Conferences

In the Beginning was Music? Music and Religion

St John’s Church, Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TY

Speakers/Performers:

Patti Whaley, BA, MA Musicology

A chartered accountant, IT specialist and Charity manager (formerly Chair, ActionAid UK; Treasurer, Food Ethics Council; Deputy Secretary General, Amnesty International), Patti is a local church organist. She has a B.A. & M.A. in Musicology and an ABRSM Diploma in organ performance (distinction).
She is a former Chair of the Sea of Faith Network.

The Revd Stephen Mitchell

Published author (including “God in the Bath” and “Past Perfect”) and former Rural Dean & Canon, Stephen has always been a musical vicar. He has a degree in Music and taught music in a secondary school before reading Theology at Cambridge.
Stephen is also a former Chair of the Sea of Faith Network.

Elaine Henson

Elaine is a music graduate of the Universities of Exeter and Durham and a singing licentiate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Katie Hainbach, Head of Music and Arts, Alyth Synagogue

A mezzo-soprano, Katie is an experienced opera singer, teacher and choral conductor.
She has a BA (hons) in Music Studies (including a distinction in Music Pedagogy) and a MMus in Vocal Performance.
Katie has performed on radio and television in the UK and Ireland.
She has travelled around the country doing music for people with dementia and other community music.
At the Alyth Synagogue, Katie is responsible for the choirs, musical and acting groups.

Alyth Synagogue website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/

(For more Conference details and a booking form, download this PDF brochure)

Sea of faith (UK) 34th Annual Conference 2022
University of Leicester, 23 – 25 July

IS THAT ALL THERE IS?

Ernie Rea, presenter of Radio 4’s discussion series “Beyond Belief”.  His talk was called “My Journey of Faith”.
Avril Robarts. Her presentation was entitled “This and That: A life of perplexed practice with emphasis on Indian tradition”.
Stephen Williams, former Deputy Chief Probation Officer for the West Midlands. Topic: “Justice Through the Looking Glass”.

Sea of Faith Summer Conference 2022

This successful virtual Conference was held last Summer, with attendees from as far as Austria, Australia and California, USA

The dates were: Monday July 25 to Thursday July 28, 2022.

Speakers were: Peter Francis, Warden, Gladstone’s Library, Harwarden;

Brian Mountford, Canon Emeritus of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford;

Anastasia Somerville-Wong, first Humanist Chaplain, Exeter University.

Here is a link for more details:

Edited transcripts and Zoom recordings of the Speakers’ presentations are now available:

1. In the following issue of Sofia magazine: no.145, September 2022

2. Sofia magazine, no. 145, table of contents. Click this link.

2. As viewable Zoom recordings on this link.

Sea of faith (UK) 33rd Annual Conference 2021

Virtual conference, 23 – 25 July

TALKING ALLOWED

Professor Elaine Graham talked about her research into Don Cupitt’s work and into the SOF Network and will then take questions.

Don Cupitt talked on God and Non-Realism. Live screening.

Marcus Borg: ‘What is God?’. Live screening.

Assisted Dying – a talk by Rabbi Jonathan Romain.

‘The Death of God’ a talk by Terry Eagleton. Live screening.

Sea of faith (UK) 32nd Annual Conference 2019

University of Leicester, 23 – 25 July

IS THAT ALL THERE IS?

Ernie Rea, presenter of Radio 4’s discussion series “Beyond Belief”.  His talk was called “My Journey of Faith”. A transcript of his talk: “From Exclusive to Inclusive: a Journey of Faith”.
Avril Robarts. Her presentation was entitled “This and That: A life of perplexed practice with emphasis on Indian tradition”.
Stephen Williams, former Deputy Chief Probation Officer for the West Midlands. Topic: “Justice Through the Looking Glass”. A transcript of his talk: “Justice Through the Looking Glass”.

Sea of faith (UK) 31st Annual Conference 2018

University of Leicester, 23 – 25 July

THE NECESSITY OF HOPE

Speakers included:

1. Professor Richard Norman
2. Doctor Anthony Carroll.

The title of their talk was “Hope, Faith and Redemption”

They are co-editors of “Religion and Atheism: Beyond the Divide”, a book described as “all about dialogue”.

Richard Norman is Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent, UK

His publications include On Humanism (2nd edition 2012). He is a founder-member of the Humanist Philosophers’ Group and a Vice-President of Humanists UK

Anthony Carroll was (until recently) Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Theology at Heythrop College, University of London, UK

His publications include Protestant Modernity: Weber, Secularization, and Protestantism (2007), and he is an Anglican priest.

3. Dinah Livingstone’s talk was entitled “Hope for Humanity – A Theology of Liberation and the Beautiful City”.

Dinah is a poet, translator and editor of Sofia.

Her most recent publication is “The Making of Humanity – Poetic Vision and Kindness”.

Click on this link for further details

Transcripts of these presentations are now available in the September 2018 issue no 129, of ‘Sofia’, our network magazine.

Sea of faith (UK) 30th Annual Conference 2017

University of Leicester, 25 – 27 July

BEING HUMAN

Can our feelings of compassion, empathy, ethics, mortality, survive in the face of the increasing and seemingly dehumanising pressures and demands of the IT age?

Richy Thompson:   Campaigning for Being Human
Abbey Day:    Believing in Being Human
Dilwar Hussain:   Being Human: Moving beyond Identity Politics

Transcripts of the main talks have been published in the September issue (no. 125) of our ‘sofia’ magazine

London Day Conference 2017

Saturday 25th March 2017, St John’s Church, Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TY

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD – Religion as Poetry and Story?

Mark Oakley — Canon-Chancellor, St Paul’s Cathedral: “Believing in Poetry”
Salley Vickers — novelist and poet: “Connections between Art, Literature, Psychology and Religion.”
Dinah Livingstone — Poet, publisher & translator and editor of Sofia: “Shining – Poetry and Theology as Sister Arts”

Transcripts of Mark Oakley’s and Dinah Livingstone’s talks were published in issue 124 of Sofia.
Salley Vicker’s talk was published in issue no 126.

Sea of faith (UK) 29th Annual Conference 2016

University of Leicester, 21 – 23 July

RELIGION – WHERE NEXT?

John Breadon, Assistant Chaplain at Eton College: “I was religious but now I’m…”
Denise Cush, Professor of Religion and Education, Bath Spa University: “I’m not religious but…”
Andrew Brown, Minister of the Unitarian Memorial Church, Cambridge: “The freedom to be tomorrow what we are not today”

Professor Cush’s and Doctor Breadon’s transcripts were published in Sofia no.121.
Andrew Brown’s transcript is on his personal blog.

SoFiC Day Conference 2015

Kensington Unitarians’ Essex Church, London, 10th October

CHURCH GOING FORWARD

Sea of Faith in the Churches (SoFiC) is a special interest group within the Sea of Faith Network that explores the interface between churches and SoF.

Revd Meg Burton, long-time hospital chaplain and co-editor of the international Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy was the chaplain member of the working group that, in response to concerns about the Liverpool Care Pathway, devised new protocols for end-of-life care.

Sea of Faith (UK) 28th Annual Conference 2015

University of Leicester, 23 – 25 July

OUT OF OUR MINDS – What can offer towards a healthier world?

David Boulton is an author, journalist and broadcaster and is both a Quaker and a Humanist and is founded the Nontheist Friends Network.

Andy Pakula is an non-theistic Unitarian minister. He is the minister of New Unity, a Unitarian congregation located in north London, which has grown over the past decade to become one of the largest, most vital congregations in the British Unitarian movement.

David Boulton, author, journalist and broadcaster; and Andy Pakula, non-theistic Unitarian minister.

A recording of this Conference (CDs and a DVD of highlights) is now available from Chris Avis. Chris’s contact details.

Gretta Vosper weekend conference: With or Without God

A joint ‘PCN Britain’ and ‘Sea of Faith’ Event

This conference was held Friday 26 September 2014 – Sunday 28 September 2014, Oxford

What do we mean by God and is the word past its use-by date? What would a post-theistic church be for?

These are the questions that Gretta Vosper will be considering at this conference. She will be assisted by her husband, Scott Kearns, whose speciality is post-theist words and songs.

Click this link for full details of the Conference

ANNUAL UK CONFERENCE 2014

FRIDAY 18TH JULY – SUNDAY 21ST JULY 2014

Venue: the University of Leicester

Subject: MAKING CONNECTIONS

A recording of this Conference (CDs and a DVD of highlights) is now available from Chris Avis

The keynote speakers were:

Derek McAuley, Chief Officer of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.

He takes the view that “Unitarianism and Free Christianity, from its position on the boundary, can be a bridge between people of different faiths and none”

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society (NSS).

Keith has been described as “a radical activist in a business suit”. He has raised the campaigning profile of the NSS both nationally and internationally. Keith has a great deal to contribute on “making connections” because he moves on a daily basis from intervening against the Christian Institute in the European Court of Human Rights to campaigning with them against measures restricting free speech.

Pippa Evans, comedian and co-founder of the Sunday Assemblies.

Pippa worked with us to develop a “Sunday Assembly” to conclude the 2014 Conference.

United Kingdom Sea of Faith National Conference 2013

A recording of the Conference is now available from Chris Avis. See ordering details

23 – 25 July 2013 at the University of Leicester

“For the Common Good”

The title ‘For the Common Good’ invited us to look beyond humanly created religions and ideologies to shared ethics and action.

Professor Tim Jackson, a British ecological economist and Professor of Sustainable Development, University of Surrey

Alom Shaha, author of ‘The Young Atheist’s Handbook’

Chris Howson, author of ‘A Just Church’ and Anglican Chaplain to the University of Sunderland

Edited transcripts of these talks can be found in Sofia magazine (September no.109)

United Kingdom Sea of Faith National Conference 2012

Friday 13 – Sunday 15 July 2012 at the University of Leicester

“Work and Worth”

The subject of this year’s conference was ‘Work and Worth’.

Conference Speakers:

Don Cupitt, Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Professor Femi Oyebode
(Professor of Psychiatry , University of Birmingham)

Professor Harriet Bradley (Professor of Sociology, University of Bristol)

Martin Morgan , Consultant Occupational Therapist

Tony Windross, Vicar, Hythe, Kent; author of The Thoughtful Guide to Faith

Edited transcripts of these talks can be found in Sofia magazine (September no.105)

Sea of Faith National Conference 2011

Friday 22 – Sunday 24 July 2011
University of Leicester
“Brain, Belief and Behaviour”

The subject of this year’s conference was religion and psychology, getting to the heart of our understanding and appreciation of religion as a human creation, the evolution of our brains, and our behaviour as the earth’s most intelligent species.

Our principal speakers were:

• Colin Blakemore:  Professor of Neuroscience at the Universities of Oxford and Warwick, Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society, and writer and presenter of “God and the Scientists”, part of the 2009 Channel 4 Series “Christianity: A History”
• Gwen Griffith-Dickson:  Director of the Lokahi Foundation research institute, Professor Emeritus of Divinity at Gresham College and Visiting Professor at Kings College, London.
• Alan Allport:  former Professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, currently reinventing himself as a field naturalist. He is passionately concerned about the future of humanity in a warmer world.

2011 Conference Audio Recordings

Audio Recordings of the 2011 Annual Conference (‘Brain, Belief and Behaviour’) and the 2011 London Conference (‘Lust for Certainty’) are now available from Chris Avis. Purchasing details

Edited transcripts of three talks can be downloaded from the following links:

• Don’t Narrow the Scope by Professor Gwen Griffith-Dickson
• Neuroeverything? by Professor Colin Blakemore
• Beliefs and Behaviour by Professor Alan Allport

2009 UK National Conference

Science and Religion

The Sea of Faith’s 2009 UK annual conference, 21 – 23 July, held at Leicester University, explored the The Sea of Faith’s message that both religion and science are human creations which enable us to value religion and science as insights for which humanity is totally responsible, both for their content and for the use we make of them.

• Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, visiting Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford and President of the Institute of Physics.
• Professor Michael Reiss, Assistant Director and Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. He did his PhD on evolutionary biology and is a priest in the Church of England.
• Doctor Tom Shakespeare, Research Fellow at Newcastle University. His publications include Disability Rights and Wrongs (Routledge, London 2006).
  

  • By What Authority? by Jocelyn Bell Burnell
  • Thinking about Disability and Genetics by Tom Shakespeare
  • Creationism as a Worldview: Implications for Education by Michael Reiss

2007 UK National Conference

The Good life

The Sea of Faith UK annual conference, 24-26 July at Leicester University, explored the relationship between spirituality, sustainability and the good life. Speakers included:

Jonathon Porritt, co-founder of Forum for the Future and chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission;

Tim Jackson, Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey, and Director of a new research group on Lifestyles, Values and the Environment”;

Stephanie Dowrick, author of Forgiveness and other acts of love.

• Where on Earth will it End? by Tim Jackson
• Saving the Earth and Humankind by Jonathon Porritt