Speakers

Brian D. McLaren

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former pastor and teacher, he is the author of numerous hugely influential books, including the award-winning A New Kind of Christianity, We Make the Road by Walking and The Great Spiritual Migration. He is a passionate advocate for a Christianity that is just, generous, and committed to working with people of all faiths for the common good. https://brianmclaren.net/

Sessions

Lecture: Worship that Destroys (and Saves) the World
Cathedral Evensong

Anna Carter Florence

Anna Carter Florence is the Peter Marshall Professor of Preaching at Columbia Theological Seminary, Georgia, and one of the most popular speakers at the annual US Festival of Homiletics.  A minister in the Presbyterian Church and a former youth pastor, she is the author of Rehearsing Scripture: Discovering God’s Word in Community (Canterbury Press, 2018), based on her Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching at Yale Divinity School. Nadia Bolz-Weber writes, ‘I’m so grateful for her work, her love of the Bible, and her insistence that in it we find truth.’

Sessions

Evening lecture: Anna Carter Florence
Morning worship

Paula Gooder

Dr Paula Gooder is a writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies. Her research areas focus on the writings of Paul the Apostle, with a particular focus on 2 Corinthians and on Paul’s understanding of the Body.  Her passion is to ignite people’s enthusiasm for reading the Bible today, by presenting the best of biblical scholarship in an accessible and interesting way.

Sessions

Lecture: Preaching the Parables

Mark Oakley

Mark Oakley is Dean of St John’s College Cambridge and one of the most engaging voices in the church today. Former Chancellor and Residentiary Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral, he is a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Kings College London; Visiting Scholar at Sarum College, and a Deputy Priest in Ordinary to HM the Queen.  He is an Ambassador for StopHate UK, Patron of Tell MAMA (supporting those affected by anti-Muslim hate crime) and a Trustee of the Civil Liberties Trust.  His books, The Collage of God and The Splash of Words have reprinted many times,

Sessions

Morning worship
Late-night liturgy
Lecture - Danger in the Pulpit: the sermon I want to preach but never quite can

Pádraig Ó Tuama

Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet and theologian, whose work combines interests in language, faith, groupwork, storytelling and conflict resolution. A popular lecturer and retreat leader, Pádraig leads the Corrymeela Community, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organisation. He has published two poetry collections, Readings from the Book of Exile and Sorry For Your Troubles, and is the author of In the Shelter and Daily Prayer from Corrymeela. http://www.padraigotuama.com/

Sessions

Late-night liturgy
Late-night liturgy
Seminar: Preaching in Divided Times

Rachel Mann

Rachel Mann is a priest, poet, liturgist, music critic and author.  She is rector of a parish in Manchester and an honorary canon of Manchester Cathedral where she was poet in residence for eight years.  The author of Dazzling Darkness and Fierce Imaginings, her forthcoming book is In the Bleak Midwinter: through Advent with Christina Rossetti. www.rachelmann.co.uk

Sessions

Late-night liturgy
Seminar: Sermons Seldom Heard
Late-night liturgy

Nadim Nassar

Nadim Nassar is both the first and the only Syrian priest working in the Church of England and is passionate about helping Christians understand their Middle Eastern heritage, which is the culture of the Bible and of Jesus himself.  Fr Nadim was previously a university chaplain and is now Director of the Awareness Foundation  which aims ‘to equip Christians everywhere to form an effective counter-force to the intolerance and mistrust that now prevail in so many communities, and to build understanding between the faiths’.  He is the author of The Culture of God.  

Sessions

Seminar: Preaching the Culture of God in the Cultures of the World

Ally Barrett

Ally Barrett is a priest and a tutor Westcott House, Cambridge with a special interest in developing skills for leading worship and preaching with all ages. Through the Westcott Foundation she is involved in training and resourcing lay and ordained church leaders. She is author of several books, and is presently writing Preaching With All Ages: 12 Ways to Grow Your Skills and your Confidence.

Sessions

Seminar: All-age preaching

Margaret Whipp

Margaret Whipp practiced as a consultant oncologist before becoming a priest in the Church of England. She taught pastoral theology at Cranmer Hall and Ripon College Cuddesdon, where she was Dean of Studies, and is now Chaplain for the Oxford University Hospitals Trust, and an Honorary Canon of Christ Church Cathedral. Margaret is the author of The Grace of Waiting and the SCM Study Guide to Pastoral Theology, and is a regular contributor to Reflections for Daily Prayer.    

Sessions

Seminar - Diving for Pearls: Preaching as Pastoral Care

Kate Bruce

Kate Bruce is an RAF Chaplain. She was Deputy Warden and Tutor on Homiletics at Cranmer Hall from 2013 to 2018, and still teaches and researches in the area of preaching. She lists her interests as stand-up comedy, skiing, running and eating chocolate. Kate is the author of Igniting the Heart: Preaching and Imagination and co-edited Wrestling with the Word: Preaching Tricky Texts. Kate is one of the church's most outstanding preachers.

Sessions

Cathedral Evensong
Seminar: Whose Sermon is it Anyway? Preaching on public and civic occasions

Doug Gay

Doug Gay provided one of the most unforgettable moments of the 2017 Festival of Preaching with his heart-stopping sermon on Mary of Bethany. A lecturer in practical theology, liturgy and homiletics at the University of Glasgow, and a songwriter, we’re delighted he is joining us again. Since last time, his excellent God Be In My Mouth: 40 Ways to Grow as a Preacher has been published.

Sessions

Late-night liturgy
Morning worship

Martyn Percy

Martyn Percy was appointed Dean of Christ Church Oxford in 2014, and is a leading voice in the Anglican Communion, Martyn is theologically orthodox yet deeply unconventional theologian. Martyn writes with clarity and passion on topics that range from ecclesiology to music, from sexuality to the Trinity, from ministerial training to devotional volumes. Martyn has undertaken a number of roles in scholarly, clerical and public life - including the Advertising Standards Authority and the British Board of Film Classification. He trained for ordination after a career in publishing; after roles at Cambridge University, the Lincoln Theological Institute and Sheffield Cathedral, he was appointed as Principal of Ripon College, Cuddesdon. During his time there, the college has become one of the largest Anglican ordination training centres in the country. His is the subject of new book, Reasonable Radical?, which consists of articles substantial, critical introductions to Percy's thought, written both by church leaders and academics.

Sessions

Opening Worship: Cathedral Evensong
Festival Dinner
Lecture - A Fool's Pardon: The Polity and Parables of Jesus

David Hoyle

David Hoyle is the Dean of Bristol and author of the acclaimed The Pattern of Our Calling, described by Martyn Percy as  ‘a miniature spiritual masterpiece … quite simply, a gem.’ He cannot keep humour and good grace out of his sermons, or his e-mails, and his forthcoming book, A Year of Grace, explores the Christian seasons as a way of learning theology.

Sessions

Seminar: Why do we preach? If you know what it's for, you have a better chance of getting it right

Steven Croft

The Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft became Bishop of Oxford in 2016 and was previously the Bishop of Sheffield.  He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2013, is a member of the Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, the Board of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation and of the Advisory Board of the Oxford Environmental Change Institute.  Co-author of Emmaus: the way of faith (1996-2003), and one of four lead authors of the Pilgrim resource to help adults explore faith. He is author of a number of books including Ministry in Three Dimensions (1999 and 2008).  His most recent book is “The Gift of Leadership according to the Scriptures”, ten biblical reflections on leadership for people in every walk of life (2016).

Bishop Steven’s blog is at https://blogs.oxford.anglican.org and Twitter (@Steven_Croft). 

Sessions

Seminar: Preaching as Catechesis