Theology is exciting. It is about God’s word, God’s world and God’s people. It is vitally important for the church to nurture young Christians into thinking, speaking and writing about God and the world, and it is even more important that the Church listen to their voices. #TheologySlam encourages us to do just that: listen to God, listen to the world, and listen to the voices emerging within the Church, so we can join into God’s work in the world today.
Archbishop Justin Welby
Theology Slam 2022
Theology Slam is back, continuing its search for the most engaging young voices on theology and the contemporary world. Judged by some of the top theologians and communicators in the Christian world, Theology Slam aims to encourage a new generation to think theologically about the world around them – and to encourage the church to listen to what they have to say.
Open to anyone aged 18-35, the competition consists of a qualifying round and a live final. Four finalists will be invited to give their talks to a live audience on 27 September, as part of the HeartEdge conference in Manchester.
The talks will be judged by our expert panel: Anthony Reddie, Rachel Mann, Isabelle Hamley and Sam Wells.
One winner will receive the Theology Slam trophy, £250 to spend at Church House Bookshop, and will see their talk published in the Church Times.
This year’s competition is organised by SCM Press, Church Times, and HeartEdge.
The 2022 competition is now closed.
Meet the Judges
Professor Anthony Reddie, director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture
Canon Rachel Mann, Area Dean of Bury and Rossendale, Assistant Curate of St Mary’s, Bury, a Visiting Teaching Fellow of the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Met University, and a Visiting Scholar of Sarum College, Salisbury.
Prebendary Isabelle Hamley, Secretary for Ecumenical Relations and Theology and Theological Adviser to the House of Bishops
Revd Dr Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and contributor to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day
Theology Slam 2021
The 2021 final took place online on Thursday 18 March. Imogen Ball spoke on “Creativity in a time of pandemic”, Joshua House on “Community in a time of pandemic”, and Flo O’Taylor on “Justice in a time of pandemic”.
Watch Imogen Ball's winning talk:
You can also listen to the finalists’ talks on the Church Times Podcast.
Theology Slam 2020
The 2020 final was broadcast live on Tuesday 23 June. Sam Hodson spoke on theology and disability, Molly Boot on theology and #MeToo, and Augustine Tanner-Ihm on theology and race.
Watch Augustine Tanner-Ihm’s winning talk:
Listen to each of the talks on the Church Times Podcast.
Theology Slam 2019
The final of the first Theology Slam took place on 7 March 2019 at St John’s, Hoxton.
Hannah Barr spoke on Theology and #MeToo, Hannah Malcolm on Theology and the Environment, and Sara Prats on Theology and Mental Health.
Watch Hannah Malcolm’s winning talk:
You can also listen to the talks on The Church Times Podcast.
Read more about Theology Slam
The third Theology Slam final will feature talks on justice, creativity, and community in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic
The third Theology Slam final will feature talks on justice, creativity, and community in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic
A call for the Church to move beyond “cheap diversity” and be a place in which black and minority ethnic voices are heard was declared the winning talk at the second Theology Slam final
The three finalists have been working with Samuel P. S. Williams, the founder of Hodos Consultancy Co., a “narrative consultancy” that advises senior business leaders, among others, on presentation skills and storytelling
An impassioned plea for the Church to learn how to mourn the damage caused by climate change was declared the winning talk at the first Theology Slam final at St John’s, Hoxton
Three women in their twenties have been chosen to take part in the final of a new competition to find engaging young voices who think theologically about the contemporary world
Theology Slam is a collaborative event from HeartEdge, Church Times, and SCM Press.