‘Do not be afraid of learning’

On 13 September 2021, Mark Chater reflected on what Christians mean when they look to Jesus as their teacher, and how this might influence the priorities of parishes, schools, dioceses and the national church.

Mark’s talk, which can be accessed below, explored Gospel evidence of Jesus’s teaching from a teacher’s point of view, paying attention to the rabbinical techniques, humour, sharp tongue, and hermeneutical radicalism that lie half-hidden in the text of the Gospels. He speculated about Jesus’s teaching mind and the nature of the Trinity as a dynamic learning community and model for the church.

Mark is a former teacher, researcher, policy maker and charity director, writing on Christianity, worldviews and education. He lives in south Cumbria and is a Professor of Practice in worldviews education at the University of Cumbria. Among other works, he wrote Jesus Christ, Learning Teacher (SCM Press, 2020).

Here is an opportunity to listen to Mark’s talk and the discussion that followed.