DCM Christianity & the life of the mind, An Introduction
Friday 29 - Saturday 30 January 2027
Hosted at Jesus College, Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub, Oxford
What does our calling to be disciples of Christ mean for our academic life, whether temporary as students or longer term as a career? What are some of the promises and pitfalls of the scholarly life? How can academics and postgraduate students serve and relate to the wider body of Christ, the church? Christianity and the Life of the Mind examines these questions and more.
Join other Oxford postgrads, postdocs, and faculty as we explore integrating our faith with our academic life through this conference. The event will include lectures by academics such as Sarah C. Williams (History), Katherine Blundell (Astrophysics) and Stephen Blundell (Physics), Jonny Torrance (Theology and Lincoln College Chaplain), Elaine Storkey (Sociology and Philosophy), Ard Louis (Theoretical Physics), and more. There is also plenty of time for discipline based discussion. Registration includes discussion group dinners hosted by faculty around Oxford on the Friday evening.
*Early-bird Registration closes 15th January 2027: £25 with meals included
*General Registration closes 22nd January 2027: £35 with meals included
*DCM Alumni Registration: For capacity reasons, we ask DCM alumni and those in continuing education programmes to fill out this interest form and we will review your request to attend. Please note if admission is granted that attendance is in-person and one will need to arrange one’s own accommodation.
**Please note our eligibility criteria: This event is for University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes postgraduates, postdocs, and academic staff. If you do not fit these criteria, are a DCM Alumni, or in a continuing education programme, please complete this form and we will review your request **
PROGRAMME
FRIDAY 29th January
1:00 p.m. Registration, coffee & tea
1:20 p.m. Welcome & introduction
1:30 p.m. A Talk on Vision - Sarah C. Williams (History)
2:30 p.m. The calling of Christian postgrad students and academics - Ard Louis (Theoretical Physics)
What does our calling to be disciples of Christ mean for our academic vocation (whether temporary as students or longer term as a career)? What are some of the promises and pitfalls of the scholarly life? How can academics and postgraduate students serve and relate to the wider body of Christ (the Church)?
3:35 p.m. Discussion
4:15 p.m. Coffee & tea
4:45 p.m. Panel Discussion: Faith and scholarship
Convened by Mary Johnstone-Louis (Business and Management)
6:00 p.m. Prayer
6:35 p.m. Travel to dinner
7:00 p.m. Dinner and discussion of panel with faculty hosts
Dinner will be with your discussion group and will be hosted by various faculty members within their homes or colleges throughout Oxford.
SATURDAY 30th January
10:00 a.m. Light breakfast, coffee & tea
10:30 a.m. Explanations & questions; mechanism & meaning - Katherine Blundell (Astrophysics) and Stephen Blundell (Physics)
In this talk Katherine and Stephen Blundell examine the differences between Biblical language and literature, on the one hand, and scientific language and literature, on the other. Situating the Biblical creation narratives in their ancient cultural context and within the wider context of the Biblical canon, they develop a nuanced and literarily sophisticated account of what those narratives were and were not designed to convey. They suggest that the Bible was never intended to be a technical scientific monograph, but rather that Scripture employs a wide range of literary genres—poetry, proverbs, prophecies, and parables to name just a few—in order to powerfully communicate vital theological truths to a wider audience than a technically precise scientific textbook could ever hope to reach.
11:30 a.m. What does it mean to be human? - Elaine Storkey (Sociology and Philosophy)
This lecture briefly outlines the history and development of the social sciences and offers a Christian response. It discusses how a Christian understanding of the human steers a course between individualism and collectivism, between fatalism and personal freedom, between materialism and ‘idealism’; and how its personal and communitarian understanding of the human being is grounded in the Trinitarian God.
12:20 p.m. Discussion
1:00 p.m. Lunch
2:00 p.m. A Talk on Sin - Jonny Torrance (Theology)
3:00 p.m. Coffee & tea
3:30 p.m. A Talk on Eschatology
4:20 p.m. Discussion
5:00 p.m. Prayer
5:30 p.m. Drinks reception
6:00 p.m. Day closing