Rev Dr Andrew Teal co-writes book on Christian collaboration

Pembroke Chaplain, the Rev Dr Andrew Teal, has co-written a book titled Inspiring Service, created as a result of collaboration between influential speakers and members of various Christian traditions.

Inspiring Service records and celebrates increased dialogue, reconciliation and understanding among multiple Christian denominations around the world. Partially inspired by conversations with Pembroke students beginning in 2018, Inspiring Service focuses on both theological explorations between these various denominations and the building of relationships to support humanitarian work and the common good.

These conversations between different Christian traditions have led to event invitations for both Andrew and a number of others to speaker conferences in the United States. Following on from this, Andrew will take up a Visiting Scholarship at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University from August - December 2021 to work with others on further projects.

Discussing the development of the book, Andrew commented: “Inspiring Service is a first-fruit of what we hope to be a series of scholarly as well as more popular collaborations.”

Acknowledging another Pembroke connection to this project via the book’s cover image of a sketch by John Piper which is owned by the JCR art collection, Andrew continued: “it seemed appropriate to use it on the cover because of its tentative, but engaged and gentle commitment; its transparency as well as a recognition of the contribution of Pembroke College to what, we pray, is the beginning of a profound and meaningful series of friendships and collaboration in the academy, churches and the world.”