St Paul's Cathedral

From the earliest years of Christianity to the present day, the practice of silent prayer is where many have sought, and found, the presence of God. But it is not always as simple as it sounds. Richard Carter was for many years a member of the Melanesian Brotherhood in the Solomon Islands where silence was a daily part of the spiritual life of the community. In London he is the founder and leader of the Nazareth Community where contemplative prayer is the basis for their contemporary rule of life. He will offer a ‘beginner’s guide’ to silence, reflecting on its nature, practice, joys and pitfalls, and how we can find it in our noisy city and busy lives. The Revd Richard Carter is Associate Vicar for Mission at St Martin-in-the-Fields in central London, and the author of The City is my Monastery: A contemporary rule of life.

Professor John Barton, one of the great Biblical scholars of our time, introduces his bestselling book The History of the Bible, the culmination of a lifetime’s work. He explores the Bible’s long evolution, how much good translations matter, and what contemporary scholarship reveals about the Bible, including how as contemporary Christians we understand its place at the heart of our faith. The Revd Professor John Barton is the Oriel & Laing Emeritus Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford, a Senior Research Fellow of Campion Hall, Oxford and an Anglican priest.

From the writers of the psalms 3,000 years ago to our own prayers in church every Sunday, faithful people have prayed to God to bring justice to the earth, and yet terrible suffering and injustice continue in every part of the world. Why doesn’t God answer our prayers? Selina Stone has wrestled with this question through many years working at the front line of injustice as a community organiser. She reflects personally and theologically about the question of prayer and its relationship to a transformed world. Dr Selina Stone is Postdoctoral Research Associate in Theological Education at Durham University where her research focuses on diversity and belonging. Her PhD is in Pentecostalism and Social Justice and she has worked previously as a lecturer in theology, leadership and social justice and as a community organiser in London.

As we prepare to open a new exhibition to mark the 300th anniversary of his death, it seems an apt time to ask, who was Sir Christopher Wren? He was an astronomer, scientist and geometrician – but later in life would become known as the greatest architect of his time. This episode explores Wren’s life, work, legacy – and impressive body of work. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.

The handouts referred to in this talk can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-02/DYNAMIC%20OF%20SPEXX%20DIAGRAM.docx and https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-02/GS%20ST.%20PAUL%27S%20QUOTATIONS.docx St Ignatius was a rare and gifted teacher of prayer. Breathtakingly free in his approach to prayer and extraordinarily modern in his understanding of human psychology, his insights have offered a way for countless people to be in touch with God’s limitless desire to break through and surprise us, and our own built-in ability to respond. Gemma Simmonds introduces his teaching about prayer, using silence, imagination and the everyday reality of our lives to discover how to we can be in touch with our capacity to know and feel the presence of God in all things. Sr Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ has taught Ignatian Spirituality at Heythrop College, is Senior Lecturer in Pastoral Theology at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge and the author of The Way of Ignatius: A Prayer Journey through Lent.

When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, the Lord’s Prayer was his answer. Paula Gooder says that what Jesus gave the disciples was not just a single prayer but a set of guidelines for prayer itself. He was teaching them – and is teaching us – how to live a life of prayer formed by faith, hope and love, aligned with God’s desire for our own flourishing and a world full of justice. (A note on the talk from Dr Gooder: 'After the talk I realised that I had forgotten to say something I meant to say – and so am adding it here. When I was talking about the three requests, (may your name be hallowed, may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven), I meant to say that these three only appear in Matthew’s Gospel. In Luke there is simply 'may your name be hallowed' and 'may your kingdom come'. Matthew’s version is much longer here. In a way Matthew is giving us a clearer picture of what Jesus had in mind.') Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral and a leading Biblical scholar and the author of numerous academic and popular theology books.

The presentation referred to in this lecture can be accessed at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-02/GD_Koinonia%20Lecture%2C%20St%20Paul%27s_0.pdf An academic seminar presenting the latest research from Grace Davie. 'Searching questions, abundant data, partial answers' with Grace Davie is part of the Koinonia lectures for 2022-23, co-organised by the Diocese of London, St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, offering an opportunity to engage with the latest research from a wide range of theological and ecclesiological thinkers. Professor Grace Davie is Professor Emerita of Sociology at Exeter University as well as a lay canon of the Diocese in Europe.

What may come as a surprise to some is the fact that St Paul's has its very own Library, which will be reopening in spring 2023 following a four-year conservation and restoration project – the very first in its history. Discover our Library’s fascinating history and just some of the treasures it contains. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.

Br Guy Consolmagno says that science is an important way to get to know God. In this conversation with Paula Gooder about Br Guy’s role as director of the Vatican Observatory, they explore what meteorites tell us about God; why science and faith are more compatible than people imagine and the importance of story-telling to both science and religion. Thinking of the season of Epiphany, they also touch on the Magi and what star they might have seen at the time of Jesus’ birth. Br Guy Consolmagno is the director of the Vatican Observatory (www.vaticanobservatory.org) and president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. His latest book is 'My Theology: Finding God in the Universe'. Dr Paula Gooder is Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, and a leading Biblical scholar and writer. (Image: Karen Cox Photography)

St Paul’s at Christmas: Is there any better place to enjoy the festive season? In 1924, you may have been forgiven for answering – perhaps. Alarmingly on Christmas Eve of that year, the Cathedral was served with a Dangerous Structures Notice amid fears the Dome might collapse. Discover what happened that fateful Christmas, and the scale of the project that became known as the Great Restoration. Produced and presented by Douglas Anderson.