Woolf Institute

15/10/2026

This week, Dr Mohammed Ibraheem Ahmed visited International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) in Lisbon to discuss shared projects and mutual work in the area of interreligious dialogue.

15/10/2026

We are immensely grateful to Revd Dr Susan Durber for delivering the first Keynote Address for the inaugural conference of the Cambridge Theological Federation. Her address, entitled 'I'd like to teach the world to sing' drew on the metaphor of harmony to explore how we can think better about what ecumenical and interfaith engagement really mean. Rather than seeking to enforce uniformity, a choir instead seeks harmony, where difference serves as an integral part of what makes the music beautiful.

The session was introduced and chaired by Dr Cynthia Lumley, principal of Westfield House, and the full recording is now available to view on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/I3Lgnp7C334.

Photo and video credits: Błażej Mikuła

14/10/2026

We are delighted to be able to share the full recording of the recent panel discussion on Ecumenism, Interfaith, and the Environment. This panel was part of the Cambridge Theological Federation's inaugural conference, hosted at the Woolf Institute last month.

Access the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoeMpp5jleM

The panellists were:
Revd Prof. Paul Fiddes: Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology in the University of Oxford, Principal Emeritus and Senior Research Fellow of Regent's Park College, Oxford.
Dr Tobias Müller: Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and Isaac Newton Trust Fellow at CRASSH at the University of Cambridge.
Dr Rebecca Watson: Tutor in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible scholarship and Director of Studies at the Eastern Region Ministry Course as well as an Associate Supervisor at Westcott House, Cambridge.
Dr Richard Davis: Director of Contextual Theology and Director of the Centre for Faith in Public Life at Wesley House as well as an Affiliated Lecturer at the University of Cambridge.

The panel was chaired by Dr Mohammed Ibraheem Ahmed, Policy Lead and Research Fellow at the Woolf Institute.

Photo and video credits: Blazej Mikula

13/10/2026

The CTF's Inaugural Conference opened with a presentation session under the title 'Ecumenism, Interfaith and the CTF'. The three presenters each represented one of the Federation's Member Houses and their presentations focused on just some of the ongoing research and engagement within the Federation.

We welcomed;
Dr Razvan Porumb: Vice-Principal and Director of Research at the The Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies - Cambridge, to present his paper Ecumenism as Sacrament.
Dr Jonathan Chaplin: Fellow at Wesley House, to present his paper Can Christians and Muslims Stand - and Think - Together in the Global Crisis of Democracy? Convergent Commitments in Christian and Islamic Political Theology.
Dr Elizabeth Phillips: Director of Education and Engagement at the Woolf Institute to present her paper Interfaith Encounter & Theological Education.

The session was Chaired by Revd Dr Ian Randall, Independent Trustee for the Cambridge Theological Federation and Senior Research Associate at the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide.

The session is now available to view in full on YouTube at: https://ow.ly/WICa50ZWS9O

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/10/2026

Across three days in September, the Cambridge Theological Federation convened its inaugural conference under the title of: “Ecumenism and Interfaith in an Age of Global Crisis: Challenge and Hope.” Each day over the course of the next two weeks, we are proud to be able to share with the public some of the highlights of the conference.

About the conference: The conference was hosted by the Woolf Institute on the Westminster College Site and brought together all twelve member institutions for three days of presentations, panels and keynote talks to explore the immense challenges that ecumenical and interfaith work are facing in today’s world, and also to showcase, and find hope in, the invaluable ecumenical and interfaith work already being undertaken within the CTF and beyond.

An Age of Global Crisis: The last decade has seen unprecedented levels of both state-based and non-state conflict, forms of religious nationalism becoming powerful forces in international relations, the climate crisis and its devastating effects continuing to destroy and dislocate communities across the globe, all while rapid globalisation has been accompanied by an increasing push to renegotiate national and religious identities and relationships. Ecumenical and interfaith relationships are certainly facing the challenges brought about by these changes.
The Inaugural CTF Conference asked what these challenges really mean for ecumenical and interfaith work and what hope still exists for these endeavours.

Ecumenism, Interfaith and the CTF: The CTF is an inherently ecumenical body, bringing together Anglican, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, URC, Methodist and Orthodox institutions alongside research institutes which promote the study of interfaith relations, the global nature of Christianity, and the relationships between religion, science and policy. The CTF therefore represents a space in which barriers are broken down in the common pursuits of personal and professional development, shared worship and encounter, and research.

Where the seeds of ecumenical and interfaith work have grown naturally in the spaces between our Member Houses, this conference served to centralise this work within the ethos of the CTF as a whole.

10/10/2026

What does it mean to be Jewish or Muslim in British public life today?

That was the question at the heart of a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation at the Woolf Institute earlier this week, chaired by our Founder President, Dr Ed Kessler MBE. He was joined by Baroness Luciana Berger, Lord Khan of Burnley and Baroness Ayesha Hazarika for a discussion on the opportunities, pressures and particular challenges faced by Jewish and Muslim public figures.

The conversation touched on some of the increasingly difficult realities of public life. Political disagreement has always been part of democratic life, but the speakers reflected on how the contemporary communications environment can amplify hostility in ways that are difficult to escape. Hatred can itself become part of an economy: provocative content attracts attention, algorithms reward engagement, and narratives of hostility can quickly take on a life of their own.

Perhaps most importantly, the evening was more than simply a series of speeches. Members of the audience were able to ask questions, challenge ideas and share reflections directly with the panelists. The openness of that exchange was made possible by the atmosphere in the room: serious, curious and non-judgmental.

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

Phil Rosenberg, President Board of Deputies with Dr Ed Kessler when he visited the Woolf Institute earlier this week. Members of the Jewish Community also held a dialogue with him.

07/10/2026

📢FREE RE RESOURCES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS!

After receiving feedback from numerous teachers and consultation with RE specialists, we are delighted to announce that we have updated our Living in Harmony resources to the Key Stage 2 context.

Living in Harmony explores intellectual, artistic, and cultural relations between Christians, Jews, and Muslims across time and space and encourages students to relate these explorations to their own experience and understanding of religion and coexistence today.

This resource is organised into three units:

• Music and Interfaith Encounter
• Architecture and Interfaith Encounter
• Science and Interfaith Encounter

Each unit guide introduces the subject and learning outcomes of the unit, and includes a video, a case study, historical and contemporary examples for further research, PowerPoint slides, a list of key terms, and a sample lesson plan including new learning activities.

To learn more about how you can book a visit to your school or register to use any of these resources, contact: [email protected]

Religious Education Council of England and Wales Culham St Gabriel's

06/10/2026

Come along to the next Interfaith Connection Cambridge event. Join us at the Woolf Institute as we explore how our different traditions use the theme of light in festivals, stories, and the lives of religious figures.

Date & Time: Thursday 12 November 6-8pm

Location: Woolf Institute, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0UB

Register at: https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/whats-on/events/interfaith-connection-cambridge-light

The Interfaith Connection Cambridge brings together people of faith in Cambridge so that we can learn about one another’s traditions, understand one another better, extend hospitality to one another, and become friends. We are open to people of all faiths.