St Paul's Cathedral

The Cross is at the very centre of our faith. For the earliest Christians, Passover was essential to their understanding of the Passion, but there are other biblical images which created imaginative traditions: sacrifice and scapegoat, the Tree of Life and other surprising links with to the Garden of Eden, and rich resources of paintings and poetry. On Passion Sunday, as we turn our thoughts towards Holy Week, Frances Young introduced her profound and far-reaching thinking about the Cross. 2 April 2017.

Sin is out of fashion while fascination with our own inner workings is everywhere. But in his new book Stephen Cherry says that the concept of sin is an essential, and healthy, tool for self understanding. Stephen Cherry is the Dean of King’s College, Cambridge, and the author of many books including Healing Agony: Re imagining Forgiveness and The Dark Side of the Soul: An Insider’s Guide to the Web of Sin (Bloomsbury 2012 and 2016). 5 March 2017.

The church year tells the story of Christ’s life slowly, in tune with nature’s seasons, allowing us to explore all the seasons of our spiritual lives and the Gospel in all its mysterious richness. Mark Oakley, Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, explores what it offers our spiritual lives. 5 Feb 2017.

Paula Gooder, one of the best-known and best-loved Biblical scholars and teachers of our times, says that the Bible tells a much more complicated story about our bodies than that. She will explore what a Biblical spirituality for the whole person might be and reveal how we are called to relate to God with the whole of our selves – body and soul, mind and heart. Recorded 15 June 2016.

Podcasts of Canon Mark Oakley talking about TS Eliot’s Four Quartets at St Paul’s Adult Learning reflective day in April 2016. TS Eliot’s Four Quartets is a classic in the great tradition of Western spirituality. By turns mystical, musical, philosophical and fragmentary, the Four Quartets scrutinise our relationship to time, the universe and the divine. In these podcasts, Mark Oakley first introduces the whole sequence, and then in the following four podcasts explores each of the Quartets by turn. The first two podcasts are rerecorded after the event as the podcast was lost, and the last three are ‘live’.

Podcasts of Canon Mark Oakley talking about TS Eliot’s Four Quartets at St Paul’s Adult Learning reflective day in April 2016. TS Eliot’s Four Quartets is a classic in the great tradition of Western spirituality. By turns mystical, musical, philosophical and fragmentary, the Four Quartets scrutinise our relationship to time, the universe and the divine. In these podcasts, Mark Oakley first introduces the whole sequence, and then in the following four podcasts explores each of the Quartets by turn. The first two podcasts are rerecorded after the event as the podcast was lost, and the last three are ‘live’.

Podcasts of Canon Mark Oakley talking about TS Eliot’s Four Quartets at St Paul’s Adult Learning reflective day in April 2016. TS Eliot’s Four Quartets is a classic in the great tradition of Western spirituality. By turns mystical, musical, philosophical and fragmentary, the Four Quartets scrutinise our relationship to time, the universe and the divine. In these podcasts, Mark Oakley first introduces the whole sequence, and then in the following four podcasts explores each of the Quartets by turn. The first two podcasts are rerecorded after the event as the podcast was lost, and the last three are ‘live’. Recorded April 2016.

Canon Mark Oakley, a thought-provoking speaker at St Paul's, dives into T.S. Eliot's 'Burnt Norton' with poetic insight. He uncovers how the poem intricately examines the concepts of time and memory, revealing spiritual reflections woven through its verses. Oakley sheds light on the circularity of time, suggesting that grasping its nature leads to true understanding. Using vivid imagery, he emphasizes the fleeting beauty of existence and the significance of moments that connect our past and future, inviting listeners to explore their own spiritual journeys.

Canon Mark Oakley, a renowned speaker and educator, delves into T.S. Eliot’s 'Four Quartets', exploring its profound spiritual and philosophical themes. He highlights Eliot's journey from St. Louis to England and the intricate nature of his poetry. Oakley emphasizes the importance of embracing confusion in poetry, suggesting that grappling with its challenges can lead to richer insights. He also reflects on how Eliot's work captures the essence of time and meaning during a tumultuous period, revealing deep personal and spiritual explorations.

Poetry is what we reach for when we are falling in love, when we are grieving and when we search the great mysteries. It’s easy to think the language of faith is in creeds, sermons and certainties, but Mark Oakley says that it is poetry that is the person of faith’s native language. In this talk he will invite us on an adventure into poetry’s power to startle, challenge and reframe our vision: like throwing a pebble into water, the words of a poem cause a splash whose ripples can, if we let them, transform the way we see the world, ourselves, and God. Recorded 8 November 2016.