Father King’s Conversations: John Owen

17 June 2009

Father Robert King, the Catholic Chaplain to the University of Bristol and Clifton Diocese Vocations Director, continues his new weekly podcast series exploring faith and culture today (17 June).  A new episode of ‘Father King’s Conversations’ will be online every Wednesday only on cliftondiocese.com.  Father Robert is in conversation with leading thinkers and local people who enrich our lives through their cultural work.  Today Father Robert speaks with Father John Owen.

In the second episode of my new podcast series I spoke with Father John Owen the Catholic Chaplain to the University of Cardiff.  Father John Owen has had a colourful political and literary career.  Graduating from the London School of Economics and discovering there was no such career as ‘politician’, Father John found himself working as a junior journalist for The Observer.  Journalism both furthered his interest in politics, and revealed an often sardonic sense of humour that not only made his columns popular, but also facilitated his advancement to The Economist.

The then Labour government was quick to recognise his political savvy.  Without betraying confidences, Father John explains how little has changed with respect to leadership struggles.

Father John sees his life’s work as linked to his faith.  As a man of ideas, he embraced Catholicism; as a communicator, he discovered a desire to share his understanding with others.

You can listen to our podcast in the multimedia panel on the right.  Next week I’m joined by Professor Keith Tester, Professor of Sociology at the University of Hull.

Father Robert King

Last week's episode is still online.