Simon Cross is a writer, journalist, activist and academic, working at the intersection of well being, spirituality, mental health, social science, and theology.

Born in Scotland and brought up in rural Northumberland, he went on to study Politics and Sociology before embarking on a career in journalism in 2000.

After working as a news reporter for a national press agency he spent a number of years as a freelance writer specialising in investigative projects and hard news reporting before moving in to community work. He devoted nearly a decade to that before returning to freelance writing alongside research and teaching.

In 2022 Simon completed a PhD in theology at the University of Hull, researching the sociological concept of spiritual capital through a lens of process theology. He had previously been awarded postgraduate qualifications from Staffordshire University and Lancaster University.

Simon is an interdisciplinary writer, and prefers to look for links rather than boundaries, working across the fields of social science, theology, and religious studies among others. He has taught social sciences to undergraduates and has conducted investigative and research projects as a solo researcher. He continues to be actively involved in a number of community projects and currently serves as chair of Trustees for the Progressive Christianity Network (Britain). He travels widely to talk to and work with groups on issues such as spirituality and mental health. In his academic work he uses a range of lenses including process philosophy and symbolic interactionism to scrutinise a range of issues and ideas: challenging widely held distinctions and seeking new (or renewed) connections. He has previously published on the phenomenon of ‘New Monasticism’ in the UK, and on nature connection in the Christian tradition.

In 2021 Simon began training for ordained ministry with the United Reformed Church at Westminster College, Cambridge. He welcomes invitations to speak at church groups, conferences and other gatherings.

During his career as a news journalist Simon wrote for a variety of publications including most of the national daily and Sunday newspapers in the UK, as well as a broad range of magazines and websites. He continues to write commissioned music reviews, and magazine features and news articles on a range of subject matters. Simon and his wife, Kelly, have two adult children.