Talks & Lectures

Overview Drawing on his own practice and ministry, in the first part of today's session, John explores the term ‘conversation’ both in characterising Christian mission, and as an essential tool for such mission. He examines the various uses of the term in missiology, and discusses the works of several Anglican and Roman Catholic theologians and missiologists. He draws particularly on the work of David Tracy to develop a nuanced model of 'deep conversation' for mission, which speaks in particular to contemporary pluralism and respect for the ‘Other’. Rooted in a theology of the relational Trinity, it anticipates the presence of the Holy Spirit (the divine Other) as a necessary conversation partner in any meaningful conversation. In the second part of this session, Andrea describes her pioneering work in the UK with those who call themselves 'spiritual but not religious' based in Kingston-upon-Thames, where she founded a Fresh Expression of Church, called 'Sacred Space'. She currently leads the Transforming Shame Network, and works for the Methodist Church in Britain. She teaches Mission, Evangelism and Pioneering at St Augustine’s College of Theology. The double contribution focused on theory and practice is intended to promote discussion.

Speaker John Padwick & Andrea Campanale

About the speaker Dr. John Padwick is a research tutor at OCMS. He lived and worked in Kenya for forty years, mostly as a mission partner with CMS. His Kenyan ministry was initially in secondary education, but from 1978 he worked with African Independent Churches (AICs). John was instrumental in the setting up of the Organization of African Churches, a continental umbrella for AICs, and served OAIC in the areas of grassroots development, the articulation of AIC theologies, and research. His doctoral thesis was on the history of the Holy Spirit (‘Roho’ Churches) of Western Kenya. Andrea has been a pioneer in mission to the spiritual but not religious since 2005 and has founded a Fresh Expression of Church, Sacred Space Kingston. She is the first Licensed Lay Pioneer in Southwark Diocese and currently leads the Transforming Shame Network. Andrea works as a Mission Projects Officer for the Methodist Church in Britain and teaches Mission, Evangelism and Pioneering at St Augustine’s College of Theology.

Overview This lecture explores the role of orality as a central epistemological resource—or mnemotext—in Church mission and interreligious engagement within Global South contexts, where storytelling remains the primary mode of communication. In contrast to dominant academic approaches to interreligious dialogue, which often prioritize formal, text-based, and canonical exchanges, this study investigates “inkless” modes of engagement, with focus on Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia.

Speaker Izak Y. M. Lattu

About the speaker Dr. Izak Y. M. Lattu serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Professor of Theology and Interreligious Studies in the Department of Sociology of Religion at Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga, Indonesia. He holds a Ph.D. in the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California, where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and completed pre-doctoral studies at Harvard University. His research explores themes such as interreligious dialogue, civic engagement, collective memory, mnemo-culture theology, and the sociology of religion. Izak has published widely with academic presses including Brill, Bloomsbury, Baylor University Press, and Routledge. In 2024, he was elected a full member of the Cultural Commission of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI). He actively participates in regional and international scholarly networks, advancing inter-disciplinary collaboration in theology, cultural sociology of religion, and indigenous studies.

Overview In this lecture, several members of Memoria Indígena will share their reflections on why a work such as theirs focused on reflecting theologically through the stories of their walk with Indigenous peoples is an important contribution to theology and why their efforts to cultivate contextual Indigenous methodologies is itself a enriching contribution to theology.

Speaker Jocabed Solano, Ismael Conchacala Gil & Drew Jennings-Grisham

About the speaker Jocabed Solano is Guna, from Panama, and serves as the director of Memoria Indígena. A PhD student in Theological Studies with NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community, she also is involved in several spaces internationally where she teaches and works on issues of Indigenous theology and climate crisis activism. Ismael Conchacala Gil is Wiwa, from Colombia. A member of the Memoria Indígena team, Ismael is an educator, artist, theologian, and Bible translator who works in the area of Indigenous theology as well as working in literacy and ethno-education and peacebuilding processes among the Wiwa people. Drew Jennings-Grisham is originally from Tennessee (USA) and now lives in Medellín, Colombia, with his family. As Associate Director of Memoria Indígena, Drew supports intercultural dialogue and theological work that bridges Indigenous Christian communities, Indigenous spiritualities, and the global church. He is also currently a student at OCMS.

Overview Christian faith has a long and continuous history in Iran. The period since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 has been particularly stressful, with outbreaks of severe persecution, imprisonment and both judicial and extrajudicial killings.

Speaker Michael Nazir-Ali

About the speaker Monsignor Dr Nazir-Ali is a member of the Ordinariate in the Catholic Church and Prelate to the Holy See. He was the 106th Anglican Bishop of Rochester, for 15 years, until 1 September 2009. He is originally from Asia and was the first Diocesan Bishop in the Church of England born abroad. He was appointed in 1994. Before that he was the General Secretary of CMS from 1989-1994 and before that Bishop of Raiwind in Pakistan. He holds both British and Pakistani citizenship and from 1999 was a member of the House of Lords where he was active in a number of areas of national and international concern. He has both a Christian and a Muslim family background. He is now President of the Oxford Centre for Training, Research, Advocacy and Dialogue (OXTRAD).

Overview Living in Europe substantially alters the context of Muslim immigrants. They live as minorities amid non-Muslims and are governed by the secular state (with Christian antecedents) and its laws. This lecture focuses on one aspect of larger research conducted in Belgium. It examines evidence from the ground related to issues involving dietary rules. It shows how Muslims in Belgium look for creative adaptations to challenges of everyday life, involving food.

Speaker Ishak Makram Ghatas

About the speaker Dr Ishak Makram Ghatas grew up in Egypt, a Muslim-majority country where he was trained and worked as a mechanical engineer. Since migrating to Belgium, he has become involved in the Protestant Church work for Muslim immigrants. In addition, he has been a prison chaplain and a religious expert at the International School of Protocol and Diplomacy (ISPD). He has also been active in the inter-faith dialogue work in Belgium. His PhD focused on the everyday practices and Shariʿah interpretations with Belgium as a case. His Egyptian background and deep cultural immersion in Europe gave him the advantage of being both an insider and an outsider and enabled him to publish different publications focusing on the issues of Muslim diasporas.