Space in the City

January 2011

at the United Church, Jewry Street, Winchester
Wednesdays 12:30 – 13:00

Pie in the Sky? Life, Death, Heaven and Hell

Four talks exploring the themes of Life, Death, Heaven and Hell in the Bible
by Dr Paula Gooder (Canon Theologian, Birmingham Cathedral).

21^st century Britain seems to have succeeded in overcoming most taboos, to the extent that money and sex have become subjects for even the most casual of conversations. There is one taboo, however, that remains: death and what happens after death is something we rarely discuss. This series of talks will explore what the Bible says about death and what happens to us after we die as a means of opening up questions about life beyond the grave.

12^th January	Dying Well: Death and the Old Testament Recording of the talk. † Follow-up questions by Graham Rolfe.
19^th January	A Rough Guide to Heaven Recording of the talk. † Follow-up questions by Graham Rolfe.
26^th January	A Rough Guide to Hell Recording of the talk. † Follow-up questions by Graham Rolfe.
2^nd February	Resurrection: Living a Resurrection Life Recording of the talk. † Follow-up questions by Graham Rolfe.
Each half-hour talk was followed by a question-and-answer session chaired by Debbie Thrower.

Wednesdays at 12:30
Sandwiches available after each talk
Admission is free, but we rely on donations to fund expenses.

† Copyright of each recording belongs to Dr Gooder. Recordings are made available here, by kind permission of Dr Gooder, for personal, non-commercial use only. Dr Gooder has not provided scripts for her talks, as she did not use scripts but used rough notes only.

Lord of eternity,
whose power is infinite,
whose days are without number,
and whose mercy is beyond our fathoming;
keep our faces turned always towards you,
so that, each day, we remember that life is your gift
and the hour of death is unknown.
When finally we meet you, face to face,
transform us in the fire of your love,
and receive us into your eternal kingdom.
Amen.

from Angela Ashwin – Book of 1,000 Prayers
(Marshall Pickering, 1996)

Dr Paula Gooder is a freelance writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies. Although her research areas are the writings of Paul the Apostle, New Testament Interpretation and the development of Ministry in the New Testament Period, she enjoys exploring the whole Bible. She is Canon Theologian of Birmingham Cathedral, Visiting Lecturer at Kings College, London, Associate Lecturer at St Mellitus College, London, an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Birmingham and Senior Research Scholar at the Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham. She is a Reader in the Church of England and a member of General Synod. Those of us who were privileged to hear her deliver the Lent Lectures in Winchester in 2009 will agree with other critics who hail her as ‘one of the most lucid, engaging and stimulating teachers I have encountered’ (The Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Croydon). ‘Both clergy and laity immediately respond to Paula’s infectious enthusiasm, considerable scholarship and skill’ (The Venerable Sheila Watson, Archdeacon of Canterbury).

Dr Gooder’s recent publications include:
• A Way Through the Wilderness: Experiencing God’s Help in Times of Crisis (Church House Publishing);
• The Pentateuch: A Story of Beginnings (T&T Clark);
• Hosea to Micah: A Bible Commentary for Every Day (The People’s Bible Commentary);
• Searching for Meaning: An Introduction to Interpreting the New Testament (SPCK);
• The Meaning Is in the Waiting: The Spirit of Advent (SCM);
• Lentwise: Spiritual Essentials for Real Life (Church House Publishing);
• This Risen Existence: The Spirit of Easter (SCM).

Future series

4 to 25 May 2011: The World as Gift – various speakers – at St Lawrence Church.
28 September, 5 to 19 October, 2 to 23 November 2011: a series of talks at the United Church on subjects related to the “King James Bible”, first published in 1611.

If you would like to receive updates and news of Space in the City by e-mail, please send a message to

Previous series

Autumn 2010:	“Sanctuary”: eight talks in which various speakers explored their differing experience and understandings of sanctuary. The programme page has recordings of all the talks.
Spring 2010:	“Aspects of Alfred”: Four talks by Revd Canon Dr David Scott. The programme page has recordings of all four talks.
Lent 2010:	“Mammon’s Revenge”: Four talks by Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby. The programme page has recordings of all four talks.
Autumn 2009:	“Prophets for our Time”: Seven talks by different speakers. The programme page has texts and recordings of all of the talks.
Spring 2009:	“Inspired”: four reflections on the nature of Inspiration and Place. The programme page has recordings of two of the talks.
January 2009:	“The Audacity of Hope”: four talks by Revd Dr Martyn Atkins. The programme page has recordings of all the talks.
Autumn 2008:	“When I’m Sixty-Four ... A Celebration of the Third Age!” The programme page has recordings of all the talks.
Spring 2008:	“What can Christianity do for you?” The programme page has recordings of all the talks.
January 2008:	Four talks by Bishop Richard Harries (Lord Harries of Pentregarth) under the overall title “The Re-Enchantment of Morality: Wisdom for a Troubled World”. The programme page has recordings of all the talks.
Autumn 2007:	“Spirituality & ...”. The programme page has recordings of all the talks.
May 2007:	“After Anne Frank”. The programme page includes the recording of Prof. Michael Taylor’s talk.
Jan-Feb 2006:	Rev. Joel Edwards gave four talks under the general title “Respect”. The texts of his talks have been made available by the Evangelical Alliance.
2004:	Bishop John Baker (formerly Bishop of Salisbury) gave a series of four talks on the Lord’s Prayer. The text of those talks is here.
2004:	Another series of talks by Bishop John Baker, “Between Faith and Doubt” (about God, about Jesus, about Good and Evil and about Life and Death), is available here.

Space in the City is an ecumenical venture organised by lay, licensed, ordained and associate members of Winchester’s city churches: St Bartholomew’s, St Lawrence with St Swithun-upon-Kingsgate, St Peter’s and the United Church.