Eminent speakers will be addressing some of the other questions that may be on the minds of visitors, with two talks and a podcast during the month of August.

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, will be addressing the question ‘What’s really happening to our planet?’ when he speaks at the Cathedral on Tuesday 23rd August at 7.30pm. He will review the current state of the planet and the way in which our unchecked human activity could change the world forever. Drawing on insights from globally respected scientists, leaders and thinkers he will also look at how we can begin to reverse the damage. The talk will be hosted by Dr Pete Brotherton, Natural England’s Director of Science and Climate Change and Environmental Officer for the Diocese of Peterborough.

On Tuesday 30th August at 7.30pm, the question for the Revd Canon Andy Bryant of Norwich Cathedral will be ‘In the beginning God created… the dinosaurs?’. He will explore questions raised by the discovery of dinosaurs. What kind of God creates on such a scale and in such detail, and what does this tell us about where human beings fit in? Andy Bryant has given much thought to these questions, inspired by Dippy the Dinosaur’s visit to Norwich Cathedral in 2021.

GodPod, the regular podcast from theologians Graham Tomlin, Mike Lloyd and Jane Williams, will present a special dinosaur-themed issue, available online from Friday 5th August. They will be joined in their discussion by Canon Steve Benoy of Peterborough Cathedral to consider questions such as how dinosaurs can be reconciled with the Biblical account of creation, what the scavenger / predator relationships between dinosaurs and other creatures tells us about the presence of evil in the world, and also how we might see extinction in the light of faith in a sovereign God. The podcast will be available to listen to free of charge via sptc.htb.org/godpod.

The Revd Canon Steve Benoy, Canon Missioner and Chaplain to the Bishop of Peterborough, who organised the series said:

“Peterborough Cathedral has been a site of Christian prayer for over 1300 years, but that is just a blink of an eye compared to the length of time that dinosaurs roamed the earth. Whilst the T.rex exhibition is a lot of fun, it is also a source of wonder about creation, ourselves and our Creator. I hope this series of talks will help people to dig a bit deeper and consider questions about God, extinction, our purpose on this planet.”

Tickets for each of the two talks at the Cathedral are £10 per person (+ booking fee) including a glass of wine or soft drink during the evening. The speakers will take some questions after their talks. Tickets are available online via the Cathedral website www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk and also on the door. The podcast is available free online from 5th August 2022 onwards.

The exhibition

The T.rex: The Killer Question exhibition was produced and developed by the Natural History Museum, London. It is on show at Peterborough Cathedral until 3rd September 2022. Entry is by timed ticket and these are available online via www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/trex.aspx. Pre-booking is strongly recommended.