Who are we?
Core Staff
Pete has a background in Classics and Biblical Studies, and is also a Methodist Minister. Having served in a Methodist Circuit in the Midlands, Pete was New Testament Tutor at Cliff College for thirteen years, also working on his PhD on the Prologue of John's Gospel from Sheffield University which he gained in 2004. During his time at Cliff, Pete also gained considerable experience in academic administration, focussing especially on links between Cliff and its validating universities. In 2006, Pete gained a MEd in Teaching and Learning for Higher Education and became a Fellow of the Higher Education Teaching Academy in 2007. Pete's research areas include Johannine Literature and he co-chairs the Johannine Literature section of the British New Testament Conference. Pete has also given papers at international conferences on John's Gospel and on postmodern interpretation. Another key research area is in Theology and Contemporary Culture and Pete is now exploring how this can be fused with an exploration of Biblical Literacy in a globalised environment increasingly denuded of its cultural heritage. Pete now serves Director of Research for the new Centre for Biblical Literacy, which is seeking to map out the terrain for this merging field of enquiry. Passionate about mission, the Bible and teaching, his interests also include postmodernism, theology and arts, film and football. Pete has spoken at a number of Christian festivals including Spring Harvest (Main Event and Le Pas Opton), Summer Fire and Easter People and is open to invitations...
Bex has a background in history, completing her PhD in ‘British Home Front Propaganda Posters of the Second World War’in 2004 at the University of Winchester, where she’d done her first degree in History with Education Studies. Bex built her first website in 1997, has built many more, and has undertaken accessibility and usability projects. She, however, is more interested in people/ communication/ popular culture than programming, and therefore was delighted when social media took off, and she is the Director of ‘Digital Fingerprint’, a social media consultancy.
As well as a ‘digital resident’, Bex is a polymath – she is the social media consultant for ‘Super Fun Days Out’, and has promoted interdisciplinary research, undertaken the LICC Toolbox course, and written for Damaris Culturewatch. After 7 months travelling around the world (Asia, Australasia, South America), she worked a summer season as a Tour Leader with Oak Hall Expeditions in 2008. She continues to work at the University of Winchester, as a ‘Blended Learning Fellow’ (finding tools for teaching using an appropriate mix of technology and face-to-face) with Associate Lectureships in Media Studies (particularly digital literacy) and History, alongside funded projects in student-skills and change management.
Bex is working for CODEC for 50% of her time throughout the 2010/11 academic year to develop ‘The Big Read’ on from its successful launch in the North-East over Lent 2010. The project will look to use the best mix of tools from the online and the offline worlds to encourage more engagement with the Bible, and draws upon Tom Wright’s forthcoming book ‘Matthew for Lent’. The project is supported by The Methodist Church, Premier Radio and SPCK, and Bex can generally be found at the Premier Radio offices in Pimlico Tuesday/Wednesday.
Join the project on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bigbible.
Research Students
Rich has a background in music and sound recording, and has been studying theology and ministry at Cranmer Hall for the last three years. Rich will be exploring contemporary Christian community, social identity and the role of the Bible in the social formation of the Church. At the moment he is thinking about the politics of 'Christian Britain', and what the New Testament might say about identity in Church or the nation. He also hopes to look at how modern communication can strengthen relationships across borders to engage with issues of social justice.
Nathan has a background in marketing, graphic design, and youth work. Before coming to Durham to do an MA in Community and Youth Work he spent several years balancing life in his home of California between working in online and mobile marketing for a Hollywood studio and youth work with the YMCA and his church. Nathan will be looking at how contemporary youth, having grown up with access to participative media, may engage differently with church than past generations. To do so he will be drawing from youth work, media, and genreational studies.
Research Associates
Before working in Durham as a theologian, David was a scientist (theoretical astrophysics) and then a Methodist minister in inner city Liverpool. David is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. After this research, David trained for the Methodist ministry, studying theology at Cambridge, before serving in a variety of appointments, including a growing church in Liverpool and as Methodist chaplain at Liverpool University.
Since arriving in Durham in 1999, David has held a Fellowship in Christian Apologetics at St John's College and was also Associate Director of the Centre for Christian Communication. I am currently Wesley Research Lecturer in Theology and Science in the Department of Theology and Religion and Principal of St John's College.
David's current research involves the relationship of the Christian theology to contemporary culture, from science to pop culture; the dialogue of science and religion; and has written extensively on these areas: God, Time and Stephen Hawking (Monarch, 2001) and Alone in the Universe: The X-Files, Aliens and God (IVP, 1997). In addition, David is researching the relationship of theology to contemporary culture in terms of preaching, missiology and apologetics. I have written on the spirituality in contemporary cinema in The Power of the Force: The Spirituality of the Star Wars Films (Lion, 2000), on the Christian doctrine of holiness in A Holiness of the Heart (Monarch, 2000) and a popular exposition of the biblical themes of creation in Creation: The Bible Speaks Today Bible Themes Series (IVP, 2002).
Andrew Graystone is Director of the Churches Media Council, a national body that seeks to build bridges between the Christian community and the media. In that role he tries to support Christians working in the media, and challenge the media industry to live up to its high calling. He also trains and advises Christian groups on how best to engage with the fast-changing media environment. Andrew worked for BBC Religion for over a decade as a TV and radio producer and as Development Executive. He continues to write and present programmes for BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4.
John has been involved in youthwork for over 30 years as a volunteer and as a paid Scripture Union worker - he has taught secondary school science, RE, worked as a local schools worker and volunteered for 19 years as a member of the church youth work team. He is passionate about connecting the good news with those beyond the church and is involved in a community mission project in a local estate in Newcastle. He has also been involved in supporting the developing work of Scripture Union in the former Soviet Republics. John completed his MATM at Durham and is currently studying for a Dmin focussing on the impact of Biblical Literacy on Christian Youth Work. He has co-written books for Scripture Union including, 'Pretty much everything you need to know about working with 11-14's', 'Discovering the Bible with children' and 'Exploring the Bible with young people'. He loves watching and playing sport as well as being an ardent U2 fan.
Was director of the College's Centre for Christian Communication from 1996 - 2005. Previously he worked for 20 years communicating the Christian story through mime and physical theatre. He has just completed a doctoral thesis in homiletics at the University of Edinburgh, where he lives with his wife Judith. He edited Pulpit Journeys (2005) and co-authored Preaching with Humanity (2008) with Stephen Wright.
Before joining the team at CODEC Colin was Professor of Theological and Cultural Studies at Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle, USA (2005-7) and before that Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of Systematic Theology at Seattle Pacific University (2003-5). From 1996-2003 he was Head of Theology and Public Policy for the British and Foreign Bible Society. His innovative work and writing in the area of theology and cultural engagement earned him a reputation as one of the leading thinkers about gospel and culture issues in Britain. He has published a number of books: Christology in Cultural Perspective: Marking out the Horizons (Paternoster/ Eerdmans, 2004) won an award from the Academy of Parish Clergy as one of the top ten books of 2004. He has written numerous articles and book chapters and was theological consultant, editor and contributor to the Scripture and Hermeneutics Seminar (8vols published by Paternoster and Zondervan 2000-8 as well as other highly acclaimed media, arts and education projects. His latest book, written in partnership with his former colleague, Dr Martin Robinson, is Metavista: Bible, Church and Mission in an Age of Imagination with its own website: www.meta-vista.org