William Temple Foundation

Be Part of Our First Cohort at the William Temple College

The Foundation has long entertained the idea of reconnecting with its roots and re-building its programme of lifelong learning as a ‘College without Walls’ to address the challenges of contemporary world.

The original ‘bricks and mortar’ version of the William Temple College was founded in 1947. The theological college trained lay men and women to relate Christian faith to the realities of the secular world. As we launch this month our online platform for the William Temple College, the following passage from a letter by E. M. ‘Mollie’ Batten (she was a principal of the College and a key contributor to the syllabus) offers an imaginary bridge between the past and the present.

‘[…] Lay folk are called to lead their fellows in thought and action, both in Church and in society, and they must have opportunity to undertake such studies […] for the length of time and at the level which will help them to carry out their responsibilities as well as be persuasive to their fellow men. When the Church of England and other churches take this modern situation seriously, we believe that William Temple College will be seen to have ventured to some purpose and will be found ready to fulfil the tasks‘ (Batten, Letter to Dr Vidler, November 1964).

In 1971, the College became the William Temple Foundation – focusing on training programmes, research and publishing in the field of Christian social ethics. Since then, the Foundation has widened its contribution to public debates within an increasingly diverse and multicultural public sphere, bringing in a wider range of perspectives. Its main objective – to connect faith in the public square with the realities of the secular world through education, research, and dialogue – has remained unchanged.

The College without Walls – like Abraham’s Tent open on all sides to welcome strangers – offers an ideal environment to experiment with pedagogical approaches, to test new ideas and explore interactive formats. Building on the launch of the Virtual Festival of Theology in the summer of 2024, we continue this work with the development of online courses.

First Online Course Coming this January

‘Hospitality, Vulnerability and Resilience’ – is a 3-week online course about supporting and working with refugees and people with lived experience. The programme runs from 19 January to 6 February 2026 and has been accredited with the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning.

In today’s world marked by divisions and hostile attitudes towards sanctuary seekers, there is little time or space to reflect on practices of refugee welcome and support. We invite you to join our first cohort of participants to learn together, strengthen your impact and examine case studies and practical strategies from the City of Sanctuary UK, HIAS+JCORE, Preston City of Sanctuary, PAN Intercultural Arts and William Temple Foundation.

Drawing on William Temple’s ecumenical approach to associational life – where diverse groups, perspectives and beliefs collaborate, co-exist and flourish – the course will equip you with tools for critical reflection and inspiring examples of faith and civil society activism, empowerment and social justice. It is a perfect opportunity to exchange ideas and find new partners for innovative projects. Each week, you will engage in individual learning and collaborative work – you can complete each module at your own pace and in your own time.

Hospitality has become a widely-used, though contested concept (Farahani 2021). And yet both theological and secular accounts of ‘welcoming the stranger’ emphasise the relational aspect of engaging across different faith traditions, cultures and communities. These narratives are also shaped by personal and collective accounts of migration and humanitarian motivations to alleviate injustices of the asylum system and welfare provision.

As we welcome newcomers, we are reminded of the need re-negotiate the boundaries between hosts and guests to create more reciprocal and dignified relations. It is about recognising sanctuary seekers as experts by experience and celebrating their individual and collaborative contributions to local communities.

This work calls for collective welfare support and campaigning to re-imagine hospitality and integration as a two-way process, rather than a two-tier model – one that too often prioritises those considered ‘deserving’ of our hospitality.

To learn more and book your place, click here.

All registrations are now half-price. A small number of subsidised places is still available.

For more information, please contact katya@williamtemplefoundation.org.uk

We very much look forward to welcoming you to the course soon!