St Wilfrid Lecture Series
Founded in AD 650, Ripon Cathedral has a long history of
commitment to, and involvement in learning. The St Wilfrid lectures
are a response to the growing need for theology and education to
interact with issues facing society in the 21st Century. In the
contemporary world, both theology and education need to engage in
dialogue with a range of communities on issues wider than narrowly
defined matters of religion and schooling.
The series began in 2009 as part of the year long celebrations
to mark the 1300th anniversary of the death of St Wilfrid. The
series is to be an annual event and aims to promote public
conversation and to contribute to the formation of personal
decisions and collective policy-making in economic, political and
social spheres. It is also an ecumenical project that seeks to
exchange insights between academic, religious and educational
tradition, and to build bridges between church and different faith
and community groups and organisations. The lectures relate faith
to public concerns politics, the arts, religion and education,
local and global Christianity and the multi-faith and multicultural
society.
Theme for the 2010 lectures:
'Religion and Politics- The Role of the Church in
Contemporary Society'
2010 should prove to be an interesting year in terms of party
politics, with many suggesting we could witness the closest fought
election for decades. Whether a coalition or a single party is
victorious, all agree we are facing significant political challenge
as we move into the second decade of the 21st century. The economy,
the environment, ideologies and the challenge of fundamentalism,
the politics of fear, global communication- these are just some of
the issues. The St Wilfrid lectures for 2010 will look to address
these and other themes and reflect on the extent to which religion
and politics converse.
The Speakers
18 February
Bishop James Jones- Bishop of Liverpool 'My Kingdom is not
of this world'- Really?
22 April
Professor Roger Trigg- Academic Director of the Centre for the
Study of Religion in Public Life, Kellogg College, University of
Oxford Does 'Equality' Override Religious Freedom?
17 June
Ruth Gledhill- The Times, Religion Correspondent Don't Shoot
Me I'm Just The Messenger: Media, Church, State and
Politics
8 July
Aaqil Ahmed- BBC Commissioning Editor Religion, Politics and
Public Broadcasting
30 September
Baroness Estelle Morris- House of Lords The Church, the
State and our Schools: is it a relationship that can still
work?
18 November
Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield- Head of the Reform Synagogues of Great
Britain Politically Engaged Religion: Faith in the Public
Square
General information
The lectures will be held at Ripon Cathedral. For
further information please see the website
Admission is free but by ticket only. Disabled access is
available but please mention when booking.
To book a ticket: E: judithbustard@riponcathedral.org.uk
T: 01765 603462 or write to: St Wilfrid Lectures, Cathedral office,
Liberty Courthouse, Minster Road, Ripon HG4 1QS
The St Wilfrid Lectures jointly organised and sponsored by:
Ripon Cathedral
Methodist District of York and Hull
Ripon and Leeds Diocese
York St John University