Mark Russ's Blog

I’ve got several exciting courses coming up with Woodbrooke this year. Do take a look and book your place. In 2026 I’ll be: Please do share these courses in your Quaker networks and with folk who may be interested. God in All Things: A Quaker Look at Ignatian Spirituality Friday 29 May – Sunday 31… Continue reading Learn with me in 2026 →

I presented my final Pause for Thought for February on BBC Radio 2. Winter might finally be on its way out, but what do we do if it lingers on inside us? Quakers know experientially there’s always a glimmer of light to be found in the darkness. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0n...

I presented my third Pause for Thought of the month on BBC Radio 2, this time on fasting as Lent begins this week. Quakers don’t have a corporate practice of fasting, but we do have a practice of simplicity which can have a similar purpose. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0n...

I’m glad to have the opportunity to present Pause for Thought once more on BBC Radio 2. In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, this week’s theme is love. I talk about love as a habit of care. It’s not enough to say “God is Love”, we have to prove it with how we treat others. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0m...

I’m back on the radio! You can find me presenting Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2 each Monday in February in the early hours. In this first instalment, I talk about one of my favourite films, Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016), and why my sister is a much more accomplished linguist than me. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0m...

My article on ‘Whiteness and Quaker Universalism in Britain’ is now available to freely download. I think it’s a very good piece, and I hope you agree. Enjoy! https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/...

I’ve had an article published in the Friend, exploring a theology of Quaker worship from the perspective of heaven and drag shows. You can find it at the link below. Enjoy! https://thefriend.org/article/heaven-...

This February, fellow Quaker theologian Ben Wood and I are leading a five-week online course, journeying through Christian mysticism. We’ll be reflecting on the ‘negative theology’ of Pseudo-Dionysius, the homoerotic mysticism of Symeon the New Theologian, Simone Weil’s mysticism of surrender, the active mysticism of Howard Thurman, and the visions of Julian of Norwich. As… Continue reading Journeys in Christian mysticism: a taster →

Another year of writing, speaking and teaching has come to an end, and I want to thank you for engaging with my work. Whether you’ve participated in one of my Woodbrooke courses, listened to me presenting Pause for Thought on the radio, or read one of my blog posts, I’m truly grateful for your time and attention. My theological work is my ministry, it’s what truly fulfils me, so I’m very fortunate that there are people like you who value and support it. In this post I summarise and reflect on my ministry in 2025 and think about what it might look like next year.… Continue reading Thank you to my readers in 2025 →

Why might Quaker meeting for worship be like searching for mushrooms? Find out in my latest Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0m...