Christian history is full of wonder, complexity, and deep questions of faith. A new initiative, co-founded by an Oxford theologian, is helping a new generation make sense of it all.
Daniel Kim, an MPhil student in Modern Theology at the University of Oxford and ordinand at Wycliffe Hall, has co-founded ChristianStory—a creative digital project reimagining how we encounter Christian history and theology. Combining academic rigour with visual storytelling, ChristianStory invites viewers into the rich, diverse, and sometimes difficult legacy of the Church, with the ultimate goal of deepening faith, not hindering it.
“Christianity is a centuries-long story of people wrestling with what it means to follow Jesus,” Kim explains. “Our aim is to help people see the beauty, complexity, and relevance of that story—especially at a time when many are asking serious questions about faith.”
Co-founded with Swiss theologian Oliver Dürr, the project is an international collaboration between theologians, historians, and animators based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, and Oxford, UK. The creative team includes creative director Manuel Dürr, four visual artists, writer Charlotte Kim, and lead historian Benjamin Sharkey—a DPhil candidate at Magdalen College, Oxford, specialising in Central Asian Christian history. The team also draws on the academic input of advisors from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions, including the Revd Dr Andrew Davison (University of Cambridge) and Professor Alister McGrath (University of Oxford), ensuring both theological breadth and depth.
At the heart of ChristianStory is what the team calls a “Generous Orthodoxy”—a theological approach anchored in the Nicene Creed, yet open to exploring the diversity of Christian expression throughout history. “We don’t want to oversimplify,” says Kim. “But amidst all the complexity, we always keep Jesus at the centre.”
The project’s first episode, which explores the story of the first Christians, launched on Good Friday and has already drawn a wide international audience, with over 130,000 views on YouTube and 10,000 more across Instagram reels. Viewers are tuning in from Brazil, Switzerland, Central Asia, and beyond.
The initiative is funded through crowdfunding and welcomes ongoing support from individuals who share its vision for faith-enriching storytelling. “This is a project I’ve been dreaming about since 2019,” says Kim. “It just needed the right team to come together. It’s quite surreal seeing it out in the real world and the reception has been beyond my expectations.”
Daniel Kim is completing his MPhil under the supervision of Professor Jane Shaw and will begin his curacy in Oxfordshire this July. He serves as the project’s head writer and marketing strategist.
For more information, or to watch and support the project, visit: www.christianstory.com
