Article
Creed
1 min read

Building a stronger society lecture for Westminster Abbey Institute

Centre for Cultural Witness Founder Graham Tomlin kicks off the Dignity and Public Service lecture series on Monday 30th October.

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

A close up of a blue sun dial on a church clock tower, with an abbey's windows behind it.
St Margaret's Church, Westminister.

The Right Revd Dr Graham Tomlin will help celebrate 500 years of St Margaret's Church in the opening lecture of Westminster Abbey Institute's autumn season. The founder of the Centre for Cultural Witness will talk about Christianity in public life and how faith can build a stronger society. He will examine recent events and cultural moods, talk about how they reveal a number of crises in our contemporary life and how a renewed turn to Christian faith might help resolve these in the longer term.

Graham has recently written for Seen & Unseen on key topics related to public life.

The language of politics can’t domesticate religion

Reviving post-liberal society

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

The trouble with identity politics

On liberty’s limits: why Mill was wrong about freedom

This event is part of Dignity and Public Service, Westminster Abbey Institute's 2023 autumn programme, and celebrates the 500th anniversary of St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey. St Margaret’s has centuries-long links with Parliament, and is often referred to as ‘the parish church of the House of Commons’.

Places are free but booking is essential. Priority will be given to public servants. To book please email institute@westminster-abbey.org with the following information:

  • The name(s) of the event(s) you wish to book for

  • Your full name

  • Your job title

  • Your employer

  • Your telephone number

Podcast
Creed
Death & life
GodPod
1 min read

Lydia Dugdale: the lost art of dying

New GodPod episode. How well do we deal with our own death? What is a ‘technology-dependant death’, and should we want it?

Nick is the senior editor of Seen & Unseen.

A medieval book illustration of a person dying in bed.
A 15th Century ars moriendi, or ‘art of dying’ image.
Basel University, via WikiCommons.

How well do we deal with our own death? What is a ‘technology-dependant death’, and should we want it? Just because we can prolong our lives, should we?

These are just some of the questions pondered by our three presenters – Jane Williams, Micheal Lloyd and Graham Tomlin – along with physician and ethicist, Dr Lydia Dugdale.

Lydia talks the presenters through the historical shifts that have caused us to go from speaking about death openly and honestly, to having a newfound societal imagination that tells us that ‘death won’t come to us’ – and why that’s a problem.

This is one of the most thought-provoking episodes of GodPod yet.

 

For more about Lydia and her bestselling book – The Lost Art of Dying: Lydia S. Dugdale (lydiadugdale.com)