Graham Adams

I am a theological educator, with particular interest in missiology, especially as shaped in the context of Empire - that is to say, I seek to identify how structures of 'Empire' condition us, our thinking and practice, and what is involved in decolonising, in pursuit of God's alternative realm, which I call 'Holy Anarchy', following the work of Andrew Shanks which has been a huge influence on me. I teach Mission Studies, World Christianity and Religious Diversity at Luther King Centre for Theology and Ministry, in Manchester, UK, and help to prepare people for church ministry with Northern College (United Reformed and Congregational). I also teach theology with the Congregational Institute for Practical Theology, encouraging learning and development in the Congregational Federation.

I am a minister of the Congregational Federation, and before teaching full-time, I was the pastoral minister of a church in inner Manchester for 10 years. During that time, I studied for my doctoral degree, which was subsequently published as "Christ and the Other: In dialogue with Hick and Newbigin" (Ashgate, 2010). Further publications include: "Theology of religions: Through the lens of 'trut-as-openness'" (Brill, 2019) and "Holy Anarchy: Dismantling domination, Embodying community, Loving strangeness" (SCM, 2022), and various chapters - concerned with truth and propaganda, and childlikeness (in "Bible and theology from the underside of Empire" (2016)), scripture and openness (in "Scripture and resistance" (2019)), dis/ability and empire (in "Dissensions and tenacity" (2022)), and religious diversity (in "Twenty-first century theologies of religions" (2016)).

I am also interested in intergenerational ministry and worship, hymnwriting, creativity and imagination.