From its very earliest days theology has realised its need for relationship with all sources of human knowledge and wisdom.

Initially this took the form of dialogue with Greek and Latin philosophy, which included, as natural philosophy, theories about physical nature and human being.

With the growth and expansion of modern western universities, the range of potential dialogue partners has hugely increased, as has the complexity of methodological questions to be faced.

The idea of Borderlands embraces that series of contacts with other disciplines which a lively and enquiring religious faith is bound to have, from environmental science, to physics and cosmology, to biology and medical science, to law, economics and the social sciences, as well as to history, philosophy and literary theory.

The Borderlands Project was initiated by Bishop Stephen Sykes when he was Principal of St Johns.  It has led to seminars, publications and an annual lecture featuring lecturers such as Cherie Blair, Sir John Houghton, Simon Conway Morris, John Barrow, Andrew Dilnot and Dame Suzi Leather