Faith in the City Lecture

"Faith in the City" Annual Lecture
‘Faith in the City’ can be taken in two ways. Interpreted one way, it alludes to the role and prospects for the Christian faith in the highly secularized cities of contemporary Scotland. Interpreted in another, it invites reflection on the extent to which confidence can still be placed in city government as a key component in our common culture and social environment. The aim of this annual lecture, sponsored by the Friends of St Andrew’s Cathedral, is to stimulate thought and debate that connects both interpretations.

Inaugural Lecture, 7pm Friday March 29th 2019
‘Communities and Consumers’. Over the last few decades, high streets have declined dramatically, while city churches are emptier than ever. Is there any connection between these two features of modern urban life? In this inaugural “Faith in the City” lecture, Professor Gordon Graham FRSE, Chair of the Friends of St Andrew’s Cathedral, argues that there is. The individualistic consumerism that marks contemporary social attitudes, makes Christian faith and civic responsibility natural allies. Exploring this alliance more closely is a first step in benefitting them both. The Lord Provost, Councillor Barney Crockett, will respond to the lecture, and the audience is invited to participate in a general discussion with the Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in the Chair.

Everyone is welcome to this lecture, which will be followed by an opportunity for exchange and conversation.

Professor Gordon Graham FRSE lives in Edinburgh where he serves as Director of the Edinburgh Sacred Arts Foundation. A graduate of the universities of St Andrews and Durham, he was born in Ireland and was Regius Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen from 1995 to 2005. He has published extensively on topics in ethics, politics, art and religion. His books include The Internet: a philosophical inquiry (1999), Ethics and International Relations (2nd edition 2010) Scottish Philosophy in the 19th and 20th centuries (2015), and Philosophy, Art and Religion (2017).

Councillor Barney Crockett MA is Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Aberdeen. He is a graduate of the universities of Aberdeen and Liverpool, and the Open University. In addition to his long service on Aberdeen City Council, he has served on many other bodies including the Aberdeen City Heritage Trust, the Gordon Highlanders Museum Board, Proctor's Orphanage Trust, the William Harvey Trust and the World Energy Cities Partnership.

The Rt Revd Anne Dyer was consecrated Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in March 2018, the first woman ever to be appointed a Bishop in Scotland. Born in Yorkshire, she is a graduate of the University of Oxford and King’s College London. She was an Honorary Canon of Rochdale Cathedral from 2000-2004, and served as Warden of Cranmer Hall, Durham, a theological college of the Church of England, from 2005-11. She came to the Scottish Episcopal Church when she was appointed Rector of Holy Trinity Church, Haddington, in the Diocese of Edinburgh in 2011, until her consecration as Bishop.