Talking Theology
108 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago - ★★★★ - 9 ratingsThe podcast of Cranmer Hall, the theological college within St John's College, Durham University. We explore life’s big questions, and look to join the dots between theology, church, and the world. Philip Plyming, Warden of Cranmer Hall, is joined by a wide range of guests with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Hannah Malcolm - Why is a Theology of Climate Grief Necessary for the Church Today?
March 01, 2021 00:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBWhat is climate grief, and what has God got to do with it? How does Jesus grieving over the particular help us understand how we might focus our climate grief? How does being attentive to what's in front of us help us to both grieve and hope? And how does all this help us follow Jesus day by day? Hannah Malcolm is currently training for ordained ministry and writing a PhD on theology, climate and ecological grief. She campaigns around the subject of climate justice and recently edited a bo...
Liz Kent - What Role Does Eating Play in a Good Theology of the Body?
February 08, 2021 00:00 - 27 minutes - 12.6 MBDo our bodies really belong to us? How did Jesus eat and how does it speak to how we eat today? How do the sacraments speak to our bodily identity? What does it mean to break bread together? Where’s the good news for those of us who struggle with how we see food? Note: This podcast includes discussion of disordered eating Reverend Dr Liz Kent is the Director of the Wesley Study Centre at St John’s College in Durham and a Methodist minister in Chester-Le-Street. Her doctoral research at Dur...
Melody Briggs - How Do Children Encounter The Bible?
January 25, 2021 00:00 - 30 minutes - 14.2 MBIs reading the Bible about more than simply looking for the right answer? What happens when you let children read a book of the Bible for themselves? What role should imagination play in enabling the scriptures to speak? And how can we all get to know the world of scripture? Dr Melody Briggs is Director of Studies at Lindisfarne College of Theology. She has taught theology in a range of churches, colleges and mission organisations for the last 30 years. She has has written several books on...
Melody Briggs - How Do Children Encounter The Bible?
January 25, 2021 00:00 - 30 minutes - 14.2 MBIs reading the Bible about more than simply looking for the right answer? What happens when you let children read a book of the Bible for themselves? What role should imagination play in enabling the scriptures to speak? And how can we all get to know the world of scripture? Dr Melody Briggs is Director of Studies at Lindisfarne College of Theology. She has taught theology in a range of churches, colleges and mission organisations for the last 30 years. She has has written several books on...
Richard Bauckham - Witness History: Do the Gospels Tell Stories from People Who Were There?
January 11, 2021 00:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBWhat sort of evidence do we have about the historical Jesus? What sources do the earliest accounts of Jesus draw on? What's at stake when people are named or unnamed in the four Gospels? Does eyewitness testimony help us resolve the tension between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith? How can the Gospels feed our faith today? Richard Bauckham is Professor Emeritus at St Andrews University and Senior Scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Richard predominantly focuses on New Testament W...
Alasdair Coles - What Can We Learn About the Connection Between Belief and the Brain?
December 14, 2020 00:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBIs there a God spot in our brain? What does 2+2 have in common with belief in god? How is our brain designed to help up experience god? Why might religious experience not be all it’s cracked up to be? How does the plasticity of our brain give us hope? Alasdair Coles is professor of neuroimmunology at the University of Cambridge, an honorary consultant neurologist to Addenbrooke’s and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals and also an ordained minister in the Church of England. While his main academic foc...
John Swinton - How Can A Good Theology Of Mental Health Help Us To Understand Ourselves, One Another and God?
November 30, 2020 00:00 - 32 minutes - 15 MBWhat is health really all about? Why should we avoid obvious and quick answers to mental health challenges? Why do names matter more than diagnosis? Can the faithful taking of medication be a spiritual practice? How might a perceived absence of God be part of faithful living? Professor John Swinton is Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, and founded the university’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. For more than a decade John worked as a regi...
How Can A Good Theology Of Mental Health Help Us To Understand Ourselves, One Another and God?
November 30, 2020 00:00 - 32 minutes - 15 MBWhat is health really all about? Why should we avoid obvious and quick answers to mental health challenges? Why do names matter more than diagnosis? Can the faithful taking of medication be a spiritual practice? How might a perceived absence of God be part of faithful living? Professor John Swinton is Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, and founded the university’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. For more than a decade John worked as a regi...
How Can A Good Theology Of Mental Health Help Us To Understand Ourselves, One Another, and God?
November 30, 2020 00:00 - 32 minutes - 15 MBWhat is health really all about? Why should we avoid obvious and quick answers to mental health challenges? Why do names matter more than diagnosis? Can the faithful taking of medication be a spiritual practice? How might a perceived absence of God be part of faithful living? Professor John Swinton. John is Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, and founded the university’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. For more than a decade John worked as ...
John Swinton - How Can A Good Theology Of Mental Health Help Us To Understand Ourselves, One Another and God?
November 30, 2020 00:00 - 32 minutes - 15 MBWhat is health really all about? Why should we avoid obvious and quick answers to mental health challenges? Why do names matter more than diagnosis? Can the faithful taking of medication be a spiritual practice? How might a perceived absence of God be part of faithful living? Professor John Swinton is Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, and founded the university’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. For more than a decade John worked as a regi...
Paula Gooder - What Does Paul’s View of the Body Say to Us and Our World Today?
November 16, 2020 00:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBIs the Bible body positive? Were Paul and Plato singing from the same hymn sheet, or were their views of the body very different? How might seeing our bodies as precious change the way we take care of ourselves? What does real beauty look like? And what are our bodies telling us at the moment? Paula Gooder is a writer and lecturer in the New Testament and Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Her research areas focus on the writings of Paul with a particular focus on 2 Corinthians an...
Harvey Kwiyani - What is God’s Multicultural Kingdom and How Should It Change The Way We Do Mission and Church?
November 02, 2020 00:00 - 31 minutes - 14.4 MBHow have multiculturalism and evangelism been entwined since the first days of the Church’s mission? How is multiculturalism part of the Christian faith’s DNA? Why is the Church of today more tribal than it was 2000 years ago? How should an awareness of each others gifts change how we do Church and leadership? How is the medium the message? Harvey Kwiyani lectures in African Christianity and Theology at Liverpool Hope University and has previously taught courses in Theology, African studies...
Sarah Hills - How Can a Theology of Reconciliation Inform the Church’s Mission?
October 18, 2020 23:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBWhat's going on when the Bible talks about reconciliation? How does reconciliation with others really start with us? What do forgiveness, lament, and apology have to do with authentic reconciliation? What might it look like to be reconciled to the earth? And how do stories of reconciliation help us see God at work today? Sarah Hills is Vicar of the parish of St Mary's, Holy Island, in the Diocese of Newcastle and was previously Coventry Cathedral's Canon for Reconciliation Ministry. She's a...
Mike Higton - Why Does Doctrine Matter in the Life of the Church?
October 04, 2020 23:00 - 31 minutes - 14.3 MBHow does asking tough questions about what we believe support and service our faith? When might we need to be surprised by new discoveries and new voices about who God is? How should major events in our world impact how we think about God? And how does it all come down to love? Mike Higton is Professor of Theology and Ministry in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. He is the author of The Life of Christian Doctrine and the shorter Grove book: Why Doctrine Matters. ...
Maeve Sherlock - What theology of government can serve us well today?
August 09, 2020 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.9 MBWhat does it feel like to exercise power as a Christian? What's the Bible got to say about government and power? What's the vocation of speaking truth to power? How does our identity as a child of God shape our engagement with politics? What difference does it make to pray for political opponents? The Reverend Baroness Maeve Sherlock OBE is a Labour Party life peer and shadow minister for Work and Pensions in the House of Lords. She is also an Assistant Curate at St Nicholas’ Church Durham...
Maeve Sherlock - What theology of government can serve us well today?
August 09, 2020 23:00 - 30 minutes - 13.9 MBWhat does it feel like to exercise power as a Christian? What's the Bible got to say about government and power? What's the vocation of speaking truth to power? How does our identity as a child of God shape our engagement with politics? What difference does it make to pray for political opponents? The Reverend Baroness Maeve Sherlock OBE is a Labour Party life peer and shadow minister for Work and Pensions in the House of Lords. She is also an Assistant Curate at St Nicholas’ Church Durham...
Jenny Moberly - What might Dietrich Bonhoeffer have to contribute to ethical decision-making today?
July 19, 2020 23:00 - 32 minutes - 15.1 MBWho was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and why is he still important? How can we think and make decisions ethically, and what was Bonhoeffer's unique contribution to this? Why does our character matter as much as our obedience? How can we do the right thing when we don't have a template? How does trust in God's mercy free us from the paralysing fear of making the wrong decision? Revd Dr Jennifer Moberly is a tutor at Cranmer Hall, and teaches ethics and Christian spirituality. More about Jenny can be...
Samuel Tranter - How does a theology of hope help us live well today?
July 05, 2020 23:00 - 27 minutes - 12.7 MBWhat does it mean to hope for the kingdom of God? Is hope for the present, or for the future, or can it be both? What in the Bible helps us to have hope for the future without losing concern for the present? And in our challenging world, how does hope help us both lament and praise? Dr Samuel Tranter is is a visiting fellow at Cranmer Hall, John’s College and will be taking up the role of Director of Postgraduate Studies at Cranmer Hall from August. For more about Sam, click here.
Emma Ineson - Is there a theology of ambition?
June 21, 2020 23:00 - 28 minutes - 12.9 MBIs ambition something Christians can have? What was Jesus ambitious for? What's the relationship between ambition and humility? Does our excellence always mean being better than others? How does prayer shape our ambition? The Right Reverend Dr Emma Ineson is the Bishop of Penrith in the Diocese of Carlisle, and was previously principal of Trinity College, Bristol. You can follow Emma on Twitter here. This episode was recorded 03/03/2020.
Rowan Williams - What does being human look like in a time of pandemic?
June 07, 2020 23:00 - 29 minutes - 13.6 MBWhat questions does living through a pandemic invite us to ask as people of faith? What difference does it make that all are made in the image of God? How does faith expand the landscape in which we can live? Why is it more important to be forgiven than to succeed? What new things of faith are stirring in the Body of Christ at this time? The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Lord Williams of Oystermouth, or Rowan Williams as he is better known, is Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, a...
David Wilkinson - How do science and faith help us live in a corona virus world?
May 23, 2020 23:00 - 29 minutes - 13.6 MBWhat’s going on in the depiction of science in the present corona virus pandemic, and how does theology play into this? How does our language, political, scientific and theological, shape how we understand the world? Are there examples of science and faith coming together to provide hope for our creation? What does listening to the science and walking by faith look like in this season? David Wilkinson holds PhDs in astrophysics and theology, and is principal of St John's College, Durham. F...
David Wilkinson - How do science and faith help us live in a corona virus world?
May 23, 2020 23:00 - 29 minutes - 13.6 MBWhat’s going on in the depiction of science in the present corona virus pandemic, and how does theology play into this? How does our language, political, scientific and theological, shape how we understand the world? Are there examples of science and faith coming together to provide hope for our creation? What does listening to the science and walking by faith look like in this season? David Wilkinson holds PhDs in astrophysics and theology, and is principal of St John's College, Durham. F...
Douglas Davies - How do we think theologically about death?
May 10, 2020 23:00 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBHow did death become so important in the Christian tradition? How did the death of Jesus speak to the early Christians, and how does it speak to us today? How do the ways we think about death help us engage with life? How does our care for creation challenge our approach to death? Professor Douglas Davies is an anthropologist and a theologian, a fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences and the British Academy, and a Professor in Theology at Durham University. For more about Douglas,...
Douglas Davies - How do we think theologically about death?
May 10, 2020 23:00 - 28 minutes - 13.1 MBHow did death become so important in the Christian tradition? How did the death of Jesus speak to the early Christians, and how does it speak to us today? How do the ways we think about death help us engage with life? How does our care for creation challenge our approach to death? Professor Douglas Davies is an anthropologist and a theologian, a fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences and the British Academy, and a Professor in Theology at Durham University. For more about Douglas,...
Guli Francis-Dehqani - How is a theology of racial diversity part of the Good News today?
April 27, 2020 14:00 - 28 minutes - 12.9 MBWhat does the Bible story say about racial diversity as a God-given gift? Does who we worship with say something about the Gospel we believe? How does a clear sense of identity in Christ help us encounter people different to ourselves? How can those with power use it faithfully? Dr. Guli Francis-Dehqani is the Bishop of Loughborough, in the Diocese of Leicester. You can follow Bishop Guli on Twitter here. Recorded 04/02/2020.
Glenn Packiam: What is our theology of the Lord's Table, and how does it connect with everyday life?
March 09, 2020 00:00 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBWhy is liturgy good for us? How can we make sure that our worship practices point to Jesus, not to the person in the pulpit or at the table? How does pouring ourselves out give us a framework for the life of faith? What does it mean to start and end the day open to God? The Rev'd Dr Glenn Packiam is associate senior pastor at New Life church in Colorado Springs, USA. For more on Glenn, see here.
Glenn Packiam: What is our theology of the Lord's Table, and how does it connect with everyday life?
March 09, 2020 00:00 - 26 minutes - 12.1 MBWhy is liturgy good for us? How can we make sure that our worship practices point to Jesus, not to the person in the pulpit or at the table? How does pouring ourselves out give us a framework for the life of faith? What does it mean to start and end the day open to God? The Rev'd Dr Glenn Packiam is associate senior pastor at New Life church in Colorado Springs, USA. For more on Glenn, see here.
Andy Wolfe - How can Theology serve the way we lead in the world?
February 24, 2020 00:00 - 28 minutes - 13 MBWhat does the Bible have to say to those who work outside the church? What is a theological perspective on resilience in leadership? How is the church's commitment to education part of building the kingdom of God? Is Theology just about answers to be found, or also questions to be asked? Andy Wolfe is is the Deputy Chief Education Officer in the Church of England. For more about Andy, see here and follow him on Twitter here. Called, Connected, Committed can be found here.
Nick Drake - What Theology is going on in Contemporary Worship?
February 10, 2020 00:00 - 26 minutes - 12.3 MBIs there more to charismatic worship than lively singing and hands in the air? What do Rowan Williams, John Calvin, and Karl Barth have to do with contemporary worship? How does the idea of being united with Christ help us understand what worship is all about? What's the Spirit doing in the singing, in the preaching, and at the table? Nick Drake is associate pastor at Gas Street Church, Birmingham, and has long been involved in leading worship and writing songs. For more about Nick, see h...
Nick Drake - What Theology is going on in Contemporary Worship?
February 10, 2020 00:00 - 26 minutes - 12.3 MBIs there more to charismatic worship than lively singing and hands in the air? What do Rowan Williams, John Calvin, and Karl Barth have to do with contemporary worship? How does the idea of being united with Christ help us understand what worship is all about? What's the Spirit doing in the singing, in the preaching, and at the table? Nick Drake is associate pastor at Gas Street Church, Birmingham, and has long been involved in leading worship and writing songs. For more about Nick, see h...
Charlie Allen - How does God call today?
January 20, 2020 00:00 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBWhat are we to make of a God who calls? Is vocation something for Vicars, or all who follow Jesus? How can a vocation change over time? How can we be part of recognising vocation in ourselves and others? Can children be part of the journey too? Charlie Allen is Canon Chancellor at Durham Cathedral, and was previously Salisbury's Diocesan Director of Ordinands.
Jocelyn Bryan - What does Psychology have to do with Theology?
January 06, 2020 14:00 - 27 minutes - 12.5 MBHow does storytelling help make sense of the stuff that happens? How does story and meaning connect with how we see ourselves? What is God's story, and how does it connect with our story? Why is being part of a church community good for our mental health? Jocelyn Bryan is the Academic Dean of Cranmer Hall, holds a doctorate in Psychology, and is also a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. For more about Joss, please see here.
Jocelyn Bryan - What does Psychology have to do with Theology?
January 06, 2020 14:00 - 27 minutes - 12.5 MBHow does storytelling help make sense of the stuff that happens? How does story and meaning connect with how we see ourselves? What is God's story, and how does it connect with our story? Why is being part of a church community good for our mental health? Jocelyn Bryan is the Academic Dean of Cranmer Hall, holds a doctorate in Psychology, and is also a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. For more about Joss, please see here.
Rachel Jordan-Wolf - What does authentic evangelism look like today?
December 16, 2019 00:00 - 32 minutes - 14.8 MBHow are people coming to faith today? What do Christians and viruses have in common? How do we speak about Jesus in a society where words are cheap? What is the Good News of Jesus in a culture that says 'It's all about me'? Rachel Jordan-Wolf is HOPE Together's assistant director, and was previously the Church of England's National Mission and Evangelism Advisor. You can follow Rachel on Twitter here.
Will Foulger - Parish Church or Church Planting: Do we have to choose?
December 02, 2019 00:00 - 34 minutes - 15.9 MBWhat is the job of the church in relation to the world? Is there a theology of the parish church? Is church planting replacing the parish church, or do both have a part to play? Why does God work through communities rather than through individuals? Our guest is Will Foulger, who is the Director of Mission and Evangelism at 2019. Prior to this, Will served his curacy as part of the planting team of Trinity Church Nottingham. To find out more about Will, click here.
Will Foulger - Parish Church or Church Planting: Do we have to choose?
December 02, 2019 00:00 - 34 minutes - 15.9 MBWhat is the job of the church in relation to the world? Is there a theology of the parish church? Is church planting replacing the parish church, or do both have a part to play? Why does God work through communities rather than through individuals? Our guest is Will Foulger, who is the Director of Mission and Evangelism at 2019. Prior to this, Will served his curacy as part of the planting team of Trinity Church Nottingham. To find out more about Will, click here.
Stephen Cottrell - How can pilgramage help us encounter God?
November 18, 2019 00:00 - 31 minutes - 14.4 MBHow can be both receive and share faith through journeying? What does enough look like as we walk the path of life? Can we go on pilgrimage without leaving behind our everyday lives? What can pilgrimage teach us about Christ? Stephen Cottrell is Bishop of Chelmsford. For more about him, see here.
Stephen Cottrell - How can pilgrimage help us encounter God?
November 18, 2019 00:00 - 31 minutes - 14.4 MBHow can be both receive and share faith through journeying? What does enough look like as we walk the path of life? Can we go on pilgrimage without leaving behind our everyday lives? What can pilgrimage teach us about Christ? Stephen Cottrell is Bishop of Chelmsford. For more about him, see here.
Anthony Bash - Why is forgiveness still important today?
November 04, 2019 00:00 - 31 minutes - 14.2 MBHow do we become forgiving people? What's the relationship between God's forgiveness of us, and the way we should treat others? Can forgiveness happen when there's no repentance? What's the relationship between forgiveness and justice? Anthony Bash is a Professor in Theology at the University of Durham. To find out more about Anthony, click here.
Anthony Bash - Why is forgiveness still important today?
November 04, 2019 00:00 - 31 minutes - 14.2 MBHow do we become forgiving people? What's the relationship between God's forgiveness of us, and the way we should treat others? Can forgiveness happen when there's no repentance? What's the relationship between forgiveness and justice? Anthony Bash is a Professor in Theology at the University of Durham. To find out more about Anthony, click here.
Walter Moberly - Why, and how, should we read the Bible today?
October 20, 2019 23:00 - 36 minutes - 16.8 MBIs the Bible more than history? How does the life of the Church show that the Bible is of enduring value? What is the similarity between reading the Bible and watching a soap? How does the Bible help us when we feel like we've been dealt a bad hand? Walter Moberly is a Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. For more about Walter Moberly, see here.
Larry Hurtado - What made the church distinctive in the Roman world?
September 01, 2019 23:00 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBHow is studying the New Testament like tracing a family tree? Why were Christians in the early church called anti-social? What was so radical about that first generation of Christians calling on Jesus as Lord? And how does the early church help us to be faithful in the modern world? Larry Hurtado is Emeritus Professor of New Testament Language, Literature and Theology in the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University. For more about Larry Hurtado, see here.
Helen Bond - What role did women play in the world of Jesus and the early church?
August 18, 2019 23:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBWhat has feminism done to reveal forgotten corners of the New Testament? How can a few verses in Luke 8 change our understanding of Jesus and the disciples? Was Mary Magdalene a real leader in the early church? And what role does imagination have to play in reading the New Testament faithfully today? Helen Bond is Professor in Christian Origins with Specialisation in New Testament, and Head of the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University. For more about Helen Bond, see here.
Jolyon Mitchell - How can Christian faith be a force for peace in the world today?
August 04, 2019 23:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBWhat's the relationship between religion and conflict? How can we make peace with violence in the Bible? What do Christians have to contribute to peacebuilding? And how can we use the gift of forgiveness to resolve conflict? Jolyon Mitchell is Professor within the School of Divinity at Edinburgh University, specialising in religion, violence, and peacebuilding, and also the Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues. For more about Jolyon Mitchell, see here.
Alec Ryrie - How are Protestants still changing the world?
July 21, 2019 23:00 - 37 minutes - 17.1 MBWhat is Protestant Christianity, and how did it start? Is Protestantism about the head or the heart? What does Protestantism look like in the world today? And what extraordinary things have ordinary Protestants done? Alec Ryrie is Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham University, and has written extensively on the history of Protestants in the world. He was recently elected as a Fellow of the British Academy. For more about Alec Ryrie, see here.
Ruth Perrin - What does millennial faith look like?
July 07, 2019 23:00 - 34 minutes - 15.6 MBWho are the millennials? Why have some of them walked away from the faith, and why have some of them stayed? How do older Christian friends help to maintain youger people's faith? And why should the church talk about both faith and doubt? Ruth Perrin is a research fellow at St John College, Durham, one of the associate staff at King's Church, Durham, and an Associate Tutor within the Free Church Track at Cranmer Hall. For more about Ruth Perrin, see here.
Simon Oliver - Why do we need a theology of creation?
June 23, 2019 23:00 - 32 minutes - 14.8 MBWhy do we say that God created out of nothing? Is God a being like any other being, only bigger? Does God relate to creation in the way that I relate to my car? Or is God intimately involved in every moment of our existence? And what difference does it make to see our own existence as a gift? Simon Oliver is the Van Mildert Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University, and a residentiary canon of Durham Cathedral. He is the author of Creation: A Guid...
Jessica Martin - How can tradition help us pray?
June 09, 2019 23:00 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MBWhat's prayer all about? How can ancient forms of prayer speak to us today? What's the value in stopping to listen to God? And does formal prayer have to be unemotional and detached, or is there more going on? Jessica Martin is a canon at Ely Cathedral, and was previously an English lecturer at Cambridge University and a parish priest in rural Cambridgeshire. For more about Jessica Martin, see here.
Nick Moore - What has the early church ever done for us?
May 26, 2019 23:00 - 34 minutes - 15.9 MBWhat is a faithful way of living in a culture where Christian faith is not the majority view? Are there any similarities between the early church and today's church that make the issues they work out of relevance to us? Can a world without Facebook, the internet, or Strictly have anything to say to us today? And what has a man called Justin got to contribute? Nick Moore is Director of the MA Programmes at Cranmer Hall. For more about Nick Moore, see here.
Richard Briggs - Is the God of the Old Testament a God of love?
May 12, 2019 23:00 - 31 minutes - 14.5 MBCan we really speak of the Old Testament God as a God of love? Why would a God of love speak about his law so much? And why does a God of love endorse violence, both from and towards his own people? And what does love mean anyway? Richard Briggs is Director of Biblical Studies at Cranmer Hall. For more about Richard Briggs, see here.