There have been a host of BBC radio interviews for respected feminist theologian Dr Niamh M. Middleton, a client of book PR agency Palamedes.

Dr Middleton, the author of Jesus and Women: Beyond Feminism, has warned that the Church of England faces extinction within 30 years unless it recruits more streetwise male vicars who “speak the language of youth” and appreciate the tough reality of life in modern Britain.

Existing clergy – many from white, middle-class backgrounds – are “completely out of touch” with society and stand no chance of engaging young people and rebuilding congregations, she says.

Their sermons are often judgemental, overly religious, and misogynistic, and focus on things that fail to resonate with women and with the rest of the population.

Few understand the day-to-day challenges the public face, making Church services a bore for “everyone but the devout and converted”.

Only by recruiting new, “switched-on” male vicars with working-class upbringings will the Church survive past the 2050s, the renowned academic fears.

The BBC interviews come on top of significant coverage generated for Dr Middleton and her book through previous campaigns. You can learn more by visiting PR Case Studies.