The Gifford Lectures were established in 1898 "to contribute to the advancement of theological and philosophical thought". The lectures take place over the course of the academic year in four Scottish universities: St Andrews, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The contents of the series from 2009 onwards are freely available as video and audio podcasts. Recent speakers include Terry Eagleton speaking on the God Debate, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown on The Future of Jobs and Justice. Perhaps more typical is historian Diarmaid MacCulloch’s series of lectures on the history of silence in the Christian church. The series is also streamed on a YouTube channel.