Public Theology Through Music
Oxford 2024
Concerts Talks Workshops
Thursday, 27 April, 9 am
Wycliffe Hall, 54 Banbury Rd,
Jesus in Popular Music: A Unique Spiritual and Theological Resource
From “Jesus, Take the Wheel” to “Jesus Walks” to “Dropkick Me, Jesus, Through the Goalposts of Life”, the Son of God has appeared in hundreds of songs by popular musicians over the past 60 years. Those rock stars, rappers, singer-songwriters, metal-heads, country stars, and hardcore punks have all wrestled the same questions facing anyone trying to understand how to be a Christian today: Who was Jesus? What was his message? And why does it matter? In this Principal’s Hour Lecture presented to graduate seminarians at Oxford’s Wycliffe Hall, I describe how these powerful and provocative songs can serve as a vital and unique resource for faith formation and theological education today. To find out more about the research project on which this talk is based, and to check out articles, writings, and media coverage about it, click here.
SCHOLAR - SPEAKER
Sundays, 6 pm
Exeter College Chapel
The Exeter Organ Project
For Sunday evensong services in the Exeter College Chapel during Trinity Term 2024, I have curated a series of eleven world-premiere performances of organ voluntaries inspired by Psalm 121, Exeter’s college psalm. These works - written by a global and diverse collection of award-winning composers - each explore the complexity and richaness of this psalm in a different way. Taken as a whole, they demonstrate the unique ability of the arts to provide fresh, memorable, and compelling interpretations of Scripture, as well as the Bible’s continued vitality as a source of inspiration for world-class musicians. My own composition was premiered on May 12. In 2025 these works will be released on Deus Ex Musica Records. More information on the series may be found here. Co-sponsored by Deus Ex Musica, an international organization I founded to promote the use of sacred music as a resource for faith formation, ecumenism, and and interfaith dialogue.
CURATOR - COMPOSER
May 10, 7:30
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
A Musical Exploration of Scripture
Jointly sponsored by Christ Church Cathedral and the Christ Church College at Oxford University, this event will present live performances of new sacred vocal compositions as a means of sparking conversation about the Bible, faith, and the unique power of music to shape the ways we think about both. Based on an event I developed under the auspices of Deus Ex Musica, I will host this event alongside the Revd Dr Zachary Guiliano, Priest Vicar and Interim College Chaplain This event will feature my composition For All the Saints., as well as compositions by Maria Thompson Corley, Bil Mooney-McCoy, and Richard Clark. Click here for more information.
COMPOSER - WORKSHOP LEADER - CURATOR - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Monday, 13 May, 1 pm
Keble College Chapel
Hero or Villain? The Figure of Jesus in Pop Music
For some pop musicians, Jesus is a great teacher, a spiritual leader, a savior - or even the Son of God himself. For others, he is a charlatan preying upon the weak-minded , a fool who believes he has been anointed by God, or a lunatic who has inspired a religion responsible for many of the ills of the modern world. Drawing on my research into secular songs about Jesus, this presentation challenges us to explore our own opinions about how this unique figure has impacted the world we live in. This informal workshop is offered as part of Keble College Chapel’s “Max’s Lunch” series, and is intended for all members of the college community. More information is here.
SCHOLAR - WORKSHOP LEADER
Images of Jesus in Popular Music: Cultural and Theological Explorations
In this academic presentation featured on the lecture series from the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture, I will discuss my research into the ways popular music has mediated the figure of Jesus over the past 60 years. More information about the project, along with links to articles, writings, and media coverage about it, may be found here.
SCHOLAR - SPEAKER
Wednesday, 22 May, 7:30
University Church of St. Mary the Virgin
Sing to the Lord a New Song
Sponsored by the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin in the heart of Oxford, this event uses live performances of new psalm settings for solo voice as a springboard for discussion about the psalms. Based on an event I developed under the auspices of Deus Ex Musica, I will host this event alongside the Revd Canon Dr William Lamb, Vicar of University Church. Feauring my setting of Psalm 57 for mezzo-soprano and piano. Also featuring works by Mary Montgomery Koppel and Shawn Okpebholo. Performed by Julia Hollander and Peter McMullen. More information may be found on the Deus Ex Musica website here, and on the University church website, here.
COMPOSER - WORKSHOP LEADER - CURATOR - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Sunday, 26 May, 5:45
University College Chapel
Music and the Trinity
In this lay sermon, delivered at University College Chapel’s Sunday evensong service, I will descrive the ways the core elements of musical structure - pitch, harmony, rhythm, and texture - can give us insight into the doctrine of the Trinity.
SPEAKER
Saturday, 1 June, 10:30-4:00
St. Theosevia Center for Christian Spirituality at Oxford
Composing Prayers
Using several my own sacred works as examples, I will provide a glimpse into how composers approach the significant challenge of setting prayers to music – and how musical settings can shape the ways we think about Scripture and faith. Part of Exploring Prayer and Ways of Praying: Silence, Music, and Icons, an Open Study Day presented by the St Theosevia Centre for Christian Spirituality at Oxford. This event will also feature Joanna Tulloch, icon writer and author of Imperfect Icons, Perfect Love; Sr Clare-Louise SLG, an Anglican contemplative Community based at Fairacres, Oxford; and the Rev’d Dr Liz Carmichael, Director of the Center and Fellow in Theology at St. John’s College, Oxford.
COMPOSER - SPEAKER
Contemporary Music as a Resource for Theological Thinking and Biblical Interpretation: A Composer's Perspective
In this talk on the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Seminar Series presented by the Centre for the Study of the Bible at Oriel College I will discuss a selection of my sacred works in order to demonstrate how contemporary music can serve as a unique resource for Biblical scholars and theologians. Co-sponsored by the Bible in Art, Music and Literature seminar.
COMPOSER - SCHOLAR
Wednesday, 5 June, 5 pm
Harris Room, Oriel College
Found in Translation: Cross-Cultural Musical Explorations of the Bible
How does the Bible’s language impact the ways we hear its messages about colonialism and freedom – both now and in the past? How can musical responses to this ancient text affect the ways we understand how it speaks to us today? How does institutional authority impact the kinds of sacred music we hear in church and our experience of the Biblical tradition?
In this unique event, I join noted Zimbabwean mbira player and composer John Pfumojena to explore these fascinating questions by drawing on sacred music from our various cultural, musical, and religious heritages. Using improvised music and song based on various versions of the Bible – including the King James Version, its translations into the Shona and Ndebele languages, and the Negro “slave Bible” – this event will explore how the arts shape the ways we think about the Bible, its reception, and its political and cultural power. Click here for more information.
PIANIST - COMPOSER - SCHOLAR
Thursday, 6 June, 7 pm
Exeter College Chapel