College of Theology and City St George’s, University of London. Charlotte has written numerous articles on history and ideas for leading publications, and has appeared on television, radio, and podcasts.
This year marks the 800th anniversary of the death one of the most popular and well-known Saints – St Francis of Assisi. Francis inspired the life and work of Clare of Assisi and Angela of Foligno. Whilst Clare and Angela may not be as well-known as Francis, their theology gives us a glimpse into the intriguing world of mysticism and highlights the remarkable contribution of women theologians in the medieval period which has, all too often, been overlooked.Michael Hahn introduces the theology of Francis of Assisi, and unveils the thought of Clare of Assisi and Angela of Foligno.Dr Michael Hahn holds the Dom Gregory Dix Chair in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College in Salisbury. His research is on the early Franciscan mystical traditions and he is Senior Editor of the journal Franciscan Studies.
This year marks the 500th anniversary of the publication of William Tyndale’s English translation of the Bible. Branded as heretical, this translation was a pivotal moment in the Reformation which had a lasting impact on the church in England.Diarmaid MacCulloch uncovers the importance of Tyndale’s translation, its place in the history of the English Reformation, and how these factors shaped the church in England.Diarmaid MacCulloch is Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University and one of the UK’s leading historians. His books include the magisterial 'A History of Christianity' and the definitive biography of Thomas Cromwell, which won the Whitbread Biography Prize.
It's indisputable that music is a huge part of life at St Paul's, but many people don't know the full variety of what can be heard within our walls. In this episode we explore all things music at the Cathedral - from daily Evensong performed by our very own talented musicians, to musical guests past and present such as Paul Robeson who sang at Evensong in 1958 or even legendary poet and singer Patti Smith who performed a concert here in 2024. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.Image credit: Charlie Bibby/FT
We live in a complex time in which conversations around decolonisation are growing. On the one hand, there is a deep suspicion for what is termed ‘woke’, seeing decolonial attention to the past as unnecessary and divisive. On the other, there is a sense in which the legacies of colonisation are so pervasive and deep that only a decolonial lens can address it. Carlton Turner suggests what a decolonial perspective might look like beyond attempts to politicise it, especially for our faith.The Revd Canon Dr Carlton Turner is tutor in Contextual Theology and Mission Studies, as well as Deputy Director of Research, at the Queen's Foundation, Birmingham. He self-defines as a Caribbean Contextual and Practical Theologian and engages in further research into the intersections of Christian theology and decoloniality, particularly within the British imperial history and context. His first book, Overcoming Self-Negation explores the identity and church practices within the Anglophone African Caribbean, and his most recent book, Caribbean Contextual Theology: An Introduction, is the latest iteration of a Caribbean theological reflection.
The Bible is rarely read it in its original languages, but usually in translation. Translating the Bible is a unique and complex task, which inspires an intriguing array of literary, historical, and theological questions for both translators and readers. In this conversation, John Barton and Paula Gooder discuss the fascinating history and challenges of biblical translation and inspire us to think deeply about what it means to engage with Scripture in other languages.The Revd Professor John Barton is an Anglican priest and Biblical scholar. He is the Emeritus Oriel and Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford and is the author of several books including 'The Word: On the Translation of the Bible' (Allen Lane 2022) and 'A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths' (Allen Lane 2019).Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, a Biblical Scholar and the author of many academic and popular books on theology, faith and the Bible.
Looking up under our iconic Dome, you'll see eight incredible murals by artist James Thornhill. Painted in monochrome to give the illlusion of sculptural relief, the murals depict eight scenes from the life of St Paul. Find out more about Thornhill and his lasting legacy on what is perhaps the most photographed part of the Cathedral in this episode.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Gerard Manley Hopkins’ vivid, inventive language and profound spiritual insight make him a powerful companion for the Lenten season. His poetry captures both human frailty and divine presence, drawing us into the beauty of creation and the journey of Christ toward the Passion.Carys Walsh will reflect on Hopkins’ rich imagery and rhythmic brilliance, and offer a fresh way to deepen reflection, devotion, and discovery throughout Lent.The Revd Dr Carys Walsh writes about poetry and spirituality and has been involved in discernment and formation for Anglican ministry for many years. She is a priest in South London and the author of 'Frequencies of God' (about the poetry of RS Thomas) and 'Dappled Beauty' (about the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins).The handout referred to in this talk can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2026-02/Dappled%20Beauty%20-%20Poetry.pdf
[The images referred to in this talk can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2026-01/2025%20-%207%20Dec%20St%20Pauls%20UNDERHILL%20SLIDES.pdf]Evelyn Underhill is best known as a theologian, mystic, and spiritual director – remembered by the Church each year on the 15th June. In the 1900s, long before her fame, she travelled extensively in Italy and France, painting, drawing and writing as she journeyed to glorious cathedrals, rural churches, and historic museums.Marking the 150th anniversary year of her birth, this event explores her lesser-known art and writing. The Revd Ayla Lepine will guide us on a pilgrimage with Underhill as a companion through the sacred art and architecture of Chartres, Amiens, Assisi, Siena, Venice, and beyond.The Revd Dr Ayla Lepine is Associate Rector at St James’s Church, Piccadilly, before which she was Ahmanson Fellow in Art and Religion at the National Gallery. She has a PhD in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art and her book 'Women, Art, God' will be published in 2026. She is a trustee of Art and Christianity, a Visiting Scholar at Sarum College in Spirituality and the Imagination, and a member of the St Paul’s Cathedral Visual Arts Committee.
Practice at Durham University, and the author of 'Towards a Politics of Communion: Catholic Social Teaching for Dark Times'. She has interests in everyday ethics and the way that academic research and teaching can engage in wider forms of public benefit and the common good. Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral.
In this episode, we take a closer look at the life and legacy of Josefina de Vasconcellos, the remarkable sculptor responsible for 'Mary and Child' which can be found in the Crypt. 'Mary and Child' was the first freestanding sculpture by a woman to be installed at the Cathedral.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
In this reflective evening, Paula Gooder offers a range of reflections for the Advent season around the theme of waiting.For rights reasons, the music performed at the live event is not included in this recording. You can watch the pieces of music as they were performed elsewhere as follows:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI1TrxsrTsAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxXbcjiZLechttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIyJpkuX9Fohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZZADVYZoIUDr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar and teacher. She is the author of many books including 'The Meaning is in the Waiting' and 'Journey to the Manger'.
Did you know the current St Paul's Cathedral is the fifth Cathedral on the site? Before today's building, there was Old St Paul's, a magnificent medieval cathedral with an enormous spire. Take a trip into St Paul's past and present with today's podcast episode all about the medieval Cathedral's birth, life and dramatic end.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Acts 16:16-18 tells the story of a slave girl who is said to have a ‘Pythian spirit’ which enables her to tell oracles, and we are told that the apostle Paul cast out the spirit from her.Drawing on her Yorùbá heritage and her personal autobiographical experience of having a great-grandmother who was a powerful Oracle in Nigeria, Olabisi Obamakin will look at that this story in a new light and will ask whether we should see the Pythian slave girl as possessed or powerful.Drawing also on 'Butterfly Fish', a novel by Irenosen Okojie that explores Nigerian worldviews and beliefs, Olabisi will show how the New Testament can be read in a new and powerful way through the lens of a Nigerian/British woman.Dr Olabisi Obamakin is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Theological Education at Durham University. As a Nigerian/British woman, she has a special interest in widening participation into Theology and has spoken about her work to multiple academic and public audiences including at Exeter Cathedral and on BBC Radio Devon.
Dr Braxton is a Christian, whereas Dr Pinn is a Secular Humanist. While their respective traditions have often stood in bitter opposition, in a deeply divided world, Braxton and Pinn demonstrate that constructive dialogue is essential.This “master class” offers a compelling model for engaging across religious, ethical, and cultural differences. Through frank, personal, and deeply informed discussion, Braxton and Pinn tackle urgent topics such as ongoing violence against historically minoritised communities, the rise of religiously unaffiliated groups, and the Black Lives Matter movement. They also delve into profound philosophical questions of religion, moral evil, and hope.Discover how open exchange, respecting rather than masking differences, fosters the common good. This unique event invites us to learn how to be better people who can, in turn, transform our world into a more inclusive and loving place.Brad R. Braxton is President of and Professor of Public Theology at Chicago Theological Seminary. He is the Founding Senior Pastor of The Open Church and formerly served as the Director of the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. His most recent book is 'Open: Unorthodox Thoughts on God and Community'.Anthony Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of Humanities and professor of religion at Rice University, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Professor Extraordinarius at the University of South Africa and a visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School. He received his BA from Columbia University, Master of Divinity and PhD in the study of religion from Harvard University.
Today’s podcast episode is all about the Great Model hiding up in our Triforium. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren to demonstrate his plans for the new Cathedral to King Charles II, the Great Model is a fascinating insight into what St Paul’s might have looked like. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
[This talk makes reference to a handout which you can find at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-10/Ludlow%20Nicaea%20handout.pdf]2025 marks 1,700 years since the formation of the Creed of Nicaea, and around the world many Christian churches from many different denominations are marking the anniversary. But what is so important about it and why do we still say it so many years on?Morwenna Ludlow gives a very brief history of how the Creed of Nicaea came to be, what it sought to address, and how it relates to other creeds and early statements of faith.Morwenna Ludlow is Professor of Christian History and Theology at the University of Exeter, and holds an honorary position as Canon Theologian at Exeter Cathedral. Her particular interest is on the early church and the reception of early theology by modern thinkers, alongside implications for the world today.
Like Churchill himself, St Paul’s Cathedral defied the Blitz and stood as a beacon of hope in the darkest days of the Second World War. Allen Packwood revisits some of the key moments when their paths crossed and considers how they influenced one another.A sermon by Ray Pentland CB from the Service of Evensong prior to this event is referenced several times in the talk. To read the sermon please visit https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-09/Evensong%20sermon%20Anniversary%20of%20the%20Battle%20of%20Britain%20Ray%20Pentland%20CB.pdf
Some of the psalms were written as much as 3,000 years ago in a world very different to our own. So how do we read them? And what does a psalm read like when we read it today?Martin Wroe reflects on what makes a psalm a psalm. Is there a distinction between psalms and prayer, or psalms and poetry?One of the challenges of reading the Psalms is that they are populated so densely with shepherds and royalty, characters that most of us do not encounter in our everyday lives. So what are the characters that walk through the psalms of our lives? And how is the divine presence disclosed to us today? Martin Wroe makes his living as a writer and volunteers as associate vicar of St Luke’s, Holloway, in north London. He contributes to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, is a former chair of the Greenbelt Arts Festival and his most recent book of poems is 'This Heart: Poems from the universe inside'.
There are crypts, and then there are crypts. The largest crypt in Europe is none other than our very own here at St Paul's. But what is a crypt for, and why is ours so unique? Find out in the first episode of the new series of Stories from St Paul's. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson
What has Jesus to do with trauma? Many people who experience trauma find solidarity in Jesus' experiences. Some would even claim that Jesus is a trauma survivor himself. Others may find the horror of Jesus' crucifixion to be re-traumatising. What do these perspectives mean for how we think about and relate to Christ? Karen O'Donnell explores these questions to enrich our understanding of Christ and humanity.Dr Karen O'Donnell is Academic Dean and Lecturer in Liturgy and Theology at Westcott House, Cambridge, and an Associate Lecturer at Cambridge University. Her latest books include Survival: Radical Spiritual Practices for Trauma Survivors and Pregnancy and Birth: Critical Theological Conceptions (with Dr Claire Williams).
Over the course of Western history, how have religion and medicine worked together to tell women how their bodies work, and what they should do with them? How have Eve and Mary been used to convey these messages, and how has their role been challenged?Helen King explores the potential of both Christianity and medicine to work towards a healthier approach to the body.Helen King is Professor Emerita at The Open University, where she researched and taught the history of the body. She is an elected lay member of the Church of England's General Synod and a trustee of WATCH (Women and the Church). Her latest book is 'Immaculate Forms: Uncovering the History of Women's Bodies'.
80 years after Dietrich Bonhoeffer's execution in Flossenbürg concentration camp in 1945, Rowan Williams reflects upon how his legacy could help the church remain truthful in a post-truth world. In a time of uncertainty, what does it mean to live with courage, integrity, and radical hospitality?Dr Rowan Williams is a poet and theologian, and was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury.
Are men facing a "crisis," and what does that mean for us all? Will Rose-Moore explores what it really means to be a man today, how "masculinity" isn't one thing, but many, how the Bible portrays men, and new ways of thinking about masculinity, moving away from power and violence, and embracing diversity. The Rev’d Will Rose-Moore is Assistant Curate at St John the Baptist, Loughton in Chelmsford Diocese. He is studying for a PhD in Theology with Westcott House in the Cambridge Theological Federation and Anglia Ruskin University, and is also a Research Associate for the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, Bristol. His first book is 'Boys Will Be Boys, and Other Myths: Unravelling Biblical Masculinities'.
‘Hope shows up when we are fighting for justice. Hope shows up when we show up making clear that the way things are is not the way they are destined to be, that the way things are is not God's promise for us.’Join Kelly Brown-Douglas and Paula Gooder, as they reflect together on vocation and preaching, on racial justice and, most importantly, on hope. Kelly Brown-Douglas is an African-American priest in the Episcopal Church in the USA. She is a leading voice in womanist theology and racial justice, and is a brilliant preacher and communicator. Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral.
On 9th April 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was killed in Flossenbürg concentration camp. A German Lutheran pastor and theologian, he was imprisoned for his opposition to the Nazis during the 1930s and 40s.80 years on, Bonhoeffer’s writings, especially his reflections on the Sermon on the Mount and what this means for discipleship, remain as inspirational as ever.Join Andreas Loewe and Paula Gooder as they discuss Bonhoeffer’s enduring legacy and impact.The Very Revd Dr Andreas Loewe is Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne. His book, written with Dr Katherine Firth, 'Journey with Bonhoeffer: Six Steps on the Path of Discipleship' is available in the UK at https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780647532928 Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, London.
Rose Hudson-Wilkin is the Church of England’s first black woman bishop. Overcoming challenging beginnings in Jamaica and discrimination in the UK, she became one of the first women to be ordained priest in the Church of England, going on to be the first black female priest to be Chaplain both to the Queen and the Speaker of the House of Commons. She will reflect on ‘a wonderful life and a wonderful God’.Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin is the Bishop of Dover. Appointed MBE for services to young people and the church in 2020, her autobiography 'The Girl from Montego Bay' is published in 2025.
Who was Grinling Gibbons? Not just a man with a fantastic name, but also the master carver behind the incredible carvings around the Cathedral, including those in the Quire stalls and the floral garlands on the North exterior of the building. Find out more about his life and his contributions to St Paul’s, as well as how they’ve evolved over time through numerous restoration projects, in today’s podcast episode.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Edith Cavell was a nurse who became a symbol of courage around the world.In 1915, she was executed for helping Allied soldiers escape - an act that shook many around the world. In the wake of her death, hundreds of nurses and mourners gathered at St Paul’s to honour her, and her legacy continues to inspire today.Hear her extraordinary story in our latest Stories from St Paul's podcast episode. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Jane Williams says that the sacraments are a glorious expression of God’s love for the world in all its beauty and brokenness. They invite us into the mystery that the world has meaning and purpose, and that all things come together in Jesus. Though they can seem confusing and sometimes divisive, she says that by entering into them we can find ourselves not only refreshed but re-enchanted. Dr Jane Williams is the McDonald Professor in Christian Theology at St Mellitus College, London, and a visiting Lecturer at King's College London. Her latest books are The Merciful Humility of God and the new York Course, The Sacraments: Responding to God’s Loving Invitation.
The question of suffering has always been something with which people have wrestled. In his 2025 Lent book, Healing Wounds, Erik Varden attempts to offer new reflections on this most challenging of themes. Reflecting on the cross, on Jesus’ own suffering as well as on our own sufferings, he draws out the ways in which Jesus’ suffering on the cross can turn into sources of healing for ourselves and for others. In this online conversation, Erik Varden and Paula Gooder draw on these and other themes. Erik Varden is Bishop of Trondheim in Norway and a Cistercian monk.
For two thousand years, the Virgin Mary has been depicted throughout art, literature and culture as symbolising the perfect mother: chaste, beautiful, meek, mild and white. These supposed virtues and symbols have penetrated not just Christianity but wider popular culture, and contributed to harmful views about motherhood and what it is to be a woman.Chine McDonald deconstructs the myth of perfect motherhood and reflect on its theological, social and personal impact, proposing a more authentic, grace-filled way forward.Chine McDonald is the Director of Theos, the religion and society think tank. Previously she headed community fundraising and public engagement at Christian Aid. The author of the best-selling 'God is Not a White Man (and other revelations)', her latest book is 'Unmaking Mary: Shattering the Myth of Perfect Motherhood'.
Janet Williams introduces the tradition of apophatic spirituality and explores its relevance to 21st century Christian life. The Revd Dr Janet Williams is the Vice-Principal of St Hild’s College, Mirfield in Yorkshire, an Anglican centre for ordination training and theological study. Her latest book is Seeking the God Beyond: A Beginner’s Guide to Christian Apophatic Spirituality.
Did you know that world famous poet and writer, Walter de la Mare was a one-time Chorister of St Paul’s? Born in Charlton, South London, in 1873, de la Mare attended the Cathedral School from the age of 10 to 16. Find out more about his life, and how St Paul’s may have shaped his literary work.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
When is a cathedral not a cathedral? Answer: When it might also be the venue for a grand scientific experiment! Explore Sir Christopher Wren's vision - and whether is came to pass - in this, the strange tale of the telescope in the tower.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Martin Luther King Jr’s memory is revered, but in his time he was a radical, controversial figure, sharply critical of militarism, inequality and poverty, and racism in the US and elsewhere. Marking 60 years since Dr King spoke at St Paul’s Cathedral, Richard Reddie will explore his profound and subtle theology, philosophy and politics, and the challenge he leaves us to work for justice in our own time.Richard Reddie is the Director of Justice and Inclusion at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. He is the author of 'Martin Luther King Jr: History Maker' and 'Abolition!: The Struggle to Abolish Slavery in the British Colonies', and editor of Race for Justice.
Found in the Cathedral every festive season is the St Paul’s nativity scene. Discover its very special story which begins in 1989, when former Master Carver Tony Webb and assistant Hannah Hartwell got to work on a new crib – one that has been seen and enjoyed ever since.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Few matters produce more public interest or division than sex and religion. Revolutions in attitudes in the last generations have brought liberation to some, fear and fury to others.Diarmaid MacCulloch, Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford, will seek to calm fears and encourage understanding by telling a 3,000-year-long tale of Christians encountering sex, gender and family, from the Bible to the present day.Diarmaid MacCulloch is Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University and one of the UK’s leading historians. His books include the magisterial A History of Christianity and the definitive biography of Thomas Cromwell, which won the Whitbread Biography Prize. His latest book is Lower than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity.
Grief and grieving are universals, and on All Souls’ Day we hold before God those we hold dear in death as in life. Requiem settings for the Eucharist, named after the Latin text which begins 'Eternal rest grant them O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them', are some of the most powerful music ever written.Using music by Victoria, Mozart, Charpentier, Verdi, Fauré and Duruflé, Andrew Carwood explores how music and religion come together to deal with fear and loss, and provide comfort and hope. For copyright reasons, the tracks played at the event have been edited out of this film. To find them to listen to here is a list of the tracks (details also appear on screen):1. Hushabye Mountain – Aled Jones2. Missa pro defunctis Introit: Requiem aeternam – Gregorian chant – Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz3. Missa pro defunctis Introit: Requiem aeternam – Tomas Luis de Victoria – The Tallis Scholars / Peter Philips4. Requiem Mass Sequence : Dies irae – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus / Colin Davis5. Messe des Morts: Sequence: Dies irae – Marc-Antoine Charpentier – Orfeo Orchestra & Purcell Choir / Gyorgy Vashegyi6. Requiem Mass Sequence : Lachrymosa – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Bach Collegium Japan / Masaaki Suzuki7. Requiem Mass Sequence : Dies irae – Giuseppe Verdi – Orchestra & Coro del Teatro alla Scala, Milano / Ricardo Muti 8. Messe de Requiem: Libera me – Gabriel Fauré – Benjamin Luxon, Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge, ASMF / George Guest9. Antiphon: In paradisum – Gregorian chant – Cantori Gregoriani / Fulvio Rampi10. Messe de Requiem: In paradisum – Maurice Duruflé – Corydon Singers & ECO / Matthew BestAndrew Carwood MBE is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, having had an illustrious solo career as a singer before focusing attention on conducting and choral direction. He is also the founder-director of the Gramophone award-winning early music ensemble The Cardinall's Musick which continues to perform throughout the UK and Europe.
‘Remember, remember, the 5th of November: Gunpowder, treason and plot.’ The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 is synonymous with the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, but the fates of some of the conspirators are inextricably linked to St Paul’s. Find out how in this podcast episode. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Themed around ‘Money, race and climate’, this film is of an event organised by the Just Money Movement and hosted by St Paul's Cathedral during Good Money Week 2024. The Just Money Movement is an education and campaigning organisation that aims to equip Christians and churches to connect faith and finance.
A panel discussion to launch a new partnership between St Paul’s Cathedral and the educational charity Cumberland Lodge, which examines the values driving young people (18 to 25 years old) and their work practices, to further understand how this impacts on the corporate, social and creative sectors of the City of London.
Steve Chalke talks about his work in communities and education that changes young people’s lives.
Marilynne Robinson’s new book 'Reading Genesis' is a profound meditation on the first book of the Bible. In it she explores both its greatness as literature and its rich articulation of themes that resonate through the whole of scripture and human history – the problem of evil, God’s relationship to humanity, the nature of creation.In this conversation with Paula Gooder, they explore why she turned to writing about Genesis, what it tells us about the nature and the love of God and the freedom of humanity, why it matters so much as a foundational text, and what she is working on next.
On 6th December 1964, Dr Martin Luther King Jr preached to a packed St Paul’s Cathedral. On a flying visit on his way to Norway to collect his Nobel Peace Prize, he addressed a congregation of 4,000 people on The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life, providing the British public with a rare opportunity to hear him in person. Afterwards he gave a press conference in the Cathedral’s Chapter House about race relations in the UK.Marking the 60th anniversary of this historic visit, Senator Revd Raphael Warnock reflects on what Martin Luther King has to say to us today.The Revd Dr Raphael Warnock is a Democratic Senator and the Senior Pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where Martin Luther King also served as Pastor. In 2021 he was elected to the United States Senate, the first African American to represent Georgia and the first Black Democrat to be elected to the Senate from a Southern State.
The Venerable Bede (c. 673 – 735) was the foremost scholar of the Middle Ages. A saint, historian, scientist, social reformer and translator of the Bible into English, he never left Northumbria but his impact was felt all over the Christian world. Fascinated by human nature, his writing reveals a man of vibrant curiosity with deep empathy for humanity and love of nature. Michelle Brown will explore his life and impact, and why he matters to us today. Michelle Brown is Professor Emerita of Medieval Manuscript Studies at the School of Advanced Study in the University of London, and was previously Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts at the British Library. The author of numerous books including on the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Lion Companion to Christian Art, her most recent book is 'Bede and The Theory of Everything'. She is currently advising on early society and Christianity for Archbishop Stephen's 'Faith in the North' revival in the northern province.
Autumn 2024 will see one of the most significant pieces of art in our collection back on display inside St Paul’s following a period of conservation work: William Holman Hunt’s The Light of the World. Discover the story behind this beloved and well-travelled painting in this podcast episode.
The Revd Paula Hollingsworth examines Jane Austen’s spirituality, faith and values through her novel 'Pride and Prejudice'. Paula Hollingsworth is Chaplain at St Paul’s Cathedral, and the author of 'The Spirituality of Jane Austen' https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/christian-living/christianity-and-the-arts/the-spirituality-of-jane-austen/
The Revd Paula Hollingsworth explores Jane Austen’s life and faith, looking at her major novels and the spiritual themes that run through them.Paula Hollingsworth is Chaplain at St Paul’s Cathedral, and the author of 'The Spirituality of Jane Austen' www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/c…y-of-jane-austen/
The bells of St Paul’s are a sound familiar to many who find themselves in the City of London, and the stories behind them reflect our rich history. Great Paul, Great Tom, the clock bells, the 12 change ringing bells, and the service bell – find out about them all in this podcast episode. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
We live in times that challenge hope. Climate change, pandemic, racism, war and injustice: in the face of these, where we find hope is an urgent question. Susanna Snyder says hope is not just optimism that things will turn out alright, if not in this world then in the next, but is something much more present, supple and resilient. She will explore what hope is and isn’t, its surprising relationship with anger, courage, imagination and action, and how we can cultivate and sustain it in our own lives. The Revd Dr Susanna Synder is Programme Leader for Short Courses, Director of Research, and Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at Sarum College in Salisbury.
A talk by renowned biblical scholar and womanist theologian, the Reverend Professor Wilda C. Gafney on the story of Hannah and Peninnah in the Hebrew Bible. Professor Gafney is the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is also the author of 'A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church' and translator of its biblical selections, and 'Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to Women of the Torah and of the Throne'. She has completed the second volume of 'Womanist Midrash' focusing on women in the Former Prophets, which is expected later in 2024.
How do we build a movement of the people of God? If we turn to the earliest days of Christianity, we can find wisdom for how we can mobilise as Christians working for social justice today.Drawing as well from the great Liberation Theologians including Gutierrez, Cone and Black feminist theologians, Anupama Ranawana examines the connections between climate, poverty, race and colonisation, and on the redemptive and restorative work of the Cross as good news for the planet as well as for all people. Dr Anupama Ranawana is a theologian and political economist with research posts at St Andrew’s University and Christian Aid. Her latest book is A Liberation for the Earth: Climate, Race and Cross.
Kate Bottley talks about her own life and faith; about hope, being human, having doubts, getting through life’s hard bits, celebrating the great bits, and finding meaning and connection in it all.
Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral for 33 years, John Collins was a remarkable priest and social reformer who was one of the world's leading proponents in the causes of justice, freedom and peace. Discover more about Collins’ life, work and activism in this podcast episode.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
When St Paul’s was constructed under the stewardship of Sir Christopher Wren, it was by a male dominated workforce – almost exclusively male – except for one woman: Jane Brewer, who cast and polished the golden pineapple found on the Cathedral’s south west tower. Find out more about Jane, and the curious pineapple architectural details to be found all over London!Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Why do some places feel full of spiritual meaning and some feel desolate? There is a rich understanding of place in the Bible, which is full of stories of the surprising places where God is encountered, often interwoven with hospitality and welcoming the stranger. Andrew Rumsey will explore what place means in our spiritual lives, in the search for meaning and identity, in the Bible, as well as in our own local neighbourhoods, parishes, city and nation. The Right Revd Dr Andrew Rumsey is the Bishop of Ramsbury and was formerly the vicar of Gipsy Hill in the Diocese of Southwark. He is also a musician and poet, who in 2023 released an album, Evensongs. His latest books are 'Parish: An Anglican Theology of Place' and 'English Grounds: A Pastoral Journal'.
Selina Stone and Paula Gooder explore the practice of tarrying - waiting on God – which is at the heart of Selina Stone’s Lent book Tarry Awhile: Wisdom from Black Spirituality for People of Faith, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book for 2024.They talk about favourite Bible stories about tarrying including Gethsemane, Jacob and the Angel, and Hagar in the desert, as well as the importance of bodies in our spiritual lives, being honest about disappointment, and about how to keep a good Lent.
On the 7th May 1913, the Suffragettes brought the fight for women’s votes to St Paul’s, when a plot to blow up the Bishop’s throne was narrowly foiled – after a Virger found the ticking bomb at the Cathedral’s east end. This podcast episode explores this fascinating story, and how it was reported at the time. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
James Baldwin is best known as a novelist and essayist, but he grew up in the church, steeped in scripture, and was a celebrated preacher when he was young. Though he later criticized the church, it gave him his vision of the world. Jarel Robinson-Brown introduces his life and work, and explores how he can help us as Christians to broaden our horizons, to be more honest, more imaginative and challenge us to ask ourselves what kind of world we hope for.A handout referred to in this talk can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2024-02/James%20Baldwin%20timeline%20handout.pdf
Anderson Jeremiah and Paula Gooder talk about Jesus in the Bible, in history, and in our lives. They explore his suffering, death and resurrection, how much stories and images of him matter, and how we can live as disciples of Jesus today.
John Donne is one of England’s greatest poets and preachers, famed for lines such as, ‘No man is an island…’ and ‘Never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.’ He is also a former Dean of St Paul’s, and certainly one who lived many lives in one lifetime. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Christmas at St Paul’s in 1940 was as normal as it could be, considering it was wartime. This, however, would all change on the night of the 29th December during a bombing raid of the city. This was the time when one of the most famous photographs of the Second World War was taken – one of St Paul’s appearing through the smoke of the surrounding fires.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
The Bible is full of angels, from the cherubim in Ezekiel’s visions, to the strangers appearing to Abraham, to the messengers that bring the good news of Jesus’s birth to Mary and the shepherds in the Christmas stories. Paula Gooder explores what angels are and what they do in the Old and New Testaments.Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a distinguished Biblical Scholar, writer and speaker. The author of many books, in 'Heaven' she explored what the Bible says about angels.
Bishop Arun Arora and Canon Paula Gooder share their passion for Advent, explore why Advent is the season for a ‘spiritual MOT’, and also reflect on some of the inspiring stories of faith, from Stormzy to Santa, in his new Advent book 'Stick With Love'. They talk about the difficult questions to be faced about unanswered prayer, finding hope instead of despair in a deeply troubled world, and why stories are essential in the life of faith.The Rt Revd Arun Arora is the Bishop of Kirkstall in the Diocese of Leeds, having previously served as Vicar of St Nics, Durham, and before that as Director of Communications of the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England. His new book 'Stick with Love; Rejoicing in Every Tongue, Every Tribe, Every Nation' is The Archbishop of York's Advent for Book 2023.Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, a distinguished New Testament scholar and the author of numerous popular and academic books including her Advent books 'The Meaning is in the Waiting' and 'Journey to the Manger'.
Bob Gilbert talks about the wonders of inner-city nature, the pleasure and inspiration to be drawn from observing and connecting with the everyday, and explores whether it's possible to feel as close to God in the ordinary streets of a city as in the natural world.Bob Gilbert is an urban naturalist, broadcaster, author and a long-standing campaigner for inner-city conservation. His book 'Ghost Trees: Nature and People in a London Parish' was longlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. His latest book is 'The Missing Musk: A Casebook of Mysteries from the Natural World'.
‘One sometimes finds what one is not looking for…’Undoubtedly one of the greatest in a pantheon of great Scots is Sir Alexander Fleming, whose discovery of penicillin in 1928 revolutionised medicine, and has saved millions of lives. Today, a memorial plaque in the Crypt of St Paul’s marks the place where his ashes were laid to rest.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Artificial intelligence is in the news. Eve Poole and Paula Gooder talk about what AI really is and whether we should be frightened by it, hopeful, excited or all three. They explore the role that philosophers and theologians need to have in developing AI, and why it draws us into the big questions about existence: What does it means to be human? What is a soul? What really matters about human life? Dr Eve Poole is an expert in leadership, and was Third Church Estates Commissioner from 2018-2021. Awarded an OBE in 2023 for services to education and gender equality, her latest book is 'Robots Souls: Programming in Humanity'.Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, a distinguished New Testament scholar and the author of numerous popular and academic books.
What does it mean when – from our internal assumptions to our shared cultural understandings – God is presented as white? Chine McDonald reflects on what happens when we face hard and painful truths about race, identity and the imago Dei - the idea that every human, no matter what their colour, has a special quality that resembles the divine beauty of God. Chine McDonald is the Director of Theos Think Tank.
In September 1666, five days would change the history and future of London - and St Paul's Cathedral - forever: The Great Fire of London. The medieval Cathedral of Old St Paul's was at first considered safe, however it would not remain so. This episode explores what happened during this catastrophic fire - and just what came next.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
[The text of the pieces of music in this audio file can be accessed at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-09/Texts%20and%20Tranlations.pdf]Rowan Williams explores Mary’s life in the Gospels, from the Annunciation to the Cross and Pentecost: a story where heaven and earth come close together. He says that her story frames the life of Jesus, inviting us to ponder, as she does, the scale and scope of what happens in the transforming, revolutionary life of her son. Andrew Carwood conducts St Paul’s Consort singing 'A Hymn to the Virgin', Benjamin Britten; 'Stabat Mater Dolorosa', Giovanni Pierluigi di Palestrina; 'Alma Redemptoris Mater', Tomás Luis de Victoria.
What does it mean to bring our imaginations to reading the Bible? Professor Judy Fentress-Williams says the Bible is there to guide us, challenge us, confuse us, inspire us, and that bringing our honest questions to the text can lead us into deeper truths and a deeper relationship with God. Biblical scholars Judy Fentress-Williams and Paula Gooder talk about the beautiful, inspiring and difficult parts of the Bible, why we should read it like poetry, and what Biblical authority really means. Dr Judy Fentress-Williams is Professor of Old Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary. Her latest book is 'Holy Imagination: A Literary and Theological Introduction to the Whole Bible'. Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, a distinguished New Testament scholar and the author of numerous popular and academic books.
Julian of Norwich was a 14th century mystic, theologian and writer. Her revelatory visions of God’s love for all creation went against the prevailing and sometimes harsh doctrine of the times, and have inspired many since.Claire Gilbert explores how Julian’s spirituality can help awaken and transform our ecological consciousness, showing us how to live in such a way that we cease to do harm to creation and each other.Dr Claire Gilbert is the Director of Westminster Abbey Institute and was formerly policy advisor to the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England in environmental issues. Her latest book is 'I, Julian', a fictional autobiography of Julian of Norwich.
For all of his undisputed genius, even Sir Christopher Wren was fortunate enough to be blessed with some architectural good fortune; the greatest would become one of the best-known spaces inside St Paul’s Cathedral: the Whispering Gallery. Explore the science and story behind the Gallery, 257 steps up inside the Dome of the Cathedral.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Content warning: This podcast contains references to miscarriage, medical procedures and execution, which some may find distressing.
Sir Christopher Wren is known as one of the greatest architects of all time, but his own first love was actually science. His scientific achievements are as varied as they are numerous, ranging from meteorology, physics, astronomy and physiology.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
An academic lecture entitled 'The Revolutionary Children of God: Cultivating a Faith the Creates Communion', in which Willie Jennings' explores the question 'who are my people?' and considers theological issues of belonging for Christians.
Part of the Koinonia lectures for 2022-23, co-organised by the Diocese of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, which offer an opportunity to engage with the latest research from a wide range of theological and ecclesiological thinkers.
The Bible proclaims that we are all wonderfully made in God’s image, but the continuing marginalisation of disabled siblings in our churches and society indicates that we have a long journey towards recognising the value, and giftedness, of all.
Dr Naomi Lawson-Jacobs and Emily Richardson, co-authors of 'At The Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches' are in conversation with Reverend Zoe Heming.
Naomi and Emily centre their book around disabled Christians’ own stories, and call for churches to move from a care-based approach to disability, to one that is focused on justice, equality and access to churches for disabled Christians.
Dr Naomi Lawson Jacobs (they/them) is an independent researcher and disability equality trainer who works in the voluntary sector and in churches. Naomi’s book At the Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches, co-written by Emily Richardson, shares disabled people’s stories of marginalisation in churches, their cries for justice and their transformative theologies. The book is based on Naomi’s PhD research (SOAS, University of London). Naomi has been involved with the planning of the annual Inclusive Church disability conference for many years, and they write and speak widely on disability and justice in church and society.
Emily Richardson is a writer and speaker whose interests include theology, inclusion and communication - particularly social and digital media. She studied theology at St Andrews and now works for a large church as communications coordinator. She has just co-written At the Gates: Disability, Justice and the Churches with Naomi Lawson Jacobs .
It’s certainly accurate to say our Geometric Staircase is iconic; an architectural jewel and a source of curiosity, wonder and fascination. Its official name is the Dean’s Staircase, and it has featured in a number of films over the years, such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, too. Discover the science behind its remarkable design in this podcast episode.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
2023 sees the first coronation of a British monarch in 71 years – His Majesty King Charles III and the Queen Consort. 2023 is also the 300th anniversary of Christopher Wren’s death, and in this podcast episode we explore his long standing and sometimes surprising royal – and coronation – connections.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Christopher Wren: The Quest for Knowledge is a special exhibition opening on the 27th April at St Paul's. It explores the life and work of Wren through archive material and personal artefacts. Discover more about this new exhibition, included with sightseeing admission, and then come and visit for yourself!Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
From the earliest years of Christianity to the present day, the practice of silent prayer is where many have sought, and found, the presence of God. But it is not always as simple as it sounds.Richard Carter was for many years a member of the Melanesian Brotherhood in the Solomon Islands where silence was a daily part of the spiritual life of the community. In London he is the founder and leader of the Nazareth Community where contemplative prayer is the basis for their contemporary rule of life. He will offer a ‘beginner’s guide’ to silence, reflecting on its nature, practice, joys and pitfalls, and how we can find it in our noisy city and busy lives. The Revd Richard Carter is Associate Vicar for Mission at St Martin-in-the-Fields in central London, and the author of The City is my Monastery: A contemporary rule of life.
Professor John Barton, one of the great Biblical scholars of our time, introduces his bestselling book The History of the Bible, the culmination of a lifetime’s work. He explores the Bible’s long evolution, how much good translations matter, and what contemporary scholarship reveals about the Bible, including how as contemporary Christians we understand its place at the heart of our faith. The Revd Professor John Barton is the Oriel & Laing Emeritus Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford, a Senior Research Fellow of Campion Hall, Oxford and an Anglican priest.
From the writers of the psalms 3,000 years ago to our own prayers in church every Sunday, faithful people have prayed to God to bring justice to the earth, and yet terrible suffering and injustice continue in every part of the world. Why doesn’t God answer our prayers? Selina Stone has wrestled with this question through many years working at the front line of injustice as a community organiser. She reflects personally and theologically about the question of prayer and its relationship to a transformed world. Dr Selina Stone is Postdoctoral Research Associate in Theological Education at Durham University where her research focuses on diversity and belonging. Her PhD is in Pentecostalism and Social Justice and she has worked previously as a lecturer in theology, leadership and social justice and as a community organiser in London.
As we prepare to open a new exhibition to mark the 300th anniversary of his death, it seems an apt time to ask, who was Sir Christopher Wren? He was an astronomer, scientist and geometrician – but later in life would become known as the greatest architect of his time. This episode explores Wren’s life, work, legacy – and impressive body of work. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
The handouts referred to in this talk can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-02/DYNAMIC%20OF%20SPEXX%20DIAGRAM.docx andhttps://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-02/GS%20ST.%20PAUL%27S%20QUOTATIONS.docxSt Ignatius was a rare and gifted teacher of prayer. Breathtakingly free in his approach to prayer and extraordinarily modern in his understanding of human psychology, his insights have offered a way for countless people to be in touch with God’s limitless desire to break through and surprise us, and our own built-in ability to respond. Gemma Simmonds introduces his teaching about prayer, using silence, imagination and the everyday reality of our lives to discover how to we can be in touch with our capacity to know and feel the presence of God in all things. Sr Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ has taught Ignatian Spirituality at Heythrop College, is Senior Lecturer in Pastoral Theology at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge and the author of The Way of Ignatius: A Prayer Journey through Lent.
When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, the Lord’s Prayer was his answer. Paula Gooder says that what Jesus gave the disciples was not just a single prayer but a set of guidelines for prayer itself. He was teaching them – and is teaching us – how to live a life of prayer formed by faith, hope and love, aligned with God’s desire for our own flourishing and a world full of justice.(A note on the talk from Dr Gooder: 'After the talk I realised that I had forgotten to say something I meant to say – and so am adding it here. When I was talking about the three requests, (may your name be hallowed, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven), I meant to say that these three only appear in Matthew’s Gospel. In Luke there is simply 'may your name be hallowed' and 'may your kingdom come'. Matthew’s version is much longer here. In a way Matthew is giving us a clearer picture of what Jesus had in mind.') Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar and the author of numerous academic and popular theology books.
The presentation referred to in this lecture can be accessed at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-02/GD_Koinonia%20Lecture%2C%20St%20Paul%27s_0.pdf An academic seminar presenting the latest research from Grace Davie.'Searching questions, abundant data, partial answers' with Grace Davie is part of the Koinonia lectures for 2022-23, co-organised by the Diocese of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, offering an opportunity to engage with the latest research from a wide range of theological and ecclesiological thinkers. Professor Grace Davie is Professor Emerita of Sociology at Exeter University as well as a lay canon of the Diocese in Europe.
What may come as a surprise to some is the fact that St Paul's has its very own Library, which will be reopening in spring 2023 following a four-year conservation and restoration project – the very first in its history. Discover our Library’s fascinating history and just some of the treasures it contains.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Br Guy Consolmagno says that science is an important way to get to know God. In this conversation with Paula Gooder about Br Guy’s role as director of the Vatican Observatory, they explore what meteorites tell us about God; why science and faith are more compatible than people imagine and the importance of story-telling to both science and religion. Thinking of the season of Epiphany, they also touch on the Magi and what star they might have seen at the time of Jesus’ birth.Br Guy Consolmagno is the director of the Vatican Observatory (www.vaticanobservatory.org) and president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. His latest book is 'My Theology: Finding God in the Universe'.Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, and a leading Biblical scholar and writer.
St Paul’s at Christmas: Is there any better place to enjoy the festive season? In 1924, you may have been forgiven for answering – perhaps. Alarmingly on Christmas Eve of that year, the Cathedral was served with a Dangerous Structures Notice amid fears the Dome might collapse. Discover what happened that fateful Christmas, and the scale of the project that became known as the Great Restoration.Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Lucy Winkett and Paula Gooder explore the pleasures, difficulties, and meanings of Christmas in good times and in bad. From Mary to the song of the Angels, to favourite carols and how hard it can be when the world seems to be celebrating without you, they explore the great and beautiful truth at the heart of it all: that God is with us. The Revd Lucy Winkett is Rector of St James’s Piccadilly, and a writer, musician and broadcaster who is a regular contributor to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day. Her latest book is 'Reading the Bible with Your Feet'. Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical Scholar and writer. Her latest book is 'Lydia: A Story', following on from her best-selling 'Phoebe'. We are very grateful to Benefact Trust for their generous support of this programme.
The handout of images referred to in this talk can be downloaded at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/Hildegard%20image%20handout.pdf Hildegard was a composer, healer, preacher, theologian, mystic and visionary: a woman of her time and out of her time. Born in the 11th century, she was the founder and Abbess of a community of Benedictine nuns in the Rhineland, and her extraordinary range of writing includes revolutionary thinking about medicine, music, the Trinity, the interdependence of male and female and of all humanity with creation. She corresponded with the Pope, preached publicly against corruption in the church and public life, and in 2012 was declared a Doctor of the Church.June Boyce-Tillman will introduce her life, work, music and ideas, and why she is a theologian for our time as well as her own. The Revd Dr June Boyce-Tillman is Professor Emerita of Applied Music at the University of Winchester and an Extraordinary Professor at North West University, South Africa. She is a composer, hymn writer and the convenor of Music Spirituality and Wellbeing International which brings together healing, the arts and theology, and author of numerous books including 'Creative Spirit: Harmonious Living with Hildegard of Bingen'.
An academic seminar presenting the latest research from Esther Mombo and Adera Godfrey.
'Reading against the grain as a hermeneutic of the margins: Post Lambeth 22 reflections in the Context of violence’ with Professor Esther Mombo and The Reverend Godfrey Adera is part of the Koinonia lectures for 2022-23, co-organised by the Diocese of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, offering an opportunity to engage with the latest research from a wide range of theological and ecclesiological thinkers.
Esther Mombo is a lecturer at St Paul's University in Limuru, Kenya, where she has served in senior administration and now teaches in the faculty of theology. She teaches courses in Church History and Theology. Her research interests are in fields of Church History women and theological education. Esther is a member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians coordinating the East African Region
Adera Owino Godfrey is a Priest in the Anglican Church of Kenya. A PhD Student at St Paul's University affiliated to the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. His research interest is in the intersection of Theology, Gender and Sexuality. His specific focus area is on incipient and latent scripts of theologies of gender and sexuality in the Anglican church of Kenya.
Anthony Reddie introduces the life and work of James H. Cone, one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century, and explores his no-holds-barred liberationist Christian theology.
In the Crypt of St Paul’s can be found a memorial to Florence Nightingale by artist Arthur George Walker. Depicted tending to a wounded soldier, the words inscribed above read, ‘Blessed are the merciful.’ Discover more about Nightingale’s life and work in nursing reform, as well as a pioneering statistician, and her legacy as the founder of modern nursing.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Paul of Tarsus is perhaps the most famous convert in Christianity. His dramatic encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus changed his life completely, turning him from a fierce persecutor of the new cult of Christianity to its passionate leader. A powerful personality and a visionary theologian, his letters are the foundational documents of the new church.
At the heart of Paul’s theology is the belief that there is nothing and no one who is outside God’s loving redemption. Often we encounter Paul through memories of different preachers’ and scholars’ interpretations of him, but Paula Gooder will introduce him as the person he really was, including how formative his background as a Pharisee was to his thinking.
Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical and Pauline scholar. Her numerous books include Body (about Paul’s theology of the goodness of the body), and Phoebe: A Story which explores the context of Paul’s letter to the Romans, his theological masterpiece.
The psalms contain some of the most beautiful lines in Scripture, lines that inspire and comfort us when we need them most. They draw us into a life of prayer and praise and have been the prayerbook of the church, and often its hymnbook too, for 2,000 years. Jesus himself knew them and prayed them.
And they are profoundly honest about what human life is really like, from the heights to the depths. They take us on a rollercoaster of emotions, from joy to anguish, praise to fury, torment to a place of deep peace. They teach us that we can bring everything - our real lives, our doubts, joys, and even our very darkest feelings - into the presence of God.
In this film, Biblical scholar Paula Gooder introduces some of her favourite psalms and their themes of joy, lament, comfort and reconciliation, and reflect on how they can draw us closer to God.
The film includes live music, with members of the St Paul’s Cathedral Consort performing settings of psalms from across the centuries.
Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral. She is the author of many academic and popular books on theology, faith and the Bible including 'Journalling the Psalms: A guide for prayer and reflection' (Hodder 2022).
St Paul’s Cathedral Choir is led by Andrew Carwood MBE and is one of the leading choirs of the world.
The reader is Adjoa Andoh, who plays lead roles in 'Bridgerton', 'Doctor Who' and 'Casualty', as well at the National Theatre and with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She is a Licenced Lay Minister in the Church of England.
If you direct your gaze upwards, the world can appear a very different and beautiful place. The mosaics of St Paul’s are a perfect case in point! Artist and mosaicist William Blake Richmond had been in discussions about the interior decoration of the Cathedral since 1874, but it wasn’t until 1890 that he had developed a scheme of designs for the ceilings of the Quire and Apse. Discover the inspiration and story of the mosaics that transformed the spaces they adorn with sparkling, vibrant colour.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Please find the handout that the speaker refers to at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2022-10/Augustine%20of%20Hippo%20handout.pdf
Cally Hammond introduces Augustine of Hippo, his life story, his most famous book Confessions, and his ways of prayer. She also explores why she thinks his difficult reputation is wrong, why he matters today and how he can be a teacher and a companion to us in our lives of faith.
An academic seminar entitled 'Contemplation in the city: some modern approaches to prayer in the urban landscape' in which Rowan Williams talks about about Madeleine Delbrêl. Part of the Koinonia lectures for 2022-23, co-organised by the Diocese of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, which offer an opportunity to engage with the latest research from a wide range of theological and ecclesiological thinkers.
An academic seminar entitled 'Contemplation in the city: some modern approaches to prayer in the urban landscape' in which Rowan Williams talks about about Madeleine Delbrêl. Part of the Koinonia lectures for 2022-23, co-organised by the Diocese of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, which offer an opportunity to engage with the latest research from a wide range of theological and ecclesiological thinkers.
Biblical scholar Paula Gooder says that stories and storytelling make all the difference to our understanding of the New Testament. In this conversation with Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley she talks about her new book Lydia, her second narrative exploration of a woman in the early church, which opens up life as a Christian in first-century Philippi and Paul’s letter to the new church there.
They explore why she chose to write about Lydia, the honour and shame culture in the first century and how much it resonates today, the centrality of forgiveness, how engaging our emotions deepens our understanding of Paul’s message, why they both think Paul has a positive view of women in leadership, and why he writes so much about joy.
Dr Paula Gooder is a leading New Testament scholar specialising in Paul’s letters and theology, and Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral. Her latest book is 'Lydia: A Story', following her bestselling 'Phoebe: A Story'.
Dr Helen-Ann Hartley is the Bishop of Ripon. She previously taught New Testament at Ripon College Cuddesdon, and at St John’s College in Auckland New Zealand, following her doctorate in Paul’s letters.
Biblical scholar Paula Gooder says that stories and storytelling make all the difference to our understanding of the New Testament. In this conversation with Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley she talks about her new book Lydia, her second narrative exploration of a woman in the early church, which opens up life as a Christian in first-century Philippi and Paul’s letter to the new church there.
They explore why she chose to write about Lydia, the honour and shame culture in the first century and how much it resonates today, the centrality of forgiveness, how engaging our emotions deepens our understanding of Paul’s message, why they both think Paul has a positive view of women in leadership, and why he writes so much about joy.
Dr Paula Gooder is a leading New Testament scholar specialising in Paul’s letters and theology, and Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral. Her latest book is 'Lydia: A Story', following her bestselling 'Phoebe: A Story'.
Dr Helen-Ann Hartley is the Bishop of Ripon. She previously taught New Testament at Ripon College Cuddesdon, and at St John’s College in Auckland New Zealand, following her doctorate in Paul’s letters.
An invitation to pause and reflect. In November 2021 we held a daytime retreat for those who are active in serving their local communities in the name of Christ: those who are championing social action and social justice. Run as a partnership between St Paul's Adult Learning and Compassionate Communities, part of the Diocese of London, and led by Antonia Lynn, an experienced spiritual director and practitioner of the Spiritual Exercises in daily life.
Go to https://www.stpauls.co.uk/resources/invitation-to-pause-and-reflect-online-retreat to access the handouts and other audio files from the retreat.
An invitation to pause and reflect. In November 2021 we held a daytime retreat for those who are active in serving their local communities in the name of Christ: those who are championing social action and social justice. Run as a partnership between St Paul's Adult Learning and Compassionate Communities, part of the Diocese of London, and led by Antonia Lynn, an experienced spiritual director and practitioner of the Spiritual Exercises in daily life.
Go to https://www.stpauls.co.uk/resources/invitation-to-pause-and-reflect-online-retreat to access the handouts and other audio files from the retreat.
An invitation to pause and reflect. In November 2021 we held a daytime retreat for those who are active in serving their local communities in the name of Christ: those who are championing social action and social justice. Run as a partnership between St Paul's Adult Learning and Compassionate Communities, part of the Diocese of London, and led by Antonia Lynn, an experienced spiritual director and practitioner of the Spiritual Exercises in daily life.
Go to https://www.stpauls.co.uk/resources/invitation-to-pause-and-reflect-online-retreat to access the handouts and other audio files from the retreat.
An invitation to pause and reflect. In November 2021 we held a daytime retreat for those who are active in serving their local communities in the name of Christ: those who are championing social action and social justice. Run as a partnership between St Paul's Adult Learning and Compassionate Communities, part of the Diocese of London, and led by Antonia Lynn, an experienced spiritual director and practitioner of the Spiritual Exercises in daily life.
Go to https://www.stpauls.co.uk/resources/invitation-to-pause-and-reflect-online-retreat to access the handouts and other audio files from the retreat.
An invitation to pause and reflect. In November 2021 we held a daytime retreat for those who are active in serving their local communities in the name of Christ: those who are championing social action and social justice. Run as a partnership between St Paul's Adult Learning and Compassionate Communities, part of the Diocese of London, and led by Antonia Lynn, an experienced spiritual director and practitioner of the Spiritual Exercises in daily life.
Go to https://www.stpauls.co.uk/resources/invitation-to-pause-and-reflect-online-retreat to access the handouts and other audio files from the retreat.
An invitation to pause and reflect. In November 2021 we held a daytime retreat for those who are active in serving their local communities in the name of Christ: those who are championing social action and social justice. Run as a partnership between St Paul's Adult Learning and Compassionate Communities, part of the Diocese of London, and led by Antonia Lynn, an experienced spiritual director and practitioner of the Spiritual Exercises in daily life.
Go to https://www.stpauls.co.uk/resources/invitation-to-pause-and-reflect-online-retreat to access the handouts and other audio files from the retreat.
In this final episode in our Royal Jubilee series, we explore the Jubilee of King George III. A Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul’s, on the 49th anniversary and the first day of the 50th year of his reign on the 25th October 1809. Discover these celebrations as well as our silver screen connection to the monarch.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
On the 22nd June 1897, a Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul’s for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. However, because of the Queen’s frail health, it was not held inside the Cathedral, but outside at the foot of the West steps. Find out more about the service and this momentous day in this fourth Jubilee themed podcast episode.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Image: Andrew Carrick Gow, 'Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Service, June 22 1897,' (1897-99), Guildhall Art Gallery, London.
Find out all about the Silver Jubilee of King George V in May 1935 in this podcast episode in our Stories from St Paul’s series. It was the first ever Silver Jubilee to be celebrated by a British monarch, and the celebrations began with a special Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s on the 6th May – where the two young royal princesses, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were in attendance – along with a congregation of 4,500.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
London was at the UK epicentre of the pandemic in 2020. Amid the suffering it was a time when profound questions were asked about how we might live better: economically and politically, culturally and spiritually, individually and collectively. What does a healthy society look like now?
Panellists are: Deborah Bull - Vice President, Communities & National Engagement and the Senior Advisory Fellow for Culture at King's College London; Crossbench Peer. Stephanie Flanders - Senior Executive Editor for Economics at Bloomberg News and Head of Bloomberg Economics. Victor Adebowale - Chair of Social Enterprise UK and the NHS Confederation; Crossbench Peer; Co-founder of Visionable and a Governor at the London School of Economics. Chaired by Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London.
St Paul’s Cathedral runs a year-round social justice and Christian spirituality programme, in person and online. We are very grateful to Benefact Trust for their generous support of this programme and to CCLA for their support and partnership in this event.
If you would like to join our mailing list to be the first to hear about upcoming events, please go to https://www.stpauls.co.uk/events-spirituality-and-social-justice
In 2022, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service. To mark this extraordinary occasion, we will hold a historic Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign on Friday 3rd June. In this podcast episode, we explore Services of Thanksgiving from The Queen’s Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees, and the role St Paul’s has played in them all.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Physicist Tom McLeish and Biblical scholar Paula Gooder talk about the relationship between science and faith, and how much each has to learn from each other. They explore the nature of truth, the role science plays in the Kingdom of God, how the art of asking good questions is at the heart of both science and faith, and draw insights from the Creation stories in the Old Testament, the Book of Job and St Paul’s life and letters.
Professor Tom McLeish FRS is Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Department of Physics at the University of York, and a Licenced Lay Minister in the Church of England.
Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, and a leading Biblical scholar and writer.
To mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, our new exhibition Jubilee: St Paul’s the Monarch and the Changing World explores the vital role the Cathedral has played in the Jubilee celebrations of British monarchs throughout history – George III, Victoria, George V and Elizabeth II.
Included with sightseeing admission, the exhibition opens on the 25th May 2022. Explore with us behind the scenes in this first podcast episode in our new Jubilee series, with a new episode each month until August 2022.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Bishop Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy and Dr Paula Gooder in conversation the resurrection and all things hopeful, including the movements for social and racial justice and contemplative prayer.
The dramatic and mysterious events of Holy Week and Easter are at the heart of Christian faith. Andrew Nunn says that Holy Week is like a pebble thrown into a pond and its effects are felt in Jesus’ resurrection, the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, and all the way into the present day and our own lives. Andrew Nunn and Paula Gooder explore what happens at the Last Supper, on the Cross, and at Easter and Pentecost, including some of what it means to them personally, and how we can keep the season in a way that means we come to know Jesus better.
The Very Revd Andrew Nunn is Dean of Southwark Cathedral. His new book is 'The Hour is Come: The Passion in real time' (2021).
Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral. Her latest books are 'Women of Holy Week: An Easter Journey in Nine Stories' and 'Journalling the Psalms: A Guide for Reflection and Prayer' (both 2022).
This is the story of one small book, a book that would become known as the most dangerous book in England: Priest and scholar William Tyndale’s New Testament, translated from Hebrew and Greek into English in 1526. Discover how this work – one of three surviving copies in existence – in the collection of the St Paul’s Library, challenged established religious and political power and authority, and made the Bible accessible to ordinary people in England for the first time, and how Tyndale’s legacy changed the religious, political and literary landscape forever.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Where can we find hopeful, transformative stories in the dark times we live in? How can we read the ‘signs of the times’, and act for the good? Theologians Anna Rowlands and Paula Gooder explore the roots and universality of Catholic Social Teaching, its foundations in the Gospels, and what it can teach us about working for justice, freedom and the common good when the world seems dark.
Dr Anna Rowlands is the St Hilda Professor of Catholic Social Thought & Practice at Durham University, and the author of 'Towards a Politics of Communion: Catholic Social Teaching for Dark Times'. She has interests in everyday ethics and the way that academic research and teaching can engage in wider forms of public benefit and the common good.
Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor at St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar. Her recent books include 'The Parables' and 'Women of Holy Week: An Easter Journey in Nine Stories'.
The wonder of St Paul’s is famous the world over, but what about the hidden St Paul’s? There’s much to marvel at in the vast areas of the Cathedral not normally open to the public. Some of them can be visited during our weekly Triforium tours, high above the Cathedral Floor. Here we have our Trophy Room and Christopher Wren’s Great Model, the Library and much more. Get a glimpse into these hidden areas in our latest episode.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Can stories reveal deeper truths than facts? Novelist Catherine Fox and Biblical theologian Paula Gooder talk about the importance of stories in our lives, in understanding ourselves, our relationships with other people, our faith, and even God.
Exploring their own writing processes in The Lindchester Chronicles and Phoebe: A Story, they talk about the power of good stories to change us, and explore the invitation and challenge of some of their favourite Bible stories including Jonah, the Prodigal Son, and Martha and Mary.
Dr Catherine Fox is the author of the popular Lindchester Chronicles series of novels which she describes as ‘a modern riff on the Barchester Chronicles’, and Senior Lecturer and Academic Director of the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor at St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar. Her recent books include The Parables and Phoebe: A Story.
Christmas is one of the defining points of the year, for believers and non-believers alike. Archbishop Stephen Cottrell and Biblical scholar Dr Paula Gooder explore the Advent themes that turn our thoughts to eternity and the real meaning of our lives, and the Christmas stories themselves: what Jesus’ birth means, how the world changes because of it, why Christmas is much more hopeful but also darker than we may think, and why it’s all about love.
Stephen Cottrell is the Archbishop of York and the author of more than 20 books, including 'Walking Backwards to Christmas' and 'Let it Slow: An Advent Calendar with a Difference'. His most recent is 'Dear England', a letter to the country on why the Christian narrative still makes sense today.
Paula Gooder is a renowned Biblical scholar and theologian, the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and the author of numerous academic and popular books including 'Journey to the Manger: Exploring the Birth of Jesus' and 'The Meaning is in the Waiting: The Spirit of Advent'.
The Artists’ Corner in the Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral is not just a final resting place for some of the world’s greatest artists, it is also somewhere where one can be reminded and inspired by the exceptional art made by those buried and remembered there; whose work continues to transcend time, and is not just relevant for today, but always.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
St Paul’s Cathedral is a magical place all year round, but perhaps during the Christmas, just a little bit more so. It’s also a very busy time of year, with an array of services and events. In this festive edition of our podcast, discover more about our choral and Christmas traditions.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson
St Paul’s Cathedral is a magical place all year round, but perhaps during the Christmas, just a little bit more so. It’s also a very busy time of year, with an array of services and events. In this festive edition of our podcast, discover more about our choral and Christmas traditions.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
A Famine of Grace: Jarel Robinson-Brown and Paula Gooder talk about identity, grace, bodies, vulnerability, being Christian, Black and LGBTQ+, and dreams for the church.
St Paul’s Cathedral: a place of worship and a major world tourist attraction, but also a building with substantial running costs. Sightseeing ticket income is vital to the upkeep of the Cathedral, but it might surprise you to learn that sightseeing tickets are not a recent occurrence – but in fact, 1709, whilst the Cathedral was still in its final stages of construction. Find out more about the history of tourism at St Paul’s, and how it has long been a part of our story.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Paula Gooder is in conversation with Richard Coles about the parables and their enduring power to shock and surprise, and how they challenge us to live our faith in the 21st century.
Have you ever heard the strange architectural tale which connects St Paul’s Cathedral with Colborne Lodge in High Park, Toronto? Discover the story of shipwreck, salvage and the re-purposing of railings in this Stories from St Paul’s podcast episode. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Justin Welby in conversation with Paula Gooder about how real reconciliation can be achieved whether between nations, in our personal relationships or within ourselves, as well as what difference the pandemic has made, whether religion is a part of the solution or the problem, and where he finds hope.
Stories from St Paul's - Season 2 In this first episode of Season 2 of 'Stories from St Paul's', discover more about American pilot Billy Fiske, who died in the Battle of Britain and is memorialised at St Paul's.
Billy Fiske was an American solider and Olympic gold medallist for the American bobsleigh team. He claimed to be Canadian so he could join the Royal Air Force, and became one of the first American pilots killed in action during World War II during the Battle of Britain.
He is buried in the churchyard of St Mary and St Blaise in Boxgrove, Sussex, and remembered with a memorial in the Crypt, unveiled in 1941, which reads "An American citizen who died that England might live." His RAF flying wings are located below this plaque.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson
The state funeral of former Prime Minister and wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill took place at St Paul’s on the 30th January 1965. Churchill’s connection to the Cathedral began some years earlier, however, when he wrote of his admiration for Sir Christopher Wren’s designs in his book, History of the English Speaking Peoples – and became intrinsically linked as symbols of resilience and resistance during the Second World War. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
St Paul’s has a long association with the American people, formed largely after the Second World War, a conflict in which thousands of Americans based in the UK were to give their lives. The most striking reminder of this sacrifice can be found at the very East end of the Cathedral: The American Memorial Chapel – a space rebuilt after being destroyed in the Blitz, and dedicated in its entirety to the American dead of World War Two. Find out about this beautiful Chapel and the American Roll of Honour in this Stories from St Paul’s episode.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Power and Prophecy: Black and White Women in the Church - what does it mean to say that women are made in the image of God? Join Rosemarie Mallett, Chine McDonald, Lucy Winkett and Paula Gooder for a conversation about race and gender, power, prophetic voices, naming injustice, and where hope can be found.
Rosemarie Mallett is the Archdeacon of Croydon in the Diocese of Southwark. Before ordination she was an academic, research sociologist, specialising in international development and ethno-cultural mental health.
Chine McDonald is Head of Community Fundraising and Public Engagement at Christian Aid. Her latest book 'God is not a white man and other revelations' (Hodder & Stoughton 2021) will be published at the end of May.
Lucy Winkett is Rector of St James’s Piccadilly, and was formerly Precentor at St Paul’s Cathedral. She writes and broadcasts regularly on religion, music and contemporary culture.
The event is chaired by Paula Gooder, Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral.
St Paul’s Cathedral is a place of worship and a tourist destination, but it’s also a place to experience and enjoy art in many mediums from different time periods, created by an array of talented artists and craftspeople like Grinling Gibbons, Sir James Thornhill and Henry Moore, to name just a few. More recently, contemporary interventions from Yoko Ono, Rebecca Horn, Antony Gormley, Gerry Judah and Bill Viola have enriched the pattern of worship in the Cathedral. Discover the many facets to the art on display in St Paul’s in this latest podcast episode.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
*Please note that as of June 2021, William Holman Hunt’s ‘The Light of the World’ painting is not on display due to ongoing building works in the North Transept. It will return for display in Spring 2022.
Admiral Horatio Nelson and Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington are forever associated with their most famous military battles. For Nelson, at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in which he lost his life, and for Wellington, in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. Perhaps surprisingly, the two men only met once briefly in 1805, but in death they have lain at rest beside each other for over 150 years in the Crypt of St Paul’s.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Bishop Rachel says that encounter and relationship are at the heart of faith and of life. At a time when ‘social distancing’ is our daily reality, she calls us to celebrate community, intimacy and the discovery of ourselves and each other through close encounter with God and our neighbour - the adventure of faith that Jesus calls us to - and to find hope even in times of darkness.
Rachel Treweek is the Bishop of Gloucester, was the first woman to become a Diocesan Bishop in the Church of England, and was previously a paediatric speech and language therapist. She is the author of Encounters: Jesus, connection and story, past present and future (DLT 2020).
Paula Gooder is the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar. Her latest book is The Parables (Canterbury Press, 2020), in her Biblical Explorations series.
Rowan Williams and Paula Gooder in conversation about the meaning of the story at the centre of our faith: what Jesus' resurrection means to how we live, how we pray, how we change the world, and how we die.
Rowan Williams is a poet, theologian, Honorary Professor of Contemporary Christian Thought at Cambridge University, the Chair of Christian Aid, and was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. His latest book is Candles in the Dark: Faith, Hope and Love in a Time of Pandemic (SPCK 2020).
Paula Gooder is the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar. Her latest book is The Parables (Canterbury Press, 2020), in her Biblical Explorations series.
Actor, singer and political activist Paul Robeson’s career spanned over 40 years, in theatre and film. On 12 October 1958, he sang and read the Lesson at St Paul’s Cathedral to huge crowds – the first Black person to do so – to raise funds for the defence in the South Africa Treason Trials, which included Nelson Mandela among the wrongfully accused. Find out more about Robeson’s activism and artistry in our latest Stories from St Paul’s podcast episode.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Who was St Paul? Find out more about the saint to which our iconic Cathedral is dedicated: his life, ministry and legacy, in this latest episode in our Stories from St Paul’s podcast.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
JMW Turner’s works are etched in the national psyche, and a great number can be viewed in public collections such as Tate Britain and the National Gallery. Turner is buried in the Artist’s Corner of St Paul’s Cathedral, and a statue of the artist gazes out over the South Transept of the Cathedral floor, with palette and paintbrushes in hand.
In this latest podcast episode, discover more about Turner’s extraordinary artistic output and enduring legacy, including paintings depicting St Paul’s itself.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Of all the cathedrals in all the towns in all the world, have any been depicted as many times on the big screen as St Paul’s? Grab your tickets and popcorn and come with us to the movies today for this latest podcast episode in our Stories from St Paul’s series. Excerpts from Paddington 2 courtesy of STUDIOCANAL.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
In 1964, Martin Luther King travelled from the USA to Norway to collect the Nobel Peace Prize – with one important stop – accepting an invitation to preach at St Paul’s Cathedral by Canon John Collins. On the 6 December 1964, Dr King delivered his sermon – 'The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life' – to 4,000 people, and afterwards held a press conference at St Paul’s, where he answered questions on race relations in the UK. Find out about this important, historic event in the latest episode of our podcast series.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
St Paul’s Cathedral is considered to be Christopher Wren’s masterpiece. But what of his lesser known genius?
Discover the work of the Cathedral’s Collections team in association with the London Metropolitan Archives, who together delved into Wren’s working practices at St Paul’s with architectural historian Dr Gordon Higgott, and the ways in which Wren’s designs evolved through the hundreds of drawings he produced.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Tuesday 2 February is Candlemas and St Paul's Cathedral has produced this service of prayer and reflection to honour the occasion.
As we begin Lent after an unprecedented year of change and uncertainty, Sarah Mullally and Paula Gooder discuss the love of Christ, what it means to be part of the body of Christ, and how we can draw closer to Christ this Lent.
Sarah Mullally is the Bishop of London. She is the editor of Rooted in Love: Lent Reflections on Life in Christ which contains daily reflections from all the area bishops in the Diocese of London.
Paula Gooder is Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar. Her latest book is The Parables in her Biblical Explorations series.
When Jesus says I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full, he doesn’t say that means it will be without suffering. Fullness of life speaks of joy, hope and resurrection, but life in all its fullness is not life without pain or disappointment: Jesus’s own life wasn’t.
Listen to John Swinton and Paula Gooder's profound and wide-ranging conversation reflecting on John's latest book 'Finding Jesus in the Storm', drawing on many years of experience of working with people with mental health challenges. It ranges from the importance of lamentation, how we can find joy in times of suffering, what it means to have Christ-like friendships, to the value of a rich spiritual life, and also reflects on how we can make churches places of welcome and safety for people with mental health challenges, how important good listening is and how we can all learn from people who are experiencing challenges in mental wellbeing.
John Swinton is Professor of Practical Theology and Pastoral Care at the University of Aberdeen and Founding Director of Aberdeen’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. His latest book is Finding Jesus in the Storm (SCM Press 2020).
Paula Gooder is Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar. Her latest book is 'The Parables', in her Biblical Explorations series.
In conversation with Paula Gooder, Timothy Radcliffe OP explores some of the ways that creativity and imagination can help us with the search for connection with each other, with ourselves, and with God.
Please note that the sound occasionally distorts for a few seconds with an audio echo.
Timothy Radcliffe is a Dominican Friar, a much-loved preacher and teacher, and the author of numerous books including 'What is the Point of Being a Christian?' His latest book is 'Alive in God: A Christian Imagination'.
Paula Gooder is Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar. Her latest book is 'The Parables', in her Biblical Explorations series.
Unsurprisingly, for a place with such a long history, St Paul's Cathedral is no stranger to mysterious and unexplained sights and sounds. In this podcast episode, discover some of the Cathedral's spectral stories and sightings.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Walking though the Psalms: Meditations with Addresses for Ash Wednesday, 17 February 2021. The adddresses are given by The Reverend Sandra McCalla, Vicar, St Leonard, Heston.
An order of service is available to download via our website: https://www.stpauls.co.uk/worship-music/worship/online-services
In the first episode of Stories from St Paul’s, learn about the ‘other’ Royal wedding to take place at the Cathedral and the events that followed which changed the course of English history.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
Whilst many believe St Paul's emerged from the Blitz unscathed, this was not quite the case. Discover the story of the skilled and dedicated volunteers behind its survival and how their legacy continues today.
Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.
St Paul is the patron saint of our Cathedral. The 25th January is the feast of the Conversion of St Paul and so, in this service of prayer and reflection, we remember and give thanks for his life and witness.
Sharon Prentis presents the last in a series of filmed reflections on visionary and prophetic voices to celebrate Black History Month. Sharon reflects upon the life of civil rights activist and priest Pauli Murray. (27 October 2020)
The Revd Dr Sharon Prentis is Mission Enabler & Dean of Black and Minority Ethnic Affairs for the Church of England in Birmingham and Honorary Fellow, Edward Cadbury Centre at the University of Birmingham’s Dept of Theology and Religion. After gaining degrees in social sciences, anthropology and theology her research and teaching has predominately been in community and education contexts.
In 2003, her work was recognised by the Department of Health when she was named as a Mary Seacole Scholar for a project on faith and the impact on health. Sharon is a member of the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns, a National group for the Church of England.
Anthony Reddie presents the third in a series of filmed reflections on visionary and prophetic voices to celebrate Black History Month. Anthony reflects upon the life of political activist and journalist Marcus Garvey. (20 October 2020)
Professor Anthony G. Reddie is the Director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture in Regent’s Park College, in the University of Oxford. He is also an Extraordinary Professor of Theological Ethics and a Research Fellow with the University of South Africa. He is a recipient of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2020 Lambeth, Landfranc Award for Education and Scholarship, given for ‘exceptional and sustained contribution to Black Theology in Britain and Beyond’.
Rosemarie Mallett presents the second in a series of filmed reflections on visionary and prophetic voices to celebrate Black History Month. Rosemarie reflects upon the life of musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Film at https://youtu.be/vpOGbBnkAhg (13 October 2020)
The Revd Canon Dr Rosemarie Mallett is the current Archdeacon of Croydon, an honorary canon of Southwark Cathedral and was the first Director of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation for Southwark Diocese. Born in Barbados, she has travelled many routes to arrive as an urban priest in London. She has worked as a senior medical sociologist and ethno-cultural mental health research scientist, and is now very engaged in church and community development both locally and nationally, dealing with issues of justice and equity for women and minority ethnic people in church and outside.
Jarel Robinson-Brown presents the first in a series of filmed reflections on visionary and prophetic voices to celebrate Black History Month. Jarel reflects upon the life of novelist and activist James Baldwin. Film at https://youtu.be/HLtJ-oAlLPQ (6 October 2020)
The Revd Jarel Robinson Brown is an Associate Chaplain at Kings College London. From 2013 - 2019 Jarel served as a Methodist Minister and entered the Church of England in 2020. He is preparing to serve as a priest in the Diocese of London. Prior to full-time ministry he studied classical music as a pianist and organist. He is currently researching Coptic Monasticism and Late Antique Egypt and is also interested in Liberation Theology, Queer Theology and the life of the Prophets.
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 77 John Stainer (1840-1901) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 49. 8-13 New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 8. 1-11
Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in B minor Hugh Blair (1864-1932) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
Glorious in heaven Percy Whitlock The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / John Scott (director)
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 75 Charles Harford Lloyd (1849-1919) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 6. 11-14, 23-end New Testament Reading: Acts 12. 1-17
Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in G Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
If the Lord had not helped me Edward Bairstow (1874-1946) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by the Reverend Paula Hollingsworth, Chaplain
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 63 Ivor Atkins (1869-1953) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Zephaniah 3. 14-end New Testament Reading: Mark 15. 40 – 16. 7
Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in E Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
My beloved spake Patrick Hadley (1899-1973) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by the Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 67 Bertram Luard-Selby (1853-1918) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 36. 24-28 New Testament Reading: John 3. 1-17
Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in G Major Herbert Whitton Sumsion (1899-1995) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
Blessed be the God and Father Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by The Right Reverend Rob Wickham, Bishop of Edmonton
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 39 Ivor Atkins (1869-1953) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 26. 1-9 New Testament Reading: Romans 8. 12-27
Evening Service in F Harold Darke (1888-1976) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
Alleluia. Laudate pueri Francis Jackson (b.1917) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / John Scott (director)
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks.
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 60 John Goss (1800-1880), Robert Stewart (1825-1894), John Harrison (1808-1871) & John Harrison (fl1867-1880) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: 2 Samuel 7. 18-end New Testament Reading: Luke 19. 41 – 20. 8
Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in F minor Alan Gray (1855-1935) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Carwood (director)
O thou the central orb Charles Wood The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by the Reverend Robert Coupland, Sacrist
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Evensong for Wednesday 8th July 2020
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 23 Charles Hylton Stewart (1884-1932) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Job ch 39 New Testament Reading: Romans 15. 14-21
St John’s Service Michael Tippett (1905-1998) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Simon Johnson (organ) / Andrew Carwood (director)
Praise Dobrinka Tabakova (b1980) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Huw Williams (organ) / John Scott (director)
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 56 William Bayley (1810-1858) & George Thalben Ball (1896-1987) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: 2 Samuel 2. 1-11; 3. 1 New Testament Reading: Luke 18. 31 – 19. 10
Evening Service in B minor T. Tertius Noble (1867-1953) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
Hymn to the Creator of Light John Rutter (b. 1945) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by the Reverend Canon James Milne, Precentor
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 3 Edward John Hopkins (1818-1901) Psalm 4 George Elvey (1816-1893) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 5. 8-24 New Testament Reading: James 1. 17-25
Basil Harwood (1859-1949) in A flat The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
Give us the wings of faith Ernest Bullock (1890-1979) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Evensong for the Eve of St Peter
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 124 George Garratt (1834-1897) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Huw Williams (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 34. 11-16 New Testament Reading: John 21. 15-22
St Paul’s Service Herbert Howells (1892-1983) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
Hymn to St Peter Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Huw Williams (organ) / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by Canon Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Evensong for the Birth of John the Baptist
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 80 Ivor Atkins (1869-1953) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Malachi 4 New Testament Reading: Matthew 11. 2-19
Brewer in D (1865-1928) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
Vox dicentis: clama Edward Naylor (1867-1934) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by Canon Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Evensong for the Second Sunday after Trinity
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 46 Martin Luther (1483-1546) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 24. 1-17 New Testament Reading: Luke 14. 12-24
Second Service Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Lo God is here Philip Moore (b.1943) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Huw Williams (organ) / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by The Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 119 vv1-32 Kellow John Pye (1812-1901) / James Nares (1715-1783) George Mursell Garrett (1834-1897) / Charles Hylton Stewart (1884-1932) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Huw Williams (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 42. 17-end New Testament Reading: Matthew 18. 1-14
Murrill in E (1909-1952) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
The Lord is my shepherd Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Evensong for the First Sunday after Trinity
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 43 Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) & Anon The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 24. 1-17 New Testament Reading: Luke 11. 14-28
Stanford in C (1852-1924) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Christopher Dearnley (organ) / John Scott (director)
Great is the Lord Edward Elgar (1857-1934) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by The Reverend Canon James Milne, Precentor
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 111 The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Huw Williams (organ) / John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 16. 2-15 New Testament Reading: John 6. 22-35
Stanford in B flat The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Simon Johnson (organ) / Andrew Carwood (director)
Lo, the full, final sacrifice Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Sermon given by The Reverend Paula Hollingsworth, Chaplain
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Evensong for Trinity Sunday
Plainsong Responses
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 6. 1-8 New Testament Reading: John 16. 5-15
Sermon given by The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, Dean
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty (Words: Reginald Heber, Tune: Nicaea J.B. Dykes) Choir of the Nation, Daniel Cook (organ), Matt Chinery (producer)
Psalm 93 The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Huw Williams (organ) / John Scott (director)
Walmisley in D minor The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Simon Johnson (organ) / Andrew Carwood (director)
I saw the Lord The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director)
Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us (Words: James Edmeston, Tune: Mannheim from F. Filitz’s Choralburch, harm. Lowell Mason) Choir of the Nation, Daniel Cook (organ), Matt Chinery (producer)
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Evensong for the Day of Pentecost
Plainsong Responses
Psalm 67 Bertram Luard-Selby (1853-1918) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Andrew Lucas (organ), John Scott (director)
Old Testament Reading: Joel 2. 21-end New Testament Reading: Acts 2. 14-38
Gloucester Service Herbert Howells (1892-1983) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Christopher Dearnley (organ), John Scott (director)
Come Holy Ghost Thomas Attwood (1765-1838) The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Andrew Lucas (organ), John Scott (director)
Sermon given by The Reverend Robert Coupland, Sacrist
St Paul’s Cathedral wishes to thank Hyperion Records for the permissions to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
1) Welcome – The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, Dean
2) Hymn – Hail the day that sees him rise – Choir of the Nation, George Inscoe (Organist), Matt Chinery (Producer).
3) The Preces – Plainsong
4) Psalm 8 – Chants: Henry Lawes (1598-1662) & Joseph Corfe (1740-1820) St Paul’s Cathedral Choir / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director) from Psalms from St Paul’s (Hyperion Records CDP 11001)
5) Old Testament Lesson – Song of the Three 29-37
6) Magnificat – Magnificat and Nunc dimittis Collegium Regale Charles Wood (1866-1926) St Paul’s Cathedral Choir / Simon Johnson (organ) / Andrew Carwood (director) From Canticles (Hyperion Records CDA 68058)
7) New Testament Lesson – Revelation Ch 5
8) Nunc Dimittis – Magnificat and Nunc dimittis Collegium Regale Charles Wood (1866-1926) St Paul’s Cathedral Choir / Simon Johnson (organ) / Andrew Carwood (director) From Canticles (Hyperion Records CDA 68058)
9) The Apostles Creed
10) The Responses – Plainsong
11) The Collects
12) Anthem – Viri Galilaei Patrick Gowers (1936-2014) St Paul’s Cathedral Choir / Andrew Lucas (organ) / John Scott (director) From English Anthems volume 2 (Hyperion Records CDA66519)
13) Reflection – The Reverend Canon James Milne, Precentor
14) The Prayers
15) Hymn – Alleluia, sing to Jesus – Choir of the Nation, George Inscoe (Organist), Matt Chinery (Producer)
St Paul’s Cathedral are grateful for the permission of Hyperion Records to use these tracks. More information from www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Behold how good and joyful a thing it is Stanley Vann The Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral / John Scott (director) This track is used with the kind permission of Hyperion Records. For more information visit www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Join us in celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day: to remember and to honour the courage and sacrifice of so many.
Join us in celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day: to remember and to honour the courage and sacrifice of so many.
Choir of the Nation hymns for St George's Day, 23 April 2020
Individuals across the UK and around the world recorded their individual parts of three hymns: Jerusalem, Christ the Lord is Risen Today and Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem. The organ accompaniments are performed by Daniel Cook of Durham Cathedral.
St Paul's Cathedral has brought them together to celebrate St George's Day in 2020.
For more information visit https://www.stpauls.co.uk/worship-music/worship/choir-of-the-nation-join-our-hymn-flash-mob
Choir of the Nation hymns for St George's Day, 23 April 2020
Individuals across the UK and around the world recorded their individual parts of three hymns: Jerusalem, Christ the Lord is Risen Today and Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem. The organ accompaniments are performed by Daniel Cook of Durham Cathedral.
St Paul's Cathedral has brought them together to celebrate St George's Day in 2020.
For more information visit https://www.stpauls.co.uk/worship-music/worship/choir-of-the-nation-join-our-hymn-flash-mob
Choir of the Nation hymns for St George's Day, 23 April 2020
Individuals across the UK and around the world recorded their individual parts of three hymns: Jerusalem, Christ the Lord is Risen Today and Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem. The organ accompaniments are performed by Daniel Cook of Durham Cathedral.
St Paul's Cathedral has brought them together to celebrate St George's Day in 2020.
For more information visit https://www.stpauls.co.uk/worship-music/worship/choir-of-the-nation-join-our-hymn-flash-mob
Music recommendations for a simple order of service for Easter Sunday 2020 to worship at home.
My beloved spake - Patrick Hadley St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Andrew Lucas (organ), John Scott (director) From The English Anthem Vol 1 Hyperion Records CDA66374
St Paul's Cathedral would like to thank Hyperion Records for their permission and support in using these tracks For more information please visit www.hyperion-records.co.uk
There is a green hill was recorded remotely from the homes of a selection of choristers and vicars choral in March 2020. The organist is Simon Johnson, and it was produced by Guy Weir and Matthew Chinery.
Dr Paula Gooder, our Chancellor, reflects on different characters in the narrative of the Cross for Good Friday 2020.
Music recommendations from St Paul's Cathedral for a simple order of service for Good Friday 2020 to worship at home.
There is a green hill far away St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Christopher Dearnley (organ), John Scott (director) From Praise to the Lord Hyperion Records CDH55036
Crucifixus [a 8] - Antonio Lotti St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
Drop, drop, slow tears - Orlando Gibbons St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
The Reproaches - John Sanders St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
St Paul's Cathedral would like to thank Hyperion Records for their permission and support in using these tracks For more information please visit www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Dr Paula Gooder, our Chancellor, reflects on different characters in the narrative of the Cross for Good Friday 2020.
Dr Paula Gooder, our Chancellor, reflects on different characters in the narrative of the Cross for Good Friday 2020.
Dr Paula Gooder, our Chancellor, reflects on different characters in the narrative of the Cross for Good Friday 2020.
Dr Paula Gooder, our Chancellor, reflects on different characters in the narrative of the Cross for Good Friday 2020.
Dr Paula Gooder, our Chancellor, reflects on different characters in the narrative of the Cross for Good Friday 2020.
Music recommendations from St Paul's Cathedral for a simple order of service for Good Friday 2020 to worship at home.
There is a green hill far away St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Christopher Dearnley (organ), John Scott (director) From Praise to the Lord Hyperion Records CDH55036
Crucifixus [a 8] - Antonio Lotti St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
Drop, drop, slow tears - Orlando Gibbons St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
The Reproaches - John Sanders St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
St Paul's Cathedral would like to thank Hyperion Records for their permission and support in using these tracks For more information please visit www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Music recommendations from St Paul's Cathedral for a simple order of service for Good Friday 2020 to worship at home.
There is a green hill far away St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Christopher Dearnley (organ), John Scott (director) From Praise to the Lord Hyperion Records CDH55036
Crucifixus [a 8] - Antonio Lotti St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
Drop, drop, slow tears - Orlando Gibbons St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
The Reproaches - John Sanders St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
St Paul's Cathedral would like to thank Hyperion Records for their permission and support in using these tracks For more information please visit www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Music recommendations from St Paul's Cathedral for a simple order of service for Good Friday 2020 to worship at home.
There is a green hill far away St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Christopher Dearnley (organ), John Scott (director) From Praise to the Lord Hyperion Records CDH55036
Crucifixus [a 8] - Antonio Lotti St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
Drop, drop, slow tears - Orlando Gibbons St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
The Reproaches - John Sanders St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Passiontide at St Paul's Hyperion Records CDH55436
St Paul's Cathedral would like to thank Hyperion Records for their permission and support in using these tracks For more information please visit www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Music recommendations for a simple order of service for Maundy Thursday 2020 to worship at home.
O for a closer walk with God St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Christopher Dearnley (organ), John Scott (director) From Praise to the Lord Hyperion Records CDH55036
Ubi caritas et amor - Maurice Duruflé St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Remembrance Hyperion Records CDA67398
St Paul's Cathedral would like to thank Hyperion Records for their permission and support in using these tracks For more information please visit www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Music recommendations for a simple order of service for Maundy Thursday 2020 to worship at home.
O for a closer walk with God St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Christopher Dearnley (organ), John Scott (director) From Praise to the Lord Hyperion Records CDH55036
Ubi caritas et amor - Maurice Duruflé St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (director) From Remembrance Hyperion Records CDA67398
St Paul's Cathedral would like to thank Hyperion Records for their permission and support in using these tracks For more information please visit www.hyperion-records.co.uk
Recorded by Choir of the Nation, recorded remotely from the homes of a selection of musicians from the UK and around the world in March 2020. The organist is Simon Johnson and it was produced by Guy Weir and Matthew Chinery.
A reflection for Palm Sunday by Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, April 2020.
Mark Barrett OSB opens the Psalms as a gateway to scriptural prayer and offers us a path through the five weeks of Lent. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on 1 March 2020.
Sermon by the Dean as part of the Lent Sermon Series: Pilgrimage -'Beginning the journey with Love' - at Evensong on The First Sunday of Lent, 1 March 2020.
Sermon by the Bishop of London at Sung Eucharist with the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, 26 February 2020.
Sermon by The Reverend Robert Coupland, Sacrist, at Sung Eucharist on The Third Sunday before Lent (Septuagesima). Sunday 9th February 2020.
Ruth Valerio challenges us as individuals and as the church to focus on how we can deal with the major environmental issues of our planet, from climate change, to biodiversity loss, to the plastic problem, and how we can make a difference and be a voice for change. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 2 February 2020.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Dr Marion Chattereley, Vice Provost, St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, at Sung Eucharist for The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas), Sunday 2 February 2020.
Sermon by Dr Nick Shepherd, Programme Director for Setting God's People Free, Archbishop's Council, at Sung Eucharist on The Third Sunday of Epiphany, 26 January 2020.
Sermon by Canon Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor, at Mattins on The Third Sunday of Epiphany, 26 January 2020.
Sermon by Canon Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor, at Sung Eucharist for The Conversion of St Paul, Saturday 25 January 2020.
Sermon by The Reverend Robert Coupland, Sacrist, at Evensong on The Second Sunday of Epiphany, 19th January 2020.
Sermon by the Dean, The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, at Sung Eucharist on the Baptism of Christ, Sunday 12 January 2020.
Sermon by The Dean, The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, at Eucharist on Monday 6 January, The Epiphany, 2020.
Sermon by The Revd Robert Coupland, Sacrist, at Evensong on The First Sunday of Christmas, 29 December 2019.
Sermon by The Dean, The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, at Sung Eucharist on Christmas Day (2019).
Sermon by The Reverend Robert Coupland, Sacrist, at Mattins on The Third Sunday of Advent, 15th December 2019.
Sermon by Canon Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor, at Sung Eucharist on The First Sunday of Advent, 1 December 2019.
Peter Stanford explores the historical, cultural and theological significance of angels. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on 1 December 2019.
Part Two: Jane Williams illuminates the familiar stories of Advent through art from all over the world. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on 23 November 2019.
This podcast refers to a Powerpoint presentation, a copy of which you can find at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/St-Paul's-Art-of-Advent.pdf
The images referred to in the podcast can be found online and with more information at the links listed on https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Images-used-in-Powerpoint.pdf
Part One: Jane Williams illuminates the familiar stories of Advent through art from all over the world. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on 23 November 2019.
This podcast refers to a Powerpoint presentation, a copy of which you can find at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/St-Paul's-Art-of-Advent.pdf
The images referred to in the podcast can be found online and with more information at the links listed on https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Images-used-in-Powerpoint.pdf
Renowned New Testament scholar, Dr Paula Gooder, unravels some of what the well-loved and familiar Christmas stories really tell us about Jesus' birth and why God chose this ludicrously risky way to redeem the world. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on 27 November 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Pastor, at Mattins on The Second Sunday before Advent, 17th November 2019.
Sermon by The Right Reverend Ric Thorpe, Bishop of Islington, at the service of Diocesan Confirmation on Saturday 16th November 2019.
Part Three of 'Joining the Song of Creation: St Francis and the Canticle of the Creatures' - The Way of Peace and Reconciliation: Our relationship with each other. Recorded at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine on 19 October 2019.
Brother Sam SSF explores the Canticle's origins in St Francis of Assisi's own life. In this podcast Brother Sam refers to a handout used on the day which you can find at www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uplo…gramme-final.pdf
Please note that all music sung on the day is edited out of this podcast.
Part Two of 'Joining the Song of Creation: St Francis and the Canticle of the Creatures' - Brother Sun and Sister Moon: Our ecological understanding of the earth. Recorded at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine on 19 October 2019.
Brother Sam SSF explores the Canticle's origins in St Francis of Assisi's own life. In this podcast Brother Sam refers to a handout used on the day which you can find at www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uplo…gramme-final.pdf
Brother Sam also refers to a poem 'St Kevin and the Blackbird' by Seamus Heaney which can be found at https://www.poetryarchive.org/poem/st-kevin-and-blackbird
Please note that all music sung on the day is edited out of this podcast.
Part One of 'Joining the Song of Creation: St Francis and the Canticle of the Creatures' - St Francis: The Troubadour of the Lord. Recorded at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine on 19 October 2019.
Brother Sam SSF explores the Canticle's origins in St Francis of Assisi's own life. In this podcast Brother Sam refers to a handout used on the day which you can find at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Programme-final.pdf
Please note that all music sung on the day is edited out of this podcast.
Sermon by Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor, at the Requiem Eucharist for the Fallen, Remembrance Sunday, 10th November 2019.
Sermon by The Dean, The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, at A Service of Remembrance on Sunday 10th November 2019.
Edmund Newell explores the sea in Christian history, theology and spirituality, moving from the Bible to the present day, via, among others, St Augustine, Christopher Columbus, William Shakespeare and John Donne, the scientists of the Enlightenment and the great hymn-writers of the 19th century. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 3 November 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Rachel Weir, Minor Canon, at Mattins on The Fourth Sunday Before Advent, Sunday 3 November 2019.
Ben Lindsay, Guvna B, Rosemarie Mallet and Chine McDonald discuss the joys and sorrows, the grace and pain of their individual and collective experience as Black Christians in white-majority churches, and explore how we can respond to each other as people of faith to build inclusive church communities. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on 29 October 2019.
Sermon by Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor, in the Sermon Series 'Fantastic Feats' - The Factory in a Garden: The fantastic vision of the Cadburys. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 27 October 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon James Milne, Precentor, in the Sermon Series 'Fantastic Feats' - Fantastic bridges: The Forth (Rail) Bridge. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 20 October 2019.
Sermon by The Very Reverend David Ison, Dean, in the Sermon Series 'Fantastic Feats' - Great Stink and Fantastic Sewers. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 13 October 2019.
Part Two: Stories of Hope
Winnie Varghese talks about how we can move on from our anxiety at current events in the world as we think through stories of hope from our own experiences. At 22 minutes in, Winnie talks about stepwells in India such as the Chand Baori in Abhaneri which is featured in the photograph illustrating this recording. More information on stepwells can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stepwell
Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 5 October 2019.
Part One: Hope is Just Past the Place of Anxiety
Winnie Varghese leads a discussion about the anxieties we feel in today's world, and how we might be able to step past our anxiety into hope. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 5 October 2019.
Sermon by Andrew Carwood, Director of Music, in the Sermon Series 'Fantastic Feats' - The Thames Barrier: floods and fantastic solutions. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 6 October 2019.
Paula Gooder discusses why and how she wrote her book about Phoebe's journey to Rome to deliver St Paul's letter to the Romans and her encounter with the early church there. In doing so she offers new insights into how we might engage afresh with Paul’s theology and attitude to women in the church. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 6 October 2019.
Michael Curry explores how the Jesus Movement has the power to turn the world upside down, Jesus calls us to strive for a world where no child suffers, no one goes to bed hungry, no one is abandoned and alone. A world where love is the way when we take the Jesus Movement seriously.
Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on 3 October 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Sheridan James, Vicar, St Catherine, Hatcham, at Evensong on The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, on Sunday 15th September 2019.
Sermon by Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor, at Sung Eucharist on The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 15th September 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer, at Evensong on the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sunday 8 September 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Helen O'Sullivan, Chaplain, on the Feast Day of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Sunday 8 September, 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Rachel Weir, Minor Canon, at Mattins on the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 1 September.
Calvin Samuel explores the misunderstanding of holiness; that it's not about stereotypes, rules or being 'holier than thou' but rather the most attractive thing in the world, the dazzle of divine love and a radical grace that God offers us for our deepest and most joyful good. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 1 September 2019.
Sermon by The Revd Dr Melanie Marshall, Chaplain, Lincoln College, Oxford, at Sung Eucharist on The Eight Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 11 August 2019.
Sermon by The Dean, The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, at Sung Eucharist on The Seventh Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 4 August 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Pastor, at Sung Eucharist on the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 28 July 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Dr Calvin Samuel at Sung Eucharist on the Fifth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 21 July 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Helen O'Sullivan, Chaplain, at Evensong with Valediction of Choristers on the Fourth Sunday after Trinity, 14th July 2019.
Sermon by Dr Paula Gooder, Chancellor, at Evensong attended by the Friends of St Paul's Cathedral, on Wednesday 10 July 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Pastor, at Evensong on the Third Sunday after Trinity, 7th July 2019.
Sharon Prentis uncovers stories of holy, inspired and inspiring lives from all over the world, celebrating the true diversity of the saints and challenging the church to become what it is meant to be: a rainbow people of God serving the diverse needs of a diverse world. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 7 July 2019.
Sermon by The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Lord Williams of Oystermouth, Master, Magdalene College, Cambridge, at the Consecration of Bishops on Wednesday 3 July 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Mark Poulson, Canon for Interfaith Relations, at Evensong on Tuesday 2 July 2019.
Sermon by The Bishop of London at the Ordination of Deacons on Saturday 29th June 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer, at Sung Eucharist on The First Sunday after Trinity, 23 June 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Dr Julie Gittoes, Vicar Designate, St Mary and Christ Church, Hendon, at Sung Eucharist on Trinity Sunday, 16th June 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Prebendary Rose Hudson-Wilkin at Sung Eucharist on the Feast of Barnabas the Apostle, Tuesday 11th June 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Rachel Weir, Minor Canon, at Evensong on the Day of Pentecost, Sunday 9 June 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Pastor, at Eucharist marking 25 years of the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood in the Diocese of London, Tuesday 4 June 2019.
In this session 'Why Silence? at the start of the reflective day 'A Beginner's Guide to Silence', Richard Carter talks about how a beginner to keeping silence might approach a sacred time of silence. Recorded on Saturday 1 June 2019 at the Royal Foundation of St Katherine during a joint day of silence held in partnership with St Paul's Cathedral.
Barbara Brown Taylor explores how we can encounter God in the faith of other people, and how our faith can be improved by the faith of others, even those we fundamentally disagree with. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Thursday 30 May 2019.
Sermon by The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark, at Sung Eucharist on The Sixth Sunday of Easter, 26 May 2019.
Sermon by The Very Reverend Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester, at The 365th Festival of the Clergy Support Trust on Tuesday 21 May 2019.
Sermon by The Bishop of London at Sung Eucharist on the Feast of Mellitus, First Bishop of London, 624, on Thursday 2 May 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Helen O'Sullivan, Chaplain, at Evensong on The Fourth Sunday of Easter, 12th May 2019.
Graham Tomlin explores the distinctively Christian vision of freedom and suggests that Christian understandings of freedom work for personal flourishing as well as building stronger communities in a way that many popular secular versions of the idea are unable to. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 5 May 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Mark Poulson, Diocesan Coordinator for Presence and Engagement, at Mattins on The Third Sunday of Easter, 5th May 2019.
Sermon by the Bishop of London at The Easter Liturgy with Baptism, Confirmation and the First Eucharist of Easter on Holy Saturday, 20 April 2019.
Sermon by Paula Gooder, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, at Evensong on Palm Sunday, 14 April 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Rachel Weir, Minor Canon, for the Lent Sermon Series: "In Quires and Places where they sing, here followeth the Anthem" at Evensong on Sunday 7 April 2019.
In preparation for Holy Week, Lucy Winkett explores the scandal of the cross, what we can and can't say about the cross, and what this might mean for our faith, prayers and actions. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 7 April 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Pastor, for the Lent Sermon Series: "In Quires and Places where they sing, here followeth the Anthem" at Evensong on Sunday 31 March 2019.
Sermon by The Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, for the Lent Sermon Series: "In Quires and Places where they sing, here followeth the Anthem" at Evensong on Sunday 24 March 2019.
At the event 'Jesus Christ: The Unanswered Questions' on Wednesday 27 March 2019, Rowan Williams was asked the questions 'Who is Jesus for you?' and this is his answer.
Rowan Williams says that how we understand Jesus Christ in central to how we understand everything, and here he wrestles with the the defining question of our faith - who Jesus is. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday 27 March 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Helen O'Sullivan, Priest Vicar and Chaplain, for the Lent Sermon Series: "In Quires and Places where they sing, here followeth the Anthem" at Evensong on Sunday 10 March 2019.
Sermon by The Bishop of London at Sung Eucharist with the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, 6 March 2019.
As we approach Lent, Jane Williams explores how God works for our salvation in ways so gently, so subtle and so apparently vulnerable that it is easy to over look their force calling us to walk in the paths of humility, for our own sake and the sake of the world. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Sunday 3 March 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas at Evensong on The Sunday next before Lent (Quinquagesima), 3 March 2019.
Sermon by The Dean, The Very Reverend David Ison, at Sung Eucharist on The Second Sunday before Lent, Sunday 24 February 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Rachel Weir, Minor Canon, at Mattins on the Third Sunday before Lent, 17th February 2019.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer, at Mattins on the Fourth Sunday before Lent, 10th February 2019.
Carys Walsh explores Christian Spirituality in all its forms and in part five explores Anglican Spirituality through the Book of Common Prayer, the Collect for the day, and the poetry of George Herbert. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 9 February 2019.
Refers to handout which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/An-Introduction-to-Christian-Spirituality---Booklet-to-hand-out---Amended.pdf
Carys Walsh explores Christian Spirituality in all its forms and in part four discusses Etty Hillesum, a Dutch Jew who developed a commitment to God and discovered a spirituality which took her beyond herself in the few years before she died in Auschwitz in 1943. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 9 February 2019.
Refers to handout which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/An-Introduction-to-Christian-Spirituality---Booklet-to-hand-out---Amended.pdf
Carys Walsh explores Christian Spirituality in all its forms and in part three talks about the life of St Ignatius and aspects of Ignatian spirituality such as imaginative prayer and spiritual direction. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 9 February 2019.
Refers to handout which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/An-Introduction-to-Christian-Spirituality---Booklet-to-hand-out---Amended.pdf
Carys Walsh explores Christian Spirituality in all its forms and in part two explores St Benedict and his rule of life. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 9 February 2019.
Refers to handout which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/An-Introduction-to-Christian-Spirituality---Booklet-to-hand-out---Amended.pdf
Carys Walsh explores Christian Spirituality in all its forms and in part one gives us an introductory overview of the whole of the dynamic nature of Christian Spirituality. Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 9 February 2019.
Refers to handout which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/An-Introduction-to-Christian-Spirituality---Booklet-to-hand-out---Amended.pdf
The Rt Revd Richard Harries explores some of the novelists, playwrights and poets who have meant the most to him and considers why it is that literature can teach us so much about how to be a person of faith. Recorded 3 February 2019 at St Paul's Cathedral.
Sermon by The Reverend Helen O'Sullivan, Priest Vicar and Chaplain, at Evensong on The Fifth Sunday before Lent, 3 February 2019.
Sermon by The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, at Mattins on the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany, 27 January 2019.
Sermon by The Revd Rachel Weir, Interim Minor Canon, at Sung Eucharist on the Third Sunday of Epiphany, 20 January 2019.
Scientist and priest the Revd Dr Gillian Straine explores healing in both the Bible and contemporary science, looking at the role of prayer and considering the question of divine intervention and what the nature of healing really is. Part two of a talk recorded on Saturday 12 January 2019.
The Revd Dr Gillian Straine discusses how Jesus' ministry on earth sees him perform numerous miraculous cures and how he charges his followers - us - to do the same. What can we make of this in the 21st century? This is part one of a talk recorded on Saturday 12 January 2019.
Sermon by The Reverend Helen O'Sullivan, Priest Vicar and Chaplain, on Epiphany Sunday, 6 January 2019.
Sermon by The Bishop of London, The Rt Hon & Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally, at Sung Eucharist on Christmas Day, 2018.
Handout referred to in the session can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Handout-week-4.pdf
Advent is traditionally the season when we reflect on humanity’s relationship with God through the lives of the Old and New Testament Fathers and Mothers of the faith.
It is also a season which calls us to slow down and contemplate the things of eternity. One of the ways we can slow down our busy lives and minds is by taking the time to listen attentively to music.
This Advent we will explore in music and words the human lives which tell the story of salvation from its very beginning in the Garden of Eden to Mary’s song of joy as she receives the world-changing news of the coming of the Messiah. Through the Biblical accounts and the music which has been inspired by them, we will focus on Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, the great Prophets including Isaiah, Ezekiel and John the Baptist, and Mary the Mother of God.
The four week course includes music from the Renaissance to the 21st century, by composers including Bach, Haydn, Elgar, Arvo Pärt and Benjamin Britten.
Andrew Carwood is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Founder-Conductor of The Cardinall’s Musick, an internationally-regarded singer and winner of the 2010 Gramaphone Awards Recording of the Year for his recording of William Byrd’s music.
Session 3 - 15 December 2018. (Final session is 22 December).
Handout referred to in the session can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Handout-week-3.pdf
Advent is traditionally the season when we reflect on humanity’s relationship with God through the lives of the Old and New Testament Fathers and Mothers of the faith.
It is also a season which calls us to slow down and contemplate the things of eternity. One of the ways we can slow down our busy lives and minds is by taking the time to listen attentively to music.
This Advent we will explore in music and words the human lives which tell the story of salvation from its very beginning in the Garden of Eden to Mary’s song of joy as she receives the world-changing news of the coming of the Messiah. Through the Biblical accounts and the music which has been inspired by them, we will focus on Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, the great Prophets including Isaiah, Ezekiel and John the Baptist, and Mary the Mother of God.
The four week course includes music from the Renaissance to the 21st century, by composers including Bach, Haydn, Elgar, Arvo Pärt and Benjamin Britten.
Andrew Carwood is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Founder-Conductor of The Cardinall’s Musick, an internationally-regarded singer and winner of the 2010 Gramaphone Awards Recording of the Year for his recording of William Byrd’s music.
Session 2 - 8 December 2018. (Following sessions are 15 & 22 December).
Handout referred to is the session can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Handout-week-2.pdf
Advent is traditionally the season when we reflect on humanity’s relationship with God through the lives of the Old and New Testament Fathers and Mothers of the faith.
It is also a season which calls us to slow down and contemplate the things of eternity. One of the ways we can slow down our busy lives and minds is by taking the time to listen attentively to music.
This Advent we will explore in music and words the human lives which tell the story of salvation from its very beginning in the Garden of Eden to Mary’s song of joy as she receives the world-changing news of the coming of the Messiah. Through the Biblical accounts and the music which has been inspired by them, we will focus on Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, the great Prophets including Isaiah, Ezekiel and John the Baptist, and Mary the Mother of God.
The four week course includes music from the Renaissance to the 21st century, by composers including Bach, Haydn, Elgar, Arvo Pärt and Benjamin Britten.
Andrew Carwood is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Founder-Conductor of The Cardinall’s Musick, an internationally-regarded singer and winner of the 2010 Gramaphone Awards Recording of the Year for his recording of William Byrd’s music.
‘The will to pray is the essence of prayer’ wrote Thomas Merton, and ‘the secret of prayer is a hunger for God’. Stephen Cottrell describes himself as ‘an experienced beginner’ at prayer who has never got much beyond this, but says his long apprenticeship has taught him that the beginning and end of prayer is the longing to know God and to be known by God.
But for many people profound questions remain. Is God really listening? Does what we pray affect what God does? Also, why is it that everyone struggles with prayer; shouldn’t it be easy? Stephen Cottrell will reflect on what prayer is and how we might begin, or begin again, to pray more authentically.
The Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell is the Bishop of Chelmsford. He has written widely on evangelism, spirituality and discipleship, and is the author of numerous books including How to Pray: Alone, with Others, at Any Time, in Any Place (Church House Publishing, 3rd edition 2010).
Recorded Sunday 2 December 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Canon Pastor, at Sung Eucharist on Advent Sunday, 2 December 2018.
What is Growth, and how do we measure it?
The journey from poverty to prosperity is widely measured by and credited to the growth in a country’s GDP. But what if there is more to consider? What about the needs which this doesn’t address – a healthy family life, civic participation, and freedom from discrimination or exploitation?
Using Christian Aid’s An Unquenchable Thirst report, St Paul’s Institute and Christian Aid brought together a panel of experts in economics, business, social metrics and theology to discuss ways to track, measure and celebrate human flourishing.
The Speakers were: - Amanda Mukwashi, Christian Aid - Professor Jagjit Chadha, National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) - Danny Kruger, Expert Adviser on Civil Society, HM Government - Cal Baliey, SALT Network - Christine Allen, Christian Aid (convenor)
Session 1 - 1 December 2018. (Following sessions are 8, 15 & 22 December).
Handout referred to is the session can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Handout-week-1.pdf
Advent is traditionally the season when we reflect on humanity’s relationship with God through the lives of the Old and New Testament Fathers and Mothers of the faith.
It is also a season which calls us to slow down and contemplate the things of eternity. One of the ways we can slow down our busy lives and minds is by taking the time to listen attentively to music.
This Advent we will explore in music and words the human lives which tell the story of salvation from its very beginning in the Garden of Eden to Mary’s song of joy as she receives the world-changing news of the coming of the Messiah. Through the Biblical accounts and the music which has been inspired by them, we will focus on Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, the great Prophets including Isaiah, Ezekiel and John the Baptist, and Mary the Mother of God.
The four week course includes music from the Renaissance to the 21st century, by composers including Bach, Haydn, Elgar, Arvo Pärt and Benjamin Britten.
Andrew Carwood is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Founder-Conductor of The Cardinall’s Musick, an internationally-regarded singer and winner of the 2010 Gramaphone Awards Recording of the Year for his recording of William Byrd’s music.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer, at A Service for Remembrance on Sunday 11 November 2018.
We all have crossing places in our lives - moments on which our life turns. A new baby, leaving home, a bereavement, a new job or country, a medical diagnosis. These ‘liminal’ times – thresholds between one life and another – are often times of uncertainty, waiting and not knowing, but are also precious because they can open us up to a new closeness to God. Richard Rohr has called them ‘a unique spiritual place where human beings hate to be but where the Biblical God is always leading us’.
Tricia Hillas says crossing places are where we have to relinquish control and because of that they can be places of profound liberation. In this talk she will explore the challenges, lessons and joys that can come from meeting God at the crossing place.
Canon Tricia Hillas is the Canon Pastor at St Paul’s Cathedral, overseeing pastoral care, outreach and interfaith relationships. Prior to ordination she was a social worker, specialising in working with people with HIV/Aids, and has recently completed an MSc in conflict resolution and mediation.
Chaired by Pim Baxter, Lay Canon at St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded 4 November 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer, at Sung Eucharist on all Saints' Day, 1 November 2018.
The traditional story of the birth of Christianity is dominated by men. It is often thought that Jesus only chose men to be his disciples and apostles, but evidence suggests that this is really only half the story.
Were female disciples in fact crucial to the Jesus movement? Profoundly scandalous at the time, the idea remains highly controversial 2,000 years later.
Two distinguished early church historians will present research that shows as many as half of Jesus’ disciples were women. They say the evidence shows that women were integral to his mission and only if we see men and women working together do we see the whole story, revealing the early church as far more radical than we thought.
And they will also explore what this means for us today. Can it teach us new things not only about women and men’s ministries and roles, but also about the radical, transformative way of Jesus?
Professor Helen Bond is Professor in Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh. Her books include 'Jesus: A Very Brief History' and 'The Historical Jesus: A Guide for the Perplexed'. She was historical consultant for the History Channel's miniseries 'The Bible' and for BBC 1's 'The Nativity'.
Professor Joan Taylor is Professor of Christian Origins at King’s College, London. She is the author of 'What Did Jesus Look Like?' and has edited 'The Body in Biblical, Christian and Jewish Texts' and 'Jesus and Brian: Exploring the Historical Jesus and his Times via Monty Python’s Life of Brian'. She was historical consultant for the 2018 film 'Mary Magdalene'.
Their documentary 'Jesus' Female Disciples' (Minerva Productions) screened on Channel 4 in April 2018.
The evening was chaired by Andrew Carwood, Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Recorded 30 October 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend James Milne, Minor Canon and Sacrist, as part of the sermon series: For Whom the Bell Tolls, remembering the great and the good in the Crypt of St Paul's - Maria Mary Fussell (1834-81), philanthropist. Recorded Sunday 28 October 2018.
Sermon by The Dean, The Very Reverend Dr David Ison, as part of the sermon series: For Whom the Bell Tolls, remembering the great and the good in the Crypt of St Paul's - Admiral the Viscount Nelson (1758 - 1805), naval officer. Recorded Sunday 21 October 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Dr Angus Ritchie, Director, The Centre for Theology & Community, Priest-in-Charge, St-George-in-the-East, at Evensong attended by the Lord Mayor of London and London Borough Mayors on the Eve of St Luke the Evangelist on Wednesday 17 October 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Canon Pastor, as part of the sermon series: For Whom the Bell Tolls, remembering the great and the good in the Crypt of St Paul's - Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), physician. Recorded Sunday 14 October 2018.
Sermon by The Reverend Hilary Ison at Mattins on the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 14 October 2018.
After the Resurrection, Jesus says to the disciples Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. We tend to think of peace as the end or absence of war but Nadim Nassar says that Jesus is talking about something far more radical than that: a whole culture of peace. It is about how we bring up our children, how we flourish in our homes, workplaces and churches, and ultimately about a call to a self-giving culture of love in which we see the reflection of God’s image in the other.
Father Nadim Nassar, the Church of England’s only Syrian priest, was born and raised in a Christian family in Syria and studied in Beirut during the Lebanese civil war. He is now the Director of The Awareness Foundation, seeking to counter intolerance and mistrust and to build understanding between faiths. His first book, The Culture of God, is published this autumn by Hodder.
Recorded 7 October 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Michael Hampel, Precentor, as part of the sermon series: For Whom the Bell Tolls, remembering the great and the good in the Crypt of St Paul's - Sir Hubert Parry (1848-1918), composer. Recorded Sunday 7 October 2018.
The Reverend Prebendary Marjorie Brown, Vicar, St Mary the Virgin, Primrose Hill, preaches at Sung Eucharist on Holy Cross Day, Friday 14 September 2018.
Many people are deeply concerned about global capitalism and rampant consumerism, but many of us also lack the tools to be able to engage confidently in the debate about its future. Eve Poole is a theologian who has worked in the financial services industry, and she argues that the Church has crucial things to say about the economy and a vital role to play in redeeming the marketplace both at home and abroad.
She will offer new ways to think theologically about consumerism and suggest how we might, as individuals and church communities, change the way we use money for good.
Dr Eve Poole is the Church Estates Commissioner, chairing the Pastoral, Bishoprics, and Cathedrals Committees. Previously she has taught leadership, emotional intelligence and ethics at Ashridge Business School and worked for Deloitte Consulting in the financial services industry. Her books include Capitalism’s Toxic Assumptions and Leadersmithing (both Bloomsbury) and Buying God: Church, Consumerism and Theology (SCM Press 2018).
Recorded 2 September 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Canon Pastor, at Sung Eucharist on the Tenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 5 August 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Treasurer, St Paul's Cathedral, at Sung Eucharist on the Seventh Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 15th July 2018.
Sermon - the Reverend Helen O'Sullivan, Priest Vicar and Chaplain, at Evensong attended by staff and pupils of St Paul's Cathedral School to mark the end of the school year, Thursday 12 July 2018.
The Revd Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, interviews the artist Hughie O'Donoghue about his new painting of St Martin of Tours, installed in the chapel of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral in July 2018. Interview recorded 10 July 2018.
Sermon by the Very Reverend Dr Andreas Loewe, Dean of Melbourne, Australia, at Evensong on the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 8 July 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector, St James Piccadilly, at Evensong attended by the Friends of St Paul's Cathedral - A Celebration of Friends and Benefactors on Wednesday 4 July 2018.
Sermon by Dr Paula Gooder, Director of Mission, Learning and Development, Diocese of Birmingham, at the Consecration of the Venerable Dr John Perumbalath as Bishop of Bradwell, the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull as Bishop of Bristol and the Venerable Simon Burton-Jones as Bishop of Tonbridge on Tuesday 3 July 2018.
We live in extraordinary times. How can we think and act as Christians in response to the urgent, sometimes overwhelming politics that we experience every day? Where do politics, theology and faith meet? And how is it that different Christians can hold completely opposing views, all claiming the gospel as their inspiration?
One way to think afresh about this is to look at Jesus’ own actions and teaching, ask whether they were or were not political, and what we can draw from that for our own engagement in public and political life. Selina Stone will explore key aspects of Jesus’ life, teaching and parables, and ways we can bring our faith into action for the common good, whatever our circumstances.
Selina Stone is Tutor and Lecturer in Political Theology at St Mellitus College, and previously worked at the Centre for Theology and Community, in Parliament and as a community organiser in Brixton. Her PhD is in the impact of Pentecostal theology and ministry on issues of social justice.
Recorded 1 July 2018.
A conversation between Canon Mark Oakley and the artist Gerry Judah, in which they discuss the twin sculptures created to commemorate the Great War.
Sermon by The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, The Bishop of London, at the Ordination of Deacons on Saturday 30 June 2018.
Sermon by The Right Reverend Nicholas Holtam, Bishop of Salisbury, at Evensong to celebrate 200 years of the Incorporated Church Building Society attended by the National Churches Trust, on Tuesday 26 June 2018.
Sermon - The Reverend Canon Mark Oakley, Canon Chancellor, at Evensong, on Sunday 24 June 2018, The Birth of John the Baptist.
Sermon by The Reverend Canon Dr Rachel Mann, Rector, St Nicholas, Burnage and Visiting Teaching Fellow, Manchester Writing School, Manchester Metropolitan University, at Evensong on the Third Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 17 June 2018.
Fabiana Barticioti, an Archivist from LSE, explores the history of The Movement for the Ordination of Women within the Church of England. A story of clandestine services, heated national debate and the determination that unity and equality would overcome division and hostility. Related archive material from St Paul’s Cathedral Collections will also be on display. Recorded on 15 June 2018.
Part 4: Living Water.
Do you ever wonder if God has a plan for your life? Julia Mourant says that God calls each of us, with all our gifts and vulnerabilities, to contribute our gifts to the world and to each other and so find life in all its abundance. But the reality is it can feel profoundly difficult to know what that call might be.
This day will offer the opportunity to explore your vocation, whoever you are, and whatever stage of life you’re at. It will include practical, prayerful ways through which we might discover God’s will for us, in particular by paying attention to how God speaks through our imaginations, hopes, dreams and desires, and through times of change, challenge and surprise.
Julia Mourant is an Anglican priest and Scholar in Residence at Sarum College, Salisbury. A spiritual director and vocations advisor of many years’ standing, she has an MA in mentoring and coaching, has taught spiritual direction at Sarum College and is the author of Listening to Your Life: 30 ways to discern direction for your future (Canterbury Press 2016).
Recorded at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine on 9 June 2018.
Part 3: In the Belly of the Whale. This podcast refers to a handout a copy of which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/In-the-belly-of-the-whale-pdf.pdf
Do you ever wonder if God has a plan for your life? Julia Mourant says that God calls each of us, with all our gifts and vulnerabilities, to contribute our gifts to the world and to each other and so find life in all its abundance. But the reality is it can feel profoundly difficult to know what that call might be.
This day will offer the opportunity to explore your vocation, whoever you are, and whatever stage of life you’re at. It will include practical, prayerful ways through which we might discover God’s will for us, in particular by paying attention to how God speaks through our imaginations, hopes, dreams and desires, and through times of change, challenge and surprise.
Julia Mourant is an Anglican priest and Scholar in Residence at Sarum College, Salisbury. A spiritual director and vocations advisor of many years’ standing, she has an MA in mentoring and coaching, has taught spiritual direction at Sarum College and is the author of Listening to Your Life: 30 ways to discern direction for your future (Canterbury Press 2016).
Recorded at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine on 9 June 2018.
Part 2: In the Flow. This podcast refers to a handout a copy of which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/In-the-flow-pdf.pdf
Do you ever wonder if God has a plan for your life? Julia Mourant says that God calls each of us, with all our gifts and vulnerabilities, to contribute our gifts to the world and to each other and so find life in all its abundance. But the reality is it can feel profoundly difficult to know what that call might be.
This day will offer the opportunity to explore your vocation, whoever you are, and whatever stage of life you’re at. It will include practical, prayerful ways through which we might discover God’s will for us, in particular by paying attention to how God speaks through our imaginations, hopes, dreams and desires, and through times of change, challenge and surprise.
Julia Mourant is an Anglican priest and Scholar in Residence at Sarum College, Salisbury. A spiritual director and vocations advisor of many years’ standing, she has an MA in mentoring and coaching, has taught spiritual direction at Sarum College and is the author of Listening to Your Life: 30 ways to discern direction for your future (Canterbury Press 2016).
Recorded at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine on 9 June 2018.
Part 1: A Name and a Place to Stand. This podcast refers to a handout a copy of which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/a-name-and-a-place-to-stand-.pdf
Do you ever wonder if God has a plan for your life? Julia Mourant says that God calls each of us, with all our gifts and vulnerabilities, to contribute our gifts to the world and to each other and so find life in all its abundance. But the reality is it can feel profoundly difficult to know what that call might be.
This day will offer the opportunity to explore your vocation, whoever you are, and whatever stage of life you’re at. It will include practical, prayerful ways through which we might discover God’s will for us, in particular by paying attention to how God speaks through our imaginations, hopes, dreams and desires, and through times of change, challenge and surprise.
Julia Mourant is an Anglican priest and Scholar in Residence at Sarum College, Salisbury. A spiritual director and vocations advisor of many years’ standing, she has an MA in mentoring and coaching, has taught spiritual direction at Sarum College and is the author of Listening to Your Life: 30 ways to discern direction for your future (Canterbury Press 2016).
Recorded at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine on 9 June 2018.
Recent political developments in the West have led many to question whether liberal politics is in terminal decline, replaced by a polarised and polemical discourse that breeds exclusion and resentment. St Paul's Institute series 'Democracy and the Common Good' seeks to ask how a common good approach can be applied to certain spheres of public policy to help shape an inclusive society which better reflects the values of the people in it.
With the help of an audience of 90 students, Harvard Philosophy professor Michael Sandel asks whether globalisation and inequality have eroded the bonds that hold communities together. Are we citizens of the world, or is a citizen of the world a citizen of nowhere?
This pubic debate took place under the Dome of St Paul's Cathedral on 19th March 2018.
Part 2 - Isaiah. What can the Old Testament prophets teach us? It’s easy to think of them as remote and severe, but Janet Tollington says they can continue to speak to us vividly, not always telling us what we want to hear but always bringing good news.
In this study afternoon we will explore what a prophet is, how they communicate God’s word to us, and what they can teach us about how to tell true prophets from false in our own times. We will look in particular at Isaiah, a collection of writings by prophets of the 8th-5th centuries BC speaking into very specific circumstances, and Jeremiah, a book about the nature of prophecy itself. The Revd Dr Janet Tollington is an Old Testament scholar and a Minister in the United Reformed Church. She has taught Hebrew and Old Testament at Westminster College Cambridge within the Cambridge Theological Federation, an ecumenical body for lay and ordained ministry training. A much-loved teacher, she is in high demand as a speaker.
Recorded 2 June 2018.
Part 1 - Jeremiah. What can the Old Testament prophets teach us? It’s easy to think of them as remote and severe, but Janet Tollington says they can continue to speak to us vividly, not always telling us what we want to hear but always bringing good news.
In this study afternoon we will explore what a prophet is, how they communicate God’s word to us, and what they can teach us about how to tell true prophets from false in our own times. We will look in particular at Isaiah, a collection of writings by prophets of the 8th-5th centuries BC speaking into very specific circumstances, and Jeremiah, a book about the nature of prophecy itself. The Revd Dr Janet Tollington is an Old Testament scholar and a Minister in the United Reformed Church. She has taught Hebrew and Old Testament at Westminster College Cambridge within the Cambridge Theological Federation, an ecumenical body for lay and ordained ministry training. A much-loved teacher, she is in high demand as a speaker.
Recorded Saturday 2 June 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Dr Isabelle Hamley, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, at the Diocesan Mothers' Union Service on Tuesday 5 June 2018.
Sermon by Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor, at Evensong with installation of Prebendaries, the First Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 3 June 2018.
Following her historic installation as the 133rd Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally will be in conversation with David Ison, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, about her faith, her life, what matters to her most, and how she feels about being the first female Bishop of London.
A Londoner for most of her adult life, she is passionate about how people live well in the city, about health, loneliness, the call to transformed lives, and what the church can offer people in a new century and a fast-changing city.
The event is free and open to everyone, and there will be plenty of time for questions from the audience.
Sarah Mullally is the Bishop of London. Installed on 12 May in St Paul’s Cathedral, she was previously Bishop of Crediton, has worked at Salisbury Cathedral and been a parish priest, and before had a career as a nurse, specialising in cancer care. Her very successful career in the NHS culminated in her appointment as the government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England at the age of 37, and she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to nursing and midwifery.
David Ison is the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. Previously Dean of Bradford in Yorkshire, he began as an inner city priest in Deptford, taught at a training college in Blackheath, worked on a housing estate in Coventry and with in-service training of clergy in Devon, and has a PhD in Early Church History.
Recorded on Monday 4 June 2018.
Many of us have big questions that the Christian faith seems to leave unanswered. If God is both compassionate and all-powerful, why is the world full of suffering? Why does God seem to sanction genocide in the Bible? If God is always present, why doesn’t it feel like that?
Krish Kandiah says that we need to look questions like these in the face, and that not doing so is neither healthy for us nor honouring to God. He says that the paradoxes that seem as if they ought to undermine belief are actually at the heart of a vibrant faith, and that it is only by continually wrestling with them - rather than trying to pin them down or push them away - that we can really move forward, individually and together.
Dr Krish Kandiah is an award-winning author whose books include Paradoxology and God is Stranger (both Hodder Faith). He is a lecturer at Regents Park College, Oxford, honorary research fellow at the University of St Andrews and an ambassador for Tearfund.
Recorded Sunday 3 June 2018.
Sermon by The Dean, the Very Reverend Dr David Ison, at Evensong on Trinity Sunday, recorded on Sunday 27th May 2018.
Sermon by The Reverend Prebendary Dr Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Priest in Charge, St Mary's-at-Hill, London, at Mattins at St Paul's Cathedral on Trinity Sunday. Recorded on Sunday 27th May 2018.
Sermon by The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, at The 364th Festival of the Sons and Friends of the Clergy on Tuesday 15th May 2018.
Please note that due to copyright, musical pieces played at this reflective day have been edited out of this podcast. Recordings referred to are Ton Koopman conducting the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra with artists including Peter Kooy (Bass/Jesus) and Kai Wessel (Alto Vocals), and Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting the Concentus Musicus Wien with artists including Matthias Görne (Bass/Jesus), Oliver Widmer (Bass/Judas) Bernarda Fink (Alto) and Christine Schäfer (Soprano). (Some inaudible audience questions and comments have also been edited out.)
Part 4: “In my beginning is my end” Aus Liebe (Harnoncourt edited out at 00.02.35.793 (with Christine Schäfer) Excerpt 9 – Final (Koopman edited out at 00.16.14.899)
J.S. Bach is our greatest musical theologian. He wrote brilliant, innovative music, loved and performed as much today as ever, and also had a unique capacity to illuminate great spiritual and theological truths. His setting of St Matthew’s account of the Passion is not only an absolutely faithful telling of the whole narrative from Jesus’ anointing at the house of Simon the leper to the moment he is laid in the tomb, but also an extraordinary and expansive musical meditation on its meaning.
Andrew Carwood is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, an internationally regarded singer and conductor, and the Founder-Director of the award-winning early music ensemble The Cardinall’s Musick.
Recorded on 17 March 2018.
Please note that due to copyright, musical pieces played at this reflective day have been edited out of this podcast. Recordings referred to are Ton Koopman conducting the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra with artists including Peter Kooy (Bass/Jesus) and Kai Wessel (Alto Vocals), and Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting the Concentus Musicus Wien with artists including Matthias Görne (Bass/Jesus), Oliver Widmer (Bass/Judas) Bernarda Fink (Alto) and Christine Schäfer (Soprano). (Some inaudible audience questions and comments have also been edited out.)
Part 3: Telling the Story Excerpt 5 – Jesus’ ‘halo’ (Harnoncourt edited out at 00.03.56.400 (with Matthias Görne as Jesus)) Excerpt 6 – Jesus Forsaken (Koopman edited out at 00.06.32.816 (with Peter Kooy as Jesus)) Excerpt 7 – Peter (Koopman edited out at 00.15.06.356 (with Kai Wessel as Peter)) and Harnoncourt edited out at 00.16.54.141 (with Bernarda Fink) Excerpt 8 – Judas (Harnoncourt edited out at 00.22.46.937 (with Oliver Widmer as Judas)
J.S. Bach is our greatest musical theologian. He wrote brilliant, innovative music, loved and performed as much today as ever, and also had a unique capacity to illuminate great spiritual and theological truths. His setting of St Matthew’s account of the Passion is not only an absolutely faithful telling of the whole narrative from Jesus’ anointing at the house of Simon the leper to the moment he is laid in the tomb, but also an extraordinary and expansive musical meditation on its meaning.
Andrew Carwood is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, an internationally regarded singer and conductor, and the Founder-Director of the award-winning early music ensemble The Cardinall’s Musick.
Recorded on 17 March 2018.
Please note that due to copyright, musical pieces played at this reflective day have been edited out of this podcast. Recordings referred to are Ton Koopman conducting the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra with artists including Peter Kooy (Bass/Jesus) and Kai Wessel (Alto Vocals), and Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting the Concentus Musicus Wien with artists including Matthias Görne (Bass/Jesus), Oliver Widmer (Bass/Judas) Bernarda Fink (Alto) and Christine Schäfer (Soprano). (Some inaudible audience questions and comments have also been edited out.)
Part 2: A New Song Excerpt 2 – Herr bin ichs? (Harnoncourt edited out at 00.10.32.732) Excerpt 3 – Sind Blitze, sind Donner (Koopman edited out at 00.16.05.150) Excerpt 4 – Pilate’s wife and the angry chorus (Harnoncourt edited out at 00.24.13.860)
J.S. Bach is our greatest musical theologian. He wrote brilliant, innovative music, loved and performed as much today as ever, and also had a unique capacity to illuminate great spiritual and theological truths. His setting of St Matthew’s account of the Passion is not only an absolutely faithful telling of the whole narrative from Jesus’ anointing at the house of Simon the leper to the moment he is laid in the tomb, but also an extraordinary and expansive musical meditation on its meaning.
Andrew Carwood is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, an internationally regarded singer and conductor, and the Founder-Director of the award-winning early music ensemble The Cardinall’s Musick.
Recorded on 17 March 2018.
Please note that due to copyright, musical pieces played at this reflective day have been edited out of this podcast. Recordings referred to are Ton Koopman conducting the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra with artists including Peter Kooy (Bass/Jesus) and Kai Wessel (Alto Vocals), and Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting the Concentus Musicus Wien with artists including Matthias Görne (Bass/Jesus), Oliver Widmer (Bass/Judas) Bernarda Fink (Alto) and Christine Schäfer (Soprano). (Some inaudible audience questions and comments have also been edited out.)
Part 1: Singing the Passion Excerpt 1 – Opening Chorus (Koopman edited out at 00.31.32.971 and Harnoncourt edited out at 00.33.56.341)
J.S. Bach is our greatest musical theologian. He wrote brilliant, innovative music, loved and performed as much today as ever, and also had a unique capacity to illuminate great spiritual and theological truths. His setting of St Matthew’s account of the Passion is not only an absolutely faithful telling of the whole narrative from Jesus’ anointing at the house of Simon the leper to the moment he is laid in the tomb, but also an extraordinary and expansive musical meditation on its meaning.
Andrew Carwood is the Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral, an internationally regarded singer and conductor, and the Founder-Director of the award-winning early music ensemble The Cardinall’s Musick.
Recorded on 17 March 2018.
Please note that this recording is of the second half of the workshop only - the first session involved too much audience participation to podcast. This recording refers to a handout which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Theologies-of-Liberation---handout.pdf and some pictures of Christ which are not available online due to copyright issues.
Liberation Theologies begin with the reality of people’s lives. Originating in the experience of life in South American and African countries, they ask searching questions about the nature of God’s liberating love and our responsibility and relationship to each other. Considered controversial because they advocate a preferential option for the marginalised and oppressed, what can they teach us about how to live in God’s light as 21st century Christians? In this participative study afternoon, we will explore how the church can be a place of liberation, and how we as individuals can be allies and agents of change.
Professor Anthony Reddie is a Learning and Development Officer for the Methodist Church and Professor Extraordinarius in Theological Ethics at the University of South Africa. He is the author of numerous books, including Black Theology (SCM Press) and Nobodies to Somebodies: A Practical Theology for Education and Liberation (Epworth Press).
Recorded at St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 5 May 2018.
God’s presence permeates our lives and activities, reverberating throughout all creation. Chris Webb says that it can be easy to miss that in the ordinariness of our daily lives but we can learn how to open ourselves to the presence of God and, despite all our weaknesses and failings, find new lives of freedom and joy.
In this talk Chris Webb will explore ways to practise silence, prayer and reading Scripture through which we can experience God’s kingdom; not as far away, a remote and future promise, but here, now.
The Revd Chris Webb OSB is Deputy Warden of Launde Abbey and Diocesan Spirituality Adviser to the Diocese of Leicester. His latest book God-Soaked Life: Discovering a Kingdom Spirituality (Hodder 2017) is an exploration of spirituality through the lens of Jesus' teaching on the Kingdom of God.
Recorded 6 May 2018.
Sermon by Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, CEO, Christian Aid, at Evensong on the Sixth Sunday of Easter - 6 May 2018.
Sermon by The Reverend Prebendary Dr Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Priest in Charge, St Mary-at-Hill, London, at Sung Eucharist on the Feast Day of Philip and James, Apostles, Tuesday 1st May 2018.
Part 2 - Please note that this podcast has been edited to remove audience comments and questions which are inaudible. Handouts are referred to at the following places (click on link to see handout): 00.00.15.668 https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/caterpillar-handout.JPG 00.10.00.503 https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/meerkats-handout.JPG 00.22.24.706 https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/bluebells-handout.JPG 00.28.44.793 https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Stonehange-handout.JPG
The scientific consensus is that humans have been on the Earth for some 200,000 years of its 4,700,000,000 year history. There have been arguments about what this means for the creation stories in the Bible, but the growing understanding of the Earth’s history challenges us to expand all our ideas of God.
In addition it raises fascinating and perplexing questions about, for instance, the Earth’s beauty and the violence which is also seemingly inherent to it. Why do so many of us find the natural world so beautiful? And is there an answer to the dilemma of the brutality that seems built into evolution –‘nature red in tooth and claw’? Michael Reiss will explore some of the questions that science and the study of evolution raise for us about the wonder of God’s world and our place in it.
The Revd Professor Michael Reiss is a Bioethicist, Professor of Science Education at the UCL Institute of Education, University of London and a Priest in the Church of England.
Recorded 10 March 2018.
Part 1 - Please note that this podcast has been edited to remove audience comments and questions which are inaudible. A handout is referred to at 00.18.38.704 - a copy of which can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/SM4/Mutable/Uploads/medialibrary/Giraffes-handout.JPG
The scientific consensus is that humans have been on the Earth for some 200,000 years of its 4,700,000,000 year history. There have been arguments about what this means for the creation stories in the Bible, but the growing understanding of the Earth’s history challenges us to expand all our ideas of God.
In addition it raises fascinating and perplexing questions about, for instance, the Earth’s beauty and the violence which is also seemingly inherent to it. Why do so many of us find the natural world so beautiful? And is there an answer to the dilemma of the brutality that seems built into evolution –‘nature red in tooth and claw’? Michael Reiss will explore some of the questions that science and the study of evolution raise for us about the wonder of God’s world and our place in it.
The Revd Professor Michael Reiss is a Bioethicist, Professor of Science Education at the UCL Institute of Education, University of London and a Priest in the Church of England.
Recorded 10 March 2018.
Please note that this podcast has been edited to remove any poems read out at the workshop due to copyright issues. Poems which were read out were at 00.05.25.517 - 'The Kingdom' from the collection 'Hm'm', at 00.23.50.331 - 'This To Do' which can be found in Collected Poems, at 00.33.52.143 - 'Kneeling' which can be found in Collected Poems and at 00.43.16.446 - 'The Gap' which can be found in 'Frequencies'.
R.S. Thomas is one of the finest poets of the 20th century. His subject matter is the search for God, and his insights into the life of faith – from rebellion to reverence – are razor-sharp. Seamus Heaney described him as ‘a loner taking on the universe, a kind of Clint Eastwood of the spirit’.
This workshop was originally to be led by Mark Oakley, Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, but due to unforeseen circumstances, Carys Walsh led the workshop in his place.
The Revd Dr Carys Walsh is Tutor and Lecturer in Christian Spirituality at St Mellitus College in the London Diocese, and has a Phd in Christian Spirituality, focussing on the Sacramental Vision of R S Thomas. She previously worked in the Ministry Division of the Church of England, selecting those who go forward for training to be ordained, and as a psychotherapist.
Recorded 14 April 2018.
Sermon by the Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Canon Pastor, at Evensong on the Fifth Sunday of Easter, 29 April 2018.
Sermon by Paul Woodbridge, Tutor in New Testament and Director of College Placements, Oakhill College, at Sung Eucharist on the Fifth Sunday of Easter, 29 April 2018.
Sermon by The Reverend Prebendary Stephen Coles, Vicar, St Thomas the Apostle, Finsbury Park, at Evensong on St George's Day, Monday 23 April 2018.
What is it that makes you who you are? In the West we live with a passionately autobiographical sense of self – I am who I am so long as I can tell my own story. Research tells us that people are more afraid of dementia than cancer because loss of identity is the worst thing we can imagine.
But are there other ways to think about this? Beginning from the experience of people whose identity is seemingly dissolving in dementia, two of our greatest theologians will consider what it really means to be a human being.
They will reflect on what roles our bodies, communities, faith and memories play, and ask how God in the person of Christ invites us to a radically new consideration of our humanity in all its variety and vulnerability, including its place in the very heart of the divine life.
John Swinton is the Director of The Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability and the Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen. His theology is founded in his background in nursing, ministry and healthcare chaplaincy. His books include Dementia: Living in the Memories of God, winner of the 2016 Michael Ramsey Prize for best contemporary theological writing, and Becoming Friends of Time: Disability, Timefullness, and Gentle Discipleship (both SCM Press).
Rowan Williams is the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and was formerly Archbishop of Canterbury. He is a poet and theologian and the author of numerous academic and popular works of theology, including Being Christian, Being Disciples, and Being Human: Bodies, Minds, Persons (all SPCK).
Chaired by Canon Tricia Hillas and recorded on 16 April 2018.
The Reverend Canon Dr Jennifer Smith, Superintendent Minister, Wesley’s Chapel and Leysian Mission, preaches at Evensong, the Third Sunday of Easter, 15 April 2018.
The Reverend Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor, preaches at Evensong on the Eve of the Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sunday 8 April 2018.
The Reverend Helen O'Sullivan, Priest Vicar and Chaplain at St Paul's Cathedral, preaches at the service of Festal Evensong on Easter Day, 1 April 2018.
Part of the 2018 Lent Sermon Series: Reel Spirituality - Faith and Film. The Reverend Rosemary Morton, Minor Canon and Succentor, explores the film 'Paddington' directed by Paul King (2014) and the ways in which it might open up our understanding of God, the world and the life of faith. Sermon recorded at Evensong on Sunday 25 March 2018.
Part of the 2018 Lent Sermon Series: Reel Spirituality - Faith and Film. The Reverend Canon Mark Oakley, Canon Chancellor, explores the film 'Life is Beautiful' directed by Roberto Benigni (1997) and the ways in which it might open up our understanding of God, the world and the life of faith. Sermon recorded at Evensong on Sunday 18 March 2018.
Is Christ on the cross our brother in suffering or our King in triumph? Jesus’ death is at the heart of Christianity, but the four Gospel accounts are very different and the cross has been seen as both the throne of God’s glory and the place of ultimate desolation and defeat.
In addition we have 2,000 years of interpretations, paintings, poems, theologies and liturgies that add to the complexity, and sometimes to the confusion.
Paula Gooder and Mark Oakley will look at different aspects of the cross through the gospels and poetry, exploring some of what we might learn from it not only of sin and reconciliation, but also of new life, love, freedom and creation made new.
Recorded 13 March 2018 at St Paul's Cathedral.
Part of the 2018 Lent Sermon Series: Reel Spirituality - Faith and Film. The Reverend Canon Michael Hampel, Precentor, explores the film 'The Dresser' directed by Peter Yates (1983) and the ways in which it might open up our understanding of God, the world and the life of faith. Sermon recorded at Evensong on Sunday 11 March 2018.
The Psalms are a unique treasury of spiritual insights, central to both Jewish and Christian devotional life. They were also Jesus’ own prayer book, and are full of themes and experiences which fitted and illuminate his life and story, as they do ours. But they move from exquisite beauty and praise to despair and even vitriolic anger, and need wise interpretation.
Megan Daffern describes them as Songs of the Spirit; timeless, making connections between past and present, and allowing us to come closer to God in prayer. She will explore some of what she has learnt from studying, translating and praying these extraordinary songs of hope, challenge and wisdom.
The Revd Dr Megan Daffern is Chaplain at Jesus College Oxford and lectures in Old Testament at the University of Oxford. Her latest book is Songs of the Spirit: A Psalm a Day for Lent and Easter (SPCK 2017) which includes her own fresh translations of the Psalms.
Recorded on 4 March 2018.
Part of the 2018 Lent Sermon Series: Reel Spirituality - Faith and Film. The Reverend James Milne, Minor Canon and Sacrist, explores the film 'The Shawshank Redemption' directed by Frank Darabont (1994) and the ways in which it might open up our understanding of God, the world and the life of faith. Sermon recorded at Evensong on Sunday 4 March 2018.
A conversation in which Andrew Carwood, Director of Music, and Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor, discuss Bach’s St Matthew Passion. The conversation refers to two upcoming events - a reflective day about Bach’s St Matthew Passion taking place on 17 March and a performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion taking place at the Cathedral on 21 March. Bach's intense masterpiece narrates the events leading to the crucifixion of Christ and will be sung by St Paul's Cathedral Choir and Chorus, with the City of London Sinfonia. Further details on how to book tickets can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/easter (Conversation recorded on Wednesday 28 February 2018).
Part of the 2018 Lent Sermon Series: Reel Spirituality - Faith and Film. The Reverend Canon Jonathan Brewster, Canon Treasurer, explores the film 'Lion' directed by Garth Davis (2016) and the ways in which it might open up our understanding of God, the world and the life of faith. Sermon recorded at Evensong on Sunday 25 February 2018.
Part of the 2018 Lent Sermon Series: Reel Spirituality - Faith and Film. The Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Canon Pastor, explores the film 'Silence' directed by Martin Scorsese (2016) and the ways in which it might open up our understanding of God, the world and the life of faith. Sermon recorded at Evensong on Sunday 18 February 2018.
Sermon from the Ash Wednesday Sung Eucharist with the Imposition of the Ashes by Canon Mark Oakley. Recorded Wednesday 14 February 2018.
Recording of Session 2 - Please note that this podcast has been edited to remove some inaudible audience questions.
Around the year 30 AD, in an insignificant province of the Roman Empire, a Jewish prophet, teacher and healer met with a shameful and brutal end on a Roman cross. 2,000 years later, this obscure figure has over two billion followers and is acknowledged as the most influential person ever to have walked the earth.
As people of faith, we know Jesus through the Gospels. But scholarly enquiry into the historical figure of Jesus has brought new insight and illumination. In this study afternoon we will look at Jesus in his historical context: his Jewish heritage, his message, friends and enemies, his execution, and ask what difference this understanding makes to us as Christians in the 21st century.
Professor Helen Bond is Professor of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh. She has contributed to a number of BBC TV documentaries, and her books include Jesus: A Very Brief History (SPCK 2017) and The Historical Jesus: A Guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark 2012).
Recorded 10 February 2018.
Recording of Session 1 - Please note that this podcast has been edited to remove some inaudible audience questions.
Around the year 30 AD, in an insignificant province of the Roman Empire, a Jewish prophet, teacher and healer met with a shameful and brutal end on a Roman cross. 2,000 years later, this obscure figure has over two billion followers and is acknowledged as the most influential person ever to have walked the earth.
As people of faith, we know Jesus through the Gospels. But scholarly enquiry into the historical figure of Jesus has brought new insight and illumination. In this study afternoon we will look at Jesus in his historical context: his Jewish heritage, his message, friends and enemies, his execution, and ask what difference this understanding makes to us as Christians in the 21st century.
Professor Helen Bond is Professor of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh. She has contributed to a number of BBC TV documentaries, and her books include Jesus: A Very Brief History (SPCK 2017) and The Historical Jesus: A Guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark 2012).
Recorded 10 February 2018.
Why do pilgrims walk so much? What do they learn? And does it do them any lasting good? Sally Welch has been going on pilgrimage for over 20 years and her new book is a guide to the art and practice of pilgrimage through some of the most beautiful and ancient pilgrim routes in the UK and abroad.
She will share her experiences and some of what she has learnt about how to go on pilgrimage well including what it has taught her about, among other things, trust, travelling lightly and the joys of companionship. She will also reflect on how insights gained on the journey can be incorporated into the spirituality of everyday life.
The Revd Dr Sally Welch is the Vicar of Charlbury in the Diocese of Oxford. Her books include Walking the Labyrinth (Canterbury Press 2013), How to be a Mindful Christian (Canterbury Press 2016), and Pilgrim Journeys: Pilgrimage for walkers and armchair travellers (BRF 2017).
Part of St Paul's Adult Learning Department's Sunday Forum series, chaired by the Revd Rosemary Morton, Succentor at St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded 4 February 2018.
Sermon from Sung Eucharist on Friday 2 February 2018, The Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas), by the Reverend Canon Mark Oakley.
The Place Mothers Call Home by Tice Cin - the sixth and final in a series of new poetry for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
For each Sunday from Advent 2017 to Epiphany 2018, six exciting young poetic voices and one emerging digital artist reimagine the story of Christmas.
Taking the Biblical text as a starting point, they each retell a story that is both personal and universal, layering it with meaning and peppering it with insight. They bring to life the humans behind a familiar narrative, and enable us to see them, and hopefully ourselves, in a new way.
The Very Revd Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul's Cathedral, gives us a message on Christmas Eve reflecting on the words 'we love because he first loved us'. Recorded 24 December 2017.
Wings and Tings by Kareem Parker Brown - the fifth in a series of new poetry for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
For each Sunday from Advent 2017 to Epiphany 2018, six exciting young poetic voices and one emerging digital artist reimagine the story of Christmas.
Taking the Biblical text as a starting point, they each retell a story that is both personal and universal, layering it with meaning and peppering it with insight. They bring to life the humans behind a familiar narrative, and enable us to see them, and hopefully ourselves, in a new way.
Unmuted Word by Sarah Lasoye - the fourth in a series of new poetry for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
For each Sunday from Advent 2017 to Epiphany 2018, six exciting young poetic voices and one emerging digital artist reimagine the story of Christmas.
Taking the Biblical text as a starting point, they each retell a story that is both personal and universal, layering it with meaning and peppering it with insight. They bring to life the humans behind a familiar narrative, and enable us to see them, and hopefully ourselves, in a new way.
To Bethlehem the town of David by Jeremiah Brown. The third in a series of new poetry for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
For each Sunday from Advent 2017 to Epiphany 2018, six exciting young poetic voices and one emerging digital artist reimagine the story of Christmas.
Taking the Biblical text as a starting point, they each retell a story that is both personal and universal, layering it with meaning and peppering it with insight. They bring to life the humans behind a familiar narrative, and enable us to see them, and hopefully ourselves, in a new way.
The Visitation by Ankita Saxena. The second in a series of new poetry for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
For each Sunday from Advent 2017 to Epiphany 2018, six exciting young poetic voices and one emerging digital artist reimagine the story of Christmas.
Taking the Biblical text as a starting point, they each retell a story that is both personal and universal, layering it with meaning and peppering it with insight. They bring to life the humans behind a familiar narrative, and enable us to see them, and hopefully ourselves, in a new way.
Doorway by Antosh Wojcik. The first in a series of new poetry for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
For each Sunday from Advent 2017 to Epiphany 2018, six exciting young poetic voices and one emerging digital artist reimagine the story of Christmas.
Taking the Biblical text as a starting point, they each retell a story that is both personal and universal, layering it with meaning and peppering it with insight. They bring to life the humans behind a familiar narrative, and enable us to see them, and hopefully ourselves, in a new way.
Advent is the season of waiting and contemplation, when we prepare for the joyful coming of Christ at Christmas. But waiting is not always chosen or joyful, and can bring times of great spiritual testing – through illness, old age, or the struggles and frustrations of everyday life. Margaret Whipp will explore the challenges of life’s waiting times and the skills they demand, drawing on vivid metaphors of wine-making, wilderness, winter and the womb, and how the paradoxical grace of patience can point to the kindness of the God who wait for us. Part of St Paul's Adult Learning Sunday Forum series. Recorded 3 December 2017.
Short version - this podcast features the Q&A only.
Forgiveness is news. When someone forgives terrible harm done to them, from the victims of terrorism to the violently bereaved, the story is always news and often the person is treated as a moral hero. But does it take a special person to forgive and forget, or can we all learn to do it? And why is forgiveness central to Jesus’ teaching?
Lucy Winkett, priest and theologian, and Marian Partington, whose sister was killed by Fred and Rose West, will explore the reality of the darkness in others and ourselves, and the radical path of forgiveness.
Recorded 21 November 2017.
Short version - this podcast features Lucy Winkett's talk only.
Forgiveness is news. When someone forgives terrible harm done to them, from the victims of terrorism to the violently bereaved, the story is always news and often the person is treated as a moral hero. But does it take a special person to forgive and forget, or can we all learn to do it? And why is forgiveness central to Jesus’ teaching?
Lucy Winkett, priest and theologian, will explore the reality of the darkness in others and ourselves, and the radical path of forgiveness.
Recorded 21 November 2017.
Short version - this podcast features Marian Partington's talk only.
Forgiveness is news. When someone forgives terrible harm done to them, from the victims of terrorism to the violently bereaved, the story is always news and often the person is treated as a moral hero. But does it take a special person to forgive and forget, or can we all learn to do it? And why is forgiveness central to Jesus’ teaching?
Marian Partington, whose sister was killed by Fred and Rose West, will explore the reality of the darkness in others and ourselves, and the radical path of forgiveness.
Recorded 21 November 2017.
'Forgiveness is the most imaginative way of becoming free and offering freedom'. Marian Partington
Forgiveness is news. When someone forgives terrible harm done to them, from the victims of terrorism to the violently bereaved, the story is always news and often the person is treated as a moral hero. But does it take a special person to forgive and forget, or can we all learn to do it?
And why is forgiveness central to Jesus’ teaching? He talks about it almost more than anything else, even from the Cross. Why must we love our enemies and always forgive those who wrong us? What about justice? And could the most difficult thing of all be to seek and accept forgiveness, human or divine, when we need it for ourselves?
Lucy Winkett, priest and theologian, and Marian Partington, whose sister was killed by Fred and Rose West, will explore the reality of the darkness in others and ourselves, and the radical path of forgiveness.
Chaired by Canon Mark Oakley. Filmed 21 November 2017.
Do you feel more at home on the edges of faith than at the centre? Christian life has often been associated with conformity and a culture where people don’t feel able to ask questions. But Dave Tomlinson thinks our spiritual communities can be ‘laboratories of the Spirit’ where we explore issues of faith and spirit with openness, imagination and creativity. Can they be places where doubts and questions are an essential part of faith, and divine revelation can be found in art, science and the natural world as well as religious tradition? The Revd Dave Tomlinson is the author of the seminal book The Post-Evangelical and more recently How to be a Bad Christian… and a better human being (Hodder 2013) and Black Sheep and Prodigals: An Antidote to Black and White Religion (Hodder 2017). He is the Vicar of St Luke’s Holloway and a regular contributor to RBBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought.
The works of John Donne, one of England's foremost poets and priests, were brought to life in words and music at St Paul's Cathedral on April 26 2012. St Paul's in association with Poet in the City and Winning Words, presented the special event in the cathedral where Donne was Dean from 1621-31.
Speakers:
Peter McCullough - lay canon of St Paul's and Professor of English at Lincoln College, Oxford
Jo Shapcott - award-winning poet and President of the Poetry Society
Mark Oakley - Canon Treasurer of St Paul's
Mary Morrissey -- Lecturer in English, Reading University
In addition, Andrew Carwood, world-famous tenor and Director of Music at St Paul's will sing Benjamin Britten's unforgettable settings of Donne's sonnets.
The Revd Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, interviews London artist Gerry Judah on his new piece recently installed in St Paul's Cathedral to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the First World War. This interview was recorded on 15th April 2014.
Highlights from the Sung Eucharist to Commemorate the Hundredth Anniversary of the Outbreak of World War I held at St Paul's Cathedral, London, on Sunday 3rd August 2014.
Sermon given by the Revd Canon Michael Hampel - Precentor of St Paul's Cathedral.
The Revd Canon Andrew White, President of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East and 'Vicar of Baghdad', preaches the sermon at the Sung Eucharist service on All Saints' Day, 1st November 2015.
Revd Canon Mark Oakley gives a sermon at the 'Remembering with Hope' Commemoration service to mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorists attacks on 11th September 2001. The service was held at St Paul's Cathedral, London.
The Very Revd Dr David Ison gives the sermon at his Installation service as the new Dean of St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded on 25th May 2012.
Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry speaks to Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, about the things that matter most.
Behind the scenes footage with the senior conservator at St Paul's Cathedral, discussing the restoration and conservation of the Richmond Cartoon designs for the mosaic work in the cathedral. Recorded in 2011.
A part of a summer residency within the Cathedral's Collections department, three MA students from Leicester University present the stories from three significant Royal occasions in St Paul's History.
In focus on this podcast are: The Thanksgiving Service for the recovery of King George III in 1789 Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981.
Stratton Meyer, Collections Intern at St Paul's Cathedral, introduces us to the background and history of the work of artist Sir James Thornhill at St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded in 2015.
Renowned author P D James speaks as part of the Mind of the Maker series at St Paul's Cathedral on her journey through faith with the Revd Canon Michael Hampel, Precentor of St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded in May 2013.
Comedian Frank Skinner is interviewed by Andrew Carwood, Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral, about his Christian faith and how it impacts his life. Part of the 'Mind of the Maker' series held over four consecutive weekends in April/May 2013 at St Paul's Cathedral, London.
Clarissa Dickson Wright speaks on her Christian faith as part of the Mind of the Maker series of discussions at St Paul's Cathedral in April/May 2013. Chaired by Sarah Eynstone, Minor Canon and Chaplain at St Paul's Cathedral.
Andrew Motion, former Poet Laureate, speaks with the Revd Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, on his life and journey through faith. Recorded in May 2013.
(Edited version of longer event - this section contains the audience Q&A only). William Tyndale gave us the Bible in English, and died for it. His passion was to put the Bible into the hands of everyone so that we could read it for ourselves. Executed as a heretic in 1536 for translating the Bible, within a few years his translation was in every church in England. Melvyn Bragg, broadcaster, novelist, and biographer of Tyndale, and Jane Williams, theologian, explore what difference he made to our lives. Chaired by Canon Mark Oakley. Recorded 24 October 2017.
(This is an edited version of a longer event - this section contains just Jane Williams' talk). William Tyndale gave us the Bible in English, and died for it. His passion was to put the Bible into the hands of everyone so that we could read it for ourselves. Executed as a heretic in 1536 for translating the Bible, within a few years his translation was in every church in England. Jane Williams, theologian, explores what difference he made to our lives.
(Edited version of a longer event - this section just contains Melvyn Bragg's talk.) William Tyndale gave us the Bible in English, and died for it. His passion was to put the Bible into the hands of everyone so that we could read it for ourselves. Executed as a heretic in 1536 for translating the Bible, within a few years his translation was in every church in England. Melvyn Bragg, broadcaster, novelist, and biographer of Tyndale explores what difference he made to our lives. Recorded 24 October 2017.
William Tyndale gave us the Bible in English, and died for it. His passion was to put the Bible into the hands of everyone so that we could read it for ourselves. Executed as a heretic in 1536 for translating the Bible, within a few years his translation was in every church in England. Melvyn Bragg, broadcaster, novelist, and biographer of Tyndale, and Jane Williams, theologian, explore what difference he made to our lives. Chaired by Canon Mark Oakley. Recorded 24 October 2017.
Organised by St Paul's Institute in partnership with the LSE Faith Centre, LSE Life and LSE Careers at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Is it possible to reconcile your values with the demanding profit-driven structures of modern professional life? Are some sectors more meaningful than others or does every career have the potential for meaningful work? How can our values and/or beliefs best inform our work and make a positive difference in the world?
Organised in partnership between St Paul's Institute and Tearfund and held on 21 June 2016. What is a circular economy and how does it relate to inequality? How will the transition to 'zero carbon' affect prosperity, growth and consumption? #environment #inequality #green
Panel discussion organised by St Paul's Institute, Women's Budget Group and the Women's Resource Centre. Held at St Paul's Cathedral on 26th January 2015.
Paul Mason, Economics Editor for Channel 4 News, presents the thesis from his latest book 'PostCapitalism: A Guide to our Future' at St Paul's Cathedral for an event organised by St Paul's Institute and Penguin UK. Responses from Ann Pettifor (Director, PRIME) and Phillip Blond (Director, ResPublica), Chaired by Elizabeth Oldfield (Director, Theos) on 3rd November 2015.
Event organised in partnership between St Paul's Institute and Tomorrow's Company.
Speakers: Mark Goyder - CEO & Founder Director, Tomorrow's Company; Barbara Ridpath - Director, St Paul's Institute; Rev'd Hugh Thomas - Curate, St Katharine & St Margaret (formerly Global Compliance Director, Deutsche Bank); Leon Kamhi - Executive Director, Hermes Equity Ownership Services
Speakers: Anders Bouvin (Handelsbanken); Jane Fuller (Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation); Edward Houghton (CIPD).
Chaired by Barbara Ridpath (St Paul's Institute) with an introduction from Tanya Barman (CIMA).
A series of interviews conducted by Baroness Worthington discussing how different sectors are responding to climate change, an event held at St Paul's Cathedral to relaunch the Sandbag organisation.
Interviews (in order): Greg Barker, Rob Elsworth, Barbara Ridpath, Juliet Davenport, Marco Alvera, David Derbyshire, James Randerson, Ed Miliband and a special contribution from Arthur Smith.
Have banks and the banking system really changed, and will incoming regulation protect us from future financial crises? Where are innovative models emerging from, and will they supplement or replace the status quo? Are we there yet, or do we still need to push for deeper systemic change?
Event organised by St Paul's Institute, in partnership with the Finance Innovation Lab. Chaired by Chris Hewett and Anna Laycock.
Prof Craig Calhoun, Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, speaks on the need to find a higher purpose for politics and business. Part of the event 'Beyond Election Day: Power, Money, Government and Responsibility' held at St Paul's Cathedral on 29th April 2015.
Shami Chakrabarti, Conor Kehoe, Loretta Minghella and Craig Calhoun at the recent event held at St Paul's Cathedral that explored how to bring politics and business towards serving the common good.
Organised in partnership between St Paul's Institute, Theos and Together for the Common Good.
Loretta Minghella, Chief Executive of Christian Aid, speaks on how to build relationships for the common good at St Paul's Cathedral on 29th April 2015. This is her opening speech from the event 'Beyond Election Day: Power, Money, Government and Responsibility'
Conor Kehoe, Director at McKinsey & Company, speaks on the notion of shareholder value and how it relates to the purpose of business.
This is his opening position from the recent event 'Beyond Election Day: Power, Money, Government and Responsibility' held at St Paul's Cathedral on 29th April 2015.
Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, gives her opening position at the recent event 'Beyond Election Day: Power, Money, Government and Responsibility' discussing the importance of human rights as the foundation of the common good.
Held at St Paul's Cathedral, London on the 29th April 2015.
Panel discussion organised by St Paul's Institute in partnership with the Diocese of London. Keynote speech from the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, Bishop of Salisbury, with responses from: Stephen Howard, CEO of Business in the Community; Laurence Brahm, Author and Entrepreneur; and Bryony Worthington, Baroness Worthington and Founder of Sandbag.org.uk
Chaired by the Revd Canon Prof. Richard Burridge, Dean of King's College London.
Event organised by St Paul's Institute and held at St Paul's Cathedral on the 23rd March 2015.
Speakers: Malcolm Brown - Director of the Mission and Public Affairs Division, Church of England The Revd Canon Paul Hackwood - Residentiary Canon at Leicester Cathedral and Chair of the Church Urban Fund.
Chaired by Barbara Ridpath, Director of St Paul's Institute
Event organised by St Paul's Institute in partnership with JustShare and Christian Aid. Held at St Mary-le-Bow Church, London.
Speakers: Kathryn Nawrockyi - Director, Opportunity Now Fleur Bothwick OBE - Director of Diversity & Inclusive Leadership (EMEIA), EY Dr Eva Neitzert - Director, The Parity Project Loretta Minghella OBE - Chief Executive, Christian Aid
Chaired by Barbara Ridpath, Director of St Paul's Institute
Hemione Hudson, Partner at PwC, presents the keynote talk at the beginning of a young women's mentoring event held in partnership between St Paul's Institute and Girls Talk London on the 10th March 2015 at St Paul's Cathedral, London - following International Women's Day on 8th March.
Panel discussion organised by St Paul's Institute, Women's Budget Group and the Women's Resource Centre. Held at St Paul's Cathedral on 26th January 2015.
Second session of the recent clergy learning day hosted by St Paul's Institute in collaboration with the Centre for Theology and Community.
Speakers: Bishop Peter Selby and Canon Angus Ritchie.
Speakers include Sir Hector Sants, David Barclay, and Rosina St James.
Opening session from the November 2014 clergy learning day hosted by St Paul's Institute in collaboration with the Centre for Theology & Community.
Event organised by St Paul's Institute in partnership with Theos and Together for the Common Good.
Speakers: Prof. Craig Calhoun, Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science; Loretta Minghella OBE, Chief Executive of Christian Aid; Conor Kehoe, Director at McKinsey & Company; and Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty. Chaired by the Revd Canon Angus Ritchie, Director of the Centre for Theology & Community
Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist Edward O. Wilson speaks at St Paul's Cathedral on the topic of biodiversity in 'What is Stewardship? and Why Does it Matter?'. Speakers include David Adjaye OBE and Helene Winch, Chaired by Alderman Prof. Michael Mainelli.
Held in partnership between St Paul's Institute, the MEMO Project, Long Finance, and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Filmed on 6th November 2014.
Three speakers bring their theological, academic and practitioner perspectives to explore the ways in which we relate to money. How has the role and importance of money changed in recent years, is it now an idol, and have we become slaves to it?
Speakers:
The Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby - Former Bishop of Worcester and Author.
Dominic Johnson - Chair of New City Initiative and CEO, Somerset Capital Management.
Ben Dyson - Founder of Positive Money.
Chaired by Barbara Ridpath, Director of St Paul's Institute. This event was recorded at St Paul's Cathedral, London on 28th October 2014.
How can we remove the institutional and cultural barriers preventing many women from reaching positions of leadership? What can different sectors learn from one another in the fight for true equality? What actions can we take to create lasting change?
St Paul's Institute hosts a discussion on gender equality at St Paul's Cathedral: Liz Bingham, Managing Partner for Talent at EY Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty Ceri Goddard, Director of Gender at the Young Foundation The Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons Frances O'Grady, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress Chaired by:The Very Revd David Ison, Dean of St Paul's Cathedral
Author and former Labour MP David Marquand presents the thesis of his latest book 'Mammon's Kingdom' at St Paul's Cathedral. Part of the ongoing programme of events and debate hosted by St Paul's Institute.
A short film produced on the 2013 series organised by St Paul's Institute, in conjunction with CCLA, that explored key issues underlying the social purpose of the financial sector.
Including contributions from Archbishop Justin Welby, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Lord Robert Skidelsky and many others.
Should economic growth be the primary goal of economic policy? Andy Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England, debates Dr Andrew Lilico, Principal of Europe Economics.
Organised by St Paul's Institute and JustShare, held at St Mary-le-Bow Church, London, on 17th September 2014.
Christiana Figueres of the UNFCCC shares her views on the key challenges faced and highlight what faith communities, the City and the UK at large can do to help. As well as questions from the audience, a panel of distinguished speakers identify the impact of climate change on their sector to help build the will for political action.
The discussion was Chaired by Bishop James Jones, former Bishop of Liverpool and BBC Radio 4 presenter.
Panel of speakers: Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti (former UK Government Climate and Energy Security Envoy), Dr Tony Juniper (Author and Environmentalist) and Peter Pereira Gray (Managing Director, Wellcome Trust Investments).
Felix Martin, author of 'Money: The Unauthorised Biography', gives a talk at St Paul's Cathedral as part of the event programme for St Paul's Institute. Exploring the history of money and the misconceptions we have about it, and looking at recent claims made by proponents of Bitcoin and where we might look to for the future of money.
An event bringing together leading theologians and practitioners to discuss how faith can enhance our approach to finance, exploring the theological implications and practical outworking of our current relationship to money. How do we begin to change things for the better, and what role can our two faiths play? Have we lost our ability to control the monetary system and its effect on society? Are there limits to the pursuit of profit? How can we ensure that finance is fit to serve the needs and utilities of individuals and businesses whilst working for the best interests of society as a whole?
Seminar attached to our series of three debates under the dome, held in conjunction with CCLA, entitled 'The City and the Common Good: What kind of City do we want?'.
Speakers: Danielle Walker-Palmour - Director, Friends Provident Foundation Peter Crook - Chief Executive, Provident Financial Antony Macrow-Wood - former President of the British Credit Unions Association
Chaired by Ben Hughes, Chief Executive of the Community Development Finance Association.
Seminar organised with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) as part of the series of debates held under the dome of St Paul's Cathedral entitled 'The City and the Common Good: What kind of City do we want?'.
A panel discussion held in conjunction with the European Parliament Office in the UK and the British Bankers' Association.
Featuring: Sharon Bowles MEP, Leslie Griffiths, Anthony Browne, David Sayer and Brooke Masters.
St Paul's Cathedral hosts a debate between David Pitt-Watson, representing the City Reform Group, and Mark Boleat, Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee for the City of London. Chaired by Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral
Edward Mason, Secretary for the Church of England's Ethical Investment Advisory Group, speaks to a class of MA students at the ifs School of Finance. Part of St Paul's Institute's engagement with education institutions.
James Featherby, Chair of the Church of England's Ethical Investment Advisory Group, gives a keynote talk on market ethics - answering the question: What kind of City do we want?
Responses from Laura Berry, Interfaith Centre for Corporate Responsibility; and Bishop Peter Selby, Interim Director at St Paul's Institute. Chaired by Michael Quicke, Chief Executive of CCLA.
Third debate in the St Paul's Institute series, held in conjunction with CCLA, entitled 'The City and the Common Good: What kind of City do we want?'. Recorded on 12th June 2013.
Speakers: Justin Welby - Archbishop of Canterbury (keynote address) Antony Jenkins - Group Chief Executive, Barclays John Fingleton - CEO, Fingleton Associates Laura Willoughby - CEO, Move Your Money
Second debate in the St Paul's Institute series, held in conjunction with CCLA, entitled 'The City and the Common Good: What kind of City do we want?' held at St Paul's Cathedral on 7th May 2013.
The first in a series of debates organised by St Paul's Institute, in conjunction with CCLA, entitled 'The City and the Common Good: What kind of City do we want?' -
Archbishop Vincent Nichols (keynote) with Helena Kennedy QC, Tracey McDermott and Bishop Peter Selby. Chaired by Stephanie Flanders, BBC Economics Editor. Recorded on 11th April 2013
Seminar exploring the history of St Paul's Cross during the early modern period, including discussion on the nature of free speech at the time and how it feeds into our modern conception of public discourse.
Owen Jones chairs a discussion on welfare hosted by St Paul's Institute and The Jack and Ada Beattie Foundation.
In an age of increasing austerity, the concept of 'welfare' takes on renewed importance when discussing social wellbeing and the notion of the common good. What is welfare, and who should provide it? Who does it exist for, and how should they access it? The extent to which the product of economic growth is put towards uplifting the most economically vulnerable is a question that lies at the very core of how we structure society.
Speakers: Rt Revd John Packer - Bishop of Ripon & Leeds Hazel Blears - MP for Salford and Eccles Stephen Lloyd - Senior Partner of Bates, Wells & Braithwaite
St Paul's Institute seminar held in conjunction with the Church Investors Group, discussing the role that values based investors and financial institutions could be playing to ensure the UK financial service sector is fair for all stakeholders.
Chaired by: Andrew Robinson (Director, CCLA)
Speakers: Catherine Howarth (CEO, FairPensions); Edward Mason (Secretary to the Ethical Investment Advisory Group); Ben Hughes (CEO, Community Development Finance Association) and Stella Creasy (MP for Walthamstow).
This seminar explores some of the recent models for direct democracy and how they function to help bring about social change. Including speakers from Occupy London, Citizens UK, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Our Democratic Heritage.
Chaired by Canon Dr Angus Ritchie - Director, The Contextual Theology Centre
Prof Michael Sandel discusses the topic of his latest book 'What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets' with Bishop Peter Selby, Stephanie Flanders and Prof Julian Le Grand under the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.
Press conference held at St Paul's Cathedral to answer questions about the St Paul's Institute report examining the financial sector 'Value and Values: Perceptions of Ethics in the City Today'.
St Paul's Institute, in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), hosted this discussion on the UK Bribery Act - exploring how it will be implemented and what it means for the business community.
St. Paul's Institute (St Paul's Cathedral), interviews Paul Holley - Coordinator for the Anglican Health Network - on the work being done in the area of microinsurance. The discussion surrounds the recent implementation of programmes in India and Tanzania, and highlights both the benefits and difficulties surrounding microinsurance programmes such as these.
St Paul's Institute discusses the notion of ethical business and how the global financial crisis has impacted on the need for corporations to act ethically.
Interview with Leo Martin, Director and Co-Founder of GoodCorporation.
Something understood - final reflections - part iii. Please note that this session was very interactive with lots of audience participation. It also refers to several poems in great detail - these poems were on handouts that the participants had been given.
George Herbert is one of the great 17th century poet-priests. His poems embrace every shade of the spiritual life, from love and closeness, to anger and despair, to reconciliation and hope. And his work is always rich with audacious playfulness: he seems to take God on, knowing God will win, as if he’s having an argument with a faithful friend he knows is not going to leave. In much of theology and spirituality, God is a critical spectator to human lives, but for Herbert, his sense of relationship with God is primarily of a friendship that can never be broken.
Mark Oakley is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, overseeing the arts and learning programmes at the cathedral. He writes regularly for the Church Times and The Tablet and broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 4. His latest, bestselling, book The Splash of Words: Believing in Poetry (Canterbury Press) was published last year to great acclaim.
Recorded 14 October 2017.
Love took my hand - part ii. Please note that this session was very interactive with lots of audience participation. It also refers to several poems in great detail - these poems were on handouts that the participants had been given.
George Herbert is one of the great 17th century poet-priests. His poems embrace every shade of the spiritual life, from love and closeness, to anger and despair, to reconciliation and hope. And his work is always rich with audacious playfulness: he seems to take God on, knowing God will win, as if he’s having an argument with a faithful friend he knows is not going to leave. In much of theology and spirituality, God is a critical spectator to human lives, but for Herbert, his sense of relationship with God is primarily of a friendship that can never be broken.
Mark Oakley is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, overseeing the arts and learning programmes at the cathedral. He writes regularly for the Church Times and The Tablet and broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 4. His latest, bestselling, book The Splash of Words: Believing in Poetry (Canterbury Press) was published last year to great acclaim.
Recorded 14 October 2017.
Part i - Lost in a humble way - introducing George Herbert.
George Herbert is one of the great 17th century poet-priests. His poems embrace every shade of the spiritual life, from love and closeness, to anger and despair, to reconciliation and hope. And his work is always rich with audacious playfulness: he seems to take God on, knowing God will win, as if he’s having an argument with a faithful friend he knows is not going to leave. In much of theology and spirituality, God is a critical spectator to human lives, but for Herbert, his sense of relationship with God is primarily of a friendship that can never be broken.
Mark Oakley is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, overseeing the arts and learning programmes at the cathedral. He writes regularly for the Church Times and The Tablet and broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 4. His latest, bestselling, book The Splash of Words: Believing in Poetry (Canterbury Press) was published last year to great acclaim.
Recorded 14 October 2017.
Mark is the earliest of the Gospels, the one written closest to Jesus’ lifetime. It is short, urgent, passionate and dramatic and reads a little like a front-line despatch from Christ’s life and death. Often we hear the Gospels in short sections, but it can be a revelation to read – or hear – the whole of the story at once. David Suchet; one of the best-known and best-loved actors of his generation, reads the Gospel of Mark. Recorded 28 March 2017.
Coleridge is, famously, one of the great Romantic poets, a group renowned for their wild lives and living outside respectable society. A brilliant and innovative poet, Coleridge was also, perhaps surprisingly, a man of profound faith and insight into the Christian life. Malcolm Guite, poet, priest, theologian and song-writer, explores Coleridge’s life, faith and work, and what we might learn from him for our own lives of faith. Recorded 7 February 2017.
Jesus’ teaching changed the world, yet his sayings can often seem cryptic and hard to understand. Keith Ward, one of the most distinguished theologians at work today, has spent a lifetime studying the Gospels. He finds the figures of speech and images that Jesus used are all ways of expressing and evoking the self-giving love of God, supremely manifested in Jesus’ own life.
Many of our everyday encounters in the world are touched by the divine, if only we were aware of it. Donna Lazenby says that we may find it easier to experience God in the great moments of our lives, but God often finds a humbler dwelling-place. Can we learn to be alert to the presence of God in small moments of unexpected joy and human encounter, and also to hear God’s voice in the world’s cries of protest against alienation and injustice? 2 July 2017.
We live in a time when the language around immigration has become more vociferous, and the Black Lives Matter movement, originating in America, has sharpened debate about race, ethnicity and justice. Anthony Reddie says that while God is universal, all our theology is contextual and we need to hear each other’s experiences in order to have a fuller picture of God, and most of all we need to listen to voices which bring news of God beyond the traditional power structures of the church and Christendom. 4 June 2017.
We’re often told that faith and science are at war with one another, and we have to choose one or the other. Alister McGrath says it’s time to consider another way looking at these two great cultural forces: what if science and faith might actually enrich each other? What if, together, they give us a deeper and more satisfying understanding of life?Alister McGrath is Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University and the author of numerous academic and theological works including the best selling The Dawkins Delusion (SPCK 2007). 7 May 2017.
The Cross is at the very centre of our faith. For the earliest Christians, Passover was essential to their understanding of the Passion, but there are other biblical images which created imaginative traditions: sacrifice and scapegoat, the Tree of Life and other surprising links with to the Garden of Eden, and rich resources of paintings and poetry. On Passion Sunday, as we turn our thoughts towards Holy Week, Frances Young introduced her profound and far-reaching thinking about the Cross. 2 April 2017.
Sin is out of fashion while fascination with our own inner workings is everywhere. But in his new book Stephen Cherry says that the concept of sin is an essential, and healthy, tool for self understanding. Stephen Cherry is the Dean of King’s College, Cambridge, and the author of many books including Healing Agony: Re imagining Forgiveness and The Dark Side of the Soul: An Insider’s Guide to the Web of Sin (Bloomsbury 2012 and 2016). 5 March 2017.
The church year tells the story of Christ’s life slowly, in tune with nature’s seasons, allowing us to explore all the seasons of our spiritual lives and the Gospel in all its mysterious richness. Mark Oakley, Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, explores what it offers our spiritual lives. 5 Feb 2017.
Paula Gooder, one of the best-known and best-loved Biblical scholars and teachers of our times, says that the Bible tells a much more complicated story about our bodies than that. She will explore what a Biblical spirituality for the whole person might be and reveal how we are called to relate to God with the whole of our selves – body and soul, mind and heart. Recorded 15 June 2016.
Podcasts of Canon Mark Oakley talking about TS Eliot’s Four Quartets at St Paul’s Adult Learning reflective day in April 2016.
TS Eliot’s Four Quartets is a classic in the great tradition of Western spirituality. By turns mystical, musical, philosophical and fragmentary, the Four Quartets scrutinise our relationship to time, the universe and the divine. In these podcasts, Mark Oakley first introduces the whole sequence, and then in the following four podcasts explores each of the Quartets by turn. The first two podcasts are rerecorded after the event as the podcast was lost, and the last three are ‘live’.
Podcasts of Canon Mark Oakley talking about TS Eliot’s Four Quartets at St Paul’s Adult Learning reflective day in April 2016.
TS Eliot’s Four Quartets is a classic in the great tradition of Western spirituality. By turns mystical, musical, philosophical and fragmentary, the Four Quartets scrutinise our relationship to time, the universe and the divine. In these podcasts, Mark Oakley first introduces the whole sequence, and then in the following four podcasts explores each of the Quartets by turn. The first two podcasts are rerecorded after the event as the podcast was lost, and the last three are ‘live’.
Podcasts of Canon Mark Oakley talking about TS Eliot’s Four Quartets at St Paul’s Adult Learning reflective day in April 2016.
TS Eliot’s Four Quartets is a classic in the great tradition of Western spirituality. By turns mystical, musical, philosophical and fragmentary, the Four Quartets scrutinise our relationship to time, the universe and the divine. In these podcasts, Mark Oakley first introduces the whole sequence, and then in the following four podcasts explores each of the Quartets by turn. The first two podcasts are rerecorded after the event as the podcast was lost, and the last three are ‘live’. Recorded April 2016.
Podcasts of Canon Mark Oakley talking about TS Eliot’s Four Quartets at St Paul’s Adult Learning reflective day in April 2016.
TS Eliot’s Four Quartets is a classic in the great tradition of Western spirituality. By turns mystical, musical, philosophical and fragmentary, the Four Quartets scrutinise our relationship to time, the universe and the divine. In these podcasts, Mark Oakley first introduces the whole sequence, and then in the following four podcasts explores each of the Quartets by turn. The first two podcasts are rerecorded after the event as the podcast was lost, and the last three are ‘live’. Recorded April 2016.
Podcasts of Canon Mark Oakley talking about TS Eliot’s Four Quartets at St Paul’s Adult Learning reflective day in April 2016.
TS Eliot’s Four Quartets is a classic in the great tradition of Western spirituality. By turns mystical, musical, philosophical and fragmentary, the Four Quartets scrutinise our relationship to time, the universe and the divine. In these podcasts, Mark Oakley first introduces the whole sequence, and then in the following four podcasts explores each of the Quartets by turn. The first two podcasts are rerecorded after the event as the podcast was lost, and the last three are ‘live’. Recorded April 2016.
Poetry is what we reach for when we are falling in love, when we are grieving and when we search the great mysteries. It’s easy to think the language of faith is in creeds, sermons and certainties, but Mark Oakley says that it is poetry that is the person of faith’s native language. In this talk he will invite us on an adventure into poetry’s power to startle, challenge and reframe our vision: like throwing a pebble into water, the words of a poem cause a splash whose ripples can, if we let them, transform the way we see the world, ourselves, and God. Recorded 8 November 2016.
St Augustine described the Holy Spirit as ‘the bond of love’. In anticipation of the great feast of Pentecost, Jane Williams will explore the Spirit’s loving action in our lives and world, while also exploring how we can understand the Spirit’s presence in places and times of damage, difficulty, and grief. Recorded 1 May 2016.
Life is at once wonderful and terrible, beautiful and appalling. It is one of the greatest stumbling blocks to faith for the believer and the non-believer alike. How can we live with this contradiction? And how can we believe in a just and loving God in the face of all the evils of the world? Richard Harries, former Bishop of Oxford, and Loretta Minghella, the Chief Executive of Christian Aid, speak about the reality of suffering and evil in the world, and how in the face of it we can possibly live lives of hope and believe in a God of love. Recorded 11 October 2016.
Holiness can sound like something lofty and abstract, beyond the reach of ordinary people. Judy Hirst says that in reality ‘holiness is about learning to entrust yourself to the God who loves you. It is about taking the risk of allowing God to interact with the truth of ourselves, no strings attached’. Recorded June 2016.
Mindfulness is the practice of living intentionally in the present moment. Brian Draper discusses the profound benefits of mindfulness and how much they have in common with the ancient treasures of contemplative Christian practice, and can lead to us to a renewed understanding of our faith and the ‘life more abundant’ that Christ calls us to. Recorded 6 November 2016.
Two activist-theologians, Canon Dr Angus Ritchie who is the Director of the Centre for Theology and Community and Dr Eve Poole who teaches at Ashridge Business School, offer a vision of what God’s kingdom of love might look like right here, right now and how our personal choices can bring its reality closer. Recorded 12 April 2016.
This shorter version contains just the talk with no introduction or Q&A. Martin Luther is undeniably one of the people who made the modern world. He risked his life to challenge the corruption and complacency of the late medieval church, and in doing so both changed the political face of Europe and liberated believers to pursue their faith based on scripture and conscience. On the 500th anniversary of Luther nailing his 95 theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Peter Stanford examines this complex, often charismatic man of God, his legacy, and the myths that have grown up around him. Recorded 1 October 2017.
Martin Luther is undeniably one of the people who made the modern world. He risked his life to challenge the corruption and complacency of the late medieval church, and in doing so both changed the political face of Europe and liberated believers to pursue their faith based on scripture and conscience. On the 500th anniversary of Luther nailing his 95 theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Peter Stanford will examine this complex, often charismatic man of God, his legacy, and the myths that have grown up around him. Peter Stanford is a writer, journalist and broadcaster. Formerly Editor of the Catholic Herald, his books include Judas: the Troubling History of the Renegade Apostle (Hodder 2015) and Martin Luther, Catholic Dissident (Hodder 2017). Recorded 1 October 2017.
John Pritchard calls Easter ‘the most astonishing day in the history of the world, shattering our closed minds and throwing open the windows of eternity’. But while we keep – or attempt to keep – Lent fastidiously, for many of us the fifty-day season of Easter is, curiously, harder to sustain. But he says that at the very ground of our being we are ‘an Easter people, and alleluia is our song’ and asks, what would it mean to let the glory of Easter illumine our everyday lives? Recorded 3 April 2016.
Shami Chakrabarti, Craig Calhoun, Loretta Minghella and Conor Kehoe.
How do we get politics and business working for the common good? Event organised by St Paul's Institute in partnership with Theos and Together for the Common Good.
Speakers:
Prof. Craig Calhoun - Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science
Shami Chakrabarti - Director of Liberty
Conor Kehoe - Director at McKinsey & Company
Loretta Minghella - Chief Executive of Christian Aid
Chaired by the Revd Canon Angus Ritchie - Director of the Centre for Theology & Community
Each of us has a vocation: a particular calling from God to contribute our gifts to the world and to each other, and in doing so to live our lives to the full. It can be hard however to find our sense of calling in all the busyness of everyday life. Julia Mourant says that when it comes to finding our own path in life, paying attention to how God speaks to us through our imaginations, hopes, dreams, doubts and desires can be as essential as a logical list of pros and cons. Recorded Sept 2016.
Every Christian in every generation has to work out what it means to be a follower of the way of Christ in their particular culture; for us, that is our globalised, consumerist world. Ruth Valerio will reflect on the call to justice and wisdom, and how we can live both gently and joyfully on the planet and with each other in the 21st century. Recorded March 2016.
Julian of Norwich was a 14th century woman whose mystical experiences led her to believe in a God of unconditional love, of merciful compassion and honesty, and a radical belief in the goodness of creation and humanity, deeply challenging to medieval ideas of a God of wrath. Robert Fruehwirth explores faith’s consolations and challenges, using the wisdom and insight of Julian’s Revelations of Divine Love as a guide. Recorded 2 October 2016.
There is an Irish saying that it is in the shelter of each other than we live, but in our fragmented, urban societies it can be difficult to find, or offer, shelter to each other. Pádraig Ó Tuama draws on everyday stories, poetry, gospel reflections and Celtic spirituality to open up ways we can make our lives a place of welcome, both for ourselves and others, and live well together in a troubled world. Recorded 7 February 2016.
Etty Hillesum was a 27 year old Jewish student living under occupation in 1940s Amsterdam. Throughout that time she wrote a diary of her daily life recounting her spiritual transformation. Patrick Woodhouse will explore her life and writing including what her profound reflections on the nature of evil can teach us today. Recorded July 2016.
Katharine Jefferts Schori, by profession and passion both scientist and theologian, will look at the many meanings of the first chapters of Genesis, exploring what they can teach us about God, the world, and ourselves. Recorded 3 March 2016.
Although we tend to associate darkness with the absence of God, Advent is a season when we are called to contemplate the unseen workings of God in preparation for new life and new hope as we wait for the explosion of joy at the birth of Christ. Barbara Mosse explores the many gifts of God that can be found during this season, and also the wisdom to be found in the seasons of the church year as we begin them once again. Recorded 4 Dec 2016.
Drawing together the themes of the kingdom and the cross, the resurrection and ascension, Tom Wright presents a radical rereading of the gospels with radical implications for our lives – spiritually, politically and for the church as a whole. Tom Wright is Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews, and was until recently the Bishop of Durham. Recorded October 2015.
Advent is the season when we prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ at Christmas – a season for slowing down and reflecting on the great spiritual themes of light and dark, life and death. But while all around us the world speeds up in pre-Christmas rush, it can be difficult to find a place for stillness and contemplation. Malcolm Guite suggests one way is to read a poem each day and offers a seasonal reflection on this. Recorded in December 2015.
Music parallels and illuminates the experience of God in its changeability and fleetingness, and is one of the best ways we have to find the stillness in which a experience the sense of God’s presence. It can also provide a narrative for the cycle of life which allows our inexpressible feelings to be given voice at times of both sorrow and rejoicing. In reflection and conversation, renowned theologian Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP and award winning musician Andrew Carwood explore together what music can teach us about faith beyond words. Recorded in June 2015.
What kind of person do you want to be? It’s easy to go through life without ever really considering what we’re here for and who we want to be. How can we think not just about what we do with our lives, but who we’re becoming while living them? Steve Chalke, minister of Oasis Church Waterloo and the Founder of Oasis Trust, says that God calls each one of us to play our part in his plan for a just and loving world, and it’s finding our place in that story that will shape us and our lives into everything we were meant to be. Recorded in September 2015.
Barbara Brown Taylor says that in dark places and times it can be possible to begin to see the world and sense God’s presence around us in new ways - guiding us through things seen and unseen, teaching us to find our footing in times of uncertainty and doubt, and giving us strength and hope to face life’s challenges. American Episcopal priest, professor, author and theologian, Barbara Brown Taylor speaks about her new book 'Learning to Walk in the Dark'. Recorded in July 2015.
We all want to be blessed and to be a blessing to others, but we rarely stop to consider what that means. Familiar from every sort of liturgy, blessing is one of the most commonly used Christian terms, but one of the least understood. Andrew Davison suggests we begin to understand it through its place as a powerful theme running through the Bible, from the very beginning when God blesses Creation, to Jesus’s last act on earth, blessing the disciples as he ascends to heaven. Recorded in September 2015.
Michael Hampel talks about detective novelist Dorothy Sayers and the enduring resonance of her controversial radio play about the life of Christ, The Man Born to be King, exploring her fascinating theology of creativity, which connects the doctrine of the Trinity with the process of creating, making and sharing new things.
The contemporary church seems riven with controversies, particularly about sexuality, celibacy, and the role of women. Drawing deeply on the Bible, the early Church Fathers and the writings of Freud and Jung, Sarah Coakley argues that desire can be freed from associations of promiscuity and disorder, and we can forge a new positive, ascetical vision, founded in the disciplines of prayer and attention. Recorded in November 2015.
How can we learn to live wisely? The renowned theologian David Ford draws deeply on a lifetime of faith and study to explore the ways of wisdom, focusing particularly on ‘the dramatic and mysterious’ Gospel of John. In this talk he will offer reflective and practical insights into living wisely and well, rooted in the Spirit, and drawing also on contemporary poetry and music. David Ford is Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge.
Dave Tomlinson's new book puts forward the modest proposal of ‘reinventing God’ - shaking up our settled ideas of what God is, and where we might find him or her. He writes ‘After a lifetime of seeking to know God better, the most important thing I have discovered is that we cannot find God. God was never lost. And we were never lost to God. God is everywhere, named or unnamed, recognised or unrecognised, bidden or unbidden’. Recorded July 2015.
Too often we think of Easter as just one day, but in reality it’s the fifty day season during which we explore the disciples’ experiences of the risen Christ and the meaning of the Resurrection. From Mary Magdalene meeting Christ at the tomb on Easter Sunday to his great commission to the apostles to make disciples of all nations, they meet, eat with, touch and talk with Christ, seeing his wounds and hearing his voice. Lent and Holy Week are seasons when we remember the past, but the time we live in now is the time of the Resurrection. How can we enter into this supremely mysterious story?
Jesus enters into Jerusalem in triumph, and a week later he is dead. Holy Week is the great crisis of Christianity, which moves at terrifying speed from the crowds hailing him, to the Last Supper where he foretells his death, his anguished prayer in Gethsemane, and the shocking events of his betrayal, trial and execution. But it’s also true that these stories can become so familiar that we lose our sense of their revolutionary message about the nature of God. How can we make the great pilgrimage of Holy Week, following Jesus to the cross and the echoing silence of the tomb, in such a way as to experience these events afresh? Recorded March 2015.
Lent is the slow season of reflection, repentance, inwardness and change, founded in Jesus’ forty days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness. It survives in popular culture as a time to ‘give something up’, but what is the deeper path of taking time to make this inward journey, readying ourselves to live through Jesus’ betrayal, trial and death, and encounter the transforming mystery of the Resurrection? Recorded Feb 2015.
Rowan Williams will explore the meanings of Christmas, the darkness and strangeness of the story at the beginning of our faith as well as its message of eternal joy and hope. He will also offer suggestions about how we might reclaim Christmas for our spiritual lives. Rowan Williams is the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and was formerly both Archbishop of Canterbury and Professor of Theology at Oxford University. Recorded 8 December 2015.
It’s all too easy to get the impression that faith is about creeds, doctrine, and knowledge - about mastering the ‘facts’ and having the ‘right’ answers. But Margaret Silf believes that faith is much more about mystery than mastery, and that living in the mystery allows us to shift our focus from religion to relationship – relationship with the Divine. Margaret Silf is a retreat leader and the author of bestselling guides to the spiritual journey. Recorded November 2014.
Can we ever encounter the Christmas stories as if for the first time? Stephen Cottrell tells the story backwards and from the perspective of some of the characters we don’t usually hear from or think of as Christmas people - the prophets Anna and Moses, the Innkeeper’s wife, Rachel who weeps for her children, as well as Isaiah, the shepherds, wise men, Joseph and Mary. Stephen Cottrell is the Bishop of Chelmsford. Recorded December 2014.
'In our search for God we are our own starting point.’ Rosemary Lain-Priestley, Dean of Women’s Ministry in the Two Cities area of the London Diocese, explores the spiritual necessity of looking our own experience in the face without glossing over the difficult bits, and how we can learn to see and be changed by the ordinary miracles we miss if we don’t pay attention to the daily. Recorded July 2014.
Compassion is love-in-action, and it’s also been said that the best name for God is Compassion. Trystan Owain Hughes,Diocesan Director of Ordinands for the Diocese of Llandaff, draws on contemporary scientific thought, ancient wisdom, poetry, literature and film to explore compassion’s place at the heart of humanity, and what it might mean for our public, church and spiritual lives if we were to put it at the centre of our lives. Recorded October 2014.
May God protect me from gloomy saints! said St Teresa of Avila, the least gloomy of saints. Peter Tyler, Reader in Pastoral Theology and Spirituality at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, brings refreshing new light to the life and work of this great mystic and considers how it is that Teresa’s ‘language of the soul’ finds such resonance in contemporary spiritual life, including the worlds of psychology, meditation, mindfulness and personal development. Recorded June 2014.
St Benedict wrote his ‘rule of life’ – his practical and spiritual guide for living a good life – in the sixth century, and it has been a foundational document for Christian monasticism and spirituality ever since. Esther de Waal explores the ancient, gentle wisdom of the Rule of St Benedict in relation to the demands of modern living and the importance of balance between prayer, work and study.
There is a great tradition of finding God in the natural world, and many people who have given up on church appreciate the spiritual benefits of climbing a mountain or walking in the countryside. Graham Usher, Bishop of Dudley, encourages us to look at the world with fresh eyes – and so be enchanted by the wonder of God all around us. Recorded September 2014.
December marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. preaching at St Paul’s. This event will challenged us to fulfil the dream he put to us of an equal society, one free from discrimination, intolerance, prejudice and extremism. The discussion addressed the impediments to true equality, and discuss practical ways these obstacles can be removed. Recorded December 2014.
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith. How can it possibly be that God dies, and what can it teach us about how to live? Graham Tomlin, Dean of St Mellitus College, London, explores how the mystery of the cross can shed new, life-giving light on the way we live today. Recorded April 2014.
Professor Burridge, Dean and Professor of Biblical Interpretation of King’s College London, is one of the foremost Biblical scholars of our time, and this book grew out of ten years of academic research into the gospels, but also his desire ‘to bridge the gap between the prayer cell and the seminar debate’. For anyone intrigued or puzzled by the differences between the gospels, this is a revelatory reading of the four portraits of Jesus we are given in the New Testament. Recorded 2 March 2014.
The Reverend Richard Coles is a parish priest and regular host of BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live. He is also the only vicar in Britain to have had a number 1 hit single: the Communards' Don't Leave Me This Way. Fathomless Riches is his remarkable memoir in which he divulges with searing honesty and intimacy his pilgrimage from a rock-and-roll life of sex and drugs to a life devoted to God and Christianity. Recorded 11 November 2014.
Two of the most exciting, prophetic voices in 21st century Christianity, who both found God in the grit of real life, on the streets of the cities they live in, and in the joy and pain of the people they serve and love. Sara and Nadia reflected on their own unlikely experiences of coming to faith, and how we can live the gospel in the new world of the 21st century. Recorded 28 August 2014.
An ancient Christian tradition which originates on fringes of the Christian world, ‘it is refreshing to discover the role that art, storytelling and poetry played in the religious faith of the Celts, and it is perhaps this which enables us to feel such resonance with the Celtic past and spirituality.’ Dr Esther de Waal has a worldwide reputation as a writer, speaker and retreat leader, particularly on Celtic and monastic spirituality.
St Paul's Chancellor, Canon Mark Oakley, discusses the difficulty in reconciling the realities of life with easy and comfortable notions about faith. He reflects on faith as a collage of traditions, texts, and the myriad experiences of living, imagination, silence and prayer by which we respond to the grace of God. Recorded March 2013.
How can we change the world? Many of us feel helpless in the face of the world’s problems to change anything, and that it takes an exceptional person - a hero and or a saint - to make a difference. Michael Battle is the Founder of the Peace Battle Institute. Rowan Williams is Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and former Archbishop of Canterbury.
The 1914-18 war was the war to end all wars. Since then, countless millions have died in conflict, and it’s debatable whether there’s been a single day of peace.Stanley Hauerwas is Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School. Samuel SSF is the Brother-in Charge of Hilfield Friary, the Anglican Franciscan community in Dorset. Recorded October 2013.
Generosity could save the world. There is enough food and money for everyone on the planet if we took only what we need and gave the rest to those who have too little. But can we actually change our hearts, minds and politics enough to do that? David Lammy is the MP Tottenham. Lucy Winkett is the Rector of St James’s Piccadilly. Recorded Oct 2013.
What is freedom? Aung San Suu Kyi, speaking under house arrest in Burma, said to the outside world in 1997: Please use your freedom to promote ours. But what does it mean to be free? Shami Chakrabarti is Director of Liberty, the National Council for Civil Liberties. Peter Selby is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Theology at King’s College, London and a former Bishop of Worcester. Recorded October 2013.
Janet Morley calls the season of Advent ‘a pilgrimage of the heart’, a time for stillness and contemplation. She invites us to contemplate its themes of darkness and death, light and new life with some of our greatest poets, including George Herbert, Emily Dickinson, Philip Larkin, Sylvia Plath, TS Eliot and William Blake, in the hope that when the great feast of Christmas comes, we too will have ‘walked haphazard by starlight straight into the kingdom of heaven.'
For more than half a century, C S Lewis' Narnia series has captured the imagination of millions. Alister McGrath, Professor of Theology, Ministry and Education at King's College London, tells us that behind the best-selling books and Hollywood movies lies the unlikely story of an Oxford don who spent his days teaching medieval English Literature, his nights writing a best-selling fantasy series for children, and who became an inspiring, though reluctant, prophet of modern Christianity. Recorded April 2013.
Mark Barrett, a Benedictine monk at Worth Abbey, opens up the life of a 21st century monk in the hope that ‘the reader would find that we monastics – so often the shadowy medieval figures of media-gothic – are in reality fellow-seekers, apprentices training among the tools of a spiritual workshop’. He explores the spiritual journey made each day in the cycle of the ancient monastic offices, from Vigils before dawn to the night office of Compline. Recorded Nov 2013.
The remarkable English painter Stanley Spencer produced a series of works entitled Christ in the Wilderness, portraying the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford, reflects on some of Spencer’s Christ in the Wilderness paintings, inviting us to slow down and enter into the stillness of Stanley Spencer’s vision as a rich source of spiritual wisdom and nourishment. Recorded Feb 2013.
The Trinity is one of the most difficult ideas in Christianity to get to grips with - everyone from St Augustine onwards wrestles with it, and Trinity Sunday is notoriously many preachers’ least favourite day of the year. The Revd Ian Mobsby is Priest Missioner at the Moot Community in the Diocese of London. Recorded June 2013.
The Revd Jane Maycock gives a talk on her book 'Windows on a Hidden World' as part of the Sunday Forum series at St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded December 2012.
Rt Revd Richard Harries illustrates the relationship between Christianity and the decisions we make, drawing on the biblical theme of Divine Wisdom and the radical teachings of Jesus. Part of the Sunday Forum series held monthly by St Paul's Forum at St Paul's Cathedral, London. Recorded in March 2012.
The first session of the St Paul's Forum Autumn series 'The Case for God' - held under the dome of St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded September 2012.
Timothy Radcliffe OP, former Master of the Dominican Order, speaks on the topic of his book 'What is the Point of Being a Christian?' at St Paul's Cathedral. Part of the series of events hosted by St Paul's Forum entitled 'The Case for God'. Recorded November 2012.
Karen Armstrong, acclaimed author and religious scholar, speaks at St Paul's Cathedral on the topic of her book The Case for God as part of the St Paul's Forum autumn series of events. Recorded October 2012.
Dr Gordon Higgott discusses the recent catalogue project undertaken by St Paul's Cathedral, which digitised many architectural and design drawings which are now available to the public on the St Paul's website.
Rt Revd John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford, speaks on his latest book Living Jesus at the Sunday Forum session held on the first Sunday of each month at St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded September 2012.
Paula Gooder explores the concept of Ordinary Time in the Church, and shows us how God is often to be found in the times and places when we might least expect an encounter. Recorded Oct 2012.
Canon Michael Mitton talks about his new book Dreaming of Home for the Sunday Forum at St Paul's Cathedral. Recorded July 2012.
Come behind the scenes at St Paul's Cathedral as we speak to our collections and conservation department about restoration and cataloguing work being done on the archeaological stone collection.
If you're interested in cathedral history, archaeology, museums or conservation then this video is an interesting glimpse into those areas as they relate to St Paul's Cathedral.
Sunday Forum session with Rt Revd Adrian Newman, The Bishop of Stepney who reflects on how to keep dancing when our world is filled with darkness and difficulty. Recorded April 2012.
Dr Sara Savage, Senior Research Associate in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University discusses the story of Joseph, one of the most dramatic and best-known in the Old Testament. She retells his story, interweaving psychological expertise with Biblical insights. Recorded in February 2012.
Charlotte, an intern working with the St Paul's Cathedral collection, discusses the new digitisation project on the cathedral website and some of the historic photos in the collection - including one from the 1897 Diamond Jubilee.
Brian McLaren, author of 'A New Kind of Christianity', speaks at St Paul's Cathedral as part of the St Paul's Forum series entitled The Case for God. Recorded Nov 2012.
Ann Persson discusses her experiences using the Rublev Icon as a tool for Christian meditation. Part of the St Paul's Forum monthly series that highlights contemporary Christian authors and their work.
Rt Revd Simon Barrington-Ward discusses The Jesus Prayer, exploring its use as a transformative devotional practice. This seminar was held at St Paul's Cathedral, London on Sunday 2nd October 2011.
The Revd Dr Cally Hammond discusses topics surrounding her latest book Passionate Christianity, including an exploration of how we might approach prayer and an example of how to use imaginative prayer in practice.
Dave Tomlinson discusses how we can approach personal faith and the spiritual journey within the Christian tradition in a way that makes sense in today's world. Recorded on 4th September 2011.
Moses is the great prophet, leader, liberator; the man who sees God face to face and lives. Above all, he is the one to whom God entrusts the Law, the foundation of the sacred covenant between God and humanity. But he is also the abandoned baby, the stammerer, the founder of the nation who never sets foot in the promised land. What can we learn of our pilgrimage as the people of God from his towering figure? With Laura Janner-Klausner and David Shosanya. Recorded 11 October 2011.
The story of Jesus' brief and explosive public life is so familiar that we can forget both how revolutionary and how mysterious it is. How can it be that God lived on earth in a human body? And what of the revolution he preached? With Robert Beckford and Lucy Winkett. Recorded Nov 2011.
The story of Jesus' brief and explosive public life is so familiar that we can forget both how revolutionary and how mysterious it is. How can it be that God lived on earth in a human body? And what of the revolution he preached?
Excerpt from the St Paul's Forum event held on 8th November 2011.
St Paul's Forum begins The People's Bible programme with a look at Genesis and Eve. Much of society's treatment of women stems from the belief that the first pages of the Bible tell us that women are dangerous sexual temptresses and inferior to men. But Eve was made as Adam's helper and partner, and how come the serpent is in the garden anyway? What is this story really about, and what does it tell us about God and humanity? With Giles Fraser and Rosalyn Murphy.
Dr Paula Gooder discusses her book 'Heaven' and takes a close examination of what the term means and how we should approach the concept. Part of the St Paul's Forum series of programmes held at St Paul's Cathedral, London. Recorded on 6th November 2011.
Sheila Cassidy and Frances Young speak on the topic of 'Suffering' in the second part of the 2010 St Paul's Forum series 'Love, Suffering, Death and Happiness'.
Oliver James and the Revd Lucy Winkett speak at St Paul's Cathedral as part of the 2010 St Paul's Forum series 'Love, Suffering, Death and Happiness'.
For information on similar events see: www.stpauls.co.uk/adultlearning
The Revd Canon Mark Oakley and psychoanalyst Susie Orbach explore the meaning of Happiness as part of the 2010 St Paul's Forum series 'Love, Suffering, Death and Happiness'.
Sr Frances Dominica and Stanley Hauerwas speak on the topic of 'Death' in the third part of the 2010 St Paul's Forum series 'Love, Suffering, Death and Happiness'.
Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber and the Revd Richard Coles speak about finding God in all the wrong people and places. Chaired by Canon Mark Oakley, part of the Adult Learning programming at St Paul's Cathedral, London.
The Old Testament is a library of varied, sometimes difficult, always fascinating books. And yet the ‘God of the Old Testament’ is often seen as violent, angry and monochrome, at odds with the ‘Christian God’. Katharine Dell invites us to discover the Old Testament as essential to 21st Century Christian life and thought, not passing over its difficulties, but offering a more nuanced understanding of the many types of literature it contains and of the developing vision of God to which it witnesses. Starting from the New Atheists’ attacks on the Old Testament, we will explore some of the more difficult texts and others that are more familiar and palatable in a Christian context. Dr Katharine Dell is Reader in Old Testament Literature and Theology at the University of Cambridge. She is a world expert in the Old Testament’s Wisdom Literature, and her publications include popular and academic books including Ethical and Unethical in the Old Testament (T&T Clark 2010), and Who Needs the Old Testament: Its Enduring Appeal and Why the New Atheists Don’t Get It (SPCK 2017).
The Old Testament is a library of varied, sometimes difficult, always fascinating books. And yet the ‘God of the Old Testament’ is often seen as violent, angry and monochrome, at odds with the ‘Christian God’. Katharine Dell invites us to discover the Old Testament as essential to 21st Century Christian life and thought, not passing over its difficulties, but offering a more nuanced understanding of the many types of literature it contains and of the developing vision of God to which it witnesses. Starting from the New Atheists’ attacks on the Old Testament, we will explore some of the more difficult texts and others that are more familiar and palatable in a Christian context. Dr Katharine Dell is Reader in Old Testament Literature and Theology at the University of Cambridge. She is a world expert in the Old Testament’s Wisdom Literature, and her publications include popular and academic books including Ethical and Unethical in the Old Testament (T&T Clark 2010), and Who Needs the Old Testament: Its Enduring Appeal and Why the New Atheists Don’t Get It (SPCK 2017).
The Old Testament is a library of varied, sometimes difficult, always fascinating books. And yet the ‘God of the Old Testament’ is often seen as violent, angry and monochrome, at odds with the ‘Christian God’. Katharine Dell invites us to discover the Old Testament as essential to 21st Century Christian life and thought, not passing over its difficulties, but offering a more nuanced understanding of the many types of literature it contains and of the developing vision of God to which it witnesses. Starting from the New Atheists’ attacks on the Old Testament, we will explore some of the more difficult texts and others that are more familiar and palatable in a Christian context. Dr Katharine Dell is Reader in Old Testament Literature and Theology at the University of Cambridge. She is a world expert in the Old Testament’s Wisdom Literature, and her publications include popular and academic books including Ethical and Unethical in the Old Testament (T&T Clark 2010), and Who Needs the Old Testament: Its Enduring Appeal and Why the New Atheists Don’t Get It (SPCK 2017).
St Paul's Cathedral (2017) Share on Facebook twitter Google+ The Revd Dr Kate Coleman and Dr Paula Gooder discuss who is the Holy Spirit, what does what we believe about the Holy Spirit mean for our lives and faith, and how can we hear and attend to the voice of the Spirit and follow where we are being guided? Chaired by the Revd Canon Mark Oakley, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral. Part of the Adult Learning Programming at St Paul's.