An interview with Francis Spufford, author of 'Unapologetic: Why, despite everything, Christianity can still make surprising emotional sense'.

Francis Spufford

Roger Scruton delivered an author event at Theos on the subject of his new book 'The Soul of the World'. For future Theos events keep an eye on our events page: http://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/events/upcoming-events

Roger Scruton: The Soul of the World

The Question and Answer session from Roger Scruton's author event at Theos

Roger Scruton: Questions and Answers

Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist and writer, former Fellow of All Souls’ Oxford and author of the highly acclaimed book The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World.

In modern Western culture the prevalent view is that those who believe that there is more to the world we experience than scientific materialism would suggest are simply fantasising, and are clinging to outmoded habits of thought.  This is fundamentally mistaken. 

Image - Allan Ajifo https://www.flickr.com/photos/125992663@N02/

Iain McGilchrist - The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World

In a changing - and allegedly increasingly secular - religious landscape, the rapid growth of chaplaincy and its every greater expansion into new fields of activity is a story that hasn't been told.

Rev Dr Canon Andrew Todd - The Scope of Chaplaincy

The eighth Theos Annual Lecture was given by Onora O'Neill, Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, at the Inner Temple on 19th October 2015. The Baroness discussed freedom of religion and freedom of expression, and the qualifications on both.

Theos Annual Lecture 2015: Onora O'Neill: Freedom of religion and freedom of expression

In This Is London: Life and Death in the World City, acclaimed foreign correspondent Ben Judah turns his reporter's eye on his home city. He immerses himself in the hidden world of Londons immigrants - from Russian oligarchs to Roma beggars - and discovers the complex and varied lives that make London what it is today. 

Ben answers questions from our invited audience.

***
Image by UlyssesThirtyOne via flickr.com under this Creative Commons licence

Ben Judah Q&A

Terry Eagleton is a celebrated literary and cultural theorist. He is Distinguished Professor of English Literature at Lancaster University and Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford. He is the author of over fifty books; recent publications include Why Marx Was Right (2011) and Culture and the Death of God (2014).

Terry delivered the ninth Theos Annual Lecture on 5th October 2016 at One Birdcage Walk. It was chaired by Gordon Corera, Security Correspondent at the BBC.

Theos Annual Lecture 2016: Terry Eagleton: The Death of God and the War on Terror

Theos Events - Stanley Hauerwas : The Church in the age of Trump

The Theos Annual Lecture 2017 was given by Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale and Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2015 to 2017. The lecture was titled "What Kind of Liberal Society Do We Want?"

It was chaired by Theos' Director Elizabeth Oldfield and was held at The Law Society, London on 28th November 2017.

Theos Annual Lecture 2017: Tim Farron: What Kind of Liberal Society Do We Want?

Dr Rowan Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth and former Archbishop of Canterbury, delivered the fifth annual Theos lecture on 1st October 2012 at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster. He explored theological notions of personhood and the implications for our society.

The lecture was chaired by Mishal Husain, BBC journalist and broadcaster.

Theos Annual Lecture 2012: Rowan Williams: The Person and the Individual

General Lord Richard Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff, delivered the fourth annual Theos lecture on 8th November 2011.

Lord Dannatt argued that the need for soldiers to understand and adopt high moral and ethical standards is more critical than ever today; and that military leaders need to set an example and ensure those ethical standards are rigorously adhered to. He also suggested that there is “a spiritual dimension that must not be overlooked.”

The lecture was chaired by Caroline Wyatt, BBC Defence Correspondent.

Theos Annual Lecture 2011: Richard Dannatt: Morality and Warfare Today: Q&A

Theos Annual Lecture 2011: Richard Dannatt: Morality and Warfare Today: Lecture

Theos Annual Lecture 2011: Richard Dannatt: Morality and Warfare Today: Introductions

Jonathan Sacks, Baron Sacks of Aldgate, the Chief Rabbi, delivered the second annual Theos lecture on 4th November 2009 at the Lewis Media Centre in London.

He asked: Why has religion survived? What is its place in the liberal democratic state? And what are the opportunities and imperatives for the future?

The lecture was chaired by writer and broadcaster Libby Purves. Play begins at 00:00:18.

Theos Annual Lecture 2009: Jonathan Sacks: Religion in twenty-first century Britain

Philosopher, Director of Perspectiva and three–time British chess champion Dr Jonathan Rowson spoke at Theos on 21 February 2018 with Theos director Elizabeth Oldfield. He discussed the crises he sees facing our society today and why personal spiritual growth is essential for resolving them.

Rowson argues that cultivating “spiritual sensibility” across society is essential for solving the world’s most complex political problems – and that the spiritual could and should be pivotal in this process. In his recent publication Spiritualise, co–published by the RSA and Perspectiva, Rowson argues that our public debates aren’t working because we are far too coy about discussing human nature, meaning and purpose. He believes that spiritual matters underpin all of our most urgent shared living questions – how we wake up, grow up and wise up to the challenges of our time, not least the slow death of democracy, technological overreach and ecological insanity.

Jonathan Rowson: Spirituality and Saving the World: Theos Event

Andrew Grey spoke at Theos on 10 May 2018 with Theos research director Nick Spencer. Andrew Grey studied Theology and Christian Ethics at the University of Oxford. He works in the voluntary sector on life–limiting conditions.

Drawing on his Theos report on the topic, Dignity at the End of Life: What’s Beneath the Assisted Dying Debate?, Andrew Grey looked at how dignity is used and what it means and argues that it is an understanding of dignity as being loved and valued, rather than simply having control, that best serves the dying, those who matter to them, and the society in which they live.

Andrew Grey: Dignity at the end of life: what's beneath the assisted dying debate? Theos event

Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett talk to Nick Spencer and Katherine Ajibade about inequality, mental health, religious faith, and economic democracy

‘They are dying of hopelessness’: how inequality affects our mental health

A Theos event featuring Ed Husain, author of ‘The House of Islam: a global history’, reflecting on how to tackle unhelpful attitudes towards Islam.

Ed Husain - Understanding the House of Islam

Listen to Nick Spencer in conversation with former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams about his recent book, 'Christ the Heart of Creation' (2018) 

The interview was recorded at Magdalene College, Cambridge in November 2018.

Interview: Nick Spencer in conversation with Rowan Williams

Nick Spencer speaks to Eric Kaufmann about immigration, identity, the populist Right and his book 'Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration and the Future of White Minorities', published by Allen Lane.

Interview: Nick Spencer in conversation with Eric Kaufmann

Head of research Ben Ryan speaks to His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, the first Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, about his advocacy work, the Coptic Church, and his hopes for the future of Christianity in the Middle East.

Interview: Ben Ryan in conversation with Archbishop Angaelos

In this special podcast, Theos Senior Fellow Nick Spencer talks to Guy Stagg about mental illness, his 2,000 mile pilgrimage from Canterbury to Jerusalem, and his book The Crossway.

The interview was recorded at Theos offices in December 2018.

Interview: Nick Spencer in conversation with Guy Stagg

In this special podcast Theos Senior Fellow Nick Spencer talks Julian Baggini, a philosopher, writer and journalist. 

His books include Welcome to Everytown: A Journey into the English Mind, Do You Think What You Think YouThink?, What's It All About? - Philosophy and the Meaning of Life and How the World Thinks. He has written for numerous newspapers and magazines, including the Guardian, the Financial Times, Prospect and the New Statesman, as well as for the think tanks The Institute of Public Policy Research and Demos. He is editor-in-chief and co-founder of The Philosophers’ Magazine.

Interview: Nick Spencer in conversation with Julian Baggini

Theos stimulates the debate about the place of religion in society, challenging and changing ideas through research, commentary and events.

Popular tracks by theosthinktank