Lectures and Talks

Keynote Lecture for Adorate! 2024

‘This is my Body’: The sacrament of unity and the hope of the world
4 June 2024, 20:00 BST

The Revd Dr Jarred Mercer

We live in a deeply divided world—from global and local politics to marginalised and oppressed people to nations at war. In a world so plagued by division and inequity, what does it mean to be a people of hope? This talk will bring ancient and contemporary wisdom together in dialogue with these pressing issues of our present moment that can often leave us feeling hopeless.

The Church is never more herself than in the Eucharist. “We are one body, because we all share in the one bread,” the First Letter to the Corinthians tells us (1 Cor. 10:17). Because of this, the Church exists as a humble yet radical protest against society’s structures that thrive on disparity, division, and despair. The Eucharist is an invitation into a new society of the crucified and risen one, and as such, the Eucharist creates eucharistic lives—making us one Body, a gift on offer for the life of the whole world.

The Revd Dr Jarred Mercer is Rector of St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA. From 2009-2020, he lived in Europe, was ordained in the Church of England, and served in a parish, university chaplaincy, and as a faculty member in Theology and Religion at Oxford University. He is the author of Divine Perfection and Human Potentiality: The Trinitarian Anthropology of Hilary of Poitiers (Oxford University Press), and co-author and editor of Love Makes No Sense: An Invitation to Christian Theology, Love Makes Things Happen: An Invitation to Christian Living, and Catechesis: An Invitation to Living Faith (all SCM Press). He is also the founding president of The Resettlement Partnership, a new non-profit creating sustainable housing pathways for refugees. He lives in Newburyport with his wife, Chelsea, and their children, Noah, Owen, and Elspeth (along with St Thomas Becket, their beloved Labrador).

Carousel Talks

Carousel Talks—An evening of discussion and reflection on the experience of the Holy Eucharist

6 June 2024, 20:00 BST

SCP invites four speakers from diverse backgrounds and traditions to reflect on their experiences of the Holy Eucharist. The carousel format—featuring 10-minute epigrammatic presentations followed by a brief Q&A—facilitates a broad exploration of topics and perspectives within a single hour. This engaging format serves as a valuable resource to enrich devotions and meditations during the Octave of Corpus Christi.

The Revd Deacon Dr Mary Grace DuPree, SCP

“I Look at Him and He Looks at Me: An Approach to Eucharistic Adoration in the Anglican Tradition”

Deacon Mary Grace DuPree explores the depth and beauty of catholic spiritual practices within the Anglican tradition, emphasising the significance of Eucharistic adoration. She reflects on how these sacred practices can be shared across various spiritual traditions, extending their reach to those who may not traditionally engage in such customs.

The Revd Canon Ian Gomersall, SCP

“The Red Mass of the Comrades of the Catholic Crusade: An Episode in Anglo-Catholic Socialism”

Following a brief introduction to the political and ecclesiastical background of the Catholic Crusade of the early twentieth century Fr Ian will look at the liturgy of the Crusade’s ‘Red Mass’ and outline its key theological points. The talk will challenge listeners to see how liturgy can inform politics, and foster community, in an Anglo Catholic context.

Fr Ian is the Provincial Rector of the Society of Catholic Priests (European Province)

The Revd Kayleigh Jane Lucas, SMMS

“Inclusive Language: Adapting Liturgical Texts for Contemporary Worship”

Flexibility of Liturgy and Inclusive Language

As part of my Undergraduate Dissertation – Why is exclusively male language, when talking about God, potentially damaging? – I explored the scriptural richness of language that might be used to describe God that does not feature in our liturgies, or even within the bible readings that are included in the lectionary. Whilst focussed on attitudes towards women, and the potential for feminine language when referring to God, the dissertation explored the ways in which liturgy could be adapted within the bounds of Canon Law. This short talk will focus on areas of Common Worship liturgy that can be adapted, and what adaptions might be made from a feminist standpoint.

Suggested reading from Mthr Kayleigh can be found here.

Mthr Kayleigh SMMS is the assistant curate of Benefice of Prestwood and Great Hampden in the Diocese of Oxford. She has a passion for feminist approaches to scripture and liturgy, and to bring young people (particularly teenagers) to the Church and strongly believe that the words we use in our liturgy can be a key part to this.

Father Charlie Annis, CR

“The Eucharist and Common Life in a Monastic Setting”

Father Charlie of the Community of the Resurrection offers insights into the centrality of the Eucharist within monastic life. He discusses how communal living and shared liturgical practices in a monastic context embody the principles of Eucharistic theology, fostering a deep sense of spiritual community and devotion.