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“This great stage of fools”: King Lear and the Life of Faith

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Home Short Courses Human Flourishing “This great stage of fools”: King Lear and the Life of Faith

“This great stage of fools”: King Lear and the Life of Faith course

It has been said that Shakespeare’s play King Lear is a play of “a thousand ideas”.

Are any of these ideas resonant with Christian belief and the spiritual life? Is the play just bleak and harsh, or is there a redemptive richness to it?

We will study the play’s text and explore the question as to whether, in some senses, King Lear is a Christian play.

Reading or watching the play before the course is advised to give participants a richer experience.

About the tutor

Dr Mark Oakley is Dean of Southwark and the author of several books on the area of poetry and Christian spirituality. He was awarded the Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing and was recently awarded the Lanfranc Award for education and scholarship by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is a visiting scholar at Sarum College.

The In person early bird discount ticket #2574 ticket sales has ended!
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The In person ticket with B&B the night before course #2574 ticket sales has ended!
The Portsmouth Diocese CMD ticket sales has ended!

Details

Dates & Times

26 Mar 2025
Expired!
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Category

Human Flourishing

Tutor(s)

The Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley

Course code

2574

Other Notes

This course will be held onsite at Sarum College. The course fee includes lunch and refreshments.

A limited number of free tickets are available to those eligible for the Portsmouth Diocese CMD programme.

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    Philippa Vaughan says:
    13th February 2025 at 7:51 pm

    This study of Lear and faith looks fascinating and I greatly regret I cannot attend. Please keep me informed of any similar coming up. I hear there was an excellent one last year – any chance it will be repeated ?

    Reply
    Christine Nielsen-Craig says:
    14th February 2025 at 11:03 am

    Hello – we have no current plans to repeat, but as you’ve signed up for the monthly newsletter you’ll have course and news updates to alert you about the forthcoming programme.

    Reply

What our students say

Stimulating and Challenging

What is Successful Ageing? led by James Woodward

I enjoyed the course immensely from beginning to end – the seamless interweaving of knowledge, ideas and research and the linking with belief and faith.

The content was stimulating, challenging, thought provoking and I was greatly appreciative of the contributions and questions from other participants, your considered and sensitive responses and integration with your presentations.

Thank you!

 

 

Netflix, Theology and Pastoral Practice

Peter Butchers on his MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture student experience

How do cultural tropes, like those found in Black Mirror, help bridge the gap between what academic theology espouses and what the everyday Christian believes? In his research as a student on the MA in Theology, Imagination and Culture, Peter Butchers explored platonic philosophy, digital theology and eschatology, and pastoral practice around death and dying.

Read more 

Rewarding Sabbatical Stay

The Revd Greg Syler, is Rector of Ascension & St. George’s, Resurrection Parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC USA, spent part of his ministry sabbatical at Sarum College in spring 2022.

His account of the experience begins: ‘I loved spending nearly three weeks of my ministry sabbatical at Sarum College earlier this year.

Not only did I rest, and rest well in the comfortable care of the Sarum College staff, I experienced very significant renewal and fresh insights.’

Read more

The Road Not Taken

Sarum Graduate Mike Truman

January 2022

Five years ago, I told my Warden of Readers that I would not be renewing my licence when it expired in 2019, as I thought my faith was becoming too unorthodox for a Church of England licensed lay minister. As someone who knew me well, she challenged me to actively explore what I did still believe. Thus started the journey that ended last August with the dissertation completing my MA in Theology Imagination and Culture (MATIC) at Sarum College.

Read more 

Clergy Study Breaks

The opportunity for clergy to get away occasionally from their own context, to have an overnight stay in the beautiful setting of Sarum College and all that the Salisbury Cathedral Close offers is hugely valuable. All the clergy I have suggested who have spent 24hrs at Sarum College have benefit greatly from the experienced mentoring where they can talk, reflect, think, plan and pray.

The support and encouragement they receive is excellent and has a positive on their on going ministry. This is something the Diocese of Rochester encourages and supports financially in preparation for their clergy preparing for Extended Ministerial Development Leave (Sabbatical).

— Canon Christopher Dench, Diocese of Rochester Director of Formation and Ministry

Retreats and Private Stays

When I arrived, exhausted and sensitive, I was grateful not to be asked by Reception were I came from, whether I had had a good journey etc. That was the kind of hospitality I needed: a non-intrusive welcome that was found in ancient cultures and still survives in some societies today, where the host asks questions about a stranger and his journey only when the visitor has rested and been given food and drink.

— guest on a private stay

Tutor(s)

Mark Oakley

The Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley

Visiting Scholar in Human Flourishing

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