Bishop of Chelmsford to lead Pre-Advent Retreat Day
The Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford will lead our Pre-Advent Retreat Day on Monday, 23 November.
New Interfaith Adviser appointed
We are pleased to announce the appointment of the Reverend Canon Professor David Thomas as the new diocesan Interfaith Adviser. David has had a distinguished academic career, and remains Emeritus Professor of…
We are pleased to announce the appointment of the Reverend Canon Professor David Thomas as the new diocesan Interfaith Adviser. David has had a distinguished academic career, and remains Emeritus Professor of Christianity and Islam and Nadir Dinshaw Professor of Interreligious Relations at The University of Birmingham.
David’s remit includes:
- Advising the Bishops, parishes and the diocese on inter-faith issues related to the nine faiths represented in the Interfaith Network for the UK (Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism)
- Encouraging churches to develop a good understanding of other faiths and to develop healthy inter-faith relationships in their locality
- Working with existing inter-faith or multi-faith partnerships across the diocesan area and supporting the development of new ones
- Over time, developing relationships with key members of the other faith communities and developing links and partnerships between faith groups.
Bishop Ruth says, “I welcome David to this role with all the experience he brings to us, and look forward to him helping us build renewed relationships with other faith communities across the diocese”.
David has long experience in interfaith relations. As a theology student, he studied Christianity and other faiths at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and later served as Bishop’s Adviser in Interfaith Relations in the Diocese of Blackburn. For over thirty years he was lecturer and professor of Christian-Muslim relations at the University of Birmingham, and in retirement in Wells he remains deeply involved in the history and theology of relations between Christianity and other faiths, mainly Islam. A committed Christian, he seeks in the Diocese of Bath and Wells to help increase understanding between people of different faiths and to assist in exploring ways to increase respect and cooperation between them.
David will serve in this voluntary role, as part of the Mission Team within Ministry for Mission.
