Dr. Simon Cunningham

PhD in Theology
University of Nottingham

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Simon Cunningham is founder and director of Holy Ground. He has a PhD in theology from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, where he worked on the existential philosophy (phenomenology) of Michel Henry. He did additional graduate work in biblical studies (Greek and Hebrew) at Africa International University in Nairobi. He lives in Holland, Michigan with his wonderful wife and two feral boys. His full bio can be found at his academic homepage: SimonCunningham.net.

Simon is passionate about promoting faithful Christian existential theology, namely theology that interacts with the tangible, immediate, and real elements of life (relationships, employment and finances, body health, etc).

An interview with Dr. Simon Cunningham

Holy Ground: Are you a Christian, and what does that mean to you?

Simon Cunningham: I am a Christian. I believe in God. This is the most important part of my life, and the very center of who I am. I try to live each day in faithful connection to the God who made me, and who is closer to me than I am to myself.

Holy Ground: What is your hope in doing theology?

Cunningham: My desire is that the people who visit Holy Ground would enjoy increased depth and meaning in their immediate lives. For example, in their romantic relationships, in their friendships, at their jobs, and in their physical health. I believe that a tremendous need exists for theology that addresses these real aspects, that does not define being Christian as only agreeing with theories or concepts (for example, like most modern theology tries to do). I decided to call this site Holy Ground with this exact hope in mind, namely that it would ground people in what is holy, firsthand, and tangible, and that this better foundation might impact the real parts of their lives.

Holy Ground: Who is your favorite theologian or theology book?

Cunningham: Michel Henry was a philosopher who lived from 1922 - 2002, and his existential philosophy (phenomenology) has gifted me with the most promising approach to practical theology that I have found. He is someone who persevered in focus while resisting the dominant trends of his time, and I am grateful to him for this. I also love C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Søren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Saint Augustine, and the Apostle John.

Holy Ground: What do you wish regular Christians today could learn and internalize?

Cunningham: My hope is that Christians today begin to feel and know their faith as an immediate and firsthand reality rather than an idea or statement that they simply agree to. When faith in God is real then it gifts believers with greater confidence through life's storms, and blesses them with wider application within the whole of life (relationships, employment, politics, etc).