THE final of Theology Slam 2021 — a competition to find engaging young voices who think theologically about the contemporary world — will feature talks on justice, creativity, and community in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Three finalists have been chosen to take part in the third Theology Slam final, which takes place online on Thursday 18 March. Each will deliver a short talk, and the winner, chosen by a panel of judges, will be announced on the night.
Theology Slam is organised jointly by the Church Times, SCM Press, and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC).
The competition was open to anyone, lay or ordained, between the ages of 18 to 30. Applicants were asked to write 500 words on one of six contemporary issues.
As well as the written work, applicants were asked to submit a 90-second video, introducing themselves and explaining why they were interested in the chosen topic.
The finalists are:
- Imogen Ball, who is a final-year ordinand and MA student at Trinity College, Bristol. Her topic is “Creativity in a Time of Pandemic”, inspired by her experience of pregnancy and motherhood.
- Joshua House, who is a recent theology graduate from the University of Leeds who is now a trainee RE teacher. His topic is “Community in a Time of Pandemic”, which will draw on his experience of the political situation in Jerusalem to focus on intergenerational trauma.
- Flo O’Taylor, who is a Ph.D. student at Durham University researching women’s experiences of addiction through the lens of political theology. Her topic is “Justice in a Time of Pandemic”, which will consider the multiple systemic injustices exposed by the pandemic.
The judging panel on the night consists of experts and leading theologians: the Secretary for Ecumenical Relations and Theology and Theological Adviser to the House of Bishops, Prebendary Isabelle Hamley; the director of the think tank Theos, Elizabeth Oldfield; the director of the Centre for Culture and Discipleship at the LICC, Dave Benson; and the winner of Theology Slam 2020, Augustine Tanner-Ihm (News, 26 June 2020; Comment, 3 July 2020).
The winner will receive £250 to spend at Church House Bookshop, and the winning talk will be published in the Church Times in print and online.
Tickets for the final can be purchased for £5 at licc.org.uk/events/theology-slam-live-final.
churchtimes.co.uk/theology-slam