Dr Selina Stone: Why theology matters for knowing God
Dr Selina Stone is a leading Black British theologian. Currently serving as a lecturer in Theology and Ethics at Edinburgh University, Dr Stone is also the author of three books – the latest entitled A Heavy Yoke – a podcaster and speaker. She spoke to Keep The Faith about her books, the role of theology, and women in the Church.
KEEP THE FAITH (KTF): Congratulations on the release of A Heavy Yoke. What impact would you like this book to have on the Church’s understanding of abuse and power?
DR SELINA STONE (DSS): Thank you. I wrote the book because I could see how the Bible, church teachings and Christian beliefs were implicated in horrific stories of abuse in the Church, and I wanted to say something helpful as a theologian. Psychologists, journalists and some church leaders have stated that there are issues with theology, and I thought I would take on the challenge of thinking about it in an organised way.
I hope that A Heavy Yoke will allow those of us who have attended, still attend or lead churches to think about how our beliefs impact our behaviour. How we speak about God, and what we say about God, can cause harm or it can cause healing. We need to be mindful of that, especially in relation to those who are vulnerable to exploitation – which is all of us in some form or other.
KTF: This is your third book, and your writing feels both deeply spiritual and scholarly. Do you see writing as part of your ministry?
DSS: If by ministry you mean the work I feel called to do, then yes. Writing is a very spiritual activity for me. I have kept journals since I was a child, where I would write during devotions, and I feel like my books are organised and professional versions of those journals.
I write about what I am wrestling with, learning, praying about and thinking through. By the time a book is published, I feel my work is done and it now belongs to the world. I always find I am not alone in the themes and topics I address, and I have the emails to prove it. This is proof to me of God’s Spirit at work in me as I write and in the reader as they read, and that makes me very grateful and is humbling.
KTF: You are considered a leading female voice in the theological space. Growing up Pentecostal, did you ever imagine becoming a theologian? How did that journey unfold?
DSS: I did not even know this was a job people did, let alone a job I would do! But I do look back and see it was in God’s mind. My plan after doing my degree in French and Spanish studies was to work either for the UN or to go into a politics or industry role in Europe.
As I was making my plans, God began to guide me to go to Bible college, which I did after much fighting. I didn’t want to become a pastor, which is what I thought would happen. That began my journey of academic study and I haven’t looked back. I kept going because I enjoyed it, I kept meeting the right mentors and friends, and doors kept opening in good places. That has led me to where I am now.
KTF: Your work brings theology into everyday life. Why does theology matter for ordinary Christians?
DSS: By theology, I just mean teachings and beliefs about God. We are all impacted by theology every day, and we all have theologies which shape how we think and live. Most of us inherit these from our families or churches, and don’t think too much about who decided they were important or true, where they were developed, or what the motivations were.
My job as a theologian is to understand the history of these ideas and to ask what they might mean for us today, and how we might speak in even better ways about God and the message of the Christian faith.
In addition to my podcast, which I have been hosting for three years, I will be trialling an introductory online course in theology in 2026 for those who are interested. Details to follow!
KTF: Can you share a little about your upbringing and what shaped your love for God and learning?
DSS: I am the oldest of four children, and we grew up in Handsworth in Birmingham, in a terraced house with our two parents. We had a very rich and colourful childhood in terms of our experiences – both of my parents were very active in creating a positive environment of learning and love. We had gospel, jazz and classical music playing at different times, and so many books on everything from Christian faith to classic novels, and Black history. We would be singing along to music as we did our chores on a Saturday (if you know you know), and we had Bible studies at home. We laughed a lot, and argued too, of course! It was the best foundation I could ask for, and has made me who I am.
KTF: How do you feel the Church currently regards women? Does that view need to change and if so, in what way?
DSS: Churches have always depended on women – from the first women who brought news of the resurrection until now – yet often the power to have a say, or make decisions has been denied to us, and that is a grave injustice. I now think that the Bible is a mirror that reflects your desires back to yourself. If you want a God who excludes women, you can find one, and if you want a God who includes women as equals to men, you can find that God too. As long as Galatians 3:28’s prophetic declaration that ‘there is no longer male nor female…for we are all one in Christ’ exists, the opportunity is there. If churches don’t take it, then we know where they stand and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be gaslit and made to think the problem is in our heads.
KTF: Why are equity, diversity and decolonisation vital for theological education and the Church’s future?
DSS: There will always be a gap between who God actually is, the way God is and acts, and the words we manage to put together about God, because we are human and ‘seeing through a mirror darkly’. Historically, theology as a discipline, when taught, has tended to celebrate the theological questions and perspectives of white men from the west, at the expense of everyone else. That is inadequate, if we want to understand how God has revealed Godself in Christ, to humanity. This is especially a flawed approach when the centre of Christianity is not even in Europe, but in Africa, Latin America and especially women. The discipline is behind where the church is.
KTF: You often speak about connecting faith to justice and community life. How can believers today live out a faith that impacts society?
DSS: We need to love God above all else and love our neighbours as ourselves. We need to love God not just with emotions but with actions, risking our reputation and security to love as Jesus did – exposing evil, even among religious elites, and living out justice and mercy.
Healing and comforting work may seem small compared to empires and political power, but this is how Jesus ministered, and He has not changed. If we followed Jesus more faithfully and rejected the lie that the goal is control and domination – which is an anti-Christian idea – the Church and the world could be radically changed.
KTF: Who have been the people/theologians who have inspired your theological journey?
DSS: I have been inspired by Christians in my family with whom I had theological conversations before I knew that is what they were. Also, the Black women who went ahead of me as scholars in theology and religion in the UK, like Elaine Foster, Valentina Alexander, Dulcie Dixon McKenzie, Carol Tomlin, Marcia Clarke and others, who showed me it could be done. I would also say Keri Day, who became the first Black woman to be named full professor at Princeton and is also a Pentecostal.
KTF: As you look to the future – in your research, teaching and personal walk with God – what are you most excited or hopeful about in this next season?
DSS: I am excited to continue to develop and make use of the gifts God has been gracious to give me, in ways which honour God and serve others. I am enjoying Edinburgh, where I have the space to develop as a theologian, teacher and researcher. I have space to think about, and with God, and that is my greatest joy. I feel particularly called to healing work and will be researching and writing more on abuses of power. I am also really looking forward to teaching my new course on Black Feminist/Womanist Theology and Ethics, which a good number of students have signed up for. I do not think a course like this has ever been taught in a UK university. Also, there are incoming PhD students, whose projects I will supervise, as they explore topics relating to questions of theology, ministry, power and healing, amongst other things. There are lots of things to look forward to, for which I am very grateful.
KTF: What words of encouragement do you want to leave with KTF readers and educators?
DSS: Teaching is a vital ministry for the Church, even if it is not seen as glamorous. Jesus was called rabbi because He taught people how to see God, themselves and the world. His teaching was embodied in how He lived.
Like Jesus, good teachers do not always affirm what we already think. They challenge us to go beyond our comfort zones because they can see further. There are teachers all around us who show us the way to God, life and goodness. We should reflect on who our teachers are and ask God for good ones.
Visit www.selinarstone.co.uk
