Charles Gore Seminar: Memory, identity and hope
Join us for a seminar evening considering theological and cultural reflections on the Commonwealth today.
In advance of the annual Charles Gore lecture in September to be given by Professor Sathianathan Clarke on ‘A Theology of Commonwealth: from Word to Dreaming, from Wealth to Worth’, join us for a seminar evening considering some of the themes of Professor Clarke’s lecture chaired by the Reverend Dr James Hawkey, Canon Theologian, Westminster Abbey.
The panel will consist of:
- The Reverend Dr Ishaya Anthony, Commonwealth Theologian in Residence, Westminster Abbey
- Dr Renie Chow Choy, Public Historian, Westminster Abbey
- The Reverend Dr Peniel Rajkumar, Theologian and Director of Global Mission, USPG
About the speakers
The Reverend Dr Ishaya Anthony
The Reverend Dr Ishaya Anthony is Westminster Abbey’s inaugural Commonwealth Theologian in Residence. He is Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Kwoi, Nigeria as well as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Religious Studies, University of Johannesburg, and a research assistant in the Religion and Media Group at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, South Africa. He completed a joint PhD (2023) in Educational Science from The University of Ghent, Belgium, and a PhD in Theological Studies from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, along with an MTh (2017) in Practical Theology from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and an Advanced Master’s degree (June 2024) in Ecumenical Studies from the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Bossey, Switzerland.
His PhD dissertation explored the socio-political economy of religious media in Nigeria. His wide-ranging research interests include public theology, prophetic preaching and media, ecumenical theology, and decoloniality. In addition to his work as an academic theologian, he has a long-standing commitment to advocacy around the themes of climate change, human rights and African social transformation.
Dr Renie Chow Choy
Dr Renie Chow Choy is Public Historian at Westminster Abbey. Previously she was Lecturer of Church History at St Mellitus College, and most recently was Community Engagement Manager for historic collections at St Paul’s Cathedral, where she led the curation of two trails about monuments associated with the British Empire (‘The East India Company at St Paul’s Cathedral’ and ‘War and Resistance in the Caribbean: Monuments in St Paul’s Cathedral’). She is the author of Ancestral Feeling: Postcolonial Thoughts on Western Christian Heritage (SCM) and a research monograph on early medieval monasticism entitled Intercessory Prayer and the Monastic Ideal in the Time of the Carolingian Reforms (Oxford University Press). Renie comes from Hong Kong and Canada, and received her doctorate from the University of Oxford.
Renie sits on a number of committees responsible for the conservation and interpretation of the Church of England’s historic buildings. In addition, she is Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Chester and Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture at the University of York. She also serves as a school governor.
The Reverend Dr Peniel Rajkumar
The Reverend Dr Peniel Rajkumar is Theologian and Director of Global Mission with the USPG and is part of the teaching staff at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. He has a MA in English Literature from Sri Venkateswara University in India and completed his ordination training at the United Theological College (UTC) in Bangalore. While completing his PhD in Applied Theology at the University of Kent at Canterbury, Peniel was ordained in the Diocese of London and served his curacy in a UPA (Urban Priority Area) parish in North London. He returned to India in 2008 to teach at UTC and served as Associate Professor of Christian Social Ethics and Director of Field Education. In 2013 he moved to Geneva to serve as Programme Executive for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation with the World Council of Churches in Geneva and subsequently as Adjunct Professor at the WCC's Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, which is affiliated with the University of Geneva.
Peniel's research interests include Dalit Theology, Mission and post-colonial contexts, World Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue. During his time at WCC Peniel initiated the WCC's first Christian-Confucian and Christian-Sikh dialogues and coordinated the publication of Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond that was jointly produced by the WCC and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Tickets
Places are free, but tickets should be booked in advance via the Eventbrite website.
