the 2022 lecture

Tuesday 22 November 2022 at 7.00 pm
Venue: Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Taggart Avenue, Liverpool L16 9JD
Tickets, which are free, should be booked here.

Opening the Scriptures
speaker: the Most Revd & Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York

Stephen CottrellThe Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Stephen Cottrell will deliver the 25th Archbishop Blanch Lecture. His theme Opening the Scriptures explores what this means in an increasingly secular culture and why it still matters for Christian discipleship. As a prolific author and a national leader with a pastoral heart for the mission of the Church, Archbishop Stephen will challenge and encourage us in this vital task. This will be a fitting lecture as Archbishop Stephen will deliver the 25th anniversary lecture and the final lecture in the name of Archbishop Blanch.

About the Archbishop Blanch lecture

Stuart Blanch, a former Bishop of Liverpool and later Archbishop of York was a gifted biblical scholar and teacher. His love of scripture and his passion to commend it as a vital element in Christian life and witness marked his numerous books and public speaking. The annual Blanch Lecture established in his name and honouring his legacy has become an integral and important occasion in the life of the Diocese. Over the years it has brought a wide range of thoughtful and inspiring speakers from within the Church and the academy to engage a large and receptive audience in contemporary issues and how an informed and lively faith might respond to them.

Meet our speaker

Archbishop Stephen Cottrell is the 98th Archbishop of York and a popular writer and speaker on evangelism, spirituality and catechesis, with a particular interest in re-telling the Christian story imaginatively . He has previously served as the Bishop of Chelmsford, Bishop of Reading, Canon Pastor at Peterborough Cathedral and Diocesan Missioner for the Diocese of Wakefield. He served in parishes in South London and Chichester. He is a member of the Church of England’s Committee for Minority Ethnic Concerns, and Chair of Church Army, an Anglican society for evangelism and social outreach. He is a member of the House of Lords. He is married to Rebecca who is a potter. They have three sons, one grandson and a dog.

There is an interview with the Archbishop: Understanding Scripture is necessary to understand the Kingdom of God.