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The

Kirby Laing
Centre

for public theology in cambridge

Christian scholarship and public theology,
rooted in spirituality and practised in community,
for the glory of God and the flourishing of the church and world.

"Christ is the clue to all that is."

Lesslie Newbigin

At KLC, Public Theology means the joyful and rigorous attempt to explore and provide answers to the question how then shall we live? 

Following Lesslie Newbigin we believe that “Christ is the clue to all that is.” This means pursuing Christ-the-clue in all of life.

As an academic research centre concerned with public theology we seek to do rigorous scholarship across the disciplines addressing the great issues of our day from a Christian view point. We also seek to foster and nurture Christian scholarship that is rooted in spirituality and practised in community, all with Christ-the-clue at its heart.

An Academic Community Rooted in Spirituality

With the KLC Research Collective (KRC) we seek to build a nurturing and generative community of Christian scholars from across the disciplines that gather together regularly to be sharpened in our vocations, collaborate and support each other's work. The KRC includes the four Scripture Collective Seminars, the KLC Research Hubs, the KLC Fellows, and more.

Fostering Christian Scholarship

A core facet of KLC is our vision to foster Christian scholarship, across the disciplines, done coram deo, before God's face. One of the ways we do that is through our PhD Supervision Programme in partnership with Union Theological College, Belfast.

Doing Public Theology

The work we do is aimed at providing rigorous answers to the question how then shall we live? before the face of God and in his world. As a hub for all things to do with public theology, KLC provides a steady stream of publications, public lectures, academic discussions, and resources for Christian scholarship and interested parties.

Producing Academic & Accessible Resources

We believe passionately that if Christian scholarship is done well then it can be translated at the most accessible levels. At KLC these include an electronic and hardcopy journal Nuances, and our magazine, The Big Picture, devoted to public theology in practice, celebrating life in all its dimensions.

The Big Picture Magazine

The Big Picture Print Magazine

Gerard Manley Hopkins famously wrote: “Christ plays in ten thousand places”. Public Theology is of little use if it does not enter into that play in every area of life. The Big Picture is our magazine in which as a community we give expression to our celebration of life and explore the question, how then shall we live? In The Big Picture you will find discussions covering theology, Scripture, economics, food, nature, art, poetry, film, music, sport, medicine, education, spirituality, science, and even motorcycles! 

For those in the U.K. and the USA you can purchase your print copy today.* 

*Print edition for purchase in the U.K. and USA only. We continue to work on making the print magazine available across the globe. Subscribe to our mailing list to be alerted about its availability in your area.

The Big Picture Online Magazine

TBP is also available as an online magazine, accessible on your computer, tablet or mobile. 

You can access and share individual articles from the magazine free of charge.

Subscribe today!

We would love to keep you updated about our up-and-coming publications, webinars, and events. The primary way we do this is via our newsletter and mailing list. Ensure you don’t miss a thing by subscribing to our KLC community mailing list today.

Resources

Nuances

A distinctive of good scholarship is that it attends to the nuances of life and our world. We have thus called this main series of public lectures Nuances in Public Theology.

Ethics in Conversation

EiC attends to the books and topics by various authors from our community. Often, editions are literally in conversation with an author or practitioner.

Sibylline Leaves

Drawn from the writings of the major but far too little-know Christian philosopher J.G. Hamann, Sibylline Leaves is our regular newsletter.

KLC Podcast

Christianity for the Everyday

Public theology is about how the very good news of Jesus relates to all of life. We like to quote Gerard Manley Hopkins’ statement that “Christ plays in ten thousand places.” In our podcast we aim to find those myriad ways in which Christ plays in our lives, so that we can play alongside him. Join our team and invited guests as we explore Christianity and the everyday from the most mundane aspects of our lives with their hidden glory, to geo-political issues that impact upon them.

Head over to our podcast page via the button below and start listening today.

KLC Events
The Kirby Laing Centre

KLC Official Launch Day

Join us in-person or online for our Official Launch Day, 1 September 2022, with three daytime gatherings and culminating in our Evening Launch Event at Margaret Beaufort Institute in Cambridge.

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KLC Events
The Kirby Laing Centre

Becoming a Missionary Church event

Join us for our Becoming a Missionary Church online event on Thursday 18 August 2022, 5:30-7PM UK time, in which Mike Goheen and Tim Sheridan will introduce us to their new book.

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Ethics in Conversation
The Kirby Laing Centre

Ethics in Conversation 26.6

Latest Ethics in Conversation 26.6 in which Matthew Wiley reviews Adam Ployd’s Augustine, the Trinity, and the Church.

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Supporting Our Work

As a not-for-profit organisation we rely on and are deeply grateful for every one of our donors who support us financially. If you believe in our mission to foster Christian scholarship across the disciplines and do public theology practiced in community, rooted in spirituality, for the glory of God and the good of the church and world, please consider supporting us with a regular or once-off donation.

KLC is an Associate Member of the Cambridge Theological Federation.

Contact Us

Connect with the KLC community and keep up to date with our events, publications, resources, and initiatives below.

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Join the KLC Community and Stay Up to Date!

Subscribe to our mailing list below to be kept up to date on our regular events and resources, like The Big Picture magazine, Nuances journal, Ethics in Conversation articles, as well as video and audio resources. The KLC Community Mailing List is the main way we share essential content with you. We will not spam you, nor will we share your information with anyone. Don’t miss out, sign up today!

Subscribe to our mailing list below to be kept up to date on our regular events and resources. The KLC Community Mailing List is the main way we share essential content with you. We will not spam you, nor will we share your information with anyone. Don’t miss out, sign up today!