A Long Rumour of Wisdom

This lecture interprets the field of theology and religious studies under the heading of 'public theology'. It sees theology as the pursuit of wisdom in relation to the religions of the world and to the questions of truth and practice which they raise. The situation of academic theology in England is described and compared with that in the USA and Germany. It is seen as having three main responsibilities - to the other disciplines in the university; to religious communities as they engage with their past and orient themselves towards the future; and to society, which benefits from the discussions within, between, and about religions and their key questions being of as high a quality as possible. Utilising a powerful poem by Micheal O'Siadhail, David Ford offers a vision of theology which encourages the particularity of specific faith commitments and explores the wisdom of the Christian God, showing what it means to do theology responsibly and adventurously before that God.

• A clear statement of the rationale behind theology and religious studies
• Engages with the role of theology in society at large as well as with its place in the academy
• Focused through a powerful poem by leading Irish poet Micheal O'Siadhail