Cambridge Apologetics Summer Conference 2025

You are warmly invited to the 2025 Cambridge Apologetics summer conference which will take place on Friday and Saturday, 27-28 June at St John's College Old Divinity School (CB2 1TP) and the Round Church (CB2 1UA). A sandwich lunch and coffee will be provided on both days.

The conference will run from 10:00am - 5:00pm on Friday (registration from 9:30am) and from 9:30am-5:30pm on Saturday (registration from 9:00am). See below for more programme details.

We hope you will join us this summer at the Cambridge Apologetics Conference. We look forward to being joined by author and song-writer Andrew Peterson, cultural apologist Ted Turnau, apologist and author Stephen Meyer, and many other excellent speakers.

This is a unique opportunity to combine deep intellectual insight with imaginative storytelling, equipping you to commend and defend the gospel in today's rapidly changing culture.

How can we blend rigorous thinking with creative expression to engage meaningfully with our neighbours, colleagues and family members? What does it look like to meet others thoughtfully in their questions and doubts, inviting them to encounter the compelling person and life-giving work of Christ?

We will discover how the creativity found in science, the arts and everyday conversations can powerfully connect the gospel to the real-life questions people are asking today.

Hear from experienced evangelists and apologists who will inspire and equip you to:

• Understand and engage with the pressing questions around you
• Articulate and extend a persuasive and winsome defence for your faith
• Identify and seize creative opportunities in contemporary culture

Spaces are limited — reserve your spot now to ensure you don't miss this transformative conversation! Please note that the early-bird 25% off discount ends 14 May.

09:30 - Registration

10:00 - Creation Praises God - Andrew Peterson

11:00 - God as Creator - Stephen C. Meyer

12:00 - Lunch and coffee (in the Round Church)

13:30 - Seminars

14:30 - Break

15:00 - Engaging with Pop Culture through a Biblical Lens - Ted Turnau

16:00 - Taylor Swift – A Case Study in Apologetics - Sarah Elwood

16:45 - Panel Discussion: Taylor Swift and Pop Culture Apologetics - Sarah Elwood, Ted Turnau, Andrew Fellows

09:00 - Registration

09:30 - Reason and Imagination - Andrew Fellows

10:30 - Sneaking Past the Watchful Dragons of the Fallen Mind - Andrew Peterson

11:30 - Break

12:00 - Speaking to the Heart and Mind: How to Have Difficult Conversations when Everyone's Scared and Angry - Glynn Harrison

13:00 - Lunch and coffee (in the Round Church)

14:00 - Seminars

15:00 - Break

15:30 - The Goodness of the Final Judgment in Light of Abuse - Ellidh Cook

16:30 - Apologetics in Light of Christ’s Coming to Restore Creation - John Lennox (live via Zoom)

Andrew Peterson is a singer-songwriter, author, and founder of the Rabbit Room. Andrew has released more than ten records over the past twenty years, earning him a reputation for songs that connect with his listeners in ways equally powerful, poetic, and intimate. As an author, Andrew’s books include the four volumes of the award-winning Wingfeather Saga, which have sold more than a million copies, along with his creative memoirs, Adorning the Dark, and The God of the Garden. He’s also an executive producer of the Wingfeather Saga Animated Series, which is currently in production on its third season with Angel Studios. In 2008 Andrew co-founded the Rabbit Room, a nonprofit organization based in Nashville, Tennessee that nourishes Christ-centered communities by cultivating and curating stories, art, and music.

John Lennox is a world-renowned author and speaker, mathematician, philosopher of science and Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford.

Stephen C. Meyer is the Director of the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute in Seattle. He earned his PhD in the Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge and has written extensively on the origins of life, information theory, and scientific reasoning. His books, Signature in the Cell, Darwin’s Doubt, and Return of the God Hypothesis, explore the role of mind in the cosmos. He has appeared on major media outlets, including BBC and CNN, discussing science and faith.

Ellidh Cook leads the student work at All Souls Langham Place in London. She studied theology at St Andrews and Durham Universities, and her MA research focused on sexual violence in the Old Testament and its relevance today.

Ted Turnau is Chair of the Department of Arts, Culture, and Literature at Anglo-American University in Prague. With a PhD in Apologetics from Westminster Theological Seminary, he specialises in the intersection of faith and popular culture. His books, Popologetics and Oasis of Imagination, explore how Christians can engage with media and storytelling thoughtfully. Ted speaks internationally on cultural apologetics, imagination, and the role of creativity in Christian witness.

Glynn Harrison is a Christian psychiatrist, academic, author, and speaker. He visits churches, universities, theological colleges, and conferences, speaking about Christian faith in relation to psychology, neuroscience and mental health. He is also interested in culture change and Christian worldview.

Andrew Fellows is best known for having directed the work of English L'Abri for 15 years, and serving as chairman of L'Abri International. He is now an author and pastor who regularly gives training in apologetics.

Sharon Dirckx is a speaker and author whose work focuses on responding to the spiritual and faith-related questions that people ask today. She is motivated to show how and why the person of Jesus Christ remains as relevant as ever to the pertinent questions of our time, and to do so in an engaging way. Originally from a scientific background, she has a PhD in brain imaging from the University of Cambridge. Sharon lectures across the UK and internationally, in workplaces, universities, schools, churches and conferences.

Sarah Elwood co-leads the South East team for UCCF. She lives in East London with her husband Callum and daughter Lila. Sarah is a member of St Peter’s Barge, Canary Wharf. When she’s not working, she loves exploring East London’s many foodie spots and knitting cardigans for her daughter.

Tony Watkins is Fellow for Public Engagement at Tyndale House, and a speaker and writer on media, culture and the Bible. Previously at the Damaris Trust, his PhD research explored the relationship between the biblical prophets and today’s media.

Zachary Ardern is a postdoctoral fellow in evolutionary genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge. His studies in biology and philosophy were at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and he previously conducted research at the Technical University of Munich and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany. His scientific research investigates the evolution and functions of young genes in bacteria and viruses, and he regularly speaks and writes on the relationship between biology, philosophy, and Christian faith.

Isobel Burden read English Literature here at Cambridge, spending possibly too much of her time acting in theatres around Cambridge, Edinburgh and Europe and developing her love for Shakespeare in performance. She has subsequently been in education for the last twenty years, teaching all ages in schools, churches, youth groups and on stage. Isobel currently adapts and directs productions of Shakespeare’s plays with teenagers, and loves to explore with them the connections between literature and life. She is married to Jonathan, a teacher of Classics, and they have three children.

Partnering with UCCF and IFES Europe, we are also delighted to host the British gathering of the FEUER Academic Speakers' Network.

The network will meet in parallel with the wider conference sharing relationships, plenary speakers, seminars, and logistics support. For more information, email [email protected].

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Old Divinity School, St John's College, Saint Johns Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom