Chine McDonald Keynote Speaker

Director of Theos, a religion and society think tank
Author of ‘God is not a white man: and other revelations’, runner up in the 2023 Michael Ramsey prize
Named one of the most influential black Christian women in the UK (Keep the Faith magazine), and one of the UK’s most inspiring Christian women (Premier Christianity magazine)

Chine McDonald's Biography

Chine McDonald is a writer, broadcaster and author, and is Director of Theos, the religion and society think tank. A sought-after leader and speaker on issues of race and diversity, leadership, current affairs, social change, morality, ethics, religion and gender.

Chine is a regular writer, broadcaster, panel host and media commentator and has written for the Financial Times, the Guardian, The Independent, The Big Issue, Prospect, The Mirror and contributes to TV and radio programmes such as regularly presenting the BBC’s Thought for the Day on Radio 4’s Today programme and appearing on BBC Sunday Morning Live, as well as reviewing the news on Times Radio and BBC London. She regularly speaks in and hosts panels including previously at the Cheltenham Science Festival and the Cheltenham Literary Festival.

Before joining Theos, Chine headed up public engagement at international development NGO Christian Aid. She is the author of ‘God is not a white man: and other revelations’ (Hodder & Stoughton, May 2021) which was runner up in the 2023 Michael Ramsey prize. Her upcoming book Unmaking Mary: The Myth of Divine Motherhood will be published by Hodder & Stoughton in early 2025.

She has previously been listed as one of the most influential black Christian women in the UK (by Keep the Faith magazine), and one of the UK’s most inspiring Christian women (Premier Christianity magazine). The Channel 4 News and Times Radio presenter Cathy Newman has included Chine as one of the inspiring career women included in her new book The Ladder: Life Lessons from Women Who Scaled the Heights & Dodged the Snakes (Harper Collins, 2024).

Chine is also a confident host and interviewer, and has interviewed well-known thinkers in public life – from comedian and writer David Baddiel to Rev Richard Coles to civil rights campaigner Jesse Jackson to writer Emma Dabiri to world-renowned evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar.

She is vice–chair of Greenbelt Festival and on the board of Christian Aid. Chine studied Theology and Religious Studies at Cambridge University.