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Wednesday 20 May 2020 10:35am

A switch to Zoom during the Covid-19 lockdown had no impact on the popularity of the Theology Programme’s “Faith Thinking” series.

In recent years the Theology Programme, in partnership with Continuing Education and local Church leaders, has offered the series in Dunedin, Invercargill and elsewhere, to help members of the public engage with in-depth discussion on theological issues.

Paul photo 12
Professor Paul Trebilco

In April, following the move to lockdown, staff instead led six one-hour Zoom sessions, speaking on a range of topics and facilitating group discussions.

Theology Professor Paul Trebilco says the planned series was renamed “Faith Thinking on Zoom”, and each session attracted between 60 and 130 people throughout the lockdown period.

“They went amazingly well and were greatly appreciated. We had people from all over NZ join in, and a few from overseas too.”

"The second series of 7 sessions began on Tuesday 19 May and involves an evening session each week until Tuesday 30 June. It covers a similarly broad, and we believe engaging, range of topics, so we really encourage people to join our Theology staff in these discussions.”

The full programme for the May-June series

Register to join one of these sessions – please remember to click “register online”.

The May to June sessions

  • Tuesday 19 May, 7.30-8.30pm; Presenter: Andrew Bradstock (Convener, Theology and Religion in Public Life at the University of Winchester and Professor Emeritus, Department of Theology, Religion and Philosophy, University of Winchester) Session topic: Bishop David Sheppard: a case study in effective public theology
  • An additional event featuring Andrew Bradstock and David Sheppard - Thursday 21 May, 7.30-8.30pm Presenter: Andrew Bradstock; Session topic: David Sheppard: between the pulpit and the crease
  • Wednesday 27 May, 7.30-8.30pm; Presenter: Andrew Shepherd, Theology Programme, University of Otago; Session topic: Facing, Naming and Engaging Cultures and Systems of Violence: Reading Mark 5:1-20 in a Military-Digital Complex Age
  • Thursday 4 June, 7.30-8.30pm; Presenter: Don Moffat, Theology Programme, University of Otago; Session topic: Living faithfully with multiple allegiances: Learning from Ezra and Nehemiah
  • Wednesday 10 June: 7.30-8.30pm; Presenter: James Harding,Theology Programme, University of Otago; Session topic: The Bible in the Time of Jesus
  • Tuesday 16 June: 7.30-8.30pm; Presenter: Paul Trebilco,Theology Programme, University of Otago; Session topic: Jesus in the Gospel of Mark
  • Tuesday 23 June, 7.30-8.30; Presenter: Lynne Taylor, Theology Programme, University of Otago; Session topic: Pastoral care: our stories matter
  • Tuesday 30 June: 7.30–8.30pm; Presenter: David Tombs, Theology Programme, University of Otago; Session topic: James Cone, the Cross and the Lynching Tree

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The April sessions

  • Tues 7 April, 7.30-8.30 David Tombs: Seeing His Innocence, I See My Innocence: Responses to Jesus as a Victim of Sexual Abuse
  • Wed 8 April, 7.30-8-30: James Harding: Biblical traditions relating to Passover
  • Wed 15 April, 7.30-8-30: Andrew Shepherd: A Throwaway Society: Reflecting on Rubbish
  • Thurs 16 April, 7.30-8.30: Paul Trebilco. House Churches in the First Century: Community in the New Testament.
  • Tues 21 April, 7.30-8:30 Murray Rae: From Temple to Village Centre: the Evolution of Church Architecture
  • Thurs 23 April, 7.30-8.30 Lynne Taylor: Wellbeing, connections and pastoral care

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