Dr Thoko Kamwendo
Durham University
“My research explores senior Christian leaders’ attitudes toward science and science engaged theology. Building on work that has already been undertaken in this area within previous iterations of the ECLAS project, I will be conducting interviews with senior church leaders in the UK, which will be complemented by a large scale survey study. I am also currently conducting responsive research to begin to gain an understanding of how COVID-19 and the pandemic has impacted church leaders’ engagement with science more broadly.”
The Revd Dr Kathryn Pritchard
Faith and Public Life,
Church of England
Church of England
“Our research is multi-pronged. Our work with the AI hub in the Faith and Public Life team is fundamental. There, we reflect and work together with church advisors, facilitating training and knowledge exchange and the advising of bishops. We are also following and analyzing the unfolding Church of England response to COVID-19, via its public statements, as members of the Church of England’s Bronze COVID-19 Public Policy Group, and through interviews with advisors and church leaders to understand how their work impacts the Church of England’s public policy response. Additionally we are reviewing literature on the Church of England’s engagement with Parliament in recent years.
Another prong is active expansion of professional networks of scientists, ethicists and science-theologians by involving them as consultants, in events or to engage with the Faith and Public Life AI hub. We are arranging a number of cutting-edge science and technology themed events for Church advisors and bishops. These include an AI Symposium for advisors and leading bishops, and a day conference for approximately 50 bishops and senior church leaders with internationally leading researchers in AI technology, and social and ethical thought.”
Dr Franziska Kohlt
University of York
“My research takes an interdisciplinary approach to explore ‘Narratives of Science and Religion’, past and present, in relation to health, in mind and body, environment and artificial intelligence. Coming from a background in History of Science, Comparative Literary Studies, and Communication and Media Science, I have been investigating religious narratives of the Covid-19 crisis in public and religious discourse to identify productive uses of narrative and metaphor in science communication. I am also working directly with church leaders to reflect on questions of how to best engage with and communicate science in the setting of faith communities, through reflecting analytically on past responses to similar challenges through the sociology of communication.”
Dr Alex Fry
Faith and Public Life,
Church of England
Church of England
“Our research is multi-pronged. Our work with the AI hub in the Faith and Public Life team is fundamental. There we reflect and work together with church advisors, facilitating training and knowledge exchange and the advising of bishops. We are also following and analyzing the unfolding Church of England response to COVID-19, via its public statements, as members of the Church of England’s Bronze COVID-19 Public Policy Group, and through interviews with advisors and church leaders to understand how their work impacts the Church of England’s public policy response. Additionally we are reviewing literature on the Church of England’s engagement with Parliament in recent years.
Another prong is active expansion of professional networks of scientists, ethicists and science-theologians by involving them as consultants, in events or to engage with the Faith and Public Life AI hub. We are arranging a number of cutting-edge science and technology themed events for Church advisors and bishops. These include an AI Symposium for advisors and leading bishops, and a day conference for approximately 50 bishops and senior church leaders with internationally leading researchers in AI technology, and social and ethical thought.”