Oxford University

Blackfriars, St Giles, OX1 3LY

7:30 pm

A lecture by Prof. Stephen Bullivant (St. Mary's University)

Free and open to the public

This event is in conjunction with the Aquinas Institute (Blackfriars Hall).

Lecture Description:

In the immortal words of Herbert McCabe, ‘Whatever we are referring to when we use the word 'God' it can no more be a god than it can be a model aeroplane or half-past eleven" (God Still Matters). This striking idea—the ‘atheism’ of true Christianity—has, in fact, a long pedigree. In this lecture, Stephen Bullivant traces its history from the early Church to the Angelic Doctor himself. The essential point is this: if our God really is who Christians claim he is, then all our words about him—including the word 'god'—must necessarily fall short of him.

Speaker Bio:

Stephen Bullivant is Professor of Theology and the Sociology of Religion at St Mary's University, Twickenham and the Director of the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion and Society. An in-demand popular speaker and writer, Dr. Bullivant is a Consulting Editor and regular columnist for The Catholic Herald. His articles have appeared in leading outlets including New Scientist, America, and The Guardian.