SOF London Day Conference 2024
This year, when we will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Don Cupitt’s BBC TV series and the publication of his book ‘The Sea of Faith’, three special events are being planned to mark this milestone
- 1st – 2nd July, Don Cupitt and The Sea of Faith 40th Anniversary Conference at Emmanuel College Cambridge.
- Our Annual Conference on Saturday 20th July.
- 20th – 21st September: A special symposium at Gladstone’s Library, Hawarden, featuring public lectures, archival exhibition, workshops and talks.
These events will celebrate Don Cupitt, his works and their influence upon the world.
The Network conference seeks to celebrate just that; the people, thoughts and events that have brought us to where we are today, and, with some forward thinking how religion and religious faith will move on and how we might move on with it.
We have secured three excellent speakers, looking both to our past and to our possible future.
The conference fee is £20, instructions on reserving a place are on our booking page.
Linda Woodhead is a sociologist of religion who is well known for her work on religious change since the 1980s, and for encouraging public debate about faith.
She read Theology at Cambridge; Don Cupitt was her Director of Studies at Emmanuel College. She then became a tutor at Ripon College, Cuddesdon for four years, before moving to Lancaster University in 1992 where she became Professor of the Sociology of Religion in 2006.
Since 2022 she has been the F.D. Maurice Professor in Moral and Social Theology and Head of Department, Theology & Religious Studies at King’s College, London. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Anthony Freeman is a priest in the Church of England and a long-standing member of the Sea of Faith Network. With degrees from Oxford in Chemistry and Theology, Anthony was ordained in 1972 and held various pastoral and educational posts, until being dismissed by the Bishop of Chichester for publishing the Cupitt-inspired book God In Us (SCM Press, 1993).
There followed a second career in academic publishing, primarily as managing editor of the international peer-reviewed Journal of Consciousness Studies, from its launch in 1994 until his retirement in 2011.
Anthony now ministers as an honorary assistant priest at St Paul’s, Chichester.
Tony Windross, author of The Reasonable Guide to Faith, has been a Sea of Faith member from the very beginning.
He worked as a teacher for 24 years.
Having found it impossible to take religion seriously, on the grounds of its sheer implausibility, the 1984 Sea of Faith television series proved a turning point in his life, eventually leading to ordination in 1993 (to everyone’s surprise, including his own) and 24 years as a vicar.
Much of his ministry has been spent trying to make religion a possibility for those unable to believe the unbelievable, and has involved some interesting episcopal conversations along the way.
Programme
Our provisional programme is listed below. There will be short breaks between each talk and tea, coffee and refreshments will be available at registration, lunch and in the afternoon.
Lunch is not provided but packed lunches can be eaten in the venue and there are plenty of places locally to buy something to eat.
10.30 Registration & Coffee
10.55 Introduction by Chair
11.00 Tony Windross
12.00 Anthony Freeman
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Linda Woodhead
15.00 Speakers’ Plenary Panel and Audience Questions
16.00 Tea & coffee and opportunity to chat
17.00 Close
Directions
St John the Evangelist Waterloo, Grade II* was constructed 1822-24 to designs by Francis Bedford and built over swampy ground close to the Thames. It was one of 612 Commissioners’ Churches intended for a rapidly growing urban population and is the largest of four in Lambeth, all in the Greek Revival style.
St John‘s Waterloo, Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8TY
St John‘s Church is situated in Waterloo Road at the south end of Waterloo Bridge and adjacent to IMAX cinema. It was opposite Waterloo Station (BR main line and Northern, Bakerloo and Jubilee Underground lines).
Coming by Jubilee Line follow the Way Out sign for Waterloo NOT South Bank. At exit turn left onto Waterloo Road. Coming by Bakerloo or Northern Line follow Way Out sign for Trains NOT South Bank. You exit onto Main Line Station from where you take Exit 2 to Waterloo Road.
Buses 1, 4, 26, 59, 68, 77, 139, 168, 171, 172, 188 and 381 stop nearby.
There are no parking facilities at St John’s.