Tag Archives: Chester

Rather than Marching to Doom I Walked the Cheshire Countryside

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

As I posted about earlier today, tomorrow I march to my doom, my PhD defence at the University of Chester. This is where all those years of preparation, research, testing ideas, and writing will come to a point of decision. … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on the Eve of my PhD Viva  

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

As I announced at the end of May, I have completed my PhD thesis at the University of Chester and I have been awaiting my defence date. The viva voce, or just Viva, is this terrifying affair where two scholars … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , | 52 Comments

Is Saint Denys in the Headless Hunt? Martyr Legends and Nearly Headless Nick’s Fate

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

In the great Cathedrals, art is hidden everywhere in plain sight. At the Chester Cathedral yesterday morning, I was able find tiny busts and secret gargoyles and subtle shades of art in every alcove. Even below my feet in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

Off to the UK! 

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Next week I am boarding a jet plane for a research trip to the UK. I’ve got a few things on the agenda: Oxford Ah yes, Oxford, city of dreaming spires. It is an imaginatively rich space for me. I … Continue reading →

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Why I am not Anglican: A Response to Rachel Held Evans

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Why should I be, after all? Of all the many branches—or scattered splinters—of Christianity, why should I address this particular and peculiar English Episcopalian one? Some already assume that I am Anglican, simply because I am engaged in the project … Continue reading →

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Why Religion Matters: A Mini-Vlog Series

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

One of the trade-offs of my recent vacation and research trip to the U.K. was that I had to miss the first week of classes. In our “Inquiry Studies” class we were simply doing introductions, so I joined the class … Continue reading →

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Travels in Time: An Update from the UK

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

As I write this the English countryside is passing quickly by. I am on a train, which is a rare experience for a non-urban Canadian. Taking the train through England is like moving briskly in and out of time. Clay-roofed … Continue reading →

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The Narnian Pilgrim in the UK

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Dear Fellow Pilgrims, I chose the image of pilgrimage when I began this blog 5 years ago last week (here was my first blog, on Letter Writing in a Digital Age). I come from a Christian tradition that has tended … Continue reading →

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Leuven to Chester in 12 Hours (Live Tweeting Adventure)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Brenton Dickieson

08:59 Very thankful for church bells in Leuven; set my Mon-Fri alarm on Sunday #fail 09:00 Evidently I am incapable of sleeping in Europe. Ugh. 09:01 Breakfast: three leftover sips from a Coke Zero named Michaël 09:15 Finished last Belgian … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments