Staff profile

Edward Smyth is a part-time DThM student in the Department of Theology & Religion and St John's College. He holds a first-class BA in Music and an MA by Research in Musicology both from Durham (St John's and Hatfield Colleges respectively), and an MSc in Criminology & Criminal Justice from the University of Oxford (Lincoln College). His research is centred on the 'through-the-gate' experiences of individuals who have found faith whilst in prison. 

Edward works in Business Development for The Forward Trust, a charity which provides drug and alcohol services in prisons and the community; and is a trustee of Sing Inside which runs prison-based singing workshops. He is the co-author - with the Rev'd Fr Jonathan Aitken - of Doing Time: A Spiritual Survival Guide, published in October 2021 by Lion Hudson, and is editing a Festschrift in honour of Al McDonald, founder and late Chairman of the McDonald Agape Foundation, and Staff Director to President Jimmy Carter. He is an occasional contributor to and reviewer for Earth and Altar.

Edward is Head Server and Assistant Treasurer (Fundraising) at St Matthew's Church, Westminster. 

• Religion in Prison
• Mercy
• Prison Chaplaincy
• Music/Arts in Prison

Available for media contact about:

• Drink & drugs:
• Music:
• Crime:
• Criminology:
• Religion:
• Theology:

Authored book

• Smyth, Edward R & Aitken, Jonathan W P (2021). Doing Time: A Spiritual Survival Guide. Lion Hudson.

Chapter in book

• Smyth, Edward R (2019). The Fallacy of Rehabilitation-through-Retribution. In Crime and Consequence. Fox, A & Frater, A The Monument Fellowship.