Core Team

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  Elizabeth Oldfield

  Director

  @TheosElizabeth

  Elizabeth is Theos’ Director. She appears regularly in the media, including BBC One, Sky News, and the World Service, writing in The Financial Times and delivering Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. She is a regular conference speaker and chair. Before joining Theos in August 2011, Elizabeth worked for BBC TV and radio. She has an MA in Theology from King’s College London.

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  Lizzie Stanley

  Head of Communications

  lizzie.stanley@theosthinktank.co.uk

  Lizzie is Head of Communications at Theos. She has a BA in Politics from Durham University and a background in communications with over 10 years’ experience developing content and strategic communications projects for brands, government clients and not–for–profits. Lizzie spent the last two years in Australia establishing the Sydney branch of a social change focused communications agency, and has a particular interest in the power of human stories in shaping our foundational beliefs and culture.

   

  To contact Lizzie for out–of–hours media matters, call 07778160052.

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  Ben Ryan

  Head of Research

  ben.ryan@theosthinktank.co.uk @BenedictWRyan

  Ben Ryan is Head of Research at Theos. He is the editor of Fortress Britain? Ethical Approaches to Immigration Policy for a Post–Brexit Britain (JKP 2018) and the author of Theos reports on chaplaincy, the EU, the Catholic charity sector, mental health and ecumenism. He holds degrees in European politics from the LSE and in Theology and Religious Studies from Cambridge. Outside of Theos he is a trustee of CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network).

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  Nick Spencer

  Senior Fellow

  nick.spencer@theosthinktank.co.uk @TheosNick

  Nick is Senior Fellow at Theos. He is the author of a number of books and reports, most recently The Political Samaritan: how power hijacked a parable (Bloomsbury, 2017), The Evolution of the West (SPCK, 2016) and Atheists: The Origin of the Species (Bloomsbury, 2014). Outside of Theos, Nick is Visiting Research Fellow at the Faiths and Civil Society Unit, Goldsmiths, University of London and a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion

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  Paul Bickley

  Research Fellow

  paul.bickley@theosthinktank.co.uk @mrbickley

  Paul is Research Fellow at Theos. His background is in Parliament and public affairs, and he holds an MLitt from the University of St Andrews’ School of Divinity. Paul is the author of Building Jerusalem? Christianity and the Labour Party (2010) and numerous Theos reports.

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  Anna Wheeler

  Operations and Events Manager

  anna.wheeler@theosthinktank.co.uk

  Anna joined Theos in June 2015. She read Theology at Heythrop College, University of London, and later gained a PG Diploma in Theatre. She has taught in Poland and Ghana and spent twelve years coordinating university programmes and working with students at Heythrop, SOAS, KCL and Imperial College. Anna’s main research interests are the links between the arts, theology and philosophy.

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  Nathan Mladin

  Relationships Manager and Researcher

  natan.mladin@theosthinktank.co.uk @nathanmladin

  Nathan joined Theos in 2016. He holds an MTh and PhD in Systematic Theology from Queen’s University Belfast. He is the author of several Theos publications, including ‘Forgive Us Our Debts: lending and borrowing as if relationships matter’, a report on the ethics of debt (with Barbara Ridpath), and the chapter on ‘Václav Havel’ in ‘The Mighty and the Almighty: How Political Leaders do God’ (Biteback, 2017). His current research interests include: religion in London; theology and economics; the ethics of AI/robotics; and theology and contemporary art.

   

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  Hannah Rich

  Researcher

  hannah.rich@theosthinktank.co.uk @hannahmerich

  Hannah joined Theos in November 2017 as a researcher exploring the relationship between church growth, social action and discipleship, together with Church Urban Fund. Previously, she worked for a social innovation think tank and a learning disability charity. Hannah studied French and Spanish at Durham University, including a year abroad working with faith–based organisations in Paris and Madrid. She also holds an MSc in Inequalities and Social Science from LSE.

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  Madeleine Ward

  Researcher

  Madeleine.Ward@Theosthinktank.co.uk

  Madeleine joined Theos in October 2018. She is researching the relationship between social cohesion and the church, in partnership with the Free Churches Group. She holds a doctorate in Theology from the University of Oxford, and previously worked as a research scholar at a conference, research and retreat centre in Philadelphia. She is the author of ‘The Christian Quaker: George Keith and the Keithian Controversy’ (Brill: 2019).

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  Simon Perfect

  Researcher

  simon.perfect@theosthinktank.co.uk @SimplyMrPerfect

  Simon joined Theos in 2014. He is a researcher and tutor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), where he leads campus–based and distance–learning courses exploring Muslim communities in Britain and in other minority settings. Simon read History at the University of Cambridge and has an MA in the Study of Religions from SOAS.

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  Hannah Waite

  Researcher

  hannah.waite@theosthinktank.co.uk @h_waite710

  Hannah joined Theos in October 2019. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Counselling and she is just about to submit her PhD thesis in Practical Theology looking at the Stigma of Bipolar Disorder in Churches across the UK, both from the University of Aberdeen. She is particularly interested in disability theology and was a founding member and community developer of Friendship House Aberdeen, a movement towards creating an inclusive community for adults with and without disability. She is working on Theos’ Religion and Science project.

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  Lynne Robinson

  Team Support Officer

  lynne.robinson@theosthinktank.co.uk

  Lynne joined Theos in 2018. She has worked in financial planning for several media companies, and has extensive experience of website management and social media through running her own small design business. She has a BA in Modern History, and an MA in Museum Studies.

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  Emily Downe

  Creative Content Designer

  emily.downe@theosthinktank.co.uk

  Emily Downe joined Theos in July 2019.  She graduated with a MA in Documentary Animation from the Royal College of Art and achieved her BA in Illustration Animation at Kingston University.  Alongside working as Creative Designer at Theos, she works independently as an animation director, specialising in documentary short film.  Emily has a passion for visual communication; expanding research through visual metaphor and engaging design.

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  Abbie Allison

  Communications and Events Assistant

  abbie.allison@theosthinktank.co.uk

  Abbie Allison joined Theos in August 2019. Prior to this, she worked as a fundraiser for a national homelessness charity based in the North East of England. She holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Bristol and has a particular interest in applied ethics.

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  Hannah Eves

  Research Assistant

  hannah.eves@theosthinktank.co.uk @han_eves

  Hannah Eves joined Theos in August 2019 and is working on the Social Cohesion and the Religious London projects. Hannah has a MA in Governance and Political Development and prior to her role at Theos she worked with the Jubilee Centre on a research project looking at food and the environment. She is the co–author of the new book ‘Thoughtful Eating’ and the co–host of the podcast series ‘Eating Thoughtfully’.