Head of Department of Religious Studies, Dr Chris Deacy, recently interviewed Dr Stephen Garner, Academic Dean and Senior Lecturer in Theology at Laidlaw College in New Zealand, in the latest episode of his Nostalgia Interviews podcast.
During the episode, they discuss Stephen’s interest in technology, new media and popular culture and his passion for collecting film resources from the Pacific which are increasingly unavailable and the differences between physical products and streaming. Stephen was born in the UK and recalls his childhood memories, and how books and comics helped him to explore his innate curiosity. We discuss how difficult it is not to offend someone when sacred religious texts and popular culture are brought together. He is a systems person, who originally studied computer science and we learn about his passion for teaching and why academia is his tribe, why going to university was a form of rebirth, and how memories that weren’t positive have shaped him.
You can listen to the podcast episode online now via Audioboom.