Current Research
The Queen's Foundation, Birmingham
John Hull's current research falls into two areas:1. The Education of Christian Adults in Britain
Christian faith in
Europe
has been influenced by its association
with 500 years of European power. John Hull claims that the
remnants
of this
imperial theology, which has been especially prominent in Britain,
condition
the attitudes and beliefs of Christians today. He has
received two grants from the British Academy to fund this research.
The
first grant was given to study The Hymns of
Isaac Watts (1674-1746).
The second grant was awarded in December
2002 for a study on:
'The Origins of British Imperial Theology in The
Trading Sermons of the Early 17th Century'. This work is
progressing.
2. A Theology of Disability
John Hull's
blindness
compelled him to reconsider the imagery of
Christian faith.
He describes this process in his autobiography On
Sight and Insight.
He has
explored the Bible from a blind person's point of
view in his most recent book:
In the
Beginning There was Darkness.
He is working on a new book, to be called 'The Tactile Heart:
Disabled Theology and the Quest for Life'.
The
Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower
and Great Hall, University of Birmingham