Gifford Lectures (audio)

Professor Kathryn Tanner the Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School, delivers the Gifford Lecture entitled "Which World?". The sixth lecture in the series discusses how finance-dominated capitalism encourages one to relate to oneself, which in turn has a bearing on the understanding of one’s relations with others. It will consider the emphasis on individual performance and responsibility in finance-dominated capitalism, the specific forms of competition typical of wage relations and market dynamics, winner-take-all profit mechanisms and herd behaviour in financial markets, privatising tendencies in the provision of public goods and the shifting of risks on to vulnerable individuals. It will contrast these emphases with the general ways that Christianity links one’s relationship with oneself to one’s relations with others. Recorded 12 May 2016 at the University of Edinburgh's Business School auditorium.

Prof. Kathryn Tanner, Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School, explores the intersection of Christianity and capitalism in a thought-provoking discussion. She critiques how finance-dominated markets manipulate present expectations by collapsing future uncertainties. Tanner emphasizes the radical difference Christian eschatology offers, presenting a transformative future founded on grace. She advocates for living in the present with hope, challenging the notion of control through financial derivatives and urging a vision for meaningful reform.

Prof. Kathryn Tanner, a Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale, explores the implications of a present-focused mindset shaped by finance-driven capitalism. She reveals how this urgency affects workers and the indebted poor, often leading to risky behaviors and fragmented memories. Tanner contrasts this with a Christian perspective that emphasizes grace and eternal depth, suggesting that a divine focus can unify our experience of time. Her insights challenge listeners to reflect on the balance between immediate pressures and long-term well-being.

Prof. Kathryn Tanner, Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale, delves into how finance-dominated capitalism manipulates worker commitments. She explores the use of fear, insecurity, and surveillance to enforce compliance and the inadequacies of incentive-based motivation. Tanner contrasts the relentless demands of corporate life with genuine Christian commitment, advocating for a God-centered orientation that transcends mundane pursuits. She argues that Christian practices can challenge neoliberal control, offering a pathway to freedom from anxiety and self-monitoring.

Prof. Kathryn Tanner, a leading scholar in Christian social and theological thought, explores the constraints of finance-dominated capitalism on individuals as both workers and debtors. She highlights how past decisions bind present actions and how workplace pressures enforce these commitments. Tanner contrasts corporate fluidity with the rigid ties of workers to previous demands. She discusses the transformative power of Christian conversion and how it can disrupt this cycle of debt and self-management, offering a path to freedom through grace.

In this enlightening discussion, Prof. Kathryn Tanner, Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School, delves into the interplay between Christianity and capitalism. She critiques Weber's thesis, suggesting that rather than supporting capitalism, Christian teachings could challenge its dominance. Tanner defines finance-dominated capitalism, explores its cultural implications, and highlights how it requires self-discipline from individuals. She advocates for a Christian counter-narrative to reframe the relationship between work and well-being, offering hope for radically different futures.

Professor Kathryn Tanner the Marquand Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School, delivers the Gifford Lecture entitled "Total Commitment". The third lecture in the series explores the strategies used in finance-dominated capitalism to ensure worker compliance with company demands. It will contrast these strategies, point by point, with the way in which a person’s commitment to God is related to the person’s more mundane commitments. Recorded 5 May 2016 at the University of Edinburgh's Business School auditorium.

Professor Jeremy Waldron, University Professor at the New York University Law School, delivers the sixth in the 2015 Gifford Lecture series, entitled "Hard and Heart-breaking Cases: The Profoundly Disabled As Our Human Equals". In this lecture, Professor Waldron explores ways of thinking about these aspects of the human condition that allow us to maintain the integrity of basic human equality. Recorded on 5 February 2015 at the University of Edinburgh's Playfair Library.

Professor Jeremy Waldron, University Professor at the New York University Law School, delivers the fifth in the 2015 Gifford Lecture series, entitled "Human Dignity and Our Relation to God". In this lecture Professor Waldron will relate our intimations about a transcendent basis for human equality to the work that was done in the previous lectures about the basic logic of the position. Recorded on 3 February 2015 at the University of Edinburgh's Playfair Library

Professor Jeremy Waldron, University Professor at the New York University Law School, delivers the fourth in the 2015 Gifford Lecture series, entitled "A Load-bearing Idea: The Work of Human Equality". Defending basic equality is not just a matter of ‘coming up with’ some suitably shaped property that all humans share. The description must be relevant to the work that basic equality has to do. That work is comprehensive and foundational, across all aspects of morality. Recorded on 2 February 2015 at the University of Edinburgh's Playfair Library.