This talk will spell out some of the themes raised in the "The Great African Scandal" Channel 4, 2007. In this film, working alongside local people, Robert struggles to survive on the average wage of 60p a day. He asks why, 50 years after independence, why Ghana, which is rich in minerals and is a stable democracy, is still one of the poorest in the world. The talk will examine corporations, as well as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, to find out whether they have actually made countries like Ghana worse off. And, most importantly, how as Christians, citizens and consumers we can make a difference.
Dr Robert Beckford is a Theologian, Author and Documentary Filmaker based at London Metropolitan University. He has been at the forefront of the theology and cultural studies movement in Britian for the last decade.
An educator for most of his life, he first taught adult literacy at Bournville College in Birmingham in the early 1990’s and progressed to become the first ever tutor in Black Theology at Queens College, Birmingham (1992-8) where he taught trainee priests and ministers for the Anglican and Methodist churches.
He began teaching at the University of Birmingham in 1999, working first as a Research Fellow with black offenders at Birmingham Prison and then moving to the faculty staff in 2001.
In September 2008, Robert will take up a new post as Reader in Christianity and Society at London Metropolitan University.
He is the author of a number of academic texts in the field of religion, culture and politics, including a study of Rastafari and Pentecostalism (Dread and Pentecostal 2002), Gang Culture in Birmingham (God and the Gangs 2004) and a Theology of Reggae-Dub (Jesus Dub 2006).
His current research explores the bewitchment of black British Christianity by the demonic spirits of materialism and social passivity.
A firm believer in teaching for social change, Robert has retained a commitment to teaching outside of traditional contexts, including community groups, care homes and male prisons. An extension of his organic approach to intellectual matters led him into broadcasting in 1999.
Robert has presented a plethora of documentaries on radio and television but made his debut in the Trevor Phillips’ series, Britain’s Slave Past. He quickly moved on to work on a number of programmes with BBC 4 including Ebony Towers (2001).
His first mainstream feature-length documentary in 2002 for BBC 2 on the story of Jamaican Independence (Blood and Fire) and earned a BAFTA for diversity in educational broadcasting for a six part series for BBC Religion (Test of Time 2002).
He began working with Channel 4 in 2003 and struck up a dynamic partnership with the commissioning editor, Aaqil Ahmed. One of a handful of black documentary presenters, his credits include God is Black (2004), Empire Pays Back (2005), The Secret Family of Jesus (2006), The Great Africa Scandal (2007) and The Secrets of the 12 Disciples (2008).
