What if the path to understanding the mysteries of faith doesn’t lie only in looking up at the stars - but in looking down into the hidden world of atoms and electrons?

All Saints Hertford will open its Festival of Faith this March with a captivating exploration of the meeting point between science and theology, led by one of the UK’s foremost physicists. Professor Russell Cowburn, Canon Scientist at St Albans Cathedral, will deliver the first talk in the series on Sunday 8 March at 7.30pm at All Saints, Hertford, offering a rare glimpse into how cutting‑edge nanotechnology can illuminate timeless questions of belief.

In his talk, The God of Small Things, Professor Canon Cowburn invites audiences to journey with him into the atomic-scale world he has spent decades studying. While telescopes reveal the vast beauty of the night sky, Cowburn argues that microscopes tell an equally powerful story—one in which structure, complexity and elegance at unimaginably small scales provoke profound reflections on creation, meaning and purpose.

A pioneering figure in nanotechnology, Professor Canon Cowburn’s career spans world-leading research, industry innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. His appointment as Canon Scientist at St Albans Cathedral marked a significant step in the Cathedral’s ongoing commitment to bridging science and faith. In this role, he champions dialogue between the laboratory and the pulpit, encouraging people of all backgrounds to see scientific discovery not as a challenge to belief, but as a pathway into deeper understanding.

From shaping new approaches in nanotechnology instrumentation, Professor Canon Cowburn has consistently sought to connect scientific advancement to the wellbeing of society. His Hertford talk will reflect this same spirit—bringing together inquiry, imagination and a sense of wonder at the fine-tuned structure of the world.

His event launches the wider “Faith in…” Festival of Faith at All Saints, Hertford, which will continue with:

• Sunday 22 March 2026 – Mark Russell OBE, Children's Society

If you would like to attend any of these talks, details of the programme may be found on All Saints’ website here.