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Nuances in Public Theology Event Essays

Kirby Laing
Centre

for public theology in cambridge

Christian scholarship and public theology,
rooted in spirituality and practiced in community,
for the glory of God and the flourishing of the church and world.

"Christ is the clue to all that is."

Lesslie Newbigin

At KLC, Public Theology means the joyful and rigorous attempt to explore and provide answers to the question how then shall we live?

Following Lesslie Newbigin we believe that “Christ is the clue to all that is.” This means pursuing Christ-the-clue in all of life.

As an academic research centre concerned with public theology we seek to do rigorous scholarship across the disciplines addressing the great issues of our day from a Christian view point. We also seek to foster and nurture Christian scholarship that is rooted in spirituality and practised in community, all with Christ-the-clue at its heart.

An Academic Community Rooted in Spirituality

With the KLC Research Collective (KRC) we seek to build a nurturing and generative community of Christian scholars from across the disciplines that gather together regularly to be sharpened in our vocations, collaborate and support each other's work.

The Research Collective

Fostering Christian Scholarship

A core facet of KLC is our long-standing Scripture Collective, which is made up of four Seminars: Scripture and Hermeneutics (SAHS), Scripture and Doctrine (SADS), Scripture and Church (SCAS), and Scripture and University (SAUS). Each Seminar meets four times a year.

The Scripture Collective

Doing Public Theology

The work we do is aimed at providing rigorous answers to the question how then shall we live? before the face of God and in his world. As a hub for all things to do with public theology, KLC provides a steady stream of publications, public lectures, academic discussions, and resources for Christian scholarship and interested parties.

Our lecture series

Producing Academic & Accessible Resources

We believe passionately that if Christian scholarship is done well then it can be translated at the most accessible levels. At KLC these include many of our up-and-coming Director and Friends blog series', an electronic and hardcopy journal Nuances, and our magazine, The Big Picture, devoted to public theology in practice, celebrating life in all its dimensions.

Our resources

The Big Picture Magazine

The Big Picture Print Magazine

Gerard Manley Hopkins famously wrote: “Christ plays in ten thousand places”. Public Theology is of little use if it does not enter into that play in every area of life. The Big Picture is our magazine in which as a community we give expression to our celebration of life and explore the question, how then shall we live? In The Big Picture you will find discussions covering theology, Scripture, economics, food, nature, art, poetry, film, music, sport, medicine, education, spirituality, science, and even motorcycles!

For those in the U.K. you can purchase your print copy today.*

*Print edition for purchase in the U.K. only. We continue to work on making the print magazine available across the globe. Subscribe to our mailing list to be alerted about its availability in your area.

The Big Picture Online Magazine

TBP is also available as an online magazine, accessible on your computer, tablet or mobile.

You can access and share individual articles from the magazine free of charge.

Latest from the KLC Blog

The Director and Friends

Journalism, the Other, and Immigration: The Case of Ryszard Kapuściński (1932-2007).

In this short piece I will use the remarkable writings of the Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński (1932-2007) to explore what might be involved in understanding the other.

REFLECTIONS ON JOURNALISM: THE BEES ARE COMING

I sometimes reflect on the courage of investigative journalists who are committed to unearthing the truth.

Lockdown Nature Notes, Part 2

This year Spring was cold and delayed apart from a few very hot days. Then it was summer. Plants have reacted differently to this shift, with some flowering much later than last year.

Resources

Nuances

A distinctive of good scholarship is that it attends to the nuances of life and our world. We have thus called this main series of public lectures Nuances in Public Theology.

Browse Nuances

Ethics in Conversation

EiC attends to the books and topics by various authors from our community. Often, editions are literally in conversation with an author or practitioner.

Browse EiC

Sibylline Leaves

Drawn from the writings of the major but far too little-know Christian philosopher J.G. Hamann, Sibylline Leaves is our regular newsletter.

Browse SL

Supporting Our Work

As a not-for-profit organisation we rely on and are deeply grateful for every one of our donors who support us financially. If you believe in our mission to foster Christian scholarship across the disciplines and do public theology practiced in community, rooted in spirituality, for the glory of God and the good of the church and world, please consider supporting us with a regular or once-off donation.

KLC is an Associate Member of the Cambridge Theological Federation.

Contact Us

Get in touch with us directly below, or via the contact form opposite.

Connect with the KLC community and keep up to date with our events, publications, resources, and initiatives below.

Connect with the KLC community and keep up to date with our events, publications resources and initiatives

The Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge. Charity registered in England and Wales. Charity Number: 1191741

Margaret Beaufort Institute, 12-14 Grange Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DU

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