Catholic Life in the Church of England: Catholic Life in Relationship

Catholic Life in the Church of England: Catholic Life in Relationship - Singleness, Celibacy & Marriage

A study day as part of a series exploring the catholic tradition in the Church of England today, offering wisdom for every Christian. The day starts with Mass, followed by three talks from three excellent speakers, and concludes with Evensong and Benediction. All welcome.

Speakers

• The Rev'd Cécile Schnyder

Cécile was born in Switzerland and grew up in Zurich. She subsequently lived in France and Belgium before moving to England in 2003. She is currently the vicar of St Anne’s in Wandsworth in the diocese of Southwark. She has degrees in Biomedical Science, Psychotherapy, Art and Theology and speaks multiples languages fluently. What brings her joy is pursuing anything that’s beautiful, making art, pottering around the garden, looking after her bees and hens, and going for a slow walk with Lina the basset hound.

• The Rev’d Canon Professor Morwenna Ludlow

Morwenna is Professor of Christian History and Theology at the University of Exeter and Canon Theologian at Exeter Cathedral. Her talk will explore how for the first millennium and a half of Christianity celibacy – a voluntary single life dedicated to God – was seen as superior to marriage. Many Christians today still hold to that view. So what are the sources and roots of that idea? How does it relate to the bible and to early Christian practice? How did early Christian ideas of celibacy relate to marriage and how might we understand that relationship today?

• Fr Charlie Bell

Fr Charlie is a priest and a doctor. He practices as an academic psychiatrist at King’s College, London, and The Maudsley Hospital in South London and is a Fellow in Medicine at Girton College in the University of Cambridge. He is also the current curate of St John the Divine, Kennington, in the Diocese of Southwark in South London and an Associate Tutor in liturgy and worship and Research Fellow at St Augustine’s College of Theology. He has written about both medicine and theology, and the intersection between the two, and is the author of Queer Holiness: the gift of LGBTQI people to the church, a recent book that calls for a sea change in the way we talk with and about LGBTQI people in the church, with a particular view to the situation in the Church of England. His most recent book is on death, dying, despair and Christian doctrine, and he also has two forthcoming books on the concept of ‘unity’ in the Anglican communion and the contribution of queer people to the life and doctrine of the church.

Celebrants & Preachers

• Mthr Esther Lay

Mthr Esther was brought up in Beijing, Singapore, and Sydney, though she will claim to be from southern Illinois if pressed. She read Philosophy and Theology at The Queen’s College, Oxford before training as a classical singer at the Royal Academy of Music. After a ten-year career as a concert soloist specialising in baroque repertoire, she worked for two years as Ministerial Assistant at the University Church in Oxford, and then trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon. She is the first female curate of St Mary Magdalen’s, though only the second to speak Mandarin. She has two small children, Beatrice and Theodore, who go by Bea and Teddy. She can be found reading and writing poetry in any available spare time.

These study days are made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Lady Peel Trust. Cover image Anuja Tilj via unsplash.com

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St Peter's Church, De Beauvoir Town, London, United Kingdom