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“Hearing to speech”: holy conversations in pastoral ministry and qualitative research
Pastoral ministry and qualitative research have more in common than I had expected. For me, as a priest-theologian, examining these resonances between these two facets of my experience and identity has been illuminating. In a world in which increasingly few of us inhabit only one role, I hope my reflections on my experience of conducting qualitative research interviews and having pastoral conversations with parishioners, and how those two distinct roles and encounters inform and enrich each other, will be relevant to anyone who is trying to juggle multiple roles and relationships and looking for the theological coherence within and between them. I am an Anglican priest, and Vicar of two…
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No words for this: The task of centering the experience of women survivors in faith-based care abuse reform
Introduction This article argues for a feminist theological methodology that places a central emphasis on the experience of women survivors as a primary lens for contemplating reform in faith-based care abuse. Set in the aftermath of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry in Aotearoa New Zealand (2018-2024), whose final report, Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light was released on 24 July 2024, the article situates theology within the pain, trauma, and truth-telling of survivors.[1] Why should women’s experiences be a primary lens? To achieve more equitable, just, and transformative outcomes and because women are involved, requiring their voices to be heard and agency about outcomes.…
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From ‘the salt of the earth’ to ‘the powers that be’: the impact of biblical language in culture
Introduction What is the impact of biblical language in culture today? And why and how does this matter to practical theologians? Twenty-five delegates met to delve into these questions in December 2025 at a symposium held at the historic Launde Abbey in Leicestershire, England. This article offers some reflections on the symposium by one of the convenors (Andrew) and three delegates who kindly agreed to put fingers to keyboard after the event.[i] The particular prompt for the symposium theme and for the meeting at this time was the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s 1525-26 translation of the New Testament into English – from the Greek and in printed form for…
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Religion-building in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse
Authors of fantasy novels face a challenging task called “world-building.” This means that they have to create the worlds they write about entirely from the ground up. When their narratives dive into magical dimensions, they have to further create what is referred to as a “magic system” to describe to the readers how the magic is sourced and used. Another interesting puzzle piece that often connects world-building and magical systems in fantasy writing is what one might call “religion-building.” This means that the author has to imagine and create one or more religious traditions through their narratives. While the grounding background behind these novels is rooted in fantasy—not reality—diving into…
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When the System Cuts Deep: Black Maternal Trauma and the Theology That Listens Back
“I kept saying ‘I’m in pain, I’m in pain,’ but I was completely dismissed and fobbed off – no one looked at me,” recalled Tinuke Awe, a Black mother and campaigner, describing her near-death experience during childbirth in a Guardian article that sparked national concern.[1] Hers is not an isolated story. Black women in the UK are nearly three times more likely to die during childbirth than their white counterparts.[2] Behind this statistic are not just numbers, but stories of pain being ignored, symptoms dismissed, and trauma normalised. While public discourse treats this disparity as a health crisis, it is also a theological one. This article argues that the intersection…
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Emancipation is not a pie: Imagining better metaphors for liberation
As I write this, my country (the UK) sits under the shadow of a red flag alert for genocide against trans and intersex people.[1] This is a situation that has not come about by accident but has been driven intentionally, including by groups and individuals who claim to be motivated by a Christian faith. Often, theology which seeks liberation is directed at injustices within the church. This is, of course, desperately needed and by no means a misguided goal. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, trans and intersex exclusion and many more systemic injustices still have a grip on the church and need to be dealt with. However, the consequences of warped theologies…
