Forming A
Christian Mind
Conferences in Cambridge for Christian postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers from across the UK and Europe
Spring Conference
Spring Conference
Speaking of Hope: a model for cultural apologetics in the academy
Spring Conference 2023
Speaking of Hope: a model for cultural apologetics in the academy
Date and Location
Saturday 11th March 2023 | St Catharine’s College
Speakers
Speakers: Dr Dan Strange, Prof David Lyon, Dr Anna Nickerson, and Dr Chris Willmott
Theme and focus
The discipline called apologetics can seem to be the territory of gifted ‘specialists’ schooled in esoteric philosophical arguments, and academics in non-philosophical fields can feel reluctant to engage in it. Such timidity is compounded when we contemplate ‘doing’ apologetics within our professional and academic setting within the university. How do we introduce matters of ultimate concern in a world whose horizons appear to be stubbornly limited and inflexible, far removed and perhaps even vehemently opposed to any consideration of the gospel? How do we share the gospel of Jesus Christ with our colleagues in an authentic and organic way without attempting the excruciating ‘crunch’ of conversational gear-changes that is both superficial and artificial? Might it not be better to keep our heads down, quietly get on with our work, and leave apologetics to the experts who might occasionally come and do a mission at our university?
At this conference Dr Dan Strange (Director of Crosslands Forum) will introduce a theological framework that will show how academics in all disciplines can engage in apologetics and evangelism in a winsome way, and for which their academic expertise is not a hindrance but a help. He will present a new paper offering an academic model to think about the way Christ both subverts and fulfils the deeper longings expressed through the cultures of our various faculties. Three leading academics from a range of fields will respond to the proposed framework and consider how it can be applied. The conference will also feature discipline-specific workshops.
GAP Essay Prize
Forming a Christian Mind is taking part in the Gospel and Academia Project (GAP) which researches and develops foundational resources for Christians at the outset of their university careers – celebrating the goodness and relevance of an evangelical theological vision for fruitful and faithful academic service.
The annual GAP Prize catalyses thoughtful contributions to the wider project where winners will receive feedback on their writing, a financial award of €700, and a mentoring meeting with a more senior evangelical theologian or academic.
This year’s deadline is 16th June 2023. For more information, including the essay prize brief and submission details, please visit gospelandacademia.org.
Our conferences aim to help students study excellently with a Christian ethos and worldview, and to use what they study for cultural apologetics and mission.
Over the past few years, we have invited speakers such as Prof John Lennox, Rev Dr Craig Bartholomew, Dr Os Guinness, Rev Dr Chris Wright, Dr Rhoda Hawkins, Dr Anna Nickerson, Prof John Coffey, Prof Julian Rivers, Prof Russell Cowburn, Dr Daniel Hill, Prof Glynn Harrison, Prof John Wyatt, Dr Chris Watkin, Prof David Bebbington, and others.
- Fellows
For students and researchers who want to go deeper, we also organise an annual Fellows Programme.
- Get Involved
Our events are primarily for postgraduates, post-docs and junior academics; however anyone who is pursuing an academic career in other ways is welcome.
To stay up-to-date on our plans for 2022-2023, please join our mailing list.
Cambridge Christian Study Centre
The Cambridge Christian Study Centre is open at the Round Church during term.
At our Spring 2021 conference, Dr Chris Watkin’s presentation challenged each of us to follow his example as a PhD student, setting aside a portion of each week to study Christian literature and theology relevant to our academic work.
The Study Centre catalyses this vision with study desks, dedicated reference library and with coffee and lunch discussion with Centre staff including two of our recent conference speakers, Andrew Fellows and Matt Lillicrap.

Discover some of our resources, including talks and videos from past conferences.
Dr Chris Watkin
'Introduction to Biblical Critical Theory'
Dr David McIlroy
'The Narratives of Modernity and the Christian Story'
Prof Glynn Harrison
'Identity, Politics and the Doctrine of the Image of God'
Prof John Wyatt
'Science, Modernity and the Post Human'
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