Theology on Tap is back and at the Two Wolves Cantina

By Jordan Grantham, 20 September 2018
Jazz Chalouhi and Mary Brennan attending Theology on Tap in 2015. Photo: Theology on Tap, Sydney

 

One of Sydney’s favourite Catholic events is back and has a new home.

Theology on Tap is now hosted at the Two Wolves Community Cantina, Broadway.

Since 2007, thousands of people aged 18 – 35 have gathered at ‘TOT’ for a beer, a meal and to learn a bit more about God.

“TOT’s a great place to bring someone who is unchurched,” Natalie Ambrose said, regular attendee and now the Theology on Tap host, as the Events Coordinator for the University of Notre Dame’s Sydney Chaplaincy.

“It’s such an easy event to bring people to attend because it’s snappy but also challenges.

“It had a big impact on me to create community and learn more about our faith,” Natalie said.

For several years it was based in Parramatta, at PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub and then at the Commercial Hotel.

Patrick Langrell started and ran the event from early 2007, after having seen the successful theology in the pub concept in the United States.

RELATED: Patrick Langrell on media and culture in the global church

In this side of the world there have also been events with the same name in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and in the Diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Over the years, it has hosted an astounding and exciting line up of speakers, from Australia and overseas.

Previous Australian speakers include Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, Mike Willesee, Prof Hayden Ramsay, Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, Peter Holmes, Gary Pinto, Jonathan and Karen Doyle.

International speakers have included John Pridmore, Matt Maher, Patrick Madrid, Mark Shea, George Weigel, Monsignor Paul Tighe, Fr Alexander Sherbrooke, Abby Johnson, and Immaculée Ilibagiza.

Immaculée, considered the Anne Frank of the Rwandan Genocide, stunned 700 university aged people during her Theology on Tap talk in Parramatta.

The New York Times best selling author of Left to Tell stunned with her story of hiding for three months in a 1m2 toilet with seven other women, while 800,000 people were killed in her country.

Her profound Catholic faith motivated her to desire forgiveness of those who killed almost all her family.

The unique event and its interesting speakers have been featured on 60 Minutes, The Sydney Morning HeraldThe Australian and the Parramatta Advertiser.

Theology on Tap is now focusing on local speakers, Natalie said.

“We need to build up our local speakers, we’ve got a really strong theology and philosophy department at the University of Notre Dame,” she said.

Previous speakers this year included Peter Holmes on Listening as a Form of Love, Monica Doumit on Charity and Clarity: Addressing the Hot-Button Issues in Public and Kevin Wagner on Living the Faith in the Age of Snowflakes.

Follow Theology on Tap on Facebook.

 

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