Director of Research
As a practical theologian I am interested in congregational studies and participatory approaches to research in theology and religion.
I am involved in the development of Theological Action Research and the four voices of theology as an approach to practical theology. I am delighted that Regent’s Park College is one of the institutions in the Theology and Action Research Network https://theologyandactionresearch.net/the-team/.
Prior to my current role in college, I was co-lead with Jane Day of Project Violet, a three-year participatory research project into women’s experience of Baptist ministry. www.projectviolet.org.uk
My academic career has included being the founding director of the Oxford Centre for Ecclesiology and Practical Theology at Ripon College Cuddesdon. My practitioner career involved roles in the public and voluntary sectors including being Head of Public Affairs for The Salvation Army.
I am on the editorial boards of two journals: Practical Theology and Ecclesial Practices
My role in college
My purpose is to enhance the identity and distinctive ethos of Regent’s Park College as a research active community that is attractive to research funders, staff and students.
This involves supporting the college as it hosts funded research projects, supporting colleagues as they plan and undertake research and guiding the college research community through the REF 2029 assessment exercise.
I am passionate about enabling excellent research and communicating that research to audiences within and beyond the university.
If you have funded research planned which you think the college could host, do contact me. Helen.cameron@regents.ox.ac.uk
You are welcome to follow me on:
Twitter/ X at https://x.com/Helen4voices
LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-cameron-ab1398226/
For my cv see https://www.helencameron.academia.edu
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Selected Publications
Books
- Ed. with Morris, H. D., (2022). Evangelicals engaging with Practical Theology: Theology that Impacts Church and World. London, Routledge.
- Cameron, H. (2015) Just Mission: Practical Politics for Local Churches. London: SCM Press.
- with C. Duce (2013) Researching Practice in Ministry and Mission: A Companion. London: SCM Press
- with D. Bhatti, C, Duce, J. Sweeney and C. Watkins (2010). Talking about God in Practice: Theological Action Research and Practical Theology. London, SCM Press.
Articles and Research Papers
- Cameron, H. (2025) 'Theological Action Research', in Woodhead, L., Cadman, L. and Graham, N. (eds.) Messy Methods in Researching Religion. Oxford: OUP.
- Cameron, H. (2025) 'On deciding upon the right thing to do: Embracing the human capital case for studying theology', in Smith, G. and Todd, A. (eds.) Future Faith: Public and Practical Theologies for the Contemporary World. London: Routledge.
- Cameron, H. and Rogers, A. P. (2024) 'Theological Action Research in conversation with Contextual Biblical Interpretation', in Lawrence, L., Smit, P.-B., Strømmen, H. and van der Walt, C. (eds.) Challenging Contextuality in Biblical Interpretation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Cameron, H. (2024) 'Book Review: ‘A Woman Shall Do It’: Edith Gates, Neglected Pioneer (1883-1962)', Baptist Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/0005576X.2024.2304474
- Cameron, H. (2022). Church Organisation. in The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Theology and Qualitative Research. (eds) P. Ward and K. Tveitereid. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell.