Al McFadyen is an academic theologian at the University of Leeds, UK. He works mainly on the theme of humanity, trying to understand how to be human and what it means to be human in practice as well as in theory. He is married, with two sons and two step-daughters (one wife) who would all tell you quickly how little he knows about that, were they able to edit his profile.In his research and writing, he operates within the interface, not only of church and world, but of academy and world, often attempting a sort of triangulation between Christian doctrine, secular theories and concrete situations of practice in the real world, hoping for mutual illumination.He has has developed this approach writing on child sexual abuse and the holocaust, on inner-city policing, and on personhood.He could give a complicated theoretical account of why this is an appropriate theological methodology, but really it's simply a triangulation he finds he lives within and is his existential situation as an Anglican (Episcopalian) lay-person, working in the academy who has always also found himself engaged in other communities of practice. Alongside his full-time academic post, he also serves part-time as a police officer in a challenging, multi-faith and multi-ethnic inner-city area of Leeds.The great American guru of practical theology, Don Browning, once asked Al whether his theology fit most neatly into a box labelled 'Systematic Theology' or the one labelled 'practical theology'. After much conversation, they agreed that he was 'practically a theologian' and Al has been trying to live up to that ever since.He is currently finalising a book called Seeking Humanity, whilst also working on the themes more directly related to his policing experience - loving enemies, loving the neighbourhood, and police engagement with faith communities. 'Effective Community Policing: Negotiating Changing Religious Identities' Report available here: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/downloads/file/804/effective_community_policing