Welfare might be said to begin where progress narratives fail. It has also been said that the poor will always be with us. How we care for the poor – and those in any kind of need – reflects the foundations and superstructure of our theology: what we believe about our selves, our world, and our God.

Light lunch provided. This is a free event but registration is essential for catering purposes. Donations towards costs will be gratefully received.

Dr Nick Spencer is Senior Fellow at Theos, a London-based public theology think tank in London, and host of the influential podcast Reading Our Times. His books include Christianity and the Future of Welfare (CUP, 2026), The Landscapes of Science and Religion (OUP, 2025), Playing God: Science, Religion and the Future of Humanity (2024), and Magisteria: the entangled histories of science and religion (Oneworld, 2023). He holds honorary or visiting positions at Bishop Grosseteste University; St John’s College, Durham; and University College, London, and is a Fellow of the International Society of Science and Religion.

The Progress & Purpose series is hosted by the St James' Institute and Gospel Conversations.

Image: Cristiano Banti, Galileo facing the Roman Inquisition (1857). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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