In recent decades feminist, postcolonial, race and queer theories have played an important role in shaping mainstream public discourse and policy. But what happens if we let the Bible, with its own distinctive emphases and outlook, fashion a critical approach to modern society? Christopher Watkin will explore this question in his 2023 New College Lectures, as he discusses some of the unique, fresh, and often surprising insights to be drawn from a biblical critical theory.

The lectures will be delivered over three nights. Each evening Dr Watkin will address a different element of how we understand ourselves and show how that understanding shifts as we look through different lenses.

Origin | Tuesday October 10, 7:30pm

The stories we tell about human origins often say more about us, the ones telling those stories, than they do about our ancestors. The first lecture analyses some of the prominent stories late modernity tells itself about the human past, comparing them to the Bible’s account of human origins and evaluating how different stories seek to account for the complexities of human life and experience.

Identity | Wednesday October 11, 7:30pm

The second lecture asks the question that is more important to our late modern consciousness than any other: Who am I? Haunting and tantalising in equal measure, it drives the plot of our films and books, fills our academic libraries, and sometimes even keeps us awake at night. Through contrasting prominent modern responses to that question with an account of identity drawn from the Bible, Chris will show how different ways of understanding who we are have great power to shape our lives.

Destiny | Thursday October 12, 7:30pm

Just as the final chapter of a novel or the final scene of a film can change our understanding of everything that came before it, no account of human life is complete or stable without a sense of human destiny. This lecture looks at some of the most influential modern theories of humanity’s future alongside the biblical account of the last things, showing how different ideas of human destiny yield radically diverse ways of living in the world.

Associate Professor Chris Watkin (Monash University, Melbourne) has an international reputation in the fields of modern and contemporary European thought, atheism, and the relationship between the Bible and philosophy. Emerging as one of our leading Christian thinkers, Chris has been widely praised for the depth and breadth of his insight, and his ability to communicate scarily complex ideas clearly and engagingly.

Do the words ‘critical theory’ fill you with fear? Would you like to understand why people come to such different conclusions about the world? Do you want to know how the Bible’s view of your origins, identity, and destiny differs from other modern narratives? Then the 2023 New College Lectures are for you!

Registration is FREE but essential. Book now so you don’t miss out. Register HERE.