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Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care | University of Aberdeen
John Swinton (he/him) is Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care, and Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies, at the University of Aberdeen. Before entering academic theology, he worked for more than a decade as a registered mental health nurse and later as a hospital and community mental health chaplain, experiences that continue to shape his scholarship. In 2004, he founded the University of Aberdeen’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability, an interdisciplinary centre exploring theology, health, disability, and human flourishing.
He has published widely on mental health, dementia, disability theology, spirituality and healthcare, end-of-life care, qualitative research, and pastoral care. His books include Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of People with Mental Health Challenges, winner of the Aldersgate Prize for outstanding interdisciplinary work in theology, and Dementia: Living in the Memories of God, which received the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Ramsey Prize for excellence in theological writing. His work brings theology into sustained conversation with lived human experience.
Alongside his academic work, John is a musician and songwriter. His recent album, Beautiful Songs About Difficult Things, explores vulnerability, meaning, and hope, themes that also run through his theological and pastoral work. He is married and has five children.
