The Susanna Wesley Foundation

Methodist research foundation, engaging in dialogue and creating resources

Living Heritage

In 2022 the Susanna Wesley Foundation will focus on the theme of ‘Living Heritage’.

Heritage can often refer to the past, to practices, beliefs, systems, traditions and values that have been inherited, and which sustain a rooted sense of continuation and consistency. Heritage is, however, also something continually being created in order to keep it living. It sustains a sense of flourishing in new contexts through creative, critical attention to the voices and power dynamics of existing contexts and through a collaborative, future-orientated approach. The balance between rooted continuation and adaptation to environment for an identity and practice that feeds a sense of living heritage for all is something we explore this year in the context of our work centred on faith and practice in churches.

  • Our annual conference, on Thursday 30th June 2022, is entitled ‘Sustainability: sharing values, creating communities’ and will explore how the concepts of equity, economy and environment can work creatively to support a living heritage. It will include input from the Faculty of Business and Law and the Methodist Church, and speakers will include Prof Molly Scott-Cato, Prof Robert Beckford and Dr Alastair MacIntosh. Find out more here.
  • Our podcasts explore themes and questions connected to living heritage and how this theme connects to faith and practice.
  • Several of our sponsored research projects reflect this theme, including work alongside the Methodist Church as they seek to implement their equality and diversity strategy – a strategy for Justice, Diversity and Inclusion.
  • SWF is also supporting a research project in conjunction with the University of Roehampton entitled ‘Faith Long Lived‘, on the ‘living heritage’ experience of older Christians saying the Christian creeds over time.
  • SWF also joins with Southlands College in celebrating its 150th anniversary, with events scheduled throughout the year to look both back and forwards, marking its ongoing participation in the living heritage of the college and its students and staff.

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