Are values more important than beliefs

Thursday 17 April 2025

Location:

Buckland URC Church, Portsmouth

Speaker:

discussion of article from 'Reform'

Thinking Aloud Allowed April 2025

Sunday 13 April 2025

We meet online tomorrow evening (Sunday 13th) at 6.30 pm as usual. It's Andy's last TAA with us before his 3-month sabbatical

Zoom link below. See you tomorrow!

Location:

Online Zoom

Speaker:

Rev Andy Lowe

Radical Biblical Rewriting in the 20th and 21st centuries

Thursday 10 April 2025

This evening, I will look at some radical literary rewritings of biblical tropes, concentrating on those of Uriah, Job, and Mary Magdalene. Beginning with a run-through of terms useful in the classification of types of rewriting (most people are familiar with "Sequel" and "Prequel"), we will trace the outline reception histories of these three tropes and consider the proposition that meaning is added to texts through time and that the quest for the "original meaning" can be illusory, or at least severely limiting.

Location:

Friends Meeting House, 1 Orchard Road, Malvern, WR14 3DA

Speaker:

Dr Anthony Swindell

The Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer 80 years on

Wednesday 9 April 2025

This event marks 80 years since Bonhoeffer's execution.

Location:

Emmanuel Centre, University of Leeds

Speaker:

Martin Linds, Keith Clements

Host:

Project Bonhoeffer

Considering Worship in a broader, more progressive context.

Tuesday 8 April 2025

Location:

Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ

Speaker:

Guest speaker Anne Morrell

Regular Meeting

Saturday 29 March 2025

Discussion of Introduction and first chapter of Karen Armstrong's "St Paul - The Misunderstood Apostle".

Looking at 'Situation Ethics - The New Morality' by Joseph Fletcher

Tuesday 11 March 2025

Location:

Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ

Speaker:

Discussion led by Richard

TAA March: Lead us not into temptation ...

Sunday 9 March 2025

What are we praying when we say (or don't say) 'Lead us not into temptation..'?
Meeting via Zoom info below.

Andy will soon be on sabbatical and so we are looking for at least two more people who would like to lead our thinking (during May, June and July) or indeed at another time. Just be in touch, ideally with an idea of a theme, to help us with our planning.

Zoom info below.

See you on Sunday!

Location:

Online Zoom

Speaker:

Rev Andy Lowe

Taking a progressive look at the early sermons of Jesus

Tuesday 4 March 2025

Our discussion will centre on the recent lectionary readings: Luke4: 14-21 and Luke 6: 17-22 using reflections offered by Simon Cross in his weekly blog on the PCN Britain website.

Location:

This will be a Zoom Meeting, please contact the convenor by email if you wish to come

Midweek Topic

Monday 24 February 2025

A study of Mark's Gospel based upon Marcus Borg's book "meeting Jesus in Mark".

Location:

49 Milton Crescent Tavistock

Speaker:

the members

'Richard Baxter and William Taylor, have attitudes and responses to Christian-Muslim relations changed?

Thursday 13 February 2025

In his talk, John will use Baxter and Taylor to illustrate changing attitudes and responses in Christian-Muslim relations and introduce the book series that he co-edits: Christian-Muslim Relations: A Bibliographical History 1500-1914.

Location:

Friends Meeting House, 1 Orchard Road, Malvern, WR14 3DA

Speaker:

Dr John Chesworth

Why call Jesus the Son of God?

Tuesday 11 February 2025

Location:

Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ

Speaker:

Discussion led by Richard

TAA Feb: Faith, Healing and the NHS

Sunday 9 February 2025

We meet online on Sunday evening (9 Feb) at 6.30 pm for approximately an hour, maybe a smidge more.

This month we are delighted to welcome Eric who will be leading us on the theme of "Faith, Healing and the NHS" An illustrated discussion of the history of Faith and Healing, Faith Healers and the Scientific understanding of Healing.

Location:

Online Zoom

Speaker:

Eric Johnson

Monthly meeting

Wednesday 5 February 2025

Location:

URC of St Andrew and St George, St George's Road, Bolton and ZOOM

Speaker:

All participants

Remembering Don Cupitt - a progressive Christian pioneering voice

Tuesday 4 February 2025

Following the recent death of Don Cupitt, we shall hear him speak in an 2014 interview and consider his legacy.

Location:

This will be a Zoom Meeting, please contact the convenor by email if you wish to come

Is Britain's immigration detention system ethically justified?

Tuesday 14 January 2025

Location:

Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ

Speaker:

Discussion led by Owen Temple

Thinking Aloud Allowed in the New Year

Sunday 12 January 2025

Happy New Year everyone!

We meet online this Sunday, 12 January at 6.30 pm. Zoom link info below.Hope to see you then.

Location:

Online

Speaker:

Rev Andy Lowe

Theology, modernity and post-modernity: Christian responses to secularization

Thursday 9 January 2025

In this session to begin 2025, Mark will present an exploration of the diversity of Christian responses to the social and intellectual legacy of the Enlightenment.

The talk will focus on the rise and fall of classic sociological theories about modernity and the rise of post-modern accounts of pluralism.

Location:

Friends Meeting House, 1 Orchard Road, Malvern, WR14 3DA

Speaker:

Rev. Dr Mark Dorsett 

Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Poor - Helen Stanton

Thursday 12 December 2024

Mary, the mother of Jesus has sometimes been used as a figure to oppress women and ordinary Christian disciples. She has also sometimes been ignored, denying the importance of an / the outstanding female figure of the Christian faith. Drawing upon the Magnificat and theologies of liberation from throughout the world, Helen Stanton will explore an understanding of Mary as a prophet of God’s reign, and model of discipleship whose yes to God brought and brings the life of God into the world in Jesus Christ.

Location:

Friends Meeting House, 1 Orchard Road, Malvern, WR14 3DA

Speaker:

Helen Stanton

Using the book "Less" by Patrick Grant

Tuesday 10 December 2024

Location:

Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ

Speaker:

Discussion led by Jen