Julia Atkinson is finishing her first year as a student on the MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture.
A working artist with two more years training to be a Licensed Lay Ministry Pioneer with the Diocese of Southwark ahead of her, knew she wanted to find a study programme that would bring her work as an artist and her ministry formation together.
With the blessing and promise of funding from her diocese, Julia searched for a theological study programme with a difference.
“The word ‘imagination’ was particularly attractive,” she says, “Imagination feels important because it’s offering new ways of responding and being with people.
“I knew the course needed to be good fit with future ministry, with myself as an artist, and be workable for us as a family,” she says.
Julia lives with her vicar husband and two children aged 10 and 9 in Wallington, South London.
What she hopes to do, she explains, is to deeply draw alongside people — whether that is in school gate conversations, with her local artistic community, or in the community groups exploring faith which she co-leads.
“Relevance is really important to ministry in this environment,” she says. “How do you read people in the community? How do you bring out the implicit religion? What are the questions people are really asking?
“My ministry is about being with people who are not into church but have spiritual questions,” she explains. “I want to listen deeply to understand their spiritual longings – it’s a distinct way of being and sharing good news.”
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Julia Atkinson is a student on the MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture run by Sarum College and validated by the University of Winchester. Professor Graeme Smith is the programme leader.
Find out more about postgraduate programmes here by browsing the webpages on the programmes and joining us for a Taster Day online 8 July 2024
Forthcoming modules are:
3 to 6 June 2024
Erotic Desires: Gender, Sexuality and Spirituality (Christian Spirituality Programme)
15 to 18 July 2024
The Handmaid’s Tale: Texts and the Christian Tradition (Run jointly by the two programmes)
9 to 12 September 2024
Inspiration and Imagination: Creative Expressions of the Spiritual Life
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