In March 2022 a Roman Catholic school in Liverpool, Savio Salesian College, asked me to talk about the same subject. You can watch my updated talk below. I have noticed that it was four minutes shorter than the 2020 version!
Video
Presentation outline
The speaker
Ways of thinking about religion:
Believers
Academics
Academic - Historical development
Triangulating the Abrahamic faiths
What you can measure
What you believe
Conclusion
Bibliography
Video of my presentation
Links for further reading
In the presentation I mention my document "Triangulating the Abraham Faiths" which I wrote in 2010. However the content was slimmed down and simplified to be accessible to teenage pupils.
I have reviewed several of the books mentioned in the bibliography.
My first presentation recording was done on the spur of the moment, just putting my iPhone 6 on the table and relying on its built in microphone. See my page Lecture: The Quran recognises religious freedom.
Once I found recording presentations worthwhile, I purchased a high quality Sennheiser digital lapel microphone which plugs into the lightning port of my iPhone. That produces a much better recording.
A partial transcript of the question and answer session
The question and answer session was also recorded. However, I am not publishing the full audio recording for two main reasons:
While the sound quality of my responses is very clear, the questioners were some distance from the microphone. Accordingly, in many cases their questions are almost inaudible.
I respect the privacy of those asking the questions. I do not have their written consent to publish their recordings. In many cases, I do not even know who they were, so cannot seek permission.
Instead, I have listened to the Q&A session and, where I regard the questions as being worth sharing, have written down a condensed version of the questions. I have then published the audio of my answers.
1. The last book of the Old Testament, “Daniel”, contains predictions about the future, and so does the New Testament. What predictions does the Quran make about the future?
Recording of my 1-minute answer
2. Is the fact that the Old and New Testaments make predictions abut the future, but the Quran doesn’t, a major difference between Judaism & Christianity v Islam?
Recording of my 1-minute answer
3. Various historical figures such as King David and King Hezekiah are mentioned in the Old Testament. How much historical evidence is there for the history of Islam?
Recording of my 3-minute answer
4. How long did it take you to read the Bible?
Recording of my 30-second answer
5. How do you manage to look so young at the age of 71?
When I speak at schools, the questions are never limited to the official topic!
During my answer, I explain how stress in organisations is much worse near the bottom than it is near the top.
Recording of my 90-second answer
6. Can you give some examples of how interfaith dialogue has benefited communities?
I talked about what happened in Britain after the 7 July 2005 London Bombings.
Recording of my 2-minute answer
7. When you go into a mosque, do you have to take your shoes off?
I explain the shortcomings of the design of many early British mosques.
Recording of my 1-minute answer
8. You did a maths degree at university. How did the jump from that to presenting about religion happen?
I explained my career history.
Recording of my 1-minute answer
9. You have a science background. Has there ever been a conflict between your faith and your views from science?
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