 The 'golden thread' of those rich and varied years was the pursuit of a theology that might give dedicated attention both to the intensity of God and to the way the world is, especially as described, interpreted and explained by theologians, philosophers and scientists since the sixteenth century.Exploring and testing their thought was a slow and often lonely task, but for several hours each week there was intensive conversation with the colleague who became his son-in-law, David F. Ford.Moving to the Van Mildert Professor of Divinity in Durham University and a canon in Durham Cathedral brought him back to a combination of daily worship with academic work.