Martin Palmer

Actor

BIOGRAPHY

Martin Giles Palmer (born 14 October 1953) is the translator of several popular books on Sinology, including Zhuangzi and I Ching. His 2001 book The Jesus Sutras gives a popular and controversial interpretation of early Chinese Christianity as ‘syncretistic’. He is the Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education and Culture (ICOREC) and secretary general of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC).An Anglican Christian, Palmer studied theology and religious studies at Cambridge University. He is a regular contributor to the BBC on religious, ethical and historical issues. He appears regularly on BBC Radio 3 and 4, BBC World Service and BBC TV as a presenter, and is also a contributor to programmes such as In Our Time, Thought for the Day, Nightwaves, and Songs of Praise. He appeared on BBC World Service for a week-long China series in October 2007.Palmer is Co-Chair of a joint ARC-UNDP programme on the faiths, climate change and the environment, which launched a series of major faith commitments on the environment at Windsor Castle in November 2009 and is now working with a further 30 plus new long term faith commitments which will be launched year in association with UNDP.