[1] He was ordained priest in the Church of England in 1983,[1] and served as a Curate in the Diocese of Guildford.

In 2009 he was appointed Thomas A. Langford Research Professor of Theology at Duke University.

[3] He is founder of the New Caritas Orchestra, a group of professional players of faith in the United States.

Begbie has lectured worldwide, delivering multi-media presentations in venues all over the UK, as well as in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Belgium, Germany, Israel, South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia.

The project included conversation among artists and theologians, academic lectures, publications, and an international arts festival held in Cambridge in 2000.