A reflection on Kate Bottley In Conversation
Written by Jacob Gotobed
The Reverend Kate Bottley arrived at Bradford Literature Festival on 2 July to discuss her latest book ‘Have a Little Faith’, at The Alhambra Studio.
Before the event started, Bottley spoke with enthusiastic audience members outside The Studio Alhambra for over 20 minutes before they went into the talk. She started the event by handing out sweets to the audience members, a trick she learnt in her time as a secondary school teacher to “help keep the kids quiet”, and welcomed the audience with a trademark northern welcome, saying she was ‘dead chuffed’ to be there. The event was chaired by Peg Alexander, Leeds based award winning broadcaster, presenter, and journalist across TV, radio, podcasts and events, she’s all about the world we live in and life in general. She clarifies that she is an atheist but grew up catholic, and discussed the idea of creating conversations about faith, making a welcoming environment to discuss theology and any faith.
Speaking candidly about faith, Bottley felt it important to say that she doesn’t have all the answers, and by nature it’s not a thing that can be proved, “it’s called faith, it’s not called sure”. Starting an honest and grounded conversation about finding comfort within the unknown, how new generations are finding other ways to talk about faith and belief, using terms like “manifesting into the universe” that people are still looking for spirituality in other ways, even though it isn’t directly calling them God.
Bottley told two poignant stories of spirituality and togetherness. The first of her mother passing, and how through that loss, she became closer to her father. He has a framed picture of his late wife and how he lit a candle next to it, Bottley started to bring flowers to them each time she visits. “Building a ritual that when there was no capacity left for words and feelings, there is still a sense of spirituality. A desire to connect with something bigger than yourself, that’s human” said Bottley.
The second story was of her time at Glastonbury festival, where Bottley ended up watching the sunrise with someone who had a completely different way of being spiritual – smoking a joint. Yet he knew her from Songs of Praise. Bottley and the festival-goer sang the hymn Morning is Broken together. Another beautiful reminder of creating a spirituality and togetherness.
The evening was filled with a feeling of authenticity and willingness to discuss the changing landscape of Christianity and the church, bringing up the topic of equality and asking big questions on LGBTQIA+ communities and whether the Church of England will keep the communion together or split. Bottley also raised how important it is to interpret scripture through three angles: the Bible, lived experience and tradition, to make your own interpretation of what is written. During the question-and-answer session, Bottley was asked whether she has had to unlearn through her faith journey, replying “I’m concerned when people say ‘the Bible clearly says’ … does it? It’s perfectly possible to be full of doubt and be a person of faith.”
Kate Bottley commented on how difficult it can be to be a priest in the public eye, with comments about being superficial, death threats and how she has overcome these setbacks throughout her career saying, “vicars are normal people, and have moved from the ‘male, pale and stale’ stereotype.” She joked that “I could go to the coolest night club, and no one would know me, I could go to a garden centre and get mobbed”. One audience member asked about how TV and film have told stories of the clergy with shows like Father Ted, Rev and The Vicar of Dibley, “they have done us loads of favours, being wonderful representations, as they’re shown as human beings. Sweary and normal, we love that the holy role models are just like us”.
During the question-and-answer session, Bottley was asked about her award-winning documentary, In the Footsteps of Judas, for BBC1. Where the audience member asked whether she was ready to forgive Judas, at the time of making the documentary she wasn’t. Discussing how her faith had grown over the 7 years, she now finds it easier to forgive Judas, pointing out that one of the hardest things about being a Christian is that contractual obligation to love and forgive others.
One of the more theological questions from an audience member was debating the notion of whether God has a plan for us, responding “it’s really hard to think [there is a plan] when you’re with a mother whose baby has died”, but spoke of it more about being there for them however they need you to be. She gave the comparison of God’s plan being a bit like “freeform jazz, they don’t know where they’re going, there is a sort of plan, but not a concrete plan”.
Overall, the event had a welcoming and positive atmosphere. Thought-provoking discussions really made the audience feel a part of what was happening, with collective hums of acknowledgement about the discussions of faith and spirituality relating to their own journeys. Like her book, Bottley used faith as a pillar of her life, with the event being more about how she tackles life with faith, and how life is better with spirituality, however you look at it. Rvd Kate Bottley ended the show saying “Who knows? We don’t, that’s the whole point”.
