Dr Ed Chan-Stroud is a Research Fellow in Christian Ethics.
He studied Philosophy and Theology at Durham University before moving to Cambridge University for his MPhil studies. While working alongside Children’s Social Care teams, he developed interests in psychology and psychotherapy and this prompted a return to theological study, undertaking a DPhil at Oxford University.
Following the completion of his DPhil he acted as the Temporary Medical Ethics Advisor to the Church of England, working especially on the Church's response to the Assisted Dying Bill. Separately he has also acted as a theological advisor to the Church of England's Ethical Investment Advisory Group. Ed is an ordinand in the Church of England.
My work brings together psychology and theology to explore the nature of Christian spirituality. I am particularly interested in the way in which deification might make use of psychological systems.
This research interest begun in my DPhil which argued that the same psychological dynamics present in the infant-parent relationship were also operative in deifying participation in the Triune Life. Such a claim receives at least an initial support in the parental language which scripture uses to describe God as well as in the prayer entrusted to the Church by Christ, the Our Father. Continuing to work with both psychological and theological sources I argued that the psychological dynamics present in the infant-parent relationship were themselves shaped by the Trinitarian processions. The parent's holding of the infant was grounded in the Spirit's embrace of Father and Son, and the play of the infant and the parent, grounded in the Word's play before the face of the Father.
My Post-Doctoral work continues to explore this line of enquiry, looking at clergy experience of trauma associated with ministry. My work develops a psychologically-informed theology of the Church's liturgy exploring how specific liturgical practices interact with the aftermath of trauma. My research interests include: trauma, Christology, pneumatology, prayer, the Eucharist, and vigil.
