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Dr Andrea Russell grew up in Bolsover in North-East Derbyshire. She studied Law at King’s College, London and had a career as a solicitor. She then returned to study and completed a PhD in Theology, focussing on Richard Hooker and looking at questions of doubt and certainty in relation to faith. She was ordained in the Church of England and went on to teach in theological colleges. She became Warden of Gladstone’s Library in October 2022.
She wrote: 'During my time as Warden of the Library I have had well over 800 conversations with guests and visitors.
It has led me to think about what conversation is and why I think it is crucial for our flourishing as human beings
and therefore for the Church at this time in the world’s life.
It has also led to a project here at the Library fostering and encouraging conversation with 14–24-year-olds around democracy, human rights and responsibilities and freedom of faith.
Part of what we are doing in this is to explore what conversation looks like and what we need to do personally to be able to have conversations.
I hope to share something of our work here at the Library and also have a conversation about conversation(!)
and in particular about conversation as a theological imperative.