Victoriao Motoso – Theologian, Lecturer, and Public Speaker

Victoria Omotoso

Theology, storytelling, and voice — shaping how faith is seen, heard, and understood today.

ABOUT

Dr Victoria Omotoso is a contextual theologian, lecturer, and published author working at the intersection of theology, visual culture, and global media. Her work explores how race, storytelling, and representations of Jesus shape faith, culture, and public life across global contexts.

She is Lecturer in Global Media and Digital Cultures at the University of Southampton and teaches Race and the Bible at the London School of Theology. Alongside her academic work, she delivers public speaking, consultancy, and communication training for institutions, educators, and professionals.

Formation & Story

Victoria’s work is shaped not only by academic research but by a deeply personal journey of faith, illness, and resilience.

At seventeen, she was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and admitted to intensive care in critical condition, as multiple organs began to fail. During this time, her family held firmly to faith, grounding themselves in the promise of Isaiah 54:17 — “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”

In this same period, her parents made a written vow before God that, should her life be spared, her future would be devoted not to medicine as originally planned, but to the study of Theology and Music — theology to represent the Word of God and the study of Scripture, and music to represent praise and worship.

After eight weeks in intensive care, Victoria was discharged weighing just 28 kilograms, having lost significant muscle function and memory. What followed was a long period of recovery, relearning how to walk, write, and carry out everyday tasks.

After leaving intensive care, she continued to live with the long-term effects of lupus, undergoing dialysis treatment for fifteen years — including throughout her education — as part of an ongoing journey marked by endurance, faith, and resilience.

Over time, strength and memory returned through sustained rehabilitation and personal and spiritual formation. Two years later, she began her undergraduate studies in Music and Theology at the University of Leeds — marking the beginning of a vocational path that now shapes her work as a scholar, educator, and public theologian.

Today, her story continues to inform her commitment to a theology that speaks honestly into human vulnerability while holding space for hope, cultural complexity, and resilience.

Alongside her academic and public work, she also shares reflections within church and pastoral contexts, engaging themes of faith, perseverance, and storytelling as pathways toward healing and transformation.

See more of Victoria’s devotional reflections here → The Shalom Collective

Creative & Music Ministry

Alongside her academic, teaching, and public speaking work, Victoria engages in creative ministry through music and worship leadership as an extension of her theological practice.

She has supported youth ministries, church communities, and prison chaplaincy contexts, using music as a space for reflection, pastoral care, and theological storytelling.

She is also part of Grace’n Crown, a collaborative music project with her brothers, through which they lead worship and minister in youth and prison contexts, creating spaces that bring together faith, music, and lived experience.

This work reflects her early formation in Music and Theology and continues to shape her understanding of voice, embodiment, and communal expression.

→ View Grace’n Crown on Instagram

RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

Victoria’s academic work engages interdisciplinary conversations across theology, film studies, reception history, and global Christianity.

Academic Research

Victoria’s research explores

Cross-cultural reception of Jesus in film
Black theology and visual culture
Race, storytelling, and media representation
Global Christianity and public theology

Her monograph Imag(in)ing Jesus in the Universal or Particular (Bloomsbury Academic) examines how audiences interpret cinematic portrayals of Jesus across cultural contexts.

→ View Book

Selected Publications

Omotoso, V.O (2024).

“What’s In A Culture? A Critical Examination of Culture and Faith Through a Cinematic Lens of Son of Man (2006).” Black Theology, 22(1), 51–68.

• Peer-reviewed article exploring theology, race, and visual culture through film analysis

→ Read Article

Omotoso, V.O. (2024).

“Reading 1 Timothy 2:15 through the Lens of Black Pregnancy and Womanist Care.” In Pregnancy and Birth: Critical Theological Perceptions, ed. Karen O’Donnell & Claire Williams. London: SCM Press.

• Peer-reviewed theological chapter engaging scripture, womanist theology, and embodied experiences of Black motherhood and care.

→ Read Book

Public Writing & Media

Omotoso, V. (2023).
“Jesus wasn’t white, but many Black Christians still see him that way. It has to change.” Premier Christianity.

→ Read Article

Omotoso, V. (2021).
“Why do Christians think Jesus was white?” Woman Alive.

→ Read Article

Omotoso, V. (2020).
“Restorative Justice in the Wake of Black Lives Matter.” Religion in Public.

→ Read Article

Podcasts & Interviews

Decolonising Research Series: Interview with Dr Victoria Omotoso (2022)

→ View Interview Summary

Being a BAME Researcher with Victoria Omotoso
(2020)

→ Listen to Podcast

TEACHING & LEADERSHIP

Teaching & Educational Leadership

Victoria teaches across higher education and church contexts, supporting students, ministers, and educators in exploring theology through interdisciplinary and culturally aware approaches.

Teaching Includes:

Lecturer in Global Media and Digital Cultures
— University of Southampton

Tutor in Race and the Bible
— London School of Theology

National Church & Educational Leadership

Victoria has contributed to national church and educational initiatives engaging questions of theology, race, and biblical interpretation.

She served as Project Lead within the Church of England’s Racial Justice Unit, developing a national Bible study resource for parishes across the UK. The project brought together clergy from diverse global majority heritage backgrounds to contribute theological reflections on racial justice grounded in scripture.

Alongside this, she has worked as a Co-Facilitator with the Diocese of Exeter, supporting curriculum development and theological education with a focus on Christianity as a global and culturally diverse faith.

Her work brings together scholarship, pastoral leadership, and collaborative theological dialogue to support churches and institutions engaging deeply with questions of race, faith, and scripture.

SPEAKING & CONSULTING

Speaking, Training & Consultancy

Victoria works with universities, churches, cultural organisations, and individuals seeking thoughtful, culturally informed approaches to communication, theology, and storytelling.

Her work bridges academic research and real-world application, equipping individuals and institutions to communicate with clarity, confidence, and cultural awareness.

Speaking Themes

Victoria delivers talks, workshops, and seminars across academic, church, and public platforms. Key themes include:

Theology and Visual Culture
Black Theology & Film
Race, Faith, and Representation
Storytelling and Public Voice
Global Christianity
Faith, Resilience, and Lived Experience

Consultancy & Collaborative Projects

Victoria has contributed to interdisciplinary projects across church, education, and media contexts, supporting organisations engaging questions of theology, culture, and race.

Recent work includes:

Project Lead — Racial Justice Unit, Church of England
Led the development of a national Bible study resource bringing together clergy voices from diverse cultural contexts to explore racial justice through a biblical and theological lens.

Co-Facilitator — Diocese of Exeter
Supported curriculum development and theological education, contributing to national conversations on Christianity as a global and culturally diverse faith.

Theological Consultant — Film & Media Projects (Angel Studios)
Provided insight on representations of Jesus, narrative, and theology within visual storytelling contexts.

Public Speaking Development

Victoria offers personalised coaching for individuals seeking to develop confidence, clarity, and presence in high-stakes communication settings.

Coaching is offered through structured sessions tailored to each individual’s goals and context. Further details, including session structure and pricing, are shared following an initial enquiry. A short initial consultation is available to explore your needs and determine the best approach.

Her approach combines:

Storytelling and structured thinking
Voice and delivery development
Practical tools for managing nerves
Tailored support based on individual goals
Speaking Confidence Pathway (3 Sessions)
Public Speaking Development Programme (6 Sessions)

MEDIA & PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

Victoria’s work extends beyond academia into public theology, cultural dialogue, and interdisciplinary collaboration across church, education, and media contexts.

She regularly contributes to conversations on theology, visual culture, race, and storytelling, bringing academic insight into accessible and publicly engaged spaces.

Recent engagements include invited contributions within cathedral settings such as Bristol Cathedral and ongoing collaborations connected to St Paul’s Cathedral Institute. She also participates in roundtable discussions within film and media contexts, including work engaging questions of theology, narrative, and representation in partnership with organisations such as Angel Studios.

Through public talks, panels, and collaborative forums, Victoria brings theological scholarship into meaningful dialogue with global media, education, and cultural leadership spaces.

WHAT OTHERS SAY

“Victoria is an engaging and stimulating speaker, enabling audiences to reflect on representations of Jesus in film while being thoughtfully challenged in their expectations and responses. Her work was well pitched for a cathedral congregation, speaking both to those familiar with these questions and those encountering them for the first time. Her presentation deepened our awareness of the impact of culture on how we understand Christ.”

The Very Revd Mandy Ford
Dean of Bristol

“Dr Victoria Omotoso is an exciting and emerging Black woman scholar with a wide breadth of expertise spanning New Testament studies, theological reflection, Christology, and film. If she is not already a theological star, she soon will be.”

Professor Anthony G. Reddie
Professor of Black Theology, University of Oxford
Director, Centre for Black Theology

“Victoria led an excellent and engaging session on Black Christology for a mixed group of lay learners. Her use of film and media was especially effective, and she handled the topic with both depth and accessibility — making complex and potentially challenging ideas feel engaging and approachable.”

Dr Andrew Hayes
Lay Ministry Enabler, Diocese of Oxford

“It has been enlightening working with Dr Victoria Omotoso, who shares her story with clarity and grace while engaging the challenges of belonging within Christian contexts. Through her research and expertise, she has supported our schools in deepening their understanding of the diversity within Christianity, encouraging them to recognise and celebrate its richness as a global faith.”

Jo C. Hunter
Senior Education Adviser for School Effectiveness: Church Schools Flourishing

“Victoria’s teaching offered an excellent balance of guidance and challenge, enabling a large group of students to engage deeply with the ongoing importance of Black and womanist theology for the Church today. Through creative engagement with film, alongside key texts and thinkers in the field, her work supported students training for Christian ministry to approach the subject with both seriousness and hope.”

Revd Dr Richard Wyld
Director of Formation, Ripon College Cuddesdon

“We were delighted to work with Dr Victoria Omotoso when launching a new resource for church schools, Christianity as a Global World Faith. As part of our training, she spoke with clarity and insight on her research into how Jesus is portrayed in global media. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, with participants describing the session as thought-provoking and fascinating. Victoria is a highly intelligent professional who brings an authentic voice and is a pleasure to work with.”

Mrs Michala Firth
Education Adviser for School Effectiveness: Christian Distinctiveness

WORK WITH VICTORIA

Victoria welcomes invitations for speaking, teaching, consultancy, and professional communication development across academic, church, and cultural contexts.

Her work brings together theological insight, visual storytelling, and cross-cultural awareness to support meaningful dialogue, confident communication, and thoughtful public engagement.

She works with individuals and organisations seeking not only to communicate clearly, but to communicate with depth, authenticity, and impact.

Speaking & Workshops

Victoria delivers talks and workshops for universities, churches, and organisations engaging questions of theology, culture, and communication.

Topics include:

Theology and contemporary culture
Visual storytelling and representations of Jesus
Race, faith, and cultural identity
Storytelling and public voice
Faith, resilience, and personal journey

Each session is tailored to the audience, creating space for both critical reflection and accessible engagement.

Public Speaking Development

Victoria offers structured coaching for individuals at different stages of their journey who are seeking to communicate with greater confidence, clarity, and presence.

This is particularly suited for those who:

feel confident in smaller settings but struggle in high-stakes environments
want to improve delivery, structure, and audience connection
are preparing for presentations, interviews, leadership roles, or public-facing opportunities

Her approach combines:

storytelling and structured thinking
voice and delivery development
practical tools for managing nerves
tailored support based on individual goals.

Consultancy & Academic Collaboration

Victoria works with institutions and organisations on projects relating to theology, education, and cultural engagement.

This includes:

curriculum and programme development
advisory work on race, theology, and representation
panels, roundtables, and interdisciplinary research collaborations

Enquiries

Contact

hi@victoriaomotoso.com