For information on the conference in 2010, Valuing Theological Education, see the '2010' drop-down menu at the top of this page.

Professor Graham Ward will deliver a paper at the conference in January entitled The Lay Theologian: Working at the Coal Face. Professor Ward is known for his many books, including

• Cities of God (Routledge, 2000)
• True Religion (Blackwell, 2002)
• Cultural Transformation and Religious Practice (Cambridge University Press, 2004)
• Christ and Culture (Blackwell, 2005)
• (Edited, with Michael Hoelzl) Religion and Political Thought (Continuum, 2006)

He is Professor of Contextual Theology and Ethics at the University of Manchester, where he is also Head of School at the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures.

James Lawson's paper at the conference in January is to be entitled 'Theological Formation in the Church of the Letze Mensche'. Weaving together themes from Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, Bonhoeffer and Hauerwas, Charles Taylor and Sarah Coakley, it will present a vision of Christian formation for the whole Church against a backdrop of apathetic hedonism.

Booking has opened for the 2010 Conference 'Valuing Theological Education'. The registration page can be found in the drop-down menu under '2010' above.

The residential price has been held at the same rate as last year. The non-residential rate has been reduced, and there is further reduction for students attending non-residentially.

We are pleased to announce three additional speakers for the Conference in January 2010 on 'Valuing Theologicial Education':

The Rt Revd Stephen Platten, Bishop of Wakefield and Chairman of the Liturgical Commission of the Church of England

Liturgical Formation as Theological Education

The Rt Revd Graham James, Bishop of Norwich and Chairman of the Ministry Division of the Church of England

Lessons for Theological Educators from the Sociology of Religion

The Revd Dr Benedict Viviano OP, Professor Emertius of the University of Freiburg, Switzerland

Theological Education – From the Bible to the Early Days of the Church

We began planning for next year knowing that most of our speakers from 2009 were enthusiastic at the prospect of joining us for next year's conference, not least John Milbank, Graham Ward and Alister McGrath. I am happy to annouce the next list of additions.

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In March Andrew Davison wrote an opinion piece for The Church Times setting arguing for the importance of theology and calling for a revival of attention to theology in the Church of England. You can read it below in the post entitled 'Outlining the Agenda for the Next Conference'. This week he published a follow-up article reporting on the meeting for Young Priest Theologians at Lambeth Palace at the end of March. It was a happy indication that the tide is turning. The text is below.

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There is a summary of Professor Graham Ward's paper under the '2009' tab above (then click on 'Discussion Papers'). There will be more in the weeks ahead.

What needs to be said about theological education? What needs thinking about? Please visit our discussion board to contribute to a thread on next year's conference on Theological Education and the Theology of Education.

The conveyor of the Returning to the Church conferences, Andrew Davison, wrote an opinion piece for Church Times on the state of theology and education in the Church (published 6 February 2009). The subject of the next conference, in January 2010, will be Theological Education and the Theology of Education.

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