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Our Speakers

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Aase Victoria Bøe

Aase Victoria is a Speaker-in-training at the OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics.

She loves meeting people who think differently, especially when those encounters lead to meaningful conversations about life’s deepest questions.

Some of the questions she often explores and wrestles with include: If God exists, why doesn’t He make Himself more obvious? Are feelings a reliable guide to one’s relationship with God? If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?

Alongside her interest in theology and philosophy, she has a passion for fantasy literature. She is fascinated by how stories like The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, and Avatar awaken in us a sense of longing – and by the question of whether that longing points to something real beyond ourselves.

Though she has always been a Christian, she has also always been a sceptic. Her questions about faith sparked a lifelong desire to search for truth and to examine which worldview best explains the reality we live in. For that reason, she believes it is essential to honestly explore and engage with the many questions people bring to the Christian faith.

Aase Victoria holds a degree in Theology and Leadership (BTh.) from the Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology. She is currently studying philosophy at the University of Cambridge and Intellectual History at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

In the past, she worked as editor of the Christian online youth magazine iTro.no in Norway. She has also worked on ethical issues relating to human dignity, biotechnology, abortion, and euthanasia.

While from Norway, Aase Victoria currently lives in Oxford with her husband.

Photo of Alanzo Paul
Alanzo Paul

Alanzo is passionate about literature, philosophy and theology. His work primarily focuses on questions such as, ‘Why does God allow suffering and injustice?’ and ‘What is the meaning of life?’. Additionally, he enjoys exploring topics such as the Occult, identity, Gen Z, difficult passages in the Old Testament, and the case for the historical Jesus.

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Ben Thomas
Ben qualified as a doctor in 2003, and worked full-time in the medical field outside of the one year he took to pursue training in Theology and Apologetics at the University of Oxford and OCCA. In 2016, he became a consultant in Neurosciences Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia unit, but now works as a consultant part-time alongside his role as a speaker at the OCCA.
Ben has interests in the intersection of faith and sexuality, gender, medical ethics, and psychology. He has spoken numerous times to the younger generations and adults in churches, conferences, and mission events across the UK and Australia. In his attempts to work out what it looks like to follow Jesus well, he is also a keen runner (Forrest Gump style!), musician, chef, and loves spending time with his family, friends, and Godchildren.
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Cristo Rodriguez
Cristo has a background in Modern Foreign Languages and Religious Education in secondary schools. He has been involved in education for over 20 years in one form or another. Having worked in schools abroad with the British Council he worked in Alternative Provision, Youth Work and the voluntary sector as well being Managing Director of a Christian Education Charity and recently a Chaplain. He currently works as a subject leader in Religious Education and is a speaker and tutor responsible for schools work here at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Cristo will be a Farmington Scholar at Harris Manchester College University of Oxford 2024/25 researching RE exam questions. Cristo is also a trustee of the Association of Christian Teachers (ACT) and a member of the Christian Coalition for Education (CCFE) and a Committee Member of the Religious Education Network (REN).
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Esther Chidlow
"For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." - Psalm 100:5 Esther holds a BSc in Mathematics and Philosophy from the University of Bristol, with a particular interest in logic and moral philosophy. After university, Esther completed the one year programme in Apologetics at the OCCA before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in England and Wales. Esther is passionate about helping people share their faith with confidence in the places God has called them - whether in schools, universities, or the workplace. Through her work, she seeks to equip people to think deeply about life’s big questions. She loves spending time with people and engaging in real, honest conversations about faith, meaning, and the stories that shape our lives. She finds great joy in music and the outdoors, particularly exploring how beauty and creativity point us towards a good Creator. She currently lives in Oxford with her husband Isaac.
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John Lennox
John is the President of OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University and speaks on the interface of science, and religion, and is a well-known biblical teacher. He has debated the likes of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Peter Singer, and has lectured extensively in North America, Eastern and Western Europe, and Australasia on mathematics, the philosophy of science and the intellectual defence of Christianity.
John is also an Emeritus Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford University. In addition, he is a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum, and has written a number of books exploring the relationship between science and Christianity, among them: Where is God in a Coronavirus World? (2020), 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity (2021), and Cosmic Chemistry: Do God and Science Mix? (2021). Most recently, Lennox has produced a biblical exposition, Friend of God: The Inspiration of Abraham in an Age of Doubt.
He gained his MA, MMath, and PhD at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University. He also holds an MA and DPhil from Oxford University (by incorporation), an MA in Bioethics from the University of Surrey, and a DSc from the University of Wales.
John lives near Oxford and is married to Sally. They have three grown up children and ten grandchildren.
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Rahil Patel
Rahil's work revolves around Hinduism and searches how to offer the beauty of the Christian Gospels to that eastern worldview in order to build bridges across demographics and faiths.
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Tom Price
Tom Price studied Philosophy at university and later completed an MA in Christian Apologetics, and is currently undertaking doctoral research in theology, philosophy and film.

Wider Speakers

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Calum Miller

Dr. Calum Miller is a medical doctor and a research associate in bioethics at the University of Oxford. He has published academic papers on topics such as God’s existence, academic freedom, probability theory, and beginning of life ethics. His extensive work on bioethics has earned him prizes from the University of Oxford and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Calum has spoken on these topics to a wide variety of audiences across the world, and regularly appears on mainstream media. He is currently working on three books that cover ethical hotspots such as Abortion and the beginning of life.

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Charlie Styles

Revd. Charlie Styles is currently an Associate Speaker with OCCA, has been in church leadership for 12 years and loves teaching the Bible. Before becoming an Associate speaker, Charlie spent the last three years as CEO, helping to set the direction of OCCA through strategic and mission initiatives.

Photo of Clare Williams-Sarpong
Clare Williams-Sarpong
Clare's work focuses upon questions of race, justice and culture, and what the Christian message has to offer these contested issues. She studied English Language and Literature at Oxford University, and has Masters degrees in Leadership, Culture, Diaspora and Ethnicity.
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Dan Lacich
Dr Dan Lacich is the founding pastor at Oviedo City Church outside Orlando Florida. He received his Doctorate of Ministry from Reformed Theological Seminary. His dissertation is titled, The Role of the Reformed Pastor as Evangelist. He has a Bachelor's Degree with a double major in Theology and Psychology from Franciscan University and a Master's Degree from Trinity School for Ministry.
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Lara Buchanan

Lara Buchanan holds degrees in History, English Literature, and a PGCE in Secondary Education from the University of Cape Town. She also has a Certificate in Apologetics through the OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, and Theology from Oxford University. Previously, Lara worked for several years as an English and History secondary school teacher, before going on to run the internship and theological training program for St Aldates Church, Oxford.

Lara has a specific interest in studying the impact of Jesus’ life for the individual and for the community. Lara has spoken in various academic and corporate settings in Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and across the UK. Her hope is to develop meaningful connections with people from other cultures, faiths, and worldviews in order to explore the deep questions of life together within the context of friendship.

 

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Max Jeganathan

Priyan (Max) Jeganathan is an international speaker and writer for the OCCA and Thinking Faith. He is passionate about helping people make sense of current issues and life’s big questions through the lens of the Christian worldview. As a former lawyer and policy adviser in the Australian National Parliament, Max has spoken around the world in banks, universities, and businesses, including Facebook, Google, Nike and Goldman Sachs. He is based in Sydney, Australia and is currently undertaking a PhD on the ethics of human dignity.

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Sara Stevenson
Sara is passionate about exploring questions raised by Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. She has an MSc in Philosophy of Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh, and an Education Degree in Religious Studies.
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Sharon Dirckx
Dr. Sharon Dirckx is a speaker, author, and an Associate Lecturer at the OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Her interests include questions of meaning, purpose, and identity, and how they relate to Christian belief.
Over the last 10 years, Sharon has been invited to speak internationally in a variety of contexts such as schools, universities, medical colleges, churches, workplaces, and conferences.
Her first book, Why?: Looking at God, Evil and Personal Suffering (2014) interweaves the stories of people who have suffered and our practical questions about suffering. Sharon’s latest book, Am I Just My Brain? (2019), examines human identity from the perspectives of neuroscience, philosophy, and theology. She is also a contributor to best-selling author, Lee Strobel’s latest book, The Case for Heaven (2021).
Sharon holds a Ph.D. in brain imaging from the University of Cambridge and held research positions at the University of Oxford and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
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Simon Edwards
Simon Edwards is a speaker and writer at the OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. His work focusses on addressing the deep questions of our culture and pointing to meaningful answers that found in the Christian faith. Simon originally hails from Australia, where he worked as a lawyer, before moving to the UK to study apologetics at OCCA and Theology at Oxford University.
He is the author of The Sanity of Belief: Why Faith Makes Sense (2021) and speaks widely about the evidence for Christian faith. Simon has spoken in various contexts around the world around the world (i.e., Oxford, Cambridge, Hong Kong, Oslo, and Queensland).  including churches, businesses, government institutions, conferences, and university campuses. In the UK, he has been interviewed for several BBC Radio programs, as well as Christian radio stations and podcasts, including Unbelievable? on Premier Christian Radio and Facing the Canon with J John.
Simon lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with his wife, Natasha, and their three young children.

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We’re keen to meet new people, partner with them, and share the gospel message all over the world!

Our team speaks at churches, community centres, prisons, businesses – in fact, anywhere people are eager to engage with the big questions of life. Invite us to come and speak to your group!

Heartfelt questions deserve thoughtful answers.

- OCCA

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