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Description
All Earthly Things Above? On being a patriot and a Christian
Can a Christian give their country the same "entire and whole and perfect" love the old hymn asks for, or does faith always pull that loyalty somewhere else? This Cathedral Institute series takes the tension at the heart of "I Vow to Thee, My Country" as its starting point, asking what patriotism looks like when love of nation is held alongside a citizenship that scripture insists is ultimately not of this world.
Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery leads the discussion across four sessions, with responses from the Dean, Nick Ralph, Andrew Bradstock and Graeme Smith opening up conversation each week. Sir Jonathan is Professor of Health Care Law at UCL and has chaired a string of national bodies including the Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Health Research Authority, bringing a lifetime spent thinking about ethics, regulation and public life to this rather more personal question of faith and country.
Expect rigorous thinking held lightly, questions rather than easy answers, and the kind of debate the Institute exists to foster: about ethics, the common good and what we owe each other as neighbours, citizens and believers.
Offered to the diocese and the wider community alike, this is a chance to think seriously about a question that rarely gets asked out loud.
Please be aware that this booking is for a series of four talks, one on each of the dates below. You only need to book once per person to attend the whole series:
Monday, 26 October 2026, 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Monday, 2 November 2026, 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Monday, 16 November 2026, 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Monday, 23 November 2026, 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Venue Details
Bishop Kenneth Room
Portsmouth CathedralPortsmouth, Hampshire PO1 2HA
