![Stephen Roberts BD, MA, PhD, FHEA](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/2100?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Reverend Dr Stephen Roberts
BD, MA, PhD, FHEA
Honorary Lecturer
Overview
I am a practical theologian with particular interests in two main areas: relationships between religions and the relationship between theology and music.
I am based at the South Wales Baptist College, where I am involved in the professional ministerial training of ministers. I am also an Anglican priest and enjoy working at the intersection of different Christian traditions as well as exploring the space between Christianity and other religious traditions.
My other area main area of research interest – theology and music – also arises out of my personal experience as an amateur musician, particularly playing saxophone in the Cardiff-based band Wonderbrass.
Publication
2023
- Smith, R. K., O’Mahoney, H. and Roberts, S. B. 2023. Collective joy: the spirituality of the community big band wonderbrass. Religions 14(9), article number: 1099. (10.3390/rel14091099)
Articles
- Smith, R. K., O’Mahoney, H. and Roberts, S. B. 2023. Collective joy: the spirituality of the community big band wonderbrass. Religions 14(9), article number: 1099. (10.3390/rel14091099)
Research
- Practical and public theology
- Theology and music/sound
- Interreligious dialogue and the theology of religions
- Chaplaincy
Publications
Books
June Boyce-Tillman, Stephen B. Roberts and Jane Erricker (eds.), Enlivening Faith: Music, Spirituality and Christian Theology, Oxford: Peter Lang, 2019
Journal Articles
- Stephen B. Roberts, 2021, ‘Listening to Lockdown: Sound Theology in a Time of Crisis’, Practical Theology, 14.1-2
- Stephen B. Roberts, 2020, ‘Keeping Contact: Traditions and Trajectories of British and Irish Practical Theology as Evidenced in the History of BIAPT’s Journal’, Practical Theology, 13.1-2, 19-31
- Stephen B. Roberts, 2017, ‘Walking with Turtles and Botanising on Asphalt: Chaplain as flâneur as Public Theologian’, Practical Theology, 10.4, 2017, 351-366
- Stephen B. Roberts, 2017 ‘Beyond the Classic: Lady Gaga and Theology in the Wild Public Sphere’, International Journal of Public Theology, 11.3, 163-187
- ‘Editorial – Islam in Britain: Challenge and Opportunity’, Crucible: The Christian Journal of Social Ethics, July-September 2008 (Guest editor)
Book Chapters
- Martin Poole and Stephen B. Roberts, ‘Public Liturgical Theology through Community and Public Art’, in Sheona Beaumont and Madeleine Emerald Thiele (eds.), Transforming Christian Thought in the Visual Arts: Theology, Aesthetics, and Practice, Abingdon: Routledge, 2021 (forthcoming).
- Stephen B. Roberts, ‘John Tavener’s Musical Theology of Religions’, in June Boyce-Tillman and Anne-Marie Forbes (eds.), Heart’s Ease: Spirituality in the Music of John Tavener, Oxford: Peter Lang, 2020.
- Stephen B. Roberts, ‘Theology Down at the Crossroads: The Spirituality of the Devil’s Music’, in June Boyce-Tillman, Stephen B. Roberts and Jane Erricker (eds.), Enlivening Faith: Music, Spirituality and Christian Theology, Oxford: Peter Lang, 2019.
- Stephen B. Roberts ‘Is the Pope Catholic? A Question of Identity in Pope Francis’ Practical Theology of Inter-Religious Dialogue’, in Harold Kasimow and Alan Race (eds.), Pope Francis and Interreligious Dialogue: Religious Thinkers Engage with Recent Papal Initiatives, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
- ‘Time, Space and the Possibility of God’, in Tony Bayfield (ed.), Deep Calls to Deep: Transforming Conversations Between Jews and Christians, London: SCM, 2017.
Other publications
Stephen B. Roberts and Anthony Allison, 2018, Reading non-Christian Scriptures in Christian Liturgy, CTBI briefing paper reflecting on the experience of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Glasgow (CTBI website), https://ctbi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Reading-Non-Christian-Scriptures-in-Christian-Worship-Discussion-Paper.pdf
Book Reviews
- Reviews published in Theology, Crucible, Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, Interreligious Insight and Practical Theology, including:
- Review of two books and CD exploring music and practical theology, including Christopher Partridge, Mortality and Music: Popular Music and the Awareness of Death (London: Bloomsbury, 2017), in Practical Theology 12.2, 2019
- Review of four books on interfaith relations, including Ray Gaston Faith, Hope and Love: Interfaith Engagement as Practical Theology (SCM, 2017) in Practical Theology, 12.1, 2019.
- Stephen Pattison, Saving Face: Enfacement, Shame, Theology (Ashgate, 2013) Roundtable Review with Manon Ceridwen James, Andrew Todd, Graeme Smith and Melissa Raphael in Practical Theology, 10.3, 2017, pp.313-320
- Marianne Moyaert and Joris Geldhof (eds.), Ritual Participation and Interreligious Dialogue: Boundaries, Transgressions and Innovations (Bloomsbury, 2015) in Interreligious Insight 14.1, 2016, pp.84-85.
- William Schweiker, Theological Ethics and Global Dynamics: In the Time of Many Worlds (Blackwell, 2004) & Samuel Wells, God’s Companions: Reimagining Christian Ethics (Blackwell, 2006) in Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 23.2, 2010, pp. 230-231
Teaching
I teach mainly in the areas of Practical Theology, Christian Ethics and Christian Worship. I have particular interests in inter-religious relations and the relationship between music and theology which both feed into my teaching at various points.
Biography
- BD Theology (King’s College London, 1989)
- MA Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue (Heythrop College, University of London, 2003)
- PhD Interrerligious Dialogue and the Public Sphere (Heythrop College, University of London, 2012)
- Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy 2007