Natalie K. Watson, Publishing Editor of the Pastoral Review, in conversation with Tina Beattie, Catholic theologian and novelist, Penelope Middelboe, author and podcaster, Daisy Srblin, CEO of the Catholic charity Million Minutes, and Dr Alana Harris, Director of Liberal Arts and Senior Lecturer in Modern British History at King’s College, London, about synodality and the experience of women in the Catholic Church.
Wednesday 19 January 2022, 6.00-7.00PM GMT
Chaired by Dr Natalie K. Watson, Publishing Editor of the Pastoral Review
Tina Beattie is a British Christian theologian, writer and broadcaster. Until August 2020, she was the Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Roehampton in London and Director of the Digby Stuart Research Centre for Religion, Society and Human Flourishing at the same university. In retirement, she is remaining Director of Catherine of Siena College at the University of Roehampton and is writing fiction. Beattie's theological contribution is notable in the areas of Catholic theology and psychoanalytic theory; gender and sexuality; Marian theology; theology and literature and art; atheism and religion; women's rights. She is a long-standing advocate of a more prominent role of women in the Catholic Church.
Daisy Srblin, Chief Executive Officer, Million Minutes. Daisy joined the Catholic youth social action charity Million Minutes in August 2020 as its first full-time Director, and was promoted to CEO in May 2021, aged 30. Daisy has worked across advocacy, policy, and campaigns at Christian Aid, Child Poverty Action Group, the Fabian Society, and Gingerbread, the single parents’ charity. Daisy also previously worked as a Senior Researcher to Siobhain McDonagh MP. She holds First-Class BA and MA degrees in Modern British History from University College, Durham and Queen Mary, University of London, on an academic scholarship. Daisy grew up in the Croatian Catholic diaspora community in London, is of Croatian and Lebanese heritage and lives in the parish of Hertford.
Dr Alana Harris Director of Liberal Arts and Reader in Modern British Social, Cultural and Gender History, King's College, London
Penelope Middelboe helped set up Root & Branch in January 2020 – initially working towards a lay-led synod last September. It is now a forum for reform in the Catholic Church. She is the co-researcher and co-presenter with Jon Rosebank of History Café, a podcast revisiting key moments in history. She is the author of two history books, We Shall Never Surrender (Macmillan 2011) and Edith Olivier from her journals: 1924-48 (Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1989). She was Script and Series Editor on 70 multi-award-winning animated films for HBO, BBC and S4C/Channel 4, aimed at making cultural heritage accessible. They included The Miracle Maker on the life of Jesus. From 2007 Penelope worked with the Shakespeare Schools Foundation (SSF) becoming CEO in 2011-14, reaching 35,000 9-18 year-olds across the country.