Preaching on the Bible and engaging with science during the Cathedral Christmas Eve carol services: listening to the congregation’s response

Abstract

ABSTRACTSet within the discipline of cathedral studies, the present paper explores responses given to the sermon delivered by the Canon Scientist in the context of two afternoon carol services held on Christmas Eve 2019 in Liverpool Cathedral, drawing on qualitative responses to a survey. Some participants within the congregations, comprising mainly non-churchgoers, are shown to have engaged seriously with the biblical narrative of the incarnation as presented in the sermon and to have identified its implications for their own particular contexts in a deliberate manner. Commentary on the data is organised within six themes, concerning positive affective response, engagement with meaning, accessible pedagogy, perceived relevance, connecting with science, and negative affective response. The relevance of these qualitative findings are discussed for the trajectory of future quantitative research.