Reflections on John Punshon as Teacher, Scholar and Colleague

Lawson offers a reflection on John Punshon as teacher, scholar, and colleague. The Christian spiritual tradition became part of John's teaching. Another strand in which John became involved was interfaith dialogue. Linking with the Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in the Selly Oak Colleges, he helped bring a Muslim-Christian Consultation on Peace to fruition in 1982 and gave a background presentation on 'Christian approaches to religious sources for peace'. The consultation was not just sharing faith perspectives, for it sent a letter to the then prime minister regretting the government's decision to go ahead with the Trident nuclear missile programme. John brought Islamic thinking into a 'Faith and Quakers' course the following year.