A Free Christian Foundation
Since it was founded by religious dissenters in 1687, our chapel has continually adapted to changing times and new understandings. As each generation has encountered new knowledge, it has sought to express a Christian faith that is credible and relevant to its age. Now, with society becoming increasingly secular we must find new ways of understanding and explaining Christian faith to people with little Christian or theological background.
That is the purpose of this series of short sermons. It’s an attempt to present a case for following Jesus that is clear, accessible, and less dependent on traditional dogmas than many forms of Christianity.
It is not a statement of the chapel’s beliefs since we do not require members to subscribe to any creed or statement of faith. But our religious liberty exists within a context: we are a Christian congregation shaped by more than three centuries of theological reflection and experience within dissenting traditions. So, this series is an attempt to build on that legacy while addressing more contemporary perceptions, questions and issues.
It’s for anyone interested in an approach to Christianity that re-examines inherited beliefs, engages openly with contemporary biblical scholarship, and remains grounded in faith, reason, freedom and tolerance.
This is an ongoing project, and there is much more to explore. New sermons will be added regularly as the series continues.
Exploring Our Roots
As a chapel we are making a conscious effort to better understand and connect with our English Presbyterian, Unitarian & Free Christian roots.
As part of this, we have been meeting for talks and discussions about major figures and ideas from our tradition. These are ongoing so please consider yourself invited to join us in person. But if you’d like to catch up please listen and download below.
N.B. We had some talks focused on James Martineau and the Free Christian movement in which, unfortunately, there was a problem with the recording so these are not included in this playlist. These talks will be re-recorded in due course, so please do check back for this and other new content.