Liverpool church encourages student debate

St Bride's Church, Liverpool, is inviting students to discuss some of the most significant and contentious issues affecting their generation.

The city centre church is to hold a nine-week series during which students will be encouraged to explore concerns such as evolution, feminism and sexuality, regardless of their faith or belief system.

Each week the topic up for debate will be introduced by a member of St Bride's. The line-up includes former university chaplain Sandra Dears and Jonathan Clatworthy, editor of 'Modern Believing'.

The church is a member of the Student Christian Movement, a student-led community which is passionate about faith, justice and empowering students to "explore and live out the Christian faith".

SCM believes that it is vital to think through issues of faith in order to remain relevant and dynamic, and cites an interest in engaging "with political and social issues as a prophetic voice for change".

St Bride's vicar Guy Elsmore echoes this belief, asserting that "radical Christianity is more about exploring your personal response to the Bible than simply being 'told' what to do. Jesus himself was a radical in his own time.

"These discussions are set to be very stimulating for people of all faiths and none; they are a chance to ask questions of people with experience of a certain issue, to explore and refine your own ideas or simply listen to different points of view."

The debates will take place every Monday from 3 February until 31 March, starting at 5.30pm.